What’s the first movie you remember seeing in a movie theater?

It’s one of the three questions I ask every guest on What If I Don’t Like It?, and when Brett Kelley mentioned during his There Will Be Blood episode that the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was his answer, I knew we had to come back to it.

Brett, the artist behind Gourdfolk, joins me to revisit the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a movie that helped shape his love of comics and remains a memorable part of his childhood.

We get into the film’s roots in Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s darker comic books, the incredible practical effects from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, and how this surprisingly gritty adaptation became a box office hit. We also discuss why it feels so different from the animated series and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, its connections to martial arts cinema and Daredevil, and how the franchise evolved from an independent black-and-white comic into a global phenomenon.

Brett brings his TMNT knowledge and personal history with the franchise to a conversation about what makes this adaptation so distinctive, why its darker tone works, and why the original still deserves a closer look.

What's the first movie you remember seeing in a theater? Let me know, and tell me which turtle is your favorite!

CONNECT WITH BRETT KELLEY

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MORE CONVERSATIONS WITH BRETT

Check out our other conversations about

The Usual Suspects: https://tinyurl.com/4v88b77u

There Will Be Blood: https://tinyurl.com/4s4kur7t

and Heavy Metal: https://tinyurl.com/49en7sev

ABOUT WHAT IF I DON'T LIKE IT?

Hosted by Kt Baldassaro, What If I Don't Like It? explores what happens when filmmakers, artists, writers, and performers finally watch movies they've avoided because of their expectations, biases, or preconceived notions. Through thoughtful, occasionally irreverent conversations, we explore the films we love, the ones we're skeptical of, and why stories connect with us.

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieRuntime

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/w877hmn8

👂 Spotify Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/mrxu764f

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