Before the cartoon coolness of Mutant Mayhem or the Platinum Dunes duds in 2014 & 2016, there were puppets in a half-shell bursting onto the big screen. A frequent in my tween-age VHS rotation – I was a little in love with the foam-rubber Raphael, okay – this Nineties live-action version of the Turtles blends Saturday morning goofs with the series’ dark & dank alt-comic origins. Violet Crown Cinema screens the oldie-but-goodie this week so a new generation can be introduced to these totally tight turtle brothers and their surfer-guy slang slung around the Big Apple’s sewer system. If you stop for pizza afterward, save a slice for your pals underground. – James Scott
March 16 & 19
