On this episode of the Cult Film Club hosts Jaime, Pax and Shawn strap on some multicolored bandanas, pick out their favorite ninja weapons and prepare to get radical while discussing the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie! Starring Corey Feldman, Robbie Rist, Brian Tochi, Josh Pais, Kevin Clash, Judith Hoag, and Elias Koteas the film was directed by the visionary behind Ah Ha’s Take On Me music video, Steve Barron and featured creature and costume effects by the legendary Jim Henson Studios. We talk about the character’s creation by Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird, the comics, cartoon, and toys that preceded the flick and how this ninja turtle phenomenon effects us. We also dig into the soundtrack, some of the familiar faces that pop up (Skeet Ulrich? Check. Sam Rockwell? Check.), as well as taking a quick look at the legacy of the Turtles on film. So sit back, cue up and show and remember, never pay full price for late pizza!
Listen now!
(Or right-click and save this file to download -> Cult Film Club, Episode #18: TMNT 1990)
If you like what you hear you can subscribe to the Cult Film Club on iTunes.
You can also join our not-so-exclusive but totally rad club so you can know which movie(s) we’ll be discussing next and watch along with us.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
I love that the poster really wants to make sure we know this is NOT a cartoon.
Lol, I know. But to your point on the show, I think the producers were afraid of how that might effect the box office. Things didn’t work out so well for He-Man, which was the main example of a Saturday Morning Cartoon going live action before this. They were looking at that, and the numbers on Batman and hoping they landed in Bat-country…
Another one of my all time favorites! Nice job CFC!
This one had to happen considering I just picked Rad and Pax picked The Shadow. Also, thanks man!
Great Pod peeps, it is not often you hear the phrase `Turtle on Human violence` TMNTCFC.
lol, true, and Thanks!
So good! I never really considered this as my favorite movie of all time, but lately I’ve been thinking it might be. Certainly there are better movies when you look at writing, acting, effects or whatever, but I can’t think of another movie that I am always in the mood to watch, and have watched so many times. Even now, every time I see a clip or hear a sound bite I just want to watch this movie. No matter how good (or bad) any future movies in the franchise might be, I’m not sure anyone will ever top this one. It is so much better than it had a reason to be.
For a very while reasoned argument on why this is a good movie (and the new one will likely be less than good) separate from the fact that it’s about the TMNT I highly recommend this video breakdown of the themes from the film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TupkvNNLr1M
Oh cool! And you’re totally right as far as the reasoning behind why this could/probably is your favorite flick. When I think about how much enjoyment I get out of say the ’86 Transformers the Movie flick, and how hearing a single song on the soundtrack or quote from the movie makes me want to rush home and stick it in the DVD player I know that it’s an all time favorite regardless of how well animated it is, etc. It’s all about that love and still being excited about it so many years later. Can’t wait to check out that video later…
Whoa, there are some great observations in that video!
Right? It’s stuff that was a little over my head as a kid, and as an adult I’ve seen the movie so many times I got it, but I don’t watch it critically so it never really jumped out at me. Jaime kind of touched on it in the episode. It’s not about Good vs. Evil in a sort of eternal struggle, it’s about family and how a sense of belonging, or not, can really affect the kind of person you become. It also really puts the importance of the Danny character and storyline into perspective.
Yeah, it’s funny, I was really expecting a lot of hate for Danny in the TMNT community, much like Westley Crusher in the Star Trek fan community, but he really is a good and important character to that flick. I also love his obsession with Sid Vicious shirts…
Electric Dreams is a great movie you need to see it. The soundtrack was by Giorgio Moroder at his peak and the theme by Phil Oakey (of The Human League) was a big hit in the UK making the movie a minor hit. Also Steve Barron also did the Dire Straits – Money For Nothing and Michael Jackson – Billie Jean which are 2 other iconic 80s videos. The Reason he made Turtles is he did some episodes of a series called Jim Hensons The Storyteller a few years before. Its one of my top 20 movies so I know a lot about it. PS I also have that German DVD! 🙂
Oh cool! I know Jaime just caught Electric Dreams and really liked it. Apparently Barron has a thing for filming drawings. I need to catch up with the Storyteller, missed out on that the first time around…
Awesome episode guys, although I had to explain to co-workers why Turtle Rhapsody was coming from my office. And if you like old school turtles, you might dig this. http://bizarrojimmyolsen.blogspot.com/2012/11/eastman-and-lairds-teenaged-mutant.html
Thanks man, glad you dug it! And if the only thing we did was make your co-workers question your taste in music, mission accomplished 😉 No seriously, that’s cool! I love how many of the original comic stories made it into that first film. It’s been forever since I flipped through that issue. Thanks for pointing to that.
And then this happens. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz3m_7ozhNo
Jaime, are you secretly hiding a set of Raph masks from the flicks at your place? Lol, seriously though, look closely behind the bed, she has the standee that we saw at Gepp’s Museum!
Thanks for sharing this Dust!
sometimes you just want to watching some good movies