Rotting 'Ninja Turtle' costume could be yours for $15K
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The real Leonardo da Vinci probably doesn’t look much different than this by now.
A badly decayed “Leonardo” costume from the 1993 live-action “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III” movie has resurfaced — and, like the film, it hasn’t aged well.
“You can buy this rotting, screen-used TMNT III Leonardo suit if you want,” writes Twitter user Jayme K, who unearthed the atrocity on a prop auction website. The costume’s worth is estimated to be in the $15,000 range but, perhaps unsurprisingly, it did not sell when it went on the block Monday.
The costume is a mix of materials including a foam latex turtle bodysuit with a spandex base, a foam chest, leather knee and elbow pads, a leather sheath, foam latex skin and cast resin teeth, all of which appear to be in terrible shape. Leo’s signature blue eye mask has faded to a purple-gray color.
“Both the body and head of the costume show substantial breakdown to the foam latex elements and require restoration,” reads the auction site listing.
The costume no longer stands on its own, either.
“The body is currently filled with some stuffing and rests on an oversize clothing hangar,” it says, “additional work is needed to make the piece stand.”
Screen grabs from the film, listed in the auction photos, show the suit in its prime: It was quite odd even then.
Actor Mark Caso wore the suit in the film. His last acting credit is for performing a stunt in a 1999 episode of the “Mortal Kombat: Conquest” TV series.
For those still in need of a Halloween costume, looks like Leo remains available — although he has much more of a fear factor than a nostalgia appeal.
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