UK Movie 1 cuts...what was removed

[Buslady]

What the brits are getting is what we already have, there won't be any additions.
My pal David McIntee(those of you who read DrWho New Adventures would recognise his name) is also a fan of TMNT and sent me this. This is the full list of what was removed from the movie. Many stupid little things....read on....

The official BBFC cut time given is 1:51 seconds but there seems to be more
footage changed than 1:51s via reframing and separate angles. The
distributors probably re-edited more than required to implement the BBFC
cuts

The cinema version was cut in 1990 as follows:

First of all the nunchaku in this film are real, well rubber props but they
are not sausages that happens in Turtles 2. Timings are aprroximate

At 17:49s. April is on TV interviewing the police chief and the turtles are
watching. In the uncut version we see Leo, Don and Mike in front of the set
watching and you can see Mike's nunchaku on his back barely he then kisses
the screen when April comes on. 7 seconds of reframing where instead of
seeing them sat down as soon as Mike sits down the picture zooms into the TV
so all we can see is the TV with April on. This shot is also missing Mike
kissing the screen we just hear the sound.

2s. Mikes shell is blacked out when a shot from behind shows his nunchaku in
his belt. In the same scene another second is cut when Mike is introduced as
it is reframed to avoid seeing his nunchaku.

2s cut. More reframing is used to prevent you seeing mikes nunchaku in his
belt when conversing with April about frozen pizza. The idea seems to be cut
the nunchaku on sight even if you need slow motion to see them. 3 seconds
are gone again when Mike's back is darkened again when he is talking to
April.

20s cuts in the following scene where April is eating pizza with the turtles
to hide the slight glimpse of the nunchaku in his belt. Next is his Cagney
impression which is missing a shot from behind.

3s reframing when Splinter is kidnapped.

When the Shedder is making his entrance and is about to address the foot
there are 6 seconds of substitutions. In the uncut one when the red carpet
is being rolled out for him you can see the foot solders in a line armed
with sticks and the nunchaku. In the UK version we get to see the kids in
the crowd above chewing gum and looking board. This is the cheap kind of
censorship SKY 1 does in the day with wrestling putting pointless crowd
shots in to cover up things.

When the turtles are watching April on TV again Raphael and Leonardo start
to argue. 3s are cut here as when Mike gets up to go to the kitchen you can
see the nunchaku in his belt at the side.

More reframing as Mike and Don watch a Tortoise and Hare cartoon by 8s.

One of the longest cuts is more obvious. Its the movies first big fight
scene and Raph has just been thrown though the skylight and a big fight with
loads of Foot soldiers. 1s is substituted when one of the foot solders who
has jumped though is armed with nunchaku. A nunchaku contest occuring
between the foot solder and Mike is removed, 48s, A very funny scene leaving
the UK version to look really stupid. More reframing cuts appear though out
the fight every time Mike hits anyone with his nunchaku or can be seen with
his nunchaku in the slightest. Also Don's joke with him about them not being
game show fans is cut. This is due to Mike's nunchaku being in shot and also
misses Mike's line about everyone liking the USA versions letter turner
Vanna White. A another cut is when a foot solder tries to chop up Mike with
an axe while he is still on the floor. The axe chops are there but the
picture is reframed so as not to see the forbidden nunchaku in Mike's hand.
Next more cuts when more foot solders drop though the skylight causing the
floor to give in and then as the turtles get up after landing in the
basement. The scene ends when Aprils apartment sets on fire and brings to an
end a cutting spree that including the nonhuman contest was cut by 1:27s.

Not a cut but an interesting line by Tatsu Shedders minion. He says in all
versions of the film "kurso" when Shedder is angry at him which I am sure is
Japanese for ****.

Cuts when Casey Jones and April retreat to Aprils farm in the country. 3s of
Mike's nunchuka whilst punching a punch bag in a barn. 8s of Mike using his
nunchaku in training. The next cut is pathetic and is one to a bit of
blatant advertising for turtle wax. April is being given a shoulder massage
by Casey after she appears in pain in a scene that starts their romance. As
soon as he starts the massage in the UK version it cuts to the next scene
and misses a comic scene of 24s for no apparent reason.

Another cut occurs when Mike and Don attempt to eat some leftover pizza. In
the UK version when Danny says they might be some leftover pizza Mike gets
excited then it cuts to the next scene missing 17s of Mike and Don
inspecting the pizza and asking". The only conclusion is that the BBFC didn'
t get the joke about penicillin.

The next cuts occur during the final fight of the movie. The turtles use the
hot steam from the sewer pipes to burn the foot solders a shot of a foot
solder getting sprayed in the face is cut this is 2s. Then a shot from over
head of all 4 turtles over the bodies of the foot soldier is cut as it shows
Mike 2s of spinning his nunchaku. A 13s cut occurs to April helping Mike
take out some foot solders from on top of a pipe with a stick and to him
whacking some foot solders with his nunchaku. When Mike and Don are fighting
foot solders back to back doing bad jokes 2 seconds are cut to remove sight
of nunchaku and the line by Mike of goes with it also the sequence is
reframed so you cant see Mike is hitting foot solders with his nunchaku .

Then after the famous trailer line by Mike of "god I love being a turtle" 1s
is cut to stop you seeing Mike hold up his nunchaku and laugh. On the roof
1s is cut from a exchange between Mike and a nunchaku welding foot solder.

The following cuts are disgusting as they change the end of the movie and
ruin the final fight with Shedder. This fight is cut badly and looks crap
due to the cuts. Mike and Don do rock, paper , scissors to see who goes
next. Mike loses then spins his nunchaku and goes for Shedder then it cuts
to the next scene. So 9s cut. Then when the action starts again on the roof
1s is cut to stop you seeing Mike spinning his nunchaku in the air as the
turtles run towards Shedder. 5 seconds are cut next showing Mike fighting
the Shedder and getting knocked over. This is annoying as Mike is made out
to be an idiot in the cut version who doesn't fight Shedder or anyone else.
Now comes a crucial cut that alters the ending. Leo charges at Shedder and
is brought down. Shedder then puts his blade to Leo's throat and tells the
Turtles to get rid of their weapons. They throw them off the roof but then a
1s cut occurs cutting out Mike's Nonhuman getting caught on the ladder rung.
This is a plot point for later that is missing from the UK version. Now
Splinter arrives and Shedder takes his mask off revealing his scars from
Splinter In the UK version as he charges at him 19s are cut. These are of
Splinter using the Nonhuman of Mike's from the ladder rung to wrap around
the Shedder's blade who he then slings over the edge. He then holds him
there dangling but Shedder has reached a knife which he then throws at him
which he catches but in doing so the nonhuman wrapped around the blade
unravels dropping Shedder to his doom. Then Splinter finishes his sentence
from before "Without honour". The UK skips all this and makes it out that
Splinter simply grabbed the blade and slung him over the edge where he
simply dropped to his doom with out no tense dangling or final attack or
dialogue from Splinter. However the fall in the UK version is from one
single angle rather than 3 different ones. This cut really ruins the end of
the film and lessons the danger to Splinter and the danger of Shedder.

So the total movie cuts are of around 5 mins 28 secs. The BBFC should put an
apology up before every screening of the new uncut version as they really
made a right mess with this back in 1990.

The video is further cut as follows:

Michelangelo is on the phone ordering a pizza when Splinter is giving the
turtles advice. When Splinter hears that he is not listening and is on the
phone he throws a book at him and shouts Michelangelo. For some completely
stupid reason known only to the BBFC the scene was now missing the book
throwing which by the way was the tamest throwing of a book I have ever
seen. Also missing was some of Michelangelo's dialogue when he orders the
pizza due to the fact you can clearly see his nunchaku as he is spinning
them.

[Tigershard]

Are nunchaku illegal in England?

[Buslady]

Originally Posted by Tigershard

Are nunchaku illegal in England?

they were 14 years ago...I'd imagine they still are.

They're illegal in California.

[Tigershard]

But they didn't have to edit them out in California. I don't get why they have to edit them out in England.

[Karpo_007]

That is just wrong. I'm glad we got the real version here in Finland and it's good the UK will finally get it too.

[michiko]

That was a pretty comprehensive! Kudos to whoever took the time to write it.

Originally Posted by Buslady

The next cut is pathetic and is one to a bit of
blatant advertising for turtle wax. April is being given a shoulder massage
by Casey after she appears in pain in a scene that starts their romance. As
soon as he starts the massage in the UK version it cuts to the next scene
and misses a comic scene of 24s for no apparent reason.

I think I've said this before, but I actually prefer that scene without the turtle wax gag...

Originally Posted by Buslady

Another cut occurs when Mike and Don attempt to eat some leftover pizza. In
the UK version when Danny says they might be some leftover pizza Mike gets
excited then it cuts to the next scene missing 17s of Mike and Don
inspecting the pizza and asking". The only conclusion is that the BBFC didn'
t get the joke about penicillin.

I reckon it was to remove the product placement for Dominos pizza.

Originally Posted by Tigershard

Are nunchaku illegal in England?

When I did karate, I was told that you're only allowed to carry martial arts weapons if you're on the way to a martial arts lesson. They're certainly not illegal to own because I have some, and the bruised elbows you get free with every pair.

This page explains why the BBFC have had such a bee in their bonnet about nunchaku... they're getting over it now though

[Raphael's Sardonic wit]

If the new R2 DVD is going to be cut it's a disgrace. Bascailly back in the early 90s the BBC and the BBFC were VERY touchy about violance in kids movies or cartoons and so the Turtles had to be "shredded". For instance, Over here the BBC felt that the Ninja in their title was too violent, so we had our title credits re-done with the word "hero" in them and the word "hero" actually sung. All the merchandising (our comics, annuals, pencils, toys, videos, etc) had the word hero in them.

The film would also suffer because the TMHT were HUGE and so nunchuku in a kids movie is a big no-no for the BBFC (or film classification boards). I don't believe they're illegal to own. But we had the same kind of cuts in Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon and Fist of Fury in the 70s. Basically the more popular a film with the potential for kids to emulate its stars and go around and wacking each other (or so the fear is), the more likely we'll see it cut - especially if that scene involves a nunchuck.

On a side-note, the BBFC also don't like headbutting. They cut it out from the Matrix when Neo heads back Agent Smith, and they cut out a headbut from Obi Wan on Jango Fett (why? because they felt headbutting is inappropriate for a "hero" character).

Anyway, i'll have to import these films if i wanna see them as the director intended. Lucky my DVd decks are multi-region hackable.

[Karpo_007]

They still do that? They make same type of cuts to films eve today? I'm really sorry for you guys. Messing with movies like that is WRONG:

[Stone Ill]

Wow, that was just pathetic.

I'm glad that we didn't screwed over like that 14 years ago.

[spikealike]

The R2 release should be exactly what we got in the uncut cinema release. It's probably the reason the first movie has never been released on R2 before. I'm guessing they were aware of a possible lifting of the ban on nunchuks and waited until it was passed before releasing the dvd.

[Orochi Chimera]

Interesting stuff.

[TheRATKING]

they totaly ruined the movie

[Nosferatu]

Wow. I knew they edited it, but wow.