Questions for Judith Hoag

[Raph]

Hi all,

Next week I'll be having an interview with Judith Hoag, the original Live action April O'Neil. Of course this interview will be posted.

Does any of you have specific questions for her that I might use? Let me know.

[oldmanwinters]

I have some!

I've heard jokes that the film crew actually considered having her wear a yellow jumpsuit for the duration of the film but that they wisely realized they couldn't subject the audience to such a bizzare sight. Was a jumpsuit ever made up by the prop department?

Judith has stated somewhere that she thinks the film lost some of its "soul" in the final cut. What were the things that she believes should not have been cut from the final release?

What has been her favorite career role?

What did she think of Paige Turco's performance in the role for the next 2 films?

[Andrew NDB]

Has she ever considered dating a fan?

[Kendamu]

Judith has stated somewhere that she thinks the film lost some of its "soul" in the final cut. What were the things that she believes should not have been cut from the final release?

This one.

Also, ask if she's still behind on her Sony payments. :lol:

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

How aware of the TMNT Franchise was she, when she was signed up for the movie?

How well did the actor's and actresses get on together, off-screen?

[joe-eyeball]

Has she been contacted recently about doing commentary for the film or anyhting 25th related.

[oldmanwinters]

Also, ask if she's still behind on her Sony payments. :lol:

lol

Such a classic line.

I wonder if Sony was upset at getting such a negative association with their "collection" department. Ahh... good times.

Here's the text of Hoag's statement about the film losing soul:
"[Talking about the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film]: ""I got this movie while I was still shooting Cadillac Man and had to fly off to North Carolina on the weekends. Everyone wondered what kind of strange movie I was off doing. Only Robin had heard of the Ninja Turtles. He had collected all of the comic books and couldn't wait to see the movie. He brought his kids to the premiere and surprised me. The movie ended up being a big hit. I still have a hard time watching that movie... I was never satisfied with how it came out. It lost a lot of its soul. Elias Koteas, however was brilliant.""
http://206.51.225.237/profile/judith_hoag/biography.html

[Jester]

I've heard it said that Paige was in awe of the Turtle costumes, ask Judith what it was like working with not your typical actors, but actors in rubber Turtle suits.

[Gadget]

Did she look into the comics or even some of the OT to learn about the April character when filming? =)

[Buslady]

honestly it's not such a big deal, she's on IMDB...I've talked to her thru that.
I bother Josh pais occasionally as well, Robbie Rist...

[oldmanwinters]

I've heard jokes that the film crew actually considered having her wear a yellow jumpsuit for the duration of the film but that they wisely realized they couldn't subject the audience to such a bizzare sight. Was a jumpsuit ever made up by the prop department?


Ah! Found part of the reference I was thinking of:
http://www.tmntmoviesite.com/TMNT%20I/03%20-%20Collectibles%20-%2006%20-%20Magazines/TMNT%20I%20-%20Magazines/TMNT%20I%20-%20Fantazia%20Issue6%20-%2008.jpg
FANTAZIA interview with John Hay (costume design):
For April O'Neil, Hay did not adhere strictly to the comic book character which is always seen wearing only one outfit, a yellow jump suit [research error:ohwell:]."Steve and I realized that it would just be too much to expect audiences to look at April for a full two hours in that one yellow outfit," Hay recalls. "So we gave her several other changes as well- which presented her in two different ways; as the dignified, to-be-taken seriously TV news anchor woman and as a slightly funky more hip young woman who April really is more comfortable being- away from her job."
"April puts things together in her own way - layers of things that go together - she wears what she wants to wear," says Hay who has designed costumes for such stars as Cher, Paul Newman, Caroll Burnett, Lauren Bacall, James Garner, Glenda Jackson and Margot Kidder, to name a few. "But when she goes to the TV station, she dresses like a sophisticated TV news lady."

[Doc_ock_4mugen]

this question might be a bit silly, but what's her favorite Turtle?
I second Jester's question about working with rubber turtles with voiceovers added later on...

[willtupper]

I'd love to know: out of all her work as an actress, what is she proudest of, and why?

[oldmanwinters]

How aware of the TMNT Franchise was she, when she was signed up for the movie?


Here's a nice lengthy interview from back in the day which answers some basic questions, including how she learned about the franchise (mostly through her niece's interest in the show).
Page 1 (http://www.tmntmoviesite.com/TMNT%20I/03%20-%20Collectibles%20-%2006%20-%20Magazines/TMNT%20I%20-%20Magazines/TMNT%20I%20-%20Comics%20Interview%20Super%20Special13.jpg)
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Thank goodness for TMNTmoviesite (http://www.tmntmoviesite.com/TMNT%20I/Mainframe_00_Start_01_Mainpage.html#)!

[Revan]

I read somewhere that the movie originally had a side plot invloving some sexual tension between Raph and April.

First off I'll ask the dromers... Is this true?

If it is, perhaps you could ask her about it.

[Ryona]

I read somewhere that the movie originally had a side plot invloving some sexual tension between Raph and April.

Is that true? Because I find that insulting if they where going to pull that stupid BS of the dame falling for her "knight in shining armor" who saves her ass from some threat.

"OMG! You saved me! I'm so hot and horny for you now! Take me!"

What a load of horseshit that would have been.

[TheUltimateShredhead]

Maybe who off the turtles she think is coolest:ohwell:

[joe-eyeball]

Turtle style came long before doggie.

[Buslady]

already talked to Judith about that topic. She was not happy because they omitted any tension between Raph and her, it was Raph who was supposed to have a crush on April. She discussed it with the producer and in the end it was "Kids want fights not character development" she was not happy. I believe this is part of the reason she didn't return. I don't blame her.
Raph really never talked to her thru the movie. That sucked.

[oldmanwinters]

already talked to Judith about that topic. She was not happy because they omitted any tension between Raph and her, it was Raph who was supposed to have a crush on April. She discussed it with the producer and in the end it was "Kids want fights not character development" she was not happy. I believe this is part of the reason she didn't return. I don't blame her.
Raph really never talked to her thru the movie. That sucked.

Interesting...
I wouldn't mind hearing Judith's own words about the sort of scenes that were axed relating to this plot thread.

[Jester]

There is one scene dedicated to that tension...:P
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y132/Jesterangelo/th_Title_01_01_Segment100-36-52-00-37-.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y132/Jesterangelo/?action=view&current=Title_01_01_Segment100-36-52-00-37-.flv)

[oldmanwinters]

There is one scene dedicated to that tension...:P
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y132/Jesterangelo/th_Title_01_01_Segment100-36-52-00-37-.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y132/Jesterangelo/?action=view&current=Title_01_01_Segment100-36-52-00-37-.flv)

Heh, I loved that scene. Raph looks all sheepish until he gets ragged... then its circumcision time!

In all honesty, I thought the "tension/crush" between Raph and April was fine as it was. It was cute in the first half of the movie, but by the time the Turtles got chased out of NY and planned their return strategy, the story just took over. Plus, Casey started to make his move on April, and let's be honest... Raph was out of his league.:)

[Doc_ock_4mugen]

Yeah, same species love will always triumph over interspecies love... unless it's on the internet...

[Revan]

Interesting...
I wouldn't mind hearing Judith's own words about the sort of scenes that were axed relating to this thread.

For sure. That is a question I think you should ask her. :)

by the time the Turtles got chased out of NY and planned their return strategy, the story just took over. Plus, Casey started to make his move on April, and let's be honest... Raph was out of his league.:)

The movie was fine without it. I'm not even sure if I would have liked it more with it in or not but it's something interesting. It would be neat of they still have the footage and could include some deteleted scenes somewhere down the road. Never going to happen.
Still I would like to see what Judith has to say

[Raph]

thanks guys, some very interesting questions. I'll get to it and let you know when its done!

[oldmanwinters]

thanks guys, some very interesting questions. I'll get to it and let you know when its done!

Will this interview be text based or an audio stream?

[Raph]

It'll be text based just like all my other interviews

[Vivi]

there was some kind of tension/crush in the first movie, i thought it was interesting.


as for the question- maybe, if she were doing commentary for the first movie, is there any particular scene she would choose, and what she would say?

please let us know how it goes.8)

[lilraph]

Does she have any memorabilia from the film we can get pics of?

[Ramboraph4life aka Matt]

Hi, I know this was an older post, but I just wanted to ask Raph how the interview with Judith Hoag went? I apologize if Raph already posted somewhere else the answers/interview/etc. from the interview.

[Raph]

Thanks man,

Judith still hasn't found time for it, but I have a Mak Wilson interview coming up, which is a cool continuation to Michelan Sisti's Interview