Cuts in The Epic Begins.

[Jester]

So I'm watching a dub (if I use one ear bud the English come in louder than the Russian) of The Epic Begins and thought I'd do a list of cuts I noticed in it with regards to the complete 5 part pilot:

There is a little cut out on the roof top. April says, "They're getting away!" And Raph says, "That's what they think!" and it cuts directly to Leonardo throwing his sword to the other roof, and them sliding down the rope.
There's a cut with in the Foot Building, shortening the climb to the roof. The scene where the Turtles "surf" on furniture and such is cut. It cuts straight from "Look on the bright side, at least it's not raining!" to Mikey saying, "The roof!"
Episode 1 "ends" with "We never bothered to look it up in the dictionary!" The pizza bit is removed.
After the Turtles practice we cut right to April asking for real food. The Turtles topping pizza with breakfast cereal is cut. (What does the Epic Begins have against pizza?)
While looking for the Technodrome, the bit from Donatello saying "It should be right...here?" to Mikey saying, "That-a-way!" is removed.
Leo raises the manhole cover and we cut directly to Channel 6. The scene with the Turtles running across the street and spying Channel 6 is removed.
The lines "It's gotta be a trap!" "I hate it when he says that!" are followed immediately by the Turtles against the robots. April calling for a news van, the room with the moving walls, the encounter with the Roadkill Rodneys have been removed.
The fight with the robots is shortened significantly. After Leo calls for the Turtles to, "ATTACK!" it cuts to Raphael taking down the flying ray robot. Once the battle is over the scene cuts to the room with Splinter suspended from the ceiling. The bit with the "spiked rolling pin" is removed.
Shredder's retelling of the origin story from his perspective is cut.
Episode 2 ends with the Turtles rescuing Splinter and leaving the Technodrome. They never face off against Bebop and Rocksteady, save the instance when they run head long into each other.
The only clip from A Thing about Rats is the framing device of Splinter resting and the Turtles searching for the Technodrome. Leonardo's line "Stay with him, April." is removed. Which makes Donatello's reference to Baxter a tad confusing...but don't worry, he won't crop up again.
The conversation about Baxter is removed. The movie cuts from Raphael saying Donatello "can whip up some heavy weight Turtle gear with these spare parts." to Donatello wondering if it's worth it. The scene then cuts to the Technodrome rolling underground. The bit where Donatello asks why they have to deal with Shredder, he's the human's problem, to Mikey reminding him it's the only job they're qualified for, is removed.
Shredder explaining to Krang that he's working on many bio-mechanical experiments, including Krang's body and the never seen better-than-Bebop-and-Rocksteady-mutants, is cut.
Bebop and Rocksteady facing of against Tragg and Granitor as well as the Turtles driving to the "Global" trade center is cut. After Bebop's line "And I thought we were weird lookin." we cut to the Neutrinos blowing their way out of the Technodrome.
Donatello trying to plot the Neutrino's course is cut ("They're heading south...no no north. They're heading south and north.") The Neutrino's comments on earth as an "Un-hep (or is it hip) primitive society" is also missing.
Raphael shooting the Techno-rover and April's "slick driving" are removed. Which makes Dask's line about "fancy shooting" silly.
Tragg and Grantor trying to find an "earth vehicle" is removed.
The explanation of Mikey's interaction with Krang from A Thing About Rats is removed.
Mikey reassuring Kala is removed.
Mikey uses the lubricant on his own, since he doesn't engage Tragg (and break his nunchuck in the process.)
After the Neutrinos go through the portal, the Turtles immediately turn their attention to the Weather Maker Satellite.
April reading the Tortoise and the Hare is removed. (And so is Leonardo's awesome "They'll need their rest. Because tomorrow we're going to find the Shredder...and FINISH HIM!" line. :()
Shredder specifically sending Bebop and Rocksteady to stop the Turtles is removed.
Donatello saw something "at workshop" that he could make into something helpful. (Man, what a clunky edit out of Baxter.) The full line in the movie is: I saw something at workshop. Uh..bet it would do the job. In the episode: I saw something at Baxter's workshop. It'd need a little work but I bet it would do the job.
Rocksteady's "blazing electric death" is removed. In fact the scene cuts from Splinter kicking Bebop in the face straight to Bebop picking up and hurling a car.
Saki asking why he should add the molecular amplification circuit is removed.
After Raph punches the Foot (Out of my face, jerk!) we cut to April at Channel 6. Leonardo cutting the pipe and the Foot being flushed down the ravine is removed.
Of course, Donatello's interaction with Baxter's house keeper is gone.
The Turtles looking for Splinter in the Technodrome and stumbling on the room with the security cameras is removed.
The scene where Vernon joins April in the news van is shortened. The bit where he asks for proof to which April shows him the interior of the van is removed.
Raphael and Michelangelo "improvising" in the blimp is removed. The movie cuts from "Wait 'till the world gets and eye full of this." to Leonardo and Donatello inside Krang, right next to the molecular amplification circuit. (Thus the shoulder joint bit is gone.)

Yikes...that's one long post. I may have missed some things in the beginning...I was going by memory until the flood of the Foot skyscraper.

[oldmanwinters]

Nicely done, Jester! I am so glad David Wise told Lionsgate to release all 5 pilot episodes as opposed to this watered-down "movie!"

[Volvagia]

I hate this watered down version and it's the only one released here but it's called "How It All Began" here. Well at least we got the Ninja version of the theme song and not the Hero one but it says hero on the box, cases and discs :tlol:

[Jester]

Nicely done, Jester! I am so glad David Wise told Lionsgate to release all 5 pilot episodes as opposed to this watered-down "movie!"

And gobo...don't forget gobo....

Man I feel like I just wasted a couple hours....2 replies. :(

[Candy Kappa]

It's such a horrible "movie".

[oldmanwinters]

Man I feel like I just wasted a couple hours....2 replies. :(

Forums have been a little dead the last couple of days. I think everybody is holding their ammunition to see how that Nick sneak preview turns out for the elect superfans. I know I am.:P

[gobo]

Jester, just letting you know that your list of cuts would be a higher priority for me to read if it was divided into chapters (eps). Good work, anyway. I'm sure I'll find it interesting when I get around to reading it.

[Jester]

Jester, just letting you know that your list of cuts would be a higher priority for me to read if it was divided into chapters (eps). Good work, anyway. I'm sure I'll find it interesting when I get around to reading it.
How's this?

Turtle Tracks:
There is a little cut out on the roof top. April says, "They're getting away!" And Raph says, "That's what they think!" and it cuts directly to Leonardo throwing his sword to the other roof, and them sliding down the rope.
There's a cut with in the Foot Building, shortening the climb to the roof. The scene where the Turtles "surf" on furniture and such is cut. It cuts straight from "Look on the bright side, at least it's not raining!" to Mikey saying, "The roof!"
Episode 1 "ends" with "We never bothered to look it up in the dictionary!" The pizza bit is removed.
Enter the Shredder:

After the Turtles practice we cut right to April asking for real food. The Turtles topping pizza with breakfast cereal is cut. (What does the Epic Begins have against pizza?)
While looking for the Technodrome, the bit from Donatello saying "It should be right...here?" to Mikey saying, "That-a-way!" is removed.
Leo raises the manhole cover and we cut directly to Channel 6. The scene with the Turtles running across the street and spying Channel 6 is removed.
The lines "It's gotta be a trap!" "I hate it when he says that!" are followed immediately by the Turtles against the robots. April calling for a news van, the room with the moving walls, the encounter with the Roadkill Rodneys have been removed.
The fight with the robots is shortened significantly. After Leo calls for the Turtles to, "ATTACK!" it cuts to Raphael taking down the flying ray robot. Once the battle is over the scene cuts to the room with Splinter suspended from the ceiling. The bit with the "spiked rolling pin" is removed.
Shredder's retelling of the origin story from his perspective is cut.
Episode 2 ends with the Turtles rescuing Splinter and leaving the Technodrome. They never face off against Bebop and Rocksteady, save the instance when they run head long into each other.
A Thing About Rats:

The only clip from A Thing about Rats is the framing device of Splinter resting and the Turtles searching for the Technodrome. Leonardo's line "Stay with him, April." is removed. Which makes Donatello's reference to Baxter at the beginning of Hot-Rodding Teenagers a tad confusing...but don't worry, he won't crop up again.
Hot-Rodding Teenagers from Dimension X:

The conversation about Baxter is removed. The movie cuts from Raphael saying Donatello "can whip up some heavy weight Turtle gear with these spare parts." to Donatello wondering if it's worth it. The scene then cuts to the Technodrome rolling underground. The bit where Donatello asks why they have to deal with Shredder, he's the human's problem, to Mikey reminding him it's the only job they're qualified for, is removed.
Shredder explaining to Krang that he's working on many bio-mechanical experiments, including Krang's body and the never seen better-than-Bebop-and-Rocksteady-mutants, is cut.
Bebop and Rocksteady facing of against Tragg and Granitor as well as the Turtles driving to the "Global" trade center is cut. After Bebop's line "And I thought we were weird lookin." we cut to the Neutrinos blowing their way out of the Technodrome.
Donatello trying to plot the Neutrino's course is cut ("They're heading south...no no north. They're heading south and north.") The Neutrino's comments on earth as an "Un-hep (or is it hip) primitive society" is also missing.
Raphael shooting the Techno-rover and April's "slick driving" are removed. Which makes Dask's line about "fancy shooting" silly.
Tragg and Grantor trying to find an "earth vehicle" is removed.
The explanation of Mikey's interaction with Krang from A Thing About Rats is removed.
Mikey reassuring Kala is removed.
Mikey uses the lubricant on his own, since he doesn't engage Tragg (and break his nunchuck in the process.)
After the Neutrinos go through the portal, the Turtles immediately turn their attention to the Weather Maker Satellite.
April reading the Tortoise and the Hare is removed. (And so is Leonardo's awesome "They'll need their rest. Because tomorrow we're going to find the Shredder...and FINISH HIM!" line. :()
The Shredder is Splntered:

Shredder specifically sending Bebop and Rocksteady to stop the Turtles is removed.
Donatello saw something "at workshop" that he could make into something helpful. (Man, what a clunky edit out of Baxter.) The full line in the movie is: I saw something at workshop. Uh..bet it would do the job. In the episode: I saw something at Baxter's workshop. It'd need a little work but I bet it would do the job.
Rocksteady's "blazing electric death" is removed. In fact the scene cuts from Splinter kicking Bebop in the face straight to Bebop picking up and hurling a car.
Saki asking why he should add the molecular amplification circuit is removed.
After Raph punches the Foot (Out of my face, jerk!) we cut to April at Channel 6. Leonardo cutting the pipe and the Foot being flushed down the ravine is removed.
Of course, Donatello's interaction with Baxter's house keeper is gone.
The Turtles looking for Splinter in the Technodrome and stumbling on the room with the security cameras is removed.
The scene where Vernon joins April in the news van is shortened. The bit where he asks for proof to which April shows him the interior of the van is removed.
Raphael and Michelangelo "improvising" in the blimp is removed. The movie cuts from "Wait 'till the world gets and eye full of this." to Leonardo and Donatello inside Krang, right next to the molecular amplification circuit. (Thus the shoulder joint bit is gone.)

[sdp]

There are no added scenes to The Epic Begins right? Does it flow well like a movie?

Just wondering, just found out the Thundercats version of "The Epic Begins" was actually done first and the scenes "cut" from the movie are actually not cut, but they were added later so it would flow better as an episode instead of the episode ending without some sort of conclussion.

[Jester]

I wondered that as I was typing. No scenes that were cut were placed back in another place. They were all just cut. Sometimes the cuts seem unessicary and don't really help the thing flow as a whole.

[MrPliggins]

So, what is the Total Running Time of "The Epic Begins"? It seems like a lot of cuts! I remember seeing this vhs at the store as a kid but never watched it.

[Galactus]

I don't recall it ever being released on VHS here in the UK but it did air on Sky Movies and with the name and references to Ninja kept intact.

Nunchuks were out though. It used a really weird cut of the theme song. It kept ninja but to cut out Mike's chuks they shortened it. They cut out "Leonardo leads, Donatello does machines, Raphael is cool but crude, Michaelangelo is a party dude". But they showed the visuals sans Mike during the line "Splinter taught them to be ninja teens".

There are no added scenes to The Epic Begins right? Does it flow well like a movie?

I don't know if they got this in the US version but they corrected the glaring animation error in Turtle Tracks of the mix up with Raph and Don "incase you aint up on current events lady, we just saves your life". Not an added scene but nice.

And in my opinion it doesn't flow that well as a movie. But it's passable.

[PizzaPower]

i have never seen this before either.

[Jester]

Nope, the "Ain't you up on current events..." is still Rob Paulsen. I was thinking that this cut removed a lot of the animation errors, but the 2 big ones from Turtle Tracks are still there. The version I watched also had nunchucks more or less intact, and the opening theme was the same, save it was dubbed into Russian.

[tone-master21]

So, what is the Total Running Time of "The Epic Begins"? It seems like a lot of cuts! I remember seeing this vhs at the store as a kid but never watched it.

The back of the VHS box says 72 min., but I just checked and the total run time is 1:08:24.

[Jester]

My copy runs 1 hour 11 minutes.

[tone-master21]

My copy runs 1 hour 11 minutes.

That's weird I just checked with previews and the movie it's 1 hour and 11 minutes and without previews it's 1 hour 8 minutes.

[Jester]

Does yours have the intro and end credits?

[tone-master21]

Does yours have the intro and end credits?

Yeah it has both.

[Jester]

Then I have no clue....considering mine has no previews.

[oldmanwinters]

Don't overseas video tapes tend to run at a slightly different speed than U.S. VHS tapes? I think they call it "PAL," right? Maybe that explains the difference in run times.

[Jester]

I thought that, but I think PAL runs fast, when compaired to NTSC.

[Candy Kappa]

NTSc got 30 FPS and PAL got 25 FPS

[gobo]

How's this?
Totally tubuloso, compadre! http://www.thesmilies.com/smilies/cartoon/michelangelo.gif (http://www.thesmilies.com)

[tone-master21]

Then I have no clue....considering mine has no previews.

Is yours also missing the part where April confuses all the turtles names in "Turtle Tracks".

[Jester]

I'll have to double check...
Yep...it's still there.

[tone-master21]

Mine is also missing some of the fighting on the roof tops with the foot soldiers, its missing the part right after Shredder say's "Could it be, Hamato Yoshi still lives" till when the turtles push over the wall.

[Jester]

Wow...looks like multiple cuts...mine has the whole fight.

[gobo]

Are we comparing Russia's version to the US's here?

[Jester]

See that's just it...I'm not sure anymore. The version I have is obviously over-dubed...you can hear the English in the left ear but with faint Russian and vice versa with the right.

[oldmanwinters]

Yo, Jester, you can steal a genuine USA VHS from Amazon for less than $5!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/6302267919/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&qid=1301457915&sr=8-3&condition=used

Odd, that the "headline" voice actors are Jennifer Darling and Cam Clarke. :???:Seriously, did Jennifer Darling even have a major role in any of the pilot episodes?

[Jester]

I don't even think she had a role at that point...:P

[gobo]

Seriously, did Jennifer Darling even have a major role in any of the pilot episodes?
Newp. Irma wasn't introduced 'til ep 6. Darling wasn't even in the credits 'til ep 5.

[oldmanwinters]

I don't even think she had a role at that point...:P

Her name is listed in the credits for Shredder & Splintered, but not in any of the others.

Funny, looks like they changed around the whole format of the credits between episodes 4 & 5. Even the background picture is slightly different (though it is hard to see here):

Credits: Hot-Rodding Teenagers from Dimension X
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56/slimer2erasmus/Screencaps/TMNT-ep4credits.jpg

Credits: Shredder & Splintered
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56/slimer2erasmus/Screencaps/TMNT-ep5credits.jpg

[Jester]

Most of the 2nd column I don't think were in the pilot either...save Tress.

EDIT: I've seriously thought about tracking down a "legit" copy of The Epic Begins.

[oldmanwinters]

Most of the 2nd column I don't think were in the pilot either...save Tress.

Yeah, if Amazon was gonna pick a secondary female voice actor to headline their listing, they should have gone with Tress MacNeille, she voiced at least two memorable characters!8)

[Volvagia]

My Swedish copy is 1 hour 14 minutes, I think I'll sit down and watch it and compare the cuts with your list Jester.

[Luzmagica]

Anway Jester congrats for an awesome and patient work!... :tgrin::tgrin::tcool:

And more than 2 replies!!!! :twink::twink::twink:

[tone-master21]

Are we comparing Russia's version to the US's here?

I think so, since I have the official US VHS release.

[John Pannozzi]

On a semi-related note, did the movie version of the Next Mutation opening story-arc "East Meets West" make any cuts or alterations to compared to episodic versions?

[Jester]

Yes. And I think the "movie" even adds things not in the pilot.

[Jester]

One cut now makes sense to me:
In the little bit of A Thing About Rats that is intact, Leo's line "Stay with him, April" is removed. I thought it was weird at the time that they'd remove that one line...but then I realized it cuts straight to Hot-rodding Teenagers and April is with the Turtles at that point.

Also...the file I have has 2 audio tracks. In the right player...IT CAN BE PLAYED IN ENGLISH! Gah, I feel like an idiot for not trying it sooner and hearing a subtle Russian voice behind my English track. :P

EDIT: One cut that they could have made (considering they cut one line to ribbons to remove a mention of Baxter) is also in this general area. Donatello says, "With all that equipment Baxter left up there..." Simply remove "Baxter left" and the line would work and Stockman would be totally exised from the movie...though where do the Turtles get the van? Did April, who is seen driving it more often than not, donate hers to the fight against Shredder?

EDIT 2X: Ok...maybe they couldn't simply edit the line...it'd mess the background music up.

[Avatar Yuffie]

Sorry for sounding like a noob... but what's The Epic Begins?

[tone-master21]

Sorry for sounding like a noob... but what's The Epic Begins?

It's a VHS that edits the 1st 5 episodes of the OT together to make a movie.

[Jester]

It also got a re-release overseas on DVD. I think that's what my copy was....explains the differences.

[mustafa]

I used to own a VHS copy of this "movie". I was young at the time, and had to have every TMNT VHS that existed. I already had all the episodes in unedited form from buying the VHS releases of "Heroes in a Half-Shell", "Hot Rodding Teenagers" and "The Shredder is Splintered". It did seem rather pointless to track down a copy of "The Epic Begins" haveing those three videos, but I wanted it more so as an impulse collector's item.

At the time I got most of these early VHS releases, they were marked down for really cheap at K-Mart (less than $5 each). There were two different covers for each one. There were the originals, and the re-releases that had volume #'s designated to them. I actually bought one of each version.

I spent close to a year trying to locate copies of "The Epic Begins" and "The Incredible Shrinking Turtles" (which had all 4 parts of the Eye of Zarnoth story arc). They were available at Blockbuster and every other video rental outlet as rentals, but never once did I find them for sale at any retailers. I've asked about ordering them a few times at Blockbuster and Suncoast (remember that now-defunct shopping mall retailer that only sold movies?), and each time they checked their computer, these tapes were available to order, but were retailing for $40 each. Since I thought that was too expensive, I waited until these tapes finally showed up in the bargain bins at Best Buy for $4 each.

While both "The Epic Begins" and "The Incredible Shrinking Turtles" seemed to be quite rare for VHS tapes, it turns out there are a couple that are even more rare. Never once have I found anywhere for purchase or rental a copy of "Invasion of the Punk Rock Frogs" or "The Four Musketurtles". Has anyone actually seen either of thse two? From the looks of things, both of these tapes only had the title episode on each.

One other VHS tape I never found was "Funny They Shrunk Michaelangelo", but I found out the reason why I never found it was because it was a promotional video tied in with Hi-C fruit drinks.

[gobo]

"Invasion of the Punk Rock Frogs"
Released only in Canada AFAIK... Still playable on any NA VCR...
"The Four Musketurtles"
TMNT Cereal mail-in item, later reissued as a TV Teddy title (Teddy Ruxpin's bastard kid brother) as well as "Return of the Turtleoid" w/o the b-side ep.

I might still have these tapes in storage. I'd gladly part with them.

[JoeD80]

Funny, looks like they changed around the whole format of the credits between episodes 4 & 5. Even the background picture is slightly different (though it is hard to see here)
Those credits for episode #5 are the wrong version. The video company just grabbed the credits from the second season and used them on Shredder & Splintered since on the FHE release "Return of the Shredder" was also on the same tape. I think it's on the DVD in the same way. There shouldn't actually be any difference in credits on the first five episodes.

[sdp]

I was curious about The Epic Begins and found this topic as well as this one dealing with the how it all began UK cut (http://forums.thetechnodrome.com/showthread.php?t=9333). There isn't a lot of information, I'm curious to see it but no new footage and the movie isn't even edited into something that flows well so perhaps it's better lost?

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w500/8W1y4DbIcaprJPq1tCLIsbvaGqC.jpg

[ABrown]

There's no reason to go out and try to watch The Epic Begins. As a kid I saw TEB before I saw the episodes in their entirety. It leaves out the Baxter episode all together. It's kind of like He-Man/She: The Secret of the Sword (another five part mini-series that's chopped up and pasted together), except a lot more is missing.

[Sumac]

Epic Begins was the first "episode" of the TMNT I've ever watched (well, most of it, since it was interrupted by newscast and wasn't resumed after it), but OG first season is way better and more interesting.