Memories of TMNT Movie 1

[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.