Cast the Runner-Up: Phil Hartman was originally supposed to play Myron, but Brian Levant thought he was a better fit for Ted.
Colbert Bump: The movie was plugged virtually every time "Arnold" was featured on Live via Satellite on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, keeping its popularity alive longer than it might've been otherwise.
As the Governator, Arnold threatened to force the legislature of California to watch this movie thirteen times if they couldn't come up with a budget.
Rita Wilson has admitted she doesn't care for this film, feeling that Liz is "a little too stupid," particularly for not recognizing Turbo Man as her husband in the film's climax. She'd prefer her fans watch her other Christmas movie, Mixed Nuts, instead.
Creator Killer: Director Brian Levant was coming off of a string of box office successes, but after this film flopped he would not direct another film for four years, which also flopped.
Actual Turbo Man toys were made by Tiger Electronics for the holiday season of 1996 and sold in Wal-Mart chains to promote the film. As the figures were made in a limited supply, they're pretty rare and a hard to find collectors' item, fetching up for a couple hundred dollars minimum nowadays.
Funko also produced Walmart exclusive limited edition Turbo Man figures in 2021.
Life Imitates Art: The film's theatrical run coincided with the craze for Tickle Me Elmo dolls - one of the most notorious Christmas toy crazes in history. Unexpected demand for Tickle Me Elmo led to shortages and store mobbing like that depicted for Turbo Man. Taken up to eleven when a Canadian store clerk was trampled by a crowd after he was spotted handing a crate of Tickle Me Elmo dolls - something specifically depicted in the film.
Never Trust a Trailer: The trailer for the movie makes it seem like Howard and Myron agree to work together to try and find the Turbo Man doll. In the film, Howard rejects Myron's offer to team up, and the two are competing against each other for the entire film.
Playing Against Type: Schwarzenegger, to a degree; this is probably the only movie in his career where his build and muscles aren't given some type of display, and the few times he does any kind of fighting he's comically outmatched or hurts himself. It's also the one film where he plays a Bumbling Dad, rather than the One-Man ArmyAction Hero he's known for.
Star-Making Role: This was one of Chris Parnell's first roles before he became a big star.
Technology Marches On: If this film were made post-2010, Howard would simply have been able to find a Turbo Man online and order it. Granted, it probably wouldn't have arrived before Christmas, but had least he'd have gotten it.
Throw It In!: Both Sinbad and Phil Hartman improvised significant amounts of their dialogue. Sinbad in particular was given free rein to ad lib, and Arnold Schwarzenegger and other costars often forced to ad lib themselves to keep up. And Ted's comment to Howard that "you can't bench press your way out of this one" was Hartman's suggestion to show the audience what Ted really thought about Howard.
Vindicated by Cable: Despite its oft-mocked reputation, it has enough of a fanbase for FX to give it the 24-hour marathon treatment during the holidays.
Joe Pesci was initially in mind to play Myron, however they went for Sinbad instead, opting for someone who was closer to Arnold's height.
Tim Allen was also considered for the role of Howard if Arnold didn't accept.
According to the January 1996 draft of the script, Dementor was originally named "Negator" and he was supposed to have two henchmen named Bolt and Dolt instead of the Demon Team. Turbo Man was also originally named "Turbo Tom" and Booster was called "Fang".
Animated Movies
Similarly Named Works: The first special shares its name with the 1996 Arnold Schwarzenegger movie.
she doesn't care for this film, feeling that Liz is "a little too stupid," particularly for not recognizing Turbo Man as her husband in the film's climax. She'd prefer her fans watch her other Christmas movie, Mixed Nuts, instead.