Cowabunga dudes! The world’s beloved shellbacks turn 25 today, and even though I am convinced that franchise was created by the secret National Get Kids to Love Pizza committee, I’m super excited that /Film is reporting that there's a new live-action film on the way for 2011! While many may groan and whine about this ruining their childhoods, there's been a ton of Turtles crap released since the original films. There was the live-action series, animated series and CG film, which I personally have had no direct experience with (though I have seen that the live series introduced a female turtle named Venus deMilo, hawt, though the original creators kind of hate her). I think this news is great; the turtles haven't really ever left popular culture, and this could be a great chance to revive the franchise a third time. Adults who grew up loving the turtles can bring their kids and get them hooked.
If you’ve had some recent turtle exposure, let us know what you’re digging about the newer films or series. And until the 2011 film hits, allow me a moment to be the Rufus to your Wyld Stallions and take you back in tyme through the TMNT timeline, in video form:
Ah the series that started it all, including me trying to take out my brother with flying kicks and invisible nunchucks.
With absolute perfect timing, New Line released the series of live action films, the third one completely blowing chunks. Note the non-Japanese accented voice on Shredder in this trailer for the first film:
And who could forget the hit song by Partners in Kryme...
All three films are up on youtube, but are readily available on DVD. Holy hell, how did they make those awesome turtle costumes?! Here's how:
Extra treat: Barbara Walters interviews the heroes in the half shell:
I remember seeing the MGM Studio show in Orlando as a kid...
...but much more impressive in my mind, is that our very own Clarence caught them on tour with their bitching rock band! The costumes evolved tenfold by that point...
The next television series, the Next Mutation, apparently followed film continuity though it was never explicitly stated as such.
This series was followed by a second successful animated series in 2003, with a couple incarnations, including them time traveling, of course. And most recently, the dudes were in 2007's cgi TMNT to somewhat mixed reviews. I’m going to go ahead and skip those videos in favor of using this space for the first film poster. I remember seeing this for the first time and nearly pissing myself with anticipation. My mom surprised my brother and I by taking us for an opening day matinee after school, our homework could wait! God I miss that kind of childhood anticipation.
Sorry to tease you guys earlier with the Partners in Kryme video, but I figured at this point in the post, you’d either have given up and left or are ordering a shitload of pizzas and calling your friends over to watch the movies. If you’re in the latter group, play this for your friends when they arrive, instant party!
UPDATE: Thank You Clarence! He has painstakingly scoured the webs to bring you the same joys that he felt as a young prepubescent boy, ie here is the companion album to the Out of Their Shells Tour, link below! This album really has all the qualities of various early ‘90s pop music styles mixed with pizza and ninja lyrics shat out into 10 ridiculous tracks. Is it just me does that opener sound like a lost Bon Jovi tune?
We could easily talk for days about all things Ninja Turtles, I gladly fed the original arcade game so many precious quarters of mine, but we’ll save that for another time.
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