Everyone wants to know how the world ends whether it be by meteor, nuclear fire, machines or zombies. There are films that give a unique twist on how the world ends and one of these was revealed to me in a short called T is for Turbo. Originally submitted for the ABC’s of Death and not accepted it was later fleshed out into its own film and now the folks over at Epic Pictures have released a 2 disc blu-ray / dvd combo pack of this movie. Let us delve into the Turbo Kid 3 disc ultra turbo charged collectors edition.
The packaging is simply breathtaking as it shows a closeup of the kid on the front of the slipcover as well as some blurbs praising the movie on the back. When you take it out of the slipcase you see the same art of the kid on the front and Michael Ironside as Zeus on the back. Open it up and you will see a closeup of Skeletron which is one of Zeus’ henchmen. As you open it up a final time you will see all 3 discs with a map as the background and on the first panel is a copy of the original poster without any assets. This alone makes it amazing as each of the discs look like View-Master reels giving it that special touch.
For those that have never seen the movie it starts out in an alternate 1997 where water is scarce and what is known as the wastelands is ruled by a tyrant named Zeus. Zeus (played by Michael Ironside) rules his lands with an iron fist and anyone that dare opposes him is ground up into water for his own needs. The story centers on an individual known only as the Kid as he scours the wasteland for things he can trade and trade for. He is also a comic book fan as well with his favorite stories being one of a hero named Turbo Rider. What happens from here on out is an amazing ride that will leave you wanting more. What I love about this film is that there are no sophisticated vehicles as most of the action takes place on BMX bikes. Yes, you heard me right as you will see characters riding bikes as well as getting into fights on them as well. This film has to be experienced especially if you love the post apocalyptic genre.
There is a DVD version of the film as well as a special features disc that contains a lot of great features that have not been seen anywhere. One of the features is the original T for Turbo which I discussed at the beginning of the review and you can see where the inspriation for this movie came from. Also, there are four galleries containing original concept sketches for the film, fan art, official stills and the rider booklet. If you wanted to see how the film was made there are a few mini documentaries showing how this film became a reality. Another feature shows a series of Q&A’s from various festivals such as BIFFF, Stiges and Edinburgh. Blood Wasteland is the official making of Turbo Kid and shows how it got off the ground and got its start as well as the creative process it went through to get made.
If you are a fan of Turbo Kid then you need to get this special edition right away and if you wanted to order it direct from the company you can do so here. For more information on this and other great pictures head over to https://epic-pictures.com and get ready to fight for water in the apocalypse.
