Memories of TMNT Movie 1

[Michaelangelo]

Man, thinking back to early 1990 when the word hit that there was going to be a Ninja Turtle movie, the surprise that filled me.  I was only just beginning to become a fan, since I learned of them in late 1989.  Though when I heard it was going to be live action it intreged me.   I loved costumes because my father was a costume maker.  So the idea of seeing the Turtles on the screen live was exciteing.  Even my mom was impressed as the pictures started to come out from the movie.   One of the first things we found was the TMNT movie novel.  This inspired my mom to try something out.

For those of you who don't know me that well I am dyslexic, I was a 1st grade reading level in 5th grade (which happens to be the year that this story is taking place).   I could not read any of the books the teachers wanted me too, and they refused me reading help that year because I was to old.  At least that's what they said, as they took me out of their reading help class.  My mom was trying anything she could think of to get me to read, though with the way things were it wasn't easy.  I was not the only person in my family who is dyslexic really my family was the first full family in Michigan to be tested and found that all of us are dystexic.  So it wasn't easy to get me to read when even my folks had reading problems.

My mom saw my interest in the Ninja Turtles and decided to give something new a try.   And held up the movie one novel, she told me if I read this book I would be able to see the movie on opening day.  Not just on opening day, but first showing.  That meant a morning movie on a school day.   I would be allowed to skip school for Ninja Turtles?  What kid could turn that down?   It took me almost the full three months that I had the book to read it, though it was the first book I ever read.   And because I did finish it and answered the questions my mom asked me about the book I was able to go and see the movie on opening day, and called in sick to school.

Oh the costumes, I remember just being swept away with how perfect the costumes were.  We saw the movie over 15 times at the theatres.  And it remains one of my favorite movies to this day.    

That is my memories on TMNT 1, what is yours please do share.

[Raphael]

*snicker* See my comment for movie 2...there's no option for the 2-10 time viewers.  

[Leonardo]

*snicker* See my comment for movie 2...there's no option for the 2-10 time viewers.  

*baps Raph with a tossed Snickers bar*

There is now!
Look again!

 

[Aignatius]

Hmm, my comment was deleted. O-kay...

[Michaelangelo]

Huh... deleted... I never saw it...   Wonder what happened...  unless you mean the comment in the "TMNT 2 topic" that's still there.

[Aignatius]

Oh, I got it, now.
This is for TMNT *1*. I think Raph's comments threw me off, they seemed to be the same as the other one. *baps Raph for the heck of it* That's for confusing me, you lug.
   

[Aignatius]

*makes note to remove age from profile*

Yes, movie ONE, I rented the tape for my nieces, nephew and daughter way back in New Year's Eve of 1990, watched it with them, they went to bed, I watched it again, fell asleep in the recliner, and it played one more time while I was sleeping, so that I was fed all these subliminal messages. I think I was brainwashed, or something. How typical of ninja to do this.  

[Leonardo]

LOL!
This is almost as good as the night in IRC when Raph spoke of mastering the art of Speed Bapping.....

I saw Movie 1 several times in the theatre. 3 or 4?
And I was actually dragged to it the first time by friends. When your first experience of TMNT is the old cartoon "the Great Cufflink Caper", that's a "bad foot" to start on. My friends Promised I would like it....
And I enjoyed it so much, that very night I borrowed my sister's First Graphic novel collection of the Mirage comics. (I had already been reading Titans and X-Men comics, among some others loaned to me by friends.) And then I was completely hooked ever since on TMNT, staying up until 2 am on a work night to read through Return to NY....
And this happened because the quality of the story and the characters in the first movie was so good. The costumes (so awesome for the time period it came out) was secondary, so that even now, as it it looks a bit dated, the movie still holds up well. A couple years ago they had an old print of it they showed at San Diego Comic Con on older projectors, it was great fun to see it on a "big screen" again.

[OnnaRaphael]

My first memory of the first movie was not seeing it.  

When I was a kid living with my mom and biological father we were poor, my mom didn't drive and my dad... well he was kind of a jerk, let's put it that way.  I was such a huge TMNT fan that when the movie came out I just had to see it in the theater!  I'd been to the theater twice in my life and that was it, so if I'd thought about it I probably would have known my chances were slim, but hey I was a kid!

So I begged... and I begged... and I begged.  I made a sign and marched around the house as if I was in a picket line begging to go.  No dice.  My mom couldn't take me and my dad didn't want to go.     So I waited for it to come out on video.

When I finally got it on video though I watched the crap out of that tape!  *L*  I remember first hearing Raph swear and it was just the biggest deal to me, it's like he'd gotten so much more grown up than he was in the cartoon.  I have to admit I thought it was really cool.  *L*  I knew that the turtles weren't real but suddenly it's like they were more real than cartoon.

And that's about that really.  

[Jephael]

I'll never forget the day I went to see it! My parents went away that weekend so my sister and I were spending the weekend with our cousin Amy and her then-married parents who knew I was just starting to get into the Turtles so that day they told me we were going to see it.

While sitting in the car with Amy while her mom ran some errands, she started telling me how she how she had gotten to see it before, meaning this would be the second time she got to see it. I've always been a sucker for spoilers, so I asked what happens and of coarse she tells me that Shredder dies. That had me very excited when we got to the theatre!

So that evening when we got to the theatre, I saw this awesome looking neon lighted poster of one of the cartoon Turtles saying "Hey dudes, this is no cartoon!" which I was not at all prepared to take into account. At the time I knew next to nothing about the TMNT except for the cartoon so when Splinter started to tell the origin, I thought for sure we would see an image of Hamato Yoshi being changed into a rat. It was a very odd altercation to me, but I decided to go with it.

About an hour and 20 minutes into the flick, I started nodding off and right when they got to the part where the turtles met and fought with Shredder I fell asleep and rested against my uncle's chest until me cousin jolted me awake just in time to see Casey pulling the lever that activated the dumpster that crushed Shredder's armour.

[Mint]

Movie 1 was the second tmnt movie I saw. After watching movie 3 (having taped it off the TV some years ago), I suddenly remembered my big obsession with them when I was a kid. It all came back. I phoned my best friend, because I had to share my love, and asked if she'd seen TMNT. I was about to recommend the movie I'd taped to her, but she surprised me by telling me she had both the first and second movie..... I was just so shocked. Anyway, skipping a bit of hyper details, I immediately went round to her house and she popped the first tape in to play. I remember how excited I was when they started speaking in the sewers. My most vivid memory was of Raph's voice as he said "I lost a sai!" Because I was anticipating hearing his voice. I'd gotten so used to 3rd movie Raph sounding tough and older, then 1st movie Raph sounded funny to me back then. But when the movie ended I was just so in love.

Unfortunetly the 1st movie version I saw was an edited version. Britian doesn't like Nunchucks, and so any mention or shot of them was taken out, including the but where Splinter throws the book at Mikey on the phone. And not even a full year ago, the unedited version showed on TV, and I got to see everything that was taken out. Man that was one of the best days.

[Mily]

Aw, they took away the best weapon! Lol,

I was actually kind of young but I do remember watching the video of the first movie, vaguely..., when I was older I rented the video and watched it a lot. I didn't care, I still love this movie, but I dont' have that many memories of watching it when I was young...,

[Lisardo]

I wish I had now seen it in the movie theater.  I dunno why I didn't.  *baps myself*  But I loved it when I did see it on tape! *secretly hopes all three movies, or at least the first one will come out to theaters for a short run before the new movie comes out next year*

[WolfofMibu]

I saw the movie somewhere between 18 and 20 times in the theater.... I forget now....

*laughs*

I loved this movie. It was the first movie I went to that I sat the whole way through and didn't say a word... and I guess when friends went with me I wouldn't let them talk either... *laughs* My poor family... being forced to see this film so many times....

 

[Kazari]

I only saw it like maybe once

[Brinatello]

I first saw it in my hometown at a UA8 Theater that was located behind the buildings of my Vons store.  An L.A. Fitness is there now.  But, we went quite a bit mainly to see it with different people.  With my cousin, with friends, with other friends, and so on.  After seeing it, I was instantly hooked and went to the nearest comic book store.  I picked up two Archies first (because I loved the cartoon) and the Mirage TMNT Collected Book Volume 5 with the Time Traveling stories.

One of the funniest memories is Christmas of 1990 when we each got a set of action figures.  A home movie exists of us opening our gifts.  I saw I got Leonardo and Raphael and was NOT pleased in the least.  My sister got Donatello and Michaelangelo.  We also got the video with one of those handkerchiefs!  I believe it's gone for good because I can't find it anywhere.  It was a cute handkerchief, too.

[Danceingfae]

I was overseas when i came out so i went to our small theater at the Navy base and saw it all that i could! Then of course bought the tape when it came out then got the DVD's when they came out!  

[WolfofMibu]

Sitting at home and watching the first movie reminded me of another memory I have of it from earlier this year... The store I worked at was getting liquidated and everyone was pretty stressed out and moody.... to cheer myself up I decided I was going to bring in the first movie and watch it on my break.

So I settle myself into the breakroom... get my dinner and start watching... slowly one worker after another wanders in and exclaims about me watching Ninja Turtles... pretty soon I have 10 people crowded around my little portable DVD player all trying to watch the movie. It was fun because a lot of them love the film, but are not hardcore Turtles fans so for some of them it was the first time they had seen it sense they were little... after about 20 mintues in wanders the other manager and he stops..... all the staff is in the break room and we are all watching Turtles...

The guy running the liquidation was out on lunch so what did he do.... pulled up a chair shoved a few people out of the way and watched Turtles also....

*laughs* That was the day that everyone at Media Play stopped working for 40 minutes and just watched Turtles... it was also my favorite day of the liquidation sale....

The guys make everything better  

[Mindy]

A lot of my childhood is quite fuzzy for me I think I remember seeing TMNT movie 1 on tv and then my cousins bought the movie on VHS, of which I nabbed when I was a teenager I sure wish I could've seen the first movie in theaters. Won't miss that chance when #4 comes in 07.

[LenniluvsBrian]

I remember it. My friend & her sister & I went with our Dads to go see it at the mall theater. We got there early enough to go play the TMNT arcade game in the Arcade across from the theater. We played for quite a while - then my Dad I believe it was got in line to keep our spot, as lots of people were showing up. My friend & I joined him, while her sister & Dad remained in the Arcade a while longer. Someone was there from the newspaper & we got our picture taken! They took a pic of us & my Dad standing there in line to see the movie! I got in the paper for just standing in line to see a movie! How sweet is that??? I was only, like, 6 at the time too! Lol. And during the movie, I wound up in my Dad's lap - Shredder scared me! Haha!


~Lenni~
P.S. This is the only movie I need. I've the others on VHS. This one is on a homemade tape - I taped it off TV. Familt Channel plays it every so often for a weekend - lol.

[Jephael]

I just remembered when the USA Network used to air the first two TMNT movies in August back in the mid-90s. There was this really cool commercial with the 8 Movies in August promo song and one of the lyrics was "Four Turtles Times Two"! That just cracked me right up!

[AristaNiara]

This is one of those movies my family consider a "Arista"/Dad movie.  I convinced my father to bring me to see the movie when it came out.  My father didn't want to go "watch a group of bad costumed actors running around like a cartoon character" but he ended up liking the movie and we bought it to watch together which we still do occassionally.  It's actually funny that he actually liked the movie since he usually HATES movies based on comic books (he's a straight laced accountant who thinks comic books rot your brain).

[LenniluvsBrian]

My Dad STILL calls them "The Ninja Nuts". Lol. And he always asks if they've said, "Cowabunga!" yet. Lol. Though, my fave movie is sitll TMNT 3-lol.


~Lenni~

[Terri]

I remember seeing the trailer on television for the first movie...I was so overly excited!  I almost cried when my parents told me that it wouldn't come to our theatre for a while yet.  When it finally did, my parents had a huge battle on their hands.  I wanted to go the first night...which happened to be a school night for me (that theatre was odd and got new movies on Tuesdays).  I remember writing a long letter, trying to convince them to let me go and long story short...it worked!

I went to the mall around 5pm to line up (the movie didn't start until 9) and I had all 4 Turtles action figures with me!  I didn't even stop for popcorn when we were let in...I went to the 'best seat' and waited.  I squealed my heart out when Raph was the first Turtle shown on the screen...even though you couldn't see him very well...it was him!  The costumes blew me away to the point where I forgot they were actors!  I cried during the part where Splinter come to them in the fire...I thought he had died!     When it was over I ran out to my parents who were waiting for me with big smiles and hugged them tight...thanking them for letting me go.  Then...I begged to go the next night!

All in all I saw it 5 times in the theatre.  If I had it my way, I would have gone more...however I had used up my allowance on 2 of the movies...got an advance in my allowance for the last time I saw it and my parents paid twice.  They weren't going to 'waste' more money on a movie I had seen 5 times.  By the time I got my allowance again, the movie was gone.  

Months later, I counted down the days until the video would be released.  I had my allowanced saved up for a long time...just to be sure I could get it when it came out.  My parents were gone out of town the day it came out and said they'd take me to the mall when they came back.  My Nan was taking care of me that day and she could tell I was excited...so she took me to the store to get the movie!  Unfortunately, my parents weren't impressed with my lack of patience and wouldn't let me watch it!  We did work out a deal though.  I was allowed to watch it once, then I had to put it away for 3 days.  I didn't mind though...cause I had the movie!  Once I was allowed to see it again, I think I watched it 4 times in a row!

Ahh...the memories....  

[Absaraka]

Of all three movies, One was the one I never saw in a theater.  Go figure.  

But I did buy the tape--still have it, even though it's not serviceable--and watched it entirely too many times.  Now own the DVD, of course.

What can I say that hasn't been said already?  To merely say "it was special" would be like saying Alex Ovechkin had a good rookie season, but honestly, that's all I CAN say.

I was a huge Raph fan even then, and some of the more powerful scenes in the film--Splinter's lecture to him, the fight with Casey Jones, the bathtub scene--involved my favorite of the bunch, so you can bet I was moved.  It might be better that I hadn't seen that on the big screen: it might have turned into something transcendent, if not outright religious.  And at 16, that might have been too much.

Raka

[LenniluvsBrian]

It came out in 1990/1991 - right? So I can assume I was about 6 or 7? Lol. I only ever saw this movie in theaters. I believe I saw the rest of T.V. I remember watching TMNT 2 with my best friend back then - she lived across the street from my Gramma's in Toronto. She still lvies there in fact - though, the house across the street and one down isn't my Gramma's anymore, sadly.

And thanks to these green nuts - haha - I STILL to this day purposely walk over sewers & smile because I like to think they're down there keeping an eye on me, to keep me safe. Even if I don't live in New York. And in North Bay, my imagination must have run away from me, 'cause I peeped down a sewer the one day after my one best friend had & I swear to God I saw a green hand with three fingers & a red bandana reaching up to greet me! My friend claimed to have seen it too!

~Lenni~

[Buslady]

TMNT 1 released March 30, 1990.
I was there opening evening with my best friend Bryon.
I fell in love with Raphael.
It's never stopped.

[LenniluvsBrian]

Aha! So I WAS only six-years-old! NO wonder I was afraid of Shredder! He looked MUCH scarier in the movie than the cartoon! Lol.


~Lenni~

[Mr._Mutant_Man]

I can't say I remember every detail but it does stand out to me a little. It was probably a Saturday. I would have been nearing five years old at that point. My mom and sister were probably out doing something else, so I went to the movie with the old man. I'm pretty sure I must have had TMNT cereal that morning, because I remember the visual of some kind of board game map on the back of a box. That map could have very well been one of the first things to spark my interests in maps. It could have even been related to the TMNT video game, because I recall open manholes on the map. Anyway I remember being excited about it, and of course thinking it was an awesome movie, but as a five year old I couldn't really appreciate the whole "gritty like the comics" thing. I got the VHS that Christmas, and "damn" ala Raphael may have been one of my first times swearing. My mom wasn't too pleased about that.  

[Morgan]

My family was dirt poor growing up so as much as I begged and pleaded to see it in the theaters, they just refused to give me the money to see it. I remember two dollars was alot of money to us. So while everyone in fourth or fifth grade (can't remember which grade I was in at the time) was talking about it, I was left out, getting spoilers from everyone. Then when it came out on tape, they STILL refused to get it for me. So I was really upset. Then one day I came into school, and since it was raining out, they told us we'd be inside watching a movie. Then the teacher says it is the TMNT movie. I freaked out!! I couldn't wait. We waited all day until recess came, sat down, and I was completely obsorbed in the movie. I couldn't leave my seat, then suddenly, the lights went on and the movie went off. I was heart broken! I didn't get to see the entire thing until three years later. After my father passed away and my mom felt bad for leaving us by ourselves all the time, she finally purchased the tape for us. We wore it out so fast. XD I'm sure it was on TV way before then, but I cannot recall seeing it on TV.

[Michaelangelo]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TMNT 1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If anyone on here has not got to take part in this topic, please do share your first memories of TMNT 1 here!

Wow 19 years ago.... amazing huh?

[Mindy]

Yes, TRULY amazing. 19 years ago?!?!??! 

I saw it on tv and then bought it on videotape. I DO remember it being out in theaters and how all the kids in school were excited. They also wanted to shout the obscenities in the movie too

I wish it could be re-released in theaters across the country or at least some kind of limited release (other than just one area) because I would LOVE to see it in the cinema.

And it's also amazing how this movie still touches fans, young and old.

EDIT: so, hey, why don't we all take a bit of time and rewatch it?  TMNT 1 playing on monitors and tvs across the world.

[Nightwatchersonlygirl]

I saw it on it's opening night I went on my own,it opened on the30/3/90 in the U.k
I fell in love with Raphael 

[Ninjara]

   Time flies. 

    My grandson and I watched this last weekend together at home.  Funny thing, considering I really wasn't aware of the anniversary date at the time.....hmmmm.

    First memory.....Northampton.....and tagging along with the Eastman women to get cigarettes....and Judy standing on her head in the limo sticking her legs out of the sun roof in the freezing night. 

    Second memory.....back home and having a number of co-workers coming over and saying they saw the movie and how funny and lovable the Turtles were....and could I bring in the graphic novels again for them to look at.   

[arcade joe]

God, I remember watching the trailer for the movie and felt kind of skeptical. But when I saw the posters for the turtles, I was awe struck how good they looked, so I began anticipating the movie to a higher regard. And the anticipation paid off in full. I can remember seeing the huge lines of people in the mall waiting to go see it. It seemed like the movie was playing there forever too since it did so well in the box office. In May of 1990 was my first real job working at a video arcade just a few stores down the theatre. I got to know the managers there pretty well, so even though I've seen the movie previously, they would give me movie passes to go see it. Then some of the employees there thought i was kind of insane, but that's a point of view.

I think it's in my top 10 movies of all time list, it just NEVER gets old to me. I still tend to view it from time to time and it's still fantastic to this very day....

[ResidentEvil7]

I remember being 8 years old in 1990, and I with my brother's half brothers (who were my best buddies back then) had to go to the theaters over and over while it was out.  You know I looked for every exscuse to convince my dad and my friend's parents that we need to see this movie above anything else; birthdays, casual, anything.  I must of saw it about 9+ times.  In fact even up to today's date, there was no movie I saw more times at the theaters than the first Ninja Turtles movie.  I mean we were DIE-HARD turtle fans back then (I still am after all these years), and we had to make Ninja Turtles comics, NES game, TV series a part of our hangouts at either of our houses.  In fact I was first introduced to Ninja Turtles when my best friend and his brother came over for a spend over and we popped in a VHS tape containing "Hot Rotting Teenagers" and "A Thing About Rats" and that was when my interest in Ninja Turtles kicked in, and I haven't downed them since.  Although now that I'm an adult now, my Ninja Turtle material and drawings became for for adults (not sexual, but violent).

[Gobbledygook]

TMNT1... My parents both took me to see it in theaters and I was soooo excited.  It was the first movie I had ever been excited to see.  We had to wait in a huge line, and I remember my dad not being so happy about, he thought it was going to be a campy kids movie.  Boy was he wrong.  Haha.  Both my parents enjoyed it too.  It was so epic how it started too.  At first you don't even see the Turtles, during that first fight with the street thugs that confronted April.  Then you kinda see Raph's eyes from under the manhole cover.  Then we are in the sewer, and here them talking offscreen... Then OMG OMG you see their silhouette on the wall in the sewer BAM TMNT LOGO.  Finally all of a sudden they walk into frame. OH MAN do they look real.WOW.  The anticipation of seeing them was killing me, and then you finally see them and you are soooo happy.  That really kicked the movie off to an awesome start.  That's my favorite movie, especially because it held the most true to the original comics.  I love that darker edgier TMNT side.

[1987TMNTGirl]

Borrowed the tape from my neighbor at the time.  She had two kids, girl and boy, and both were a few years younger than me.  It was them, my sister and me.  We'd watch that tape over and over again.  Loved it.