‘Teenage Ninja Turtles: The Movie’ Mutates Into a Tape

THIS WEEK’S MOVIES

Cowabunga, parents! Just when you thought you could stop shelling out for your kids’ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle merchandise, here comes the No. 1 item of all--the movie that turned a mild fad into a national craze.

Everyone but the kids was stunned by the box-office success of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie” earlier this year--the live-action film (based on an animated TV show) grossed an astounding $133 million. It won’t surprise anyone, though, if the videocassette just released by Family Home Entertainment is a blockbuster, too. Especially since it’s bargain-priced at $24.99.

Other 1990 films new to tape: “Loose Cannons” (RCA/Columbia, $89.95, R), a comedic action movie about mismatched cops, with Gene Hackman and Dan Aykroyd; “Fire Birds” (Touchstone, $89.95, PG-13), starring Nicolas Cage, Tommy Lee Jones and Sean Young as “Top Gun”-ish copter pilots; “Strapless” (RCA/Columbia, $79.95, R), a romantic drama starring Blair Brown; “A Show of Force” (Paramount, priced for rental, R), a political thriller with Amy Irving, Andy Garcia, Lou Diamond Phillips and Robert Duvall; “The Gods Must Be Crazy II” (RCA/Columbia, $89.95, PG); “Q&A;” (HBO, $92.99, R), an investigative police drama with Nick Nolte and Timothy Hutton (and directed by Sidney Lumet); and “The Guardian” (MCA/Universal, $79.95, R), another horror film from William Friedkin.

OTHER NEW VIDEOS

SWEAT: Does the world need another Jane Fonda workout tape? In any case, she has a 12th one --”Jane Fonda’s Lean Routine” (Warner, $29.98). Two other actresses have their first--Cyd Charisse’s “Easy Energy Shape-Up” (J2, $19.95) and “Heather Locklear Presents Your Personal Workout” (MCA/Universal, $19.95).

LAUGHS: If you’re a fan of Lucille Ball and Jackie Gleason--and if October doesn’t seem too early for a Christmas tape--then “The Honeymooners / I Love Lucy TV Christmas Present” (CBS/Fox, $14.98) might be for you. The 52-minute tape contains the 1956 “Lucy” Christmas show, recently rebroadcast on CBS, plus a 1955 “Honeymooners” Yuletide episode and an animated film, “Season’s Greetings.”

MUSIC: Four new tapes from CMV are “Iron Maiden: Maiden England,” “Midnight Oil: Black Rain Falls,” “Johnny Mathis: Home for Christmas” and “Toto: Past to Present”--$19.98 each except for “Mathis” ($17.98).

PBS: Twelve new titles from the Public Broadcasting Service are available from PBS/Pacific Arts ($19.95 each) including “This Old House: Creating a New Kitchen--Part I,” Leo Buscaglia’s “Loving Relationships,” Timothy Ferris’ “The Creation of the Universe,” episodes of “Nature” and “Newton’s Apple,” plus two Bill Moyers programs.