Movie Trivia – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Memorable Movie Quotes
The Shredder: You are here because the outside world rejects you. THIS is your family. *I* am your father. I want you all to become full members of the Foot. There is a new enemy: freaks of nature who interfere with our business. You are my eyes and ears; find them. Together we will punish these creatures. These… turtles.
Raphael: A Jose Canseco bat? Tell me… you didn’t pay money for this.
Splinter: I am proud of you, my sons. Tonight you have learned the final and greatest truth of the Ninja: that ultimate mastering comes not from the body, but from the mind. Together, there is nothing your four minds cannot accomplish. Help each other, draw upon one another, and always remember the power that binds you. The same is what brought me here tonight, that which I gladly return with my final words: I love you all, my sons.
Trivia
All three newswomen seen or mentioned in the film have the name of a month: April, May, and June.
In the Foot Warehouse, the boxes in the foreground near the skate half-pipe read Mirage, which was one the comic book company that originally published Eastman and Laird’s Ninja Turtles comic.
This was the highest-grossing independent film of all time, having made over $133 million in domestic box office.
When Raphael walks out of the movie theater, a poster of the film Critters can be seen in the background.
Judith Hoag declined to reprise her role as April in the film’s sequels due to substantial edits of scenes involving her character.
All of the shirts that Danny wears in the film have a picture of The Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious on them.
In the script and novelization, the young boy that Tatsu attacks was to die from the beating. The sounds of the boy breathing and others saying he would be all right were added at the last minute after the movie ratings board objected to the scene.
Josh Pais, who plays Raphael, also plays a passenger in the back of a taxicab who says, “What the heck was that?” right after Raphael hops on the cab’s hood.
Leif Tilden, the performer inside the Donatello costume, also plays the Foot Messenger that meets April in the subway station. He says, “We’ve been looking for you, Miss O’Neill,” then he slaps her.
Michelan Sisti, the performer inside the Michaelangelo costume, also plays the pizza delivery man who delivers the pizza to the Turtles’ sewer.
It took three puppeteers to operate the Splinter puppet. Kevin Clash performs the puppet while the facial expressions are remote controlled by another puppeteer and the arms are controlled by the puppeteer who works along with Kevin during the performances of the puppet.
Goofs
Several times throughout the film, Donatello uses Raphael’s voice instead of using his own, like when he is punched or kicked by a Foot Clan member.
The exact same sound effect (a metallic “rub”) is used both when Shredder turns towards Danny after his speech, and when he lifts his spike to Splinter’s neck to threaten him- yet they are two completely different actions, and the first instance doesn’t even warrant the sound effect in the first place.
While in the ground floor of the junk shop during the battle with the Foot Clan, Leonardo is seen helping April uncover an escape route. Then Leonardo is seen fending off the Foot in the background. The following shot shows Leonardo back in the same place at April’s side.
When Raphael is looking at the traffic from the top of Aprils building right before the foot come at him, the building looks like it has at least 15-20 stories. When Danny is looking at the building burning it has only 2 stories.
As Leonardo leaves April’s apartment, we see his sword bend against the wall, indicating that it is possibly made of rubber.
When Raphael wakes up in the bathtub, there is a moment when Donatello laughs at a joke. As he does so he tilts his head back and opens his mouth, revealing the face of the actor underneath the costume.
Box Office Info USA
Budget: $13,500,000
Gross: $135,270,000
Filming Dates: July 10 1989 – September 9, 1989
Filming Locations
Castle Hayne, North Carolina, USA
New York City, New York, USA
North Carolina Film Studios, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA (studio)
North Carolina, USA
Screen Gems Studios – 1223 North 23rd Street, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA (studio)
Wilmington, North Carolina, USA