Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze...and Why it's Awesome

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were the staple of my childhood. I remember watching them during my Saturday morning cartoon regimen growing up. For those of you unfamiliar with the series, it was a cartoon about these…well… teenage mutant ninja turtles that were human sized, and pretty epic fighters. They lived in the sewers, fought crime, and ate pizza. 

In the late 80's,  early 90's, they turned this cartoon series into a live action film…or…two…or three. To be honest, it wasn’t half bad. It had major plot holes, and was a little disturbing in that the live action ninja turtles freaked me out. However, it was fun to watch my cartoon come to life.

As you can imagine, these movies contained an incredible amount of stage combat. The fight scene I chose is the opening sequence for the second movie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze. Check it out:

This fight is a serious fight gone gimmick. What is a gimmick fight? It’s basically any fight that contains some sort of main component that is a gag or mockery that turns what would ordinarily be incredibly serious, into more of joke. For instance, throughout this entire fight, you see the Ninja Turtles, fighting with yo-yos, pretending to be an inflatable punching bag, and yelling things like, “Combat Cold Cuts!” (as seen at 4:21). There is nothing wrong with a gimmick fight, especially when it is done correctly. This one was definitely well put-together.

What I like most about this fight is that they don’t leave anything unexplained. Sometimes, you’ll see a fight where there are people visibly “waiting” for the next move so they can continue with the choreography. But in this fight, even when there are fighters standing still, you can tell what is going on internally to make them stop in their tracks. For example, at 3:05, the bad guys stop and watch as Michelangelo shows them a trick with his yo-yo. While ordinarily this would not necessarily stop someone who is trying to kill you, within the context of the story, it makes sense. These bad guys are clearly not smart. In fact, one of them even takes their mask off when they are first told that they are “under arrest” (see 1:03). Not to mention the fact that they just left their trucks open for the world to see. (see 0:37) This suggests these criminals are complete idiots. So, why not stop when someone tells them to, in order to watch a trick?

I also really enjoyed watching the very first segment where the Pizza Guy wins his fight with three of the criminals. His attacks are all real martial arts moves, his form is good, and the timing of when he hits the bad guys and when they react is perfect. Also, as stated before, not once is there a moment where a bad guy is just standing around because he is waiting for the next move.

While the plot line in this movie is cheesy, it’s worth the watch just to see the fighting. It’s a very classic approach to stage combat with a twist of humor.

This is Halloween: Sleepy Hollow

Halloween is my favorite holiday. As such, I find it only fitting that I should review a fight scene from a movie of the horror persuasion. I chose to look at this fight scene from Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow.

Tribute to Luis Tertocha

This post is long since due. About four months ago, I had the pleasure of interviewing an accomplished entertainment lawyer named Luis Tertocha. It is my regret to say that, since that interview, he has passed away. It is my firm belief that the lives of those around us are to be celebrated and honored. So, in his memory, I would like to share my report I wrote those many months ago:

Luis Tertocha
Retrieved From: http://www.miami.edu/frost/index.php/frost/frost_profiles/mbei-tertocha_louis/

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers the Movies: The First Fight

Like most children of the 90's, I loved the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers television series. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure where the exact appeal came from. Maybe it was the cool costumes, the "badass" girls, the epic adventures, or the cute boys, but something about the series drew me in and kept me watching every time it was on the television. Naturally, when the movie came out, I was ecstatic.  Mighty Morphin Power Rangers The Movie was released in 1993. While quite young at the time, I still remember watching it over and over on our "high-tech" VHS player. As an adult, I still think it's pretty entertaining, if only for nostalgia. 

Batman V. Bane

About a year ago we saw the release of the latest Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises. Batman has been my favorite superhero since birth. So, when they started releasing updated movies, you can imagine I was ecstatic. I couldn’t wait to see how they would re-interpret my favorite childhood hero. While I don’t love everything they did with the series, they didn’t do a terrible job of re-inventing it. I think my biggest item of contention is Bane’s voice. In the latest movie, Bane sounds more like an upset monopoly man than an actual villain. Anyway, all of that aside, there are some epic fight scenes in the latest film. While many of these scenes are incredible, there is one that really upsets me. This is the fight between Bane and Batman in the underbelly of Gotham City. Take a look:

Catwoman v. Burglars (It's Happening)

Catwoman is a film that came out in the early 2000’s.  For those of you who have never seen it, you’re probably lucky. The plot of the film is loosely based on the back story behind the saucy Batman character, Catwoman. Unfortunately, the script is weak at best and you have to ignore the fact that it is not true to the comics. Needless to say, the film has received a lot of criticism.  However, that is not what I am here to do. I am focused on how well the fight scenes are performed and overall put together. So, without further ado, I give you the abridged fight scene between Catwoman and the Burglars:

Courting Stage Combat: Legal Liabilities

Anytime you engage in strenuous activity, there is a chance of getting hurt. This risk increases when the activity includes close physical contact between two individuals and/or weaponry in the mix. You’ve already heard me stress the importance of hiring a Fight Director to avoid injury.  However, it is also important to take great care whenever you are involved in any sort of stunt work.  This may sound like a, “duh” statement, but you’d be surprised how often personal injury and negligence cases arise after a stunt performer on stage is injured because someone cut corners or simply was not being cautious. Still don’t believe me? Let’s look at three court cases involving personal injury lawsuits by stage combatants or stunt performers.

Staying Safe: Save Yourself and Hire a Fight Director (Video Entry)

The 4 P's of the WWE: Promotion and Product

Who out there watches the World Wrestling Entertainment? I know I don’t. However, despite the fact that I do not watch the WWE, I sure do know a lot about it. Its roots can be traced back as far as the 1950’s. In the early 2000's, because of trademark issues with the World Wide Fund for Nature, it had to change its name from "World Wrestling Federation" to "World Wrestling Entertainment". I am familiar with the careers of such famous wrestlers as The Rock, Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan, and more. How do I know all of these things? Because the WWE is something people talk about. You see the advertisements and can’t help but feel like watching the WWE is going to be a good time. Additionally their product is attractive to the masses. In marketing, there are 4 P's you must accommodate in order to be successful. These "P's" are product, promotion, place, and price. The WWE is a prime example of how balancing these four big things can lead to great rewards.

To Negotiate or Not, That is the Question: An Interview with Fight Director Mark Schryver

Although performing is a huge dimension of the stage combatant’s role, an audience member sees merely an end result of a long process. Several months prior to the performance, a Stage Combatant must respond to “ a fight call” and then negotiate a contract. Without a contract in place, many things could go wrong. So how, as an artist, do you negotiate for the best deal?

The Cost of Success Part 2: Brende Vs Hutch and "Low Budget Man" Episode 9

Now that I’ve shown you what big money can buy, let’s look at some low budget fight scenes.

Here is a brief fight that is performed by James Hutchison III and Solomom Brende. Both of these performers are incredibly well trained and skilled, as evident by their work. Take a look at something they put together and shared on YouTube:

The Cost of Success Part 1: Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl

A "hot topic" in the stage combat industry is whether or not big budgets means better fight scenes. The answer to this is not as straight forward as it may initially appear. When it comes to creating a professional film project, the more experienced Stunt Coordinators/Fight Directors will likely charge more for their time than an amateur. Something to consider, however, is the fact that these incredibly knowledgable Stunt Coordinators/ Fight Directors also bring years of training and experience to the table.  If a film has a higher budget, the producers can afford to hire the best of the best and therefore have better results, right? Not always! There is nothing stopping a group of excellent stage combatants from coming together to create some epic battles to film for fun and for free. While the overall quality of the footage may not be nearly as good as that of a feature film, would the impact of the fight itself suffer? Well, let's see. 

The Society of American Fight Directors and Their Impact

While Stage Combat seems like it’d be a “fun thing” to do, it is also particularly dangerous for the unskilled performer. It is not uncommon to hear of an actor getting their eye gauged out by a small sword, or even having a performer hit in the head by a quarterstaff. Such accidents are the result of untrained individuals not paying attention and not knowing how to perform a fight safely.

Whips and Anthony DeLongis

Ordinarily, this would be the time I would post about how epic a fight is and why. As I said in my very first post, looking at the work of the people who came before you is an excellent way to stand on their metaphorical shoulders. However, I also think it is equally as important to look at the people who inspire you and why that is.

Zorro vs. Elena

When you say "Zorro", I think sexy, Spanish Robin Hood.  When you say "Mask of", I think mystery and intrigue.  So, it should be no surprise that my next pick of fight scenes involves combining the two. Yes, we are looking at The Mask of Zorro.

Inigo Montoya vs.The Man in Black

The most epic quote in all of history comes from a love story.  But not just any love story, an epic one! For those of you who don't already know, I am an avid fangirl of The Princess Bride. I am a firm believer that if you have grown up without uttering the words: “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!!!!” (The Princess Bride), you have seriously missed out.  Not only are there moments of adventure and romance, but mystery and politics. There is a plot device to satisfy almost every pallet.

The story itself is exceedingly complicated but I will try to summarize. In brief, it’s a about a man and a woman who fall in love and how they conquer every obstacle that comes their way, including several dramatic death scenes. (You read that right; the main male dies about 2 times through out the story!)

An Introduction and Critique: Whip vs. Whip Fight

What makes for a good theatrical fight? Is it how fast the individuals are fighting? Maybe. But if there is no intention or motivation behind the movements then they are simply that. Movements. What then, I ask you, makes for a good fake fight?

Hi. My name is Amy. I have been studying Stage Combat for about 2 years. I have learned from many different people and organizations, including the Society of American Fight Directors  and Anthony DeLongis.