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Turbo Kid (2015)
24 Plays28 days ago
This week on the Everything Actioncast, Zach and Chris bike into the wasteland and discuss 2015's Turbo Kid, which just celebrated its tenth anniversary.
Initially starting as a potential segment in The ABCs of Death, T is for Turbo, the directing team of Roadkill Superstars, turned the short into a full-length feature. Munro Chambers stars as The Kid, a survivor in the post-apocalypse who scavenges the wasteland on his BMX bike and is obsessed with a comic book superhero called Turbo Rider. He encounters a psychotically upbeat girl named Apple (Laurence Leboeuf) who immediately declares them best friends and tags along on his adventures, which eventually puts them in the path of the ruthless warlord Zeus (Michael Ironside) and his gang of warriors. Zach and Chris discuss the hilariously great idea of everyone riding bikes through the apocalypse, what factions were fighting in the war that caused the apocalypse, the ridiculous gore, the incredible synthwave score by Le Matos, and more.
You can watch Turbo Kid on Prime Video, The Roku Channel, Fandango at Home, PlutoTV, and more. Next week, we're getting ooky and spooky with Addams Family Values as Wednesday Season 2, Part 2, debuts on Netflix.
We want to hear your comments and feedback. Send them all to contact@everythingaction.com. Also, let us know your suggestions for movies for us to discuss.
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Transcript
Podcast Introduction
00:00:03
Speaker
Welcome to the Everything Action Cast, the official podcast of Hello and welcome to the Everything Action Cast podcast week of August 25th, 2025. I'm your host, Zach.
00:00:25
Speaker
I'm your co-host, Chris.
Turbo Kid Anniversary & 80s Throwback Films
00:00:27
Speaker
And this week we are riding into the wasteland talking about Turbo Kid. which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, came out in August 2015. And 2015, big year for these this kind of like eighty s ah stop like exploitation throwback kind of thing, because also Kung Fury came out in 2015.
00:00:47
Speaker
So that was like a big one-two punch of ah you kind of like gory eighty s like throwback stuff. Synthwave-powered throwbacks. Yeah, like...
00:00:59
Speaker
almost a return to 80s, uh, like, minimalistic, uh, like, production to get the maximum, like, gore and, yeah, like, fully, like, fully practical effects, um, like, actual, actual set, like, like, locations.
00:01:19
Speaker
Yeah. I, well, Kung Fu, no. No, but, yeah. But it's, like, the return to, like, just, like, rough everything like you acting ah props ah like I guess like costume designs because lot of the time it was just whatever you had in their closet or found at a thrift store yeah like More so Turbo Kid than Kung Fury or Man Borg.
00:01:52
Speaker
Yeah, i feel i feel like this I feel like it's kind of like a sub-genre, a little bit of like this kind of like thing. Because yeah, Turbo Kid, Kung Fury, Man Borg, you just said. i think Home of the Shotgun, Psycho Goreman recently. like that All those kind are kind of like in the the same kind of like va vibe throwback like throwback eighty s like but also like self-aware. like that They know what they're doing. Grindhouse.
00:02:19
Speaker
Yeah, Grindhouse. Well, Hobo to Shotgun, definitely, because I think that was way more Grindhouse-y from the short that they had, but I think Turbo Kid is like it's like too bright to be a Grindhouse movie.
00:02:34
Speaker
Yeah. no like it's like So is Kung Fury, where it's neon-soaked and synth-pop, so it's like ho pop house. like I don't know if there's a word for that one. I saw i saw a like a couple places say like retrosploitation.
00:02:50
Speaker
Okay, that's a good one. that's That's like a really good term because it does everything about this for filmmaking wise and just like um like there's no bigger like depth to the movies. They're just like fun stories and silly like everything.
00:03:10
Speaker
So it's not like you watch it and everything's a metaphor for like the environment, or like um like race tensions.
Cult Classics & Audience Appeal
00:03:18
Speaker
like That's what I liked about these movies. I mean, they don't get critically acclaimed, but they get like, audience loves them. These are movies you you show friends, and and you watch like you quote like really weird moments from them.
00:03:32
Speaker
Yeah, I feel like i feel like all of them have become like, like they sort of all the all these similar ones have become cult classics. I think like that's also the angle. um I think you also feel like you can also see movies that do it on purpose and they don't they're not very honest.
00:03:48
Speaker
Like, you know, that they're like, OK, we'll make our money back in merchandise if we say a lot of like quotable shit. um And they they don't do too well. But movies that honestly are just like they have fun making it.
00:04:00
Speaker
You have fun watching it. Like. they they become, like, cult favorites, and then, over time, like, massive cult followings. Yeah, i feel like, what was it, like, Commando Ninja?
00:04:13
Speaker
Like, that one? I feel like that one tries a little too hard to like, be, like, over the top and, like, get it, guys? Get it? like ah There's also that one where it's, like, the DDR ah movie, where it's, like, they, um...
00:04:30
Speaker
They do, like, dancing to solve, like, wars and stuff, and, like, turf, like, post-apocalyptic turf wars. Do you know what I'm talking about? I feel like I remember that coming out. Yeah, I just't i don't remember, like, what the name of it was. The FP.
00:04:45
Speaker
Oh, yeah. There's four FP movies. Oh, my God. i think that each time they get sillier and sillier, but, like, I'm not mad at those movies. I just feel like they're just so...
00:04:57
Speaker
um like, unintentionally weird. And then, like, you just kind of need, like, maybe you might, you may not be drawn into the idea, but you'll know someone that's like, hey, let's go watch this, and you end up watching it.
00:05:13
Speaker
And then you either love it or hate it. Like, there's no middle ground.
00:05:18
Speaker
Especially if someone wants to do, like, a four movie night FP marathon. God.
00:05:26
Speaker
But anyway, ah this is like, like, catalyst. These movies from the, like, late 2011 to 2018 period of these films where ah the retro exploitation just using a lot of, like, oddly, a lot of, like, Canadian, Europe, like, New Zealand.
00:05:49
Speaker
um Yeah. Maybe, maybe like, ah like, England? like I feel like there's an English version somewhere. But I think mostly Canada. It's like a lot of canadian companies but lot of Canadian film directors made these movies.
00:06:03
Speaker
Yeah. Well, Turbica is a bunch of... I think they're from New Zealand, right?
Filming Location & Production History
00:06:10
Speaker
Oh, no. They're Canadian. Yeah. Yeah, they're Canadian.
00:06:14
Speaker
A lot of the actors are Canadian. But yeah I think certain parts of the movie, you can tell when it switches. i think I think the factory scenes, whenever there's like a rundown ruin of like civilization, that's just Canada.
00:06:27
Speaker
there's That's just like ah some bow-tunk town that had a processing factory that closed 20 years ago. They filmed there. Yeah, I think it was in Montreal.
00:06:38
Speaker
It was... in montreal it was a
00:06:43
Speaker
Thetford Mines in Quebec um is where they filmed like lot a lot of stuff. like It's probably like the big like reservoir and all like the quarry-looking area. It's probably all around that mine.
00:06:55
Speaker
And I think maybe the landscape shots and all the things with like like mountains are just New Zealand. and They probably just brought, like what, four actors, for maybe eight, some crew filmed some landscape shots. I think that's what they did.
00:07:10
Speaker
I think actually looking at i d b they only filmed it Canada. Really? But then they must, it seems like they like imported a bunch, a couple like Australian or New Zealand actors.
00:07:21
Speaker
um I know. Cause I, I'm, I'm believing that some people like some shots were probably taken from New Zealand. Like they flew out there and then they did some stuff. But I mean, this movie takes place mostly outside.
00:07:37
Speaker
Yeah.
00:07:40
Speaker
And kind of interesting backstory. It was originally submitted as part of like, i think it was it was a contest um to get into the ABCs of death in 2011. So, you know, and obviously if you like, if you've seen that horror anthology movie, that series, like every segment is based on like letter.
00:07:58
Speaker
So they submitted T is for Turbo, which you can watch like Vimeo. It just searched like T is for Turbo. can watch it like Vimeo and like YouTube and stuff. It's like a, it was like a five minute short.
00:08:11
Speaker
Is like the original like t T's for Turbo.
00:08:16
Speaker
Oh no yeah. i mean It's like it's like four minutes. Yeah it's it's short. It's not. Yeah it gets to the point. It's just more of the effects but it's. ah It's like enough but you definitely could have expanded it and you even said like the story of how like they were not accepted but for like a good reason.
00:08:39
Speaker
Yeah, I i guess there's like, yeah, 200 shorts got submitted. um yeah They didn't end up in ABC's desk, but then ah Aunt Timpson, who like produced it, was like, hey, this is good. like Develop it into like ah an actual movie.
00:08:57
Speaker
And then, yeah, they made Turbo Kid.
00:09:07
Speaker
And, yeah, it's, yeah it's and then I think i they get debuted in, like ah like, hit a bunch of festivals, then it kind of, like, eventually came out. I don't know how bad the theatrical release was in, like, August 2015, but i don't I definitely don't remember it playing anywhere near me when it came out. I definitely, this was definitely, like, a, like, I like i had to, like, read it from, like, Amazon Prime Video or something, or, like, a digital, like, release of it.
00:09:34
Speaker
i don't I don't remember, like, even, like, it... I'm sure it came out, like, DVD or something. I don't remember, like, seeing, like, DVDs or anything of it. Yeah, I think I maybe saw it once. like ah Like, a random Terrible Kid, like, DVD.
00:09:48
Speaker
Yeah. Well, actually, I think... This was, like, a Kickstarter, like, movie, I think.
00:09:58
Speaker
Yeah, I'm not 100% sure how they got, um, like, the the funding for it, but, um, yeah they i think I think there might have been like a, it looks like but when it opens, I think there's like a Canadian like art fund you can like apply to and they'll they'll give you money to make like movies and stuff, which probably explains like what we were talking about earlier, like how like ah like all a lot of these are from Canada.
00:10:22
Speaker
Like a lot of them probably like apply for that like Canadian art fund. Like it to make movies. I think um there has to be like a thing where like they had a GoFundMe to get, like, the marketing budget.
00:10:38
Speaker
I think they probably got money if to film to produce it there, but then it's like, you need to now cover the cost of marketing the movie, that's where the GoFundMe came in. I swear, there was, like, a GoFundMe account for Turbo Kid or something like that
00:10:58
Speaker
like that. But yeah, it came out, and was... it I think we were talking about also it was it was a big like it was on Netflix for a while. um which i don't i'm not sure I don't think it's on Netflix right now. It's on like it's actually on like everything but except Netflix. It's on Prime Video and Tubi and Pluto. Every other stream is heard besides Netflix.
00:11:21
Speaker
so it's it's very It's very easily watchable right now if you want to check it out. It's
00:11:29
Speaker
But yeah, it was i haven't I haven't seen it in a while. I haven't seen it probably since close to when it came out. I didn't rewatch it since. But yeah, going back to it, like it's still... It's a super fun... The blend of 80s coming of age kind of thing with just absolutely ridiculous gore.
00:11:53
Speaker
yeah It's like such a such a fun blend.
Turbo Kid's Dystopian Setting
00:11:56
Speaker
So let's let's talk about the setting. This is an alternate future that takes place in 1997. Yep. yep ah Where I guess like the peak culture stopped at like nineteen the 90s. So everything just stopped like developing or, you know, progressing. So everyone's just fighting over for like resources.
00:12:17
Speaker
And I think this is. Yeah. was there There was a nuclear war, right? like like and That caused like like a nuclear winter and acid rain. and
00:12:29
Speaker
And there's so there was some sort of... And you get hints of like... I don't know who was fighting who, but the you hints that... Because like... um Turbo Rider... like The comic book that Turbo is obsessed with... On the back of it says, like, join the army. And it's like a tur like a Turbo Rider is like ah like an actual person who's like a pro promotional person.
00:12:50
Speaker
yeah but but't I don't know if that's like how every soldier... so like So, is that just the Canadian, like, army marketing to their people? Just saying, like, hey, you can join, you can be a Turbo Rider.
00:13:01
Speaker
Or it's like, Turbo Rider is... wants you to join the army, right? Like, it's weird because, like, whatever force that this is supposed to represent, it is bizarre to have a, like, spokesman that is, like, a hero for your... who's actually, like, an active hero.
00:13:20
Speaker
Yeah. Well, trying to figure out, like, is is he, is, like, everyone in, like, that uniform? Or is Turbo Rider, like, in a Captain America style? Like, he's, like, the only one, and that's why he got, like, the special weapon, and it was, like, the last hope for everybody, but then... so think he fail I think he was, but he was, like, driving a... pay He was flying a payload of something.
00:13:40
Speaker
Yes. So, here's the interesting thing. It was where he was flying it to... was in whatever like country that the kid is in.
00:13:52
Speaker
So. Was he leaving his own base or that was the payload and like maybe something happened and he crashed?
00:14:01
Speaker
Like Turbo Rider is actually the villain for like this country. hmm. And then, like, all that's left is just the propaganda they have, so it makes sense that, like, Turbo Kid grows up idolizing it, because, like, a whole generation has, like, passed, so all they know is, like, the propaganda, like, thing is now just, like, their culture, you know? like Yeah, whatever country you're or, like like, government or whatever whoever Turbo Rider was, like, working for, they were, like, the villains that caused the apocalypse. Yeah.
00:14:31
Speaker
Yeah, like if you think about it, it kind of makes sense where like they did that, plus they sent in like cyborgs or robots. you know' like
00:14:42
Speaker
If that company invented like rechargeable like death blasters, and I assume maybe cyborgs, because it's like this it's this movie that like as it's peeling back, like there's more questions, but it does not address them.
00:14:59
Speaker
Yeah. In fact, it took me up until recently to figure out that there was a backstory for even Apple. And even then, it's not really a backstory.
00:15:08
Speaker
Well, feel like it's funny that like, there's yeah, there are there's robots, but if it seems like robots weren't the cause of the apocalypse. say It's not a Terminator situation. It's just like there was some sort of war between whatever factions, and then there but there also happens to be robots.
00:15:24
Speaker
Like the main thing was that like, yeah, that this like war happened. and like poison like and like to poison the environment and like destroyed everything.
00:15:35
Speaker
And I do, I love the, I love the opening, um, that is basically like the opening to the movie Rad. they play is, it's very close, yeah. They play way Thunder in Your Heart by John Farnham from Rad, and it's just like Turbo Kid's just like doing like BMX tricks.
00:15:50
Speaker
It is funny because like, you think the biking is going to be this really, really big thing in this movie. Like him using his yeah yeah him using like BMX like skills.
00:16:01
Speaker
But it doesn't really come to play for him or anyone. There's a slight BMX attack, but like very like, oh, okay.
00:16:12
Speaker
yeah It's used like very briefly. But even then, it is funny to think that the only thing that ties into the BMX is that everyone doesn't drive. like They all have to use bikes.
00:16:22
Speaker
Which I love that. I love that everyone and rides a bike. Even like the like the most like hardened, badass like villain is riding on a BMX bike. And then they have to try to look cool or menacing on a BMX bike.
00:16:39
Speaker
And they they treat it like it's like ah like a motorcycle.
00:16:43
Speaker
It's like, oh shit, the bike gang's here.
00:16:48
Speaker
yeah I love that like you can sort of hear like the metal being peddled in the background of things. So it's not like tough guys. It's just like squeak, squeak, squeak.
00:16:58
Speaker
And then it's like, we snuck up on you.
80s Nostalgia & Character Dynamics
00:17:02
Speaker
I mean, there's one scene where they basically pull up and in like it would have been better for them to not be on their bikes, but they really just ride up against these bikers and then just sort of attack them.
00:17:14
Speaker
But oh, like said, like it's like typical tough guy things that you you expect like a motorcycle or like an ATV, but it's just like just local Canadian like bicycle what like BMX bikes or just like whatever they they ride when they did like get the mail.
00:17:33
Speaker
And also, it kind of adds a little bit of like that like kind of like eighty s like like so likes just Especially for the bad guys, it kind of adds like that 80s bully kind of thing of like they ride up on their BMX bikes and like threaten the hero, but then it's like you know grown men in armor like showing up on BMX bikes.
00:17:49
Speaker
that It is pretty funny, because like in 2015, Stranger Things wasn't a thing yet, or like the like eighty s is back movement hasn't fully taken to mainstream.
00:18:00
Speaker
Yeah. and like So... Stranger Things was the year after this. Yeah, which blew up the whole, like, wow, wasn't the 80s fun? Let's get all the 80s. But that was... I mean, that is like kind of like a trope of the 80s, like, you know kids on bikes...
00:18:13
Speaker
biking around the suburbs or, like, into the woods to find things. So that this, like, takes the stream of, like, everyone has a bike, even, like, the adults. I... Okay, this is a a small tangent, but, like, have you ever seen, like, an 80s movie where the adults have bikes?
00:18:31
Speaker
I try to... Yeah, I don't... i get they do They basically do, like, the kid things, but it's just, like... They're just on bicycles. They're like, all right, well, time to go to the mall. Bike, bike, bike, bike.
00:18:43
Speaker
if there If it is, it would be like a joke about like how stupid like this guy is. for like Look at him. He doesn't have a motorcycle. He's bike. What a nerd. like Yeah, it's used as like more of an insult. but I mean, like where are these people going? It's your town. you know like They're not biking to... like like You know what I mean? like In this most of those movies where like they bike, there's only one main street.
00:19:09
Speaker
Unless you're biking like in Jersey, where like, no, that's like, that's an hour's journey. You're gonna get hit by a truck. Don't bike. So, why always found that funny in the eighty s A lot of movies just took place in California and like, the middle of like, small towns.
00:19:27
Speaker
But never near a city, or not in New York, in like, a biking kid movie. Because they're like, that kid's gone. It won't be about the kid. It'll be about the detective finding the kid. No, yeah, it's it's always like a cul-de-sac or like a suburb. but what okay so Terrible Kid is like subverts that it definitely is aware of that trope um but like instead you get like not a kid kid you get like a 20 year old person I think um Monroe Chambers who played the kid is like 25 in Terrible Kid so he's not quite a kid yeah that was that was like I was surprised by that like rewatching it again recently because I remember him being a lot younger than like um like oh he's like a
00:20:07
Speaker
at least like an older teen like i thought like i kind remembered him being like like a lot like closer like a tween but yeah can't remember i i think i saw this on just like regular like on a non-4k tv back in the day so like it just didn't look so crisp but watching it on a little high-res monitor or tv and getting like a better quality He just looks 20.
00:20:34
Speaker
Like, he's, like, very obviously 20. Because I always thought it was weird that, like, him and Apple were, like, falling in love. And I'm like, she looks young, he looks young. I mean, she looks young, but then he looked younger.
00:20:47
Speaker
And now you're watching, like, oh they're, like, the same age. Yeah. Like, they look the same. So like, oh, okay. Like, that's fine. Not as creepy as I thought.
00:20:59
Speaker
But yeah, he still has, like even though like yeah whatever like he's old an older teen, like he still has a little kid. like ah He collects action figures, and he like has a viewmaster. That's likes like one of his prized possessions. and
00:21:14
Speaker
Yeah. But it makes sense where later on you find out more about him where... He just never knew to not do that. like He doesn't have like any reference to be not a kid, besides his propaganda comic.
00:21:33
Speaker
Yeah, Turbo Rider is like his Like guiding say like this comic book
00:21:44
Speaker
And then I do i do i do like the like the little kind of community they set up where like you know he goes like trade stuff. And it's there's like the like the, was it Bagu? Like the trader guy who's like like ah super quirky. and ah get oh yeah. But but it's Bagu could have been played by like a younger Jason Manzoukas back then.
00:22:07
Speaker
Oh, yeah. It is very like, this is a Jason Manzuka's role. And I'm not saying anything bad about the actor. The actor was...
00:22:20
Speaker
ah robot Romano or Orzari. So, like, I think it's he's Greek. So it's like, he's got the Jason Manzuka's look. No, I think Romano Orzari is Italian. But he definitely has like the Jason Manzuka's look.
00:22:33
Speaker
Mm-hmm. And if he just played it up more to be zany like Mandzukas, but I think because they kept this, like, on a budget, they couldn't afford him. If they had Jason Mandzukas, like, the the reveal that the water was made of people, like, he would have been, like, actually, like, all for it, probably. He'd be like, alright, don't care.
00:22:54
Speaker
People is water, water is people. This is great, everybody.
00:22:59
Speaker
But, yeah, it's ah it's kind of a great, like, like a set up at in the beginning, and then like they reveal, like, but feel like halfway through. Because, like, like, Kuro can trade for, like, that, like, this, like, bottle of water that looks, like, just so absolutely disgusting.
00:23:12
Speaker
And then you find out where it came from.
00:23:18
Speaker
It's, uh, it's interesting to think that that machine was basically, like, whatever they had from Dune. like, later on, just like, people, water maker.
00:23:29
Speaker
yep And it's not as gross as you think, because, like, as well it's kind of practical in that sense. It's a terrible thing, but, like, it made sense that they harvest, like, the dead or, like, other organic material.
00:23:46
Speaker
It doesn't have to be people. That's the one thing about the machine that i was like, oh, well, we won't ever question it because it's broken now, but...
00:23:54
Speaker
It is like that is such an early reveal.
00:23:59
Speaker
Right. Wouldn't that have been like makes more sense in the middle or third act where it's like why he's powerful and it's like I have my machine and it milks people and then it's like or juices people. Holy shit.
00:24:13
Speaker
Which, good time to mention, the great Michael Ironside is the villain. And that's the that that part where he's like talking about the juicy people is like one of his like many great, like and insane monologues.
00:24:26
Speaker
Oh yeah, Michael Ironside is awesome in this movie. He looks like he's having fun. like he He read the script and was probably like, oh, like I like the concept, like sign me up.
00:24:37
Speaker
I wonder if like if I can catch like an interview with him somewhere where it's like, hey, he's got Turbo Kid questions. He's like, I would love some Turbo Kid questions. like Bring it. It's it's crazy because I feel like he's he's like simultaneously playing it straight, but also like we can get the camera. like he's like like like He's playing it like I'm a deadly serious like villain, but also like he knows how insane and ridiculous it is.
00:25:05
Speaker
Yeah. But that's what I like about Michael Ironside. It's like... Sometimes he just enjoys being in movies because he's just like, I'll be in it. you know But it's like, well, you're in like so many other things. like But I'll be in this movie. I've got five lines where I'm in it for like a moment.
00:25:21
Speaker
I'll be in your movie. And I feel like that was definitely like one of the big thing like draws for Turbo Kid. It was like, oh, Michael Ironside's in it. like He's like the biggest face of the poster. They were like, oh, we got we got Michael Ironside this movie. Yeah.
00:25:35
Speaker
Oh, so you got an 80s, like a nostalgic 80s themed movie. Might as well get one of the biggest 80s themed like villain actors or or like just prolific and things from that era.
00:25:49
Speaker
Like, and Think about his performance in Scanners. like yeah it's It's so like eerie and disturbing, and then... Now he's in Terrible Kid.
00:26:02
Speaker
He still has the same energy, but like it's applied very differently. like
00:26:14
Speaker
And, yeah, I love him. villain side, also love Skeletron. skeloron Like, his main headgeman. He's fun. He's Great, great look. Like, a lot like his armor and like his, like, metal like skeleton like skeleton mask.
00:26:30
Speaker
And then he's got the awesome buzzsaw weapon that can shoot and also defeat a buzzsaw.
00:26:37
Speaker
love that basically he has no dialogue. And then and lot of his acting is his, like, manic body gesture and eyes. Like, his just, like, dead stare and then the, like, shiftiness where he's looking.
00:26:49
Speaker
Mm-hmm. That's all you have to convey a emotion. But also some great like comedic bits. like um there's like i think it's it's It's kind of later on, but like there's like two bits where like ah before McClary sits down in a chair, like he has to brush the chair off for him.
00:27:03
Speaker
And then um he does there's kind of some like stuff where he like they lose the Turbo Kid and he's just like... He doesn't say, oh man, but he's like, oh man, we lost him. Just from like him like shrugging and like... and like, it, we lost him.
00:27:19
Speaker
damnmit we lost
00:27:22
Speaker
it definitely like helps sell how silly this is just because you know you've seen these moments in other things and they weren't aware on the joke or how silly this would look over time but like turtle kid knows yeah and they did he and then he and Michael Iverson just have some great just like cystic moments like ah Like ripping someone's intestines out from like using and like an exercise bike later on, which is like probably one of the grossest things in the movie.
00:27:53
Speaker
You know, it's not that long of a scene. It's gross concept, but you don't see more than an like then just and an understanding of what's going on. I mean, you see the you see some intestines getting pulled out for quite a bit.
00:28:07
Speaker
Yeah, but I feel like they could have been going and then they could have really zoomed in on it to really make it like a Saw movie. Yeah. like movie yeah
00:28:16
Speaker
buts But it's also like, we were talking about, it's like, you know the the goofy 80s, like, practical gore. So it's like, it's it's fun. It's not, like, disgusting. Yeah, yeah. ah I feel like this this movie does remind you of Toxic Avenger.
00:28:34
Speaker
Yeah, it's it's very it's very has like very similar like, a Trova movie. like like Like, a lot of, like, people get like people get like their hands cut off or, like, they get cut half and just, like, blood spring out of a hose. Yeah.
00:28:47
Speaker
And then, yeah, yeah just like a lot of, like, yeah, like had like, people's heads getting sliced in half for, and then also, like, gore for, like, jokes. Like, um, it's actually in the original Teeth for Turbo, but it also in this movie, too, where, like,
00:29:01
Speaker
Someone gets cut in half and then the upper half of their body ends up on the other guy's head. So this guy's running around with a decapitated sliced body on his head. A torso-wise like a helmet, basically. Yeah.
00:29:13
Speaker
And I think it ends up like, ah eventually it's up like there's like three different bodies stacked on top of each other. at one point, like so it's like a torso and then someone else's legs end up on top of the torso. Yeah.
00:29:26
Speaker
so It's a fun visual gag, just because it's just like, nothing up until this point the movie suggests that could happen. And then when it does, it's just like, what?
00:29:41
Speaker
I mean, that's also like, practical. Like, they they built a suit of body parts and and put that on top of a person and said, now walk. So that's that's cool.
00:29:54
Speaker
Yeah.
00:30:00
Speaker
and yeah i feel I feel like everything everything everything definitely ramps up, violence-wise, um when they get to like the when you get to like the pool fight.
Weapons & Plot Mechanics
00:30:09
Speaker
Which is the second act. and yeah It's great, because at this point in the movie, ah the kid finds like the Turbo Man aircraft, that...
00:30:20
Speaker
that um is still on, and then, like, no one thought to reclaim the Turbo Man gear. ah You know, the Turbo Rider. The Turbo Glove, yeah. Yeah, yeah. It just seemed like... It seemed like having a whole fleet of those guys would win the war, right? ah Yeah. If the Turbo Kid is this powerful for just, like, his first day, i can't imagine we had, like, a trained person...
00:30:47
Speaker
but The turbo glove is so overpowered. yeah it's it's it's lead like like It just like explodes people. And it'll recharge itself. like because but like there's some There's some flaws. there are some You never want a weapon that basically It doesn't tell you how long things to charge, so a Yeah.
00:31:09
Speaker
And almost, like, tires you out from using it like that. Like, each blast, like, also, like, can get dangerously close to you. Like, there's no protection. Like, you know what mean? Usually, there'll be, like, a barrel, so you know, like, what your minimum distance is. But then it's, like, just your hands.
00:31:29
Speaker
Yeah, you gotta make sure the hand it's on is, like, ah your... it's like down so your wrist is so cause' on your wrist basically so you have to make don't blast your own hand off that that's what I'm saying like it's like oh my god there's so many things about a wrist mounted laser blaster that um does seem like America would make that back in like forever like 90s war they would do But it also feels like so Canadian where it's like, no, we'll never use the blaster. Like, we win this war but with hugs.
00:31:57
Speaker
And then... We'll arm wrestle everybody. Yeah, that seemed like a Canadian answer. Like, that seemed like a movie where it's like robot jacks, but it's just arm wrestling. Or it's like over the top, but it's for the fate of, like, a country.
00:32:12
Speaker
Which, yeah, another other great character, like Frederick, the arm wrestling cowboy...
00:32:18
Speaker
no one No one has real guns, so he can't be a gunslinger, you know? So it's like, i guess your tough guy thing is, I wrestle. Yeah, it's great. like He has all the like ah mannerisms and like outfit of like ah like a Western gunslinger, but but he yes he has any guns. he's just like, I'm an arm wrestler.
00:32:40
Speaker
um And then, yeah, then eventually it's it's him, Turbo Kid, and then Apple, who, it like, we I think we've mentioned, but is, like, ah to but basically just, like, stumbles into Turbo Kid and it becomes, like, like i'm your best I'm your new best friend now.
00:32:57
Speaker
And, like, psychotically, like, over like cheerful.
00:33:04
Speaker
And then also we found out that she's a ah robot. Yeah. Yeah, ah so Apple is like a manic pixie dream girl who like is cranked up to 11 for, I guess, like the fantasy of just meeting that like quirky someone in an 80s movie.
00:33:23
Speaker
Well, I think she says she's a friendship unit, so that's like the type of robot she is. So I guess yeah her main thing just to become friends with people. But it's such an aggressive friendship-making tactic. Mm-hmm. It's like whoever programmed her definitely had like something going on where like either they didn't understand like normal human interaction was or just was like, I'm basing this on like eight different 80s movies or like 70s, 70s, 80s.
00:33:49
Speaker
Like, and don't know. The Manic Pixie Dream Girl really became more popular in the 80s. But because I'm thinking 1997 was like the era of that for a long time. Like in the Manic Pixie Dream Girl like evolved.
00:34:02
Speaker
Yeah, I don't think the term actually got created until like Garden State came out. Well, that was like the like, we need to name it because it's like too many of girls like this. And then all of the manic pixie dream girl in Garden State, that was the one where like Natalie Portman was just like all sorts of things. And it's just like, what are you? You're like five different people in one person.
00:34:23
Speaker
go Go check it out. In this, compare Apple to like the Garden State thing, the Garden State girl from Natalie Portman performance. Same level. Same energy. The the like you're like, wait, one was a robot. The other one is like a real character in Jersey.
00:34:40
Speaker
Supposed to be a real person. yeah Yeah. um But the the weird thing about Apple is that like she doesn't tell people she's a robot. I guess she doesn't know to do that.
00:34:54
Speaker
Well, I think like she does she say like she like she tries to like just like not just like like like integrate herself with humans like she doesn't want to like she's she like eats and she like breathes and like all these functions just like disguise the fact she's a robot.
00:35:11
Speaker
Ah. Because like there's like a scene later where like they're at the campfire and then she's like he's like eating like the whatever like the spaghetti is whatever they have and then she like vomits him up onto him.
00:35:26
Speaker
Well, yeah, she tells him she tells him after the pool. yeah She gets injured and then she's like, well I'm fine. Because you can see into it i like her bullet wound and it's like all like wires and lights and stuff.
00:35:38
Speaker
Yeah, think I was surprised that she was a robot. I don't remember the trailer saying that. So when you find out, you're like, oh, okay. like We're going in this direction now. but there's quite There's quite a few Michael Ironside just like shocked this like shocking just like shooting people.
00:35:54
Speaker
<unk>s just like It's like eventually just gets he's like fed up with whatever's just like shoots people. He's like, I'm done with this.
00:36:05
Speaker
but they But yeah, they have a big they have a big brawl in Michael Ironside's like pool, like Gladiator Arena. It's an abandoned pool. And then they all they managed to win because like Yeah, Apple's like a maniac with ah like her gnome stick that Turbrican makes for her. It's like her gnome on a stick.
00:36:25
Speaker
That's her club. Oh, and she she also has like an Evil Dead like quote where she's like, this is my gnome stick. It's the way she says it's almost like an Ash declaration. Oh, it's it's definitely supposed to be. And then and they then later on she does like the Cobra Kai strike first, strike hard, no mercy. Yeah.
00:36:44
Speaker
it's like That's like a fighting technique. Style. Yeah. Just, I fight first. I hit first. Which is almost, it reminded me a lot of like ah ah King of the Hill, like but like Bobby's like self-defense technique. It's like, you kick him in the genitals.
00:37:02
Speaker
That's the main thing. The woman's self-defense move. Yeah, like, eyes, eyes throat, genitals. Yeah. So one part I hate about the pool scene is that it just sort of ends.
00:37:17
Speaker
Like it ends in just like a very weird, like everyone just slowly walk off screen now, like moment. Yeah, because Turbo King blows up like his... He blows up the juicer.
00:37:30
Speaker
He blows the juicer because because his gun is like Turbo Glove recharged. But then he gets it he gets like like shot or like injured. It kind of blows back at him and injures him. And then I guess there's a hole blown in the pool or something. No, they have to climb and then out. So everyone in that scene who didn't get killed just lets them walk out.
00:37:55
Speaker
I guess, like, the quote-unquote chaos, even though we don't really see any chaos happening, I guess maybe there's, like, they're able to sneak out because of the explosion. It's, like, obvious you know who's coming out of a pool.
00:38:06
Speaker
Yeah. So that's why I just like, ah, like they didn't have a clever like, how do we get out? like, OK, everyone will just go. All the villains just go away.
00:38:17
Speaker
And then three heroes just silently climb off screen out. And then they just like bike away. And then then they do like the dream sequence. But ah it's one of my biggest gripe. I still think about it just because it was such a like funny scene, but they just did not know how to get out of it Like, they could have done something where, like, they blow a hole, or um someone drops a rope, so they just climb up during, like, the smoke or something, but I guess whatever budget, they're like, we can't, we're just gonna edit this.
00:38:48
Speaker
Yeah, Frederick's just like, alright, let's split up. And then they stood this is they cut to this, like, Trevor kid wakes up on a couch with Apple, like, how do i get out of here? It's like, eh, I don't know, it's fine.
00:38:59
Speaker
It's fine, just, it's it's the budgeting. it's The Canadian government only gave us as much amount of money. Mm-hmm.
00:39:06
Speaker
But yeah, like, it would have been fine if he blacked out during that fight, and then he wakes up with Apple. Then I'm fine with that. Like, I fixed the scene. Mm-hmm. Is it also, like, it notoriously hard to get out of a pool with like, no water in it?
00:39:18
Speaker
See what I mean? Like, it's slippery, because it's a pool, so it's tiled, and then ah you need either a ladder, yeah, like a ladder or, like, a stairs. But the ladder is usually not, it doesn't extend all the way to the bottom of the pool, it's like, it's it's expecting you to like,
00:39:34
Speaker
Yeah, like... Water? Water. Because there's only like three or four rungs, that's it? I think, um... I think... I think now there's a requirement.
00:39:45
Speaker
Where you need to have a full ladder? Yeah, I think that's like a chain. And then, I also think, well... I haven't been to a pool in a long time to like try to figure out, like does this ladder go away to the bottom? Like a public pool? Yeah, because we're all... authentic See, if you remember watching that episode of It's Always Sunny, where they enter the pool, and then yeah you think... they like Yeah.
00:40:06
Speaker
So that's what I'm thinking. like Okay, so the writers didn't know what to do. They're like, it's 1997, so the standards didn't change, so none of what I applied about the new ladders make sense. So you're basing based on like what is... like maybe the 80s and 90s standard of a pool in this time frame.
00:40:22
Speaker
Yeah, they don't have a safety ladder. In fact, there's a bunch of things not right with like the the code of this building. so so it makes sense that like it would be this awkward like, all right, now you get on my shoulders and we'll climb out of the pool. like
00:40:38
Speaker
Also, does does it seem like that's like a factory that McLaren took over, but it has a pool in it for some reason? Maybe they built the pool? Maybe. But yeah, no, it's it's the one gripe is that like once you figure it out, like if you fought in a. But to see, they have to collect the blood, so like it has to be like a sink, but like they could have just made a sink like they could have just been like, i I put a drain on the floor and then you fight there.
00:41:05
Speaker
But anyway, yeah, the more you think, the more you think about it, the crazier it gets, right? And I was like, that's my brain didn't like. And I'm like, that's why. Otherwise, perfectly weird. Just keep getting weird with it.
00:41:18
Speaker
Like, they could have leaned into the weirdness where, like, even Turbo Kid goes, wait, how do we get out of that pool? and she's like, you don't want to know. like I stacked up all the bodies. And we climbed out of the bodies.
00:41:29
Speaker
Apple had to eat her way out of there. and Eat the pool. Yep. um But yeah, yeah, I mean... That's what I like about like later on these exploitation movies.
00:41:39
Speaker
Especially like things like Psycho Goreman where it's like, logically or plot-wise, they'll just have a different explanation and you can get away with it. Again, we're griping on it as if this is like some like canon film, Oscar-dominated, but it is funny to to think where it's like, yeah, no, I've been in pools. They suck and they have no water in them. like How did you get out?
00:42:04
Speaker
But... I like that like they do lean in the cheesy dialogue, though. The cheesy B dialogue and sort of like rough editing is pretty funny just because like we've seen movies like this in the past that unintentionally did this or like um kind of have like the awareness to put it in there.
00:42:28
Speaker
So like like when they do the... the like the almost like a western where it is like Zeus visiting Turbo Kid's parents and it is like that almost like western showdown and like I guess that's where it comes from if you listen to a lot of western dialogue it is sort of like B-movie but because there's a lot of like series breaks and then like usually um a musical thing especially like spaghetti westerns like that's why you don't feel as silly and this movie doesn't have that
00:43:00
Speaker
You know, like it doesn't have like the same kind of like note where if someone's saying something kind of threatening, it's like school. It's like followed up by like a sh strike of an a musical instrument.
00:43:11
Speaker
Because like basically the soundtrack is is set to synth. So as soon as like action, you know, like it's just like synth music, no synth music. Which I don't know if you've mentioned it but the the the score for this movie is
Synthwave Soundtrack & Musical Influence
00:43:23
Speaker
ah c incredible. Yeah.
00:43:24
Speaker
Lomatos. Like, this this is like one of the, I feel like this is like the, like, don't this is the first, like, big synth wave thing i I, like, was like, oh, that turned me on to synth wave, but it was definitely one of them.
00:43:39
Speaker
Makes sense. I feel like a lot of people forgot synth was a thing. It kind of comes in in itself, like, and and in, like, trends. Because now it's like we're drowning in synth. But yeah like 2015, nothing. like like i want like I think Drive probably was like, like the everyone was like, oh, here's Kavinsky guy. I think that that that made him more mainstream.
00:44:01
Speaker
Yeah. And then the next year we're talking about like stranger things. but just like now it was like, synth wave. Everyone's synth wave. Everybody, break out your Casios.
00:44:12
Speaker
Yep. Wait, what year was Drive? Like 2014? 2011, I think. Holy crap. So that was like, yeah, I think, yeah, Kavinsky was kind of like ahead of ah the wave.
00:44:24
Speaker
Because I have not heard any movie with a Kavinsky soundtrack. Like, you figure a guy who made a soundtrack, that song's so, like, iconic now.
00:44:35
Speaker
but You associate that with Drive and, like, Ryan Gosling and maybe the stuntman industry.
00:44:44
Speaker
um But, ah yeah, like, I haven't heard something like that in a while either.
00:44:53
Speaker
But I'm thinking the soundtrack was like, like, you know, inspired from rad. So they're like, what have we made every song like, ah like that?
00:45:08
Speaker
Yeah, it's it's it's it's like Rad mixed with like Mad Max mixed with like i don't like ah like an 80s teen romance movie. or like ah You said coming of age.
00:45:20
Speaker
Yeah.
00:45:23
Speaker
So, I mean, it does feel like almost like a music video from one continuous thing if they kept it where it's like they didn't really have a lot of dialogue and cutaway shots.
00:45:36
Speaker
Knowing that... but ah the original basically had the same idea. It's like we wanted Cynthia's hell. We want like blood and guts. And like, it just is that like, so I don't know. you imagine if there was like nowadays, like, ah so this is another side page. I was thinking like, do you ever think like dubstep is going to come back and be like the next synth?
00:45:59
Speaker
So like, there'll be like a turbo kid too, but because it's like two, it's like the dubstep soundtrack. Yeah. Man, how far... Well, I guess... So, like, Synthwave is, like, going back to the eighty s I guess, yeah. How how far removed are we from Dubstep?
00:46:13
Speaker
Yeah, I'm just thinking, like, wait a minute. Someone in the future is going to make their own version of a Terrible Kid. But it's not going to be based on Synth. It's going to be based on Dub. And I'm like, ooh, dark future.
00:46:25
Speaker
Yeah. i feel I feel like Dubstep, like, Pete with, like, the... yeah Was it Saints Row had had the Dubstep gun? and Saint Rose 4 had that, I think? i think said Yeah, Saint Rose 4, like, what later ones.
00:46:38
Speaker
But I feel like that that was the peak of, like, dubstep.
00:46:45
Speaker
But... I just feel like the the soundtrack definitely makes it, and it helps set the tone of just being in the 80s again, even though it's 1997. So if anything, it should sound like... like Asa Bass.
00:47:00
Speaker
LAUGHTER Well, we don't but we don't know we don't know when the apocalypse happened. Right, that's true. Late 80s, and then it's just you know it's been like 10 years later. dude you're right. I forgot. Yeah,
00:47:14
Speaker
yeah I just think that would be hilarious if it was like... just like you I always think, because 1997, you're like thinking the culture of 1997, so I got stuck on it, because we lived it. And it's weird to think that like...
00:47:26
Speaker
uh, in, in Turbo Kid, like, this kid who just, per like, doing all these things that require batteries, like, in the future, it's like, fuck, no, none of that's gonna have batteries. There's no kid who, like, finds, like, uh, well, okay, uh, in this era, I think Book of Eli came out, like, like, ah maybe two years after...
00:47:50
Speaker
two years before this, right? 2009? No, no. 2010. That was like five years before this. Oh, yeah. So a Book of eli Eli was probably like another big post-apocalyptic movie that influenced a lot of people. Like, they they love the look. They love just like the tone.
00:48:07
Speaker
And not saying Turbo Kid is close to Book of Eli, but using the same kind of like wasteland culture of it, it is lucky that this kid found this minch this much eighty stuff like in that landscape.
00:48:21
Speaker
yeah like ah Yeah, Walkman, he found like, yeah, like but I'm assuming like, the either like ah like a set of John Farnham's album or like the Rad album. So it's just like, the apocalypse happened in the 80s then, and then they just sort of like, never cleaned up?
00:48:37
Speaker
Yeah. All this shit's just laying around? Like, there should be like a, there should be like an Alf doll? Yeah.
00:48:45
Speaker
Well, he's he he collects flamingos, which I guess is it's he has that poster his lair. But I feel like that they never really kind of like dig into why that's significant. it's just like I guess it's just like kind of like his like maybe someday i'll someday I'll end up in like this tropical paradise or something. or Well, almost every...
00:49:08
Speaker
um
00:49:11
Speaker
What should call it? Like, every kind of post-apocalyptic thing. Even Mad Max did it, where it's like, oh, there's like a green place, there's like a better place from here. Like, it's just like a trope. yeah yeah Yeah, I guess guy plays into it a little bit too, because like Turbo Kid, like, he has like a certain, like, he's got like this safe area, because he has a map he's drawn out, and there's a certain area he won't go into, it's like the Danger Zone.
00:49:34
Speaker
think the Danger Zone, though, is like, just Zeus' territory. Maybe. Maybe. But they also but you also find out there's also like when he has to like um go with Apple to try to find like a ah ah part for her.
00:49:47
Speaker
And then they end up in like that like dinosaur park that's like covered in like radioactive like fog or whatever it is. It's like it's like almost poisoned by. yeah Yeah. It's almost like the Wizard of Oz like Poppy Field scene.
00:50:02
Speaker
It's like we're almost there. Oh, no, we're being put to sleep, but safely.
00:50:08
Speaker
ah the that seems cool just because like you see more of the land and not just the the fighting and and like when you just like view that whatever hell like there is like a problem in this country it's not like it keeps people together because like the post apocalyptic was real you know like it wasn't just like ah oh we're just poor now like we just don't have a government no yeah it's like actual like like physical changes to the environment because of what happened there's like yeah there's like like acidic pools and you and yeah the mutant rat that's yeah yeah's I appreciate this movie because it like shows you that so it's not just like you know
00:50:55
Speaker
ah just like this one crazy town but it could have been too but it it's like an extra thing to have that fog to me ah kind surprised there wasn't, like, a lot more, like, mutant, just, like, you know, like, mutant people walking around.
00:51:08
Speaker
I was always expecting that. The rat, I thought, was one of those, like, cheeky, like, okay, there might be mutated things, and then later on, you'll see, like, one of Zeus's champion is, like, a mutant, or, or like, so you know, I was expecting that. i was Or maybe that skeleton man is actually, like, a mutant.
00:51:25
Speaker
That would have been a cool reveal of, like, yeah, if they finally, like, ripped skeletons had, like, I went off and he's like, yeah, some sort of like hideous mutant guy. yeah See? Right? I thought that was going to happen. I always think that's going to happen, but like, it never does.
00:51:43
Speaker
Because, yeah, if there's that amount of like radiation around, like there's going to be some like crazy mutants running around, probably. so unless they got juiced.
00:51:54
Speaker
Yeah. look what hurts I killed them all.
00:51:58
Speaker
Your water's mutant water.
00:52:01
Speaker
Actually, that would explain why the water in the last round looks, like, gross. Especially that bottle that, like, Bagu has. They meet him on the road, and it's just, like, it's so cloudy, and there's, like, ah like something floating in it.
00:52:16
Speaker
Yeah, see? Wouldn't that make sense? And then it's just, like, that's mutant juice. Yeah, Trebek is like, oh, yeah, also the the water's people, and he's, like, he drinks, and he's like, eh, whatever.
00:52:27
Speaker
like the taste. Yep. Salty. Salty.
00:52:34
Speaker
It's like, that's the that's the brain goo. Yeah, that's the one where my gosh, that really stresses how much water is in the brain. He's like, 90% water in the brain. like Your brain, 90% water, your blood.
00:52:47
Speaker
I was surprised no one does any more juicing things to kind of remind you that. Like, in in the middle of the fight, like, maybe one guy squeezes another guy's brain or something or and says, like, 90% water. Or, or or like, um uh, terrible kid's weapon, like, instead of, like, blast to death, it, like, makes juice, too.
00:53:12
Speaker
Oh, yeah, like, like someone gets, the over they could do a thing where, like yeah, someone gets, like, like their all their water sucked out, and they turned, like, ah you like a shriveled up skeleton or something, or a shriveled up, like, like, like, just a shell of person.
00:53:26
Speaker
Oh, man. There's, like, another movie that had, like, a dehydrator, like, it, Oh, damn it. You movie I'm thinking of? I can't believe it. Asian Cody Banks had that.
00:53:36
Speaker
He had Michael. ah
00:53:42
Speaker
The dude from John Wick. are yeah Are you thinking of an Ian McShane? Yeah, he he was the big bad who dehydrated people with nanomachines.
00:53:52
Speaker
And it was silly for a kid's movie, but like it was safe for a kid's movie. So I kind of want to see that now in a um like more post-apocalyptic thing. Because that's like a super weapon. that's like really It's like a Dune-level crazy thing.
00:54:07
Speaker
or like ah Or like the mummy. you were like with what up like sucks like He sucks all the of people. like Yeah, yeah. You don't see it too often. So it's memorable when you see like villains do it.
00:54:19
Speaker
But... Yeah, like, that would have been a cool, like, throwback to the pool thing or something. That should have been, like like, because you find out Mike Ironside is a robot. Like, that should have been one of his functions of, like, you destroyed my juicer, i have to do it myself. And you just, like, put, like, his hand turns like, ah a tube or something. Like, a spike tube.
00:54:38
Speaker
Or, okay, I know we're playing, like, Doctor to this, but that explains why he made the juicer. Because he wanted to get into the water business. Yeah. Yeah. like Okay, not to spoil much, but I guess we're spoiling this, but like Michael Ironside is a corporate robot, which is he just thinks about business, I guess?
00:54:56
Speaker
he he just He destroys the competition, is what he says, I think. so know That's why i don't that's why he kind of like he kind of had a monopoly over like this area. like but He owned this area, and that's why he like killed Trevor Kidd's parents, because they... no, no. no I think... So we we talked about this. about I think Michael Ironside...
00:55:17
Speaker
was built after... ah after, ah he like, Turbo Kid's parents died. because like Oh, yeah, were we were talking about... we we We think that might be, like, human Michael Ironside.
00:55:28
Speaker
Yeah. And then he had a robot yeah that was, like... like ah He had a robot Michael Ironside built in his image, and then the robot Michael Ironside killed him took over. Because he because even says, robot Michael Ironside says, I killed the real one with his own, like, club.
00:55:44
Speaker
Golf club, yeah. So... Again, it also works that he was already a robot, but like he has flesh. He can bleed. like Even when he's like injured, you see him bleed.
00:55:55
Speaker
So, maybe. That's what I'm saying. Maybe he actually was, but it it works either way. It's just one of those like surprise, I'm a robot just to be a robot. Oh, that makes sense too, because like i think I think Robot ah at the end he's like, well, don't need this eye patch anymore. that Because he takes it off and he reveals his robot eye.
00:56:11
Speaker
so So the real Michael Ironside must have needed that because obviously he got an arrow shot in his eye. But then, Robot Michael Ironside just wore it because that's like like fake real one. Yeah. See? Yeah.
00:56:23
Speaker
yeah see yeah No, ah it works either way. So I like that, like, the villainy, we're not discussing his purpose. We're just like, is he a robot or not?
00:56:33
Speaker
And it becomes like a Westworld situation.
00:56:38
Speaker
but But yeah, his his program is just like to just, I guess, conquer or like eliminate competition so that he became the warlord of this area and then anyone that threatened him, he kills.
00:56:51
Speaker
Or threatens his business. And his business is just, like, supplying water. Selling water, yeah. Selling water. Like, you know, he's just a water baron. i guess it seems like it, yeah.
00:57:03
Speaker
So, yeah, like, it, like, makes sense. It's, like, pretty it's pretty funny to think that in a post-apocalyptic movie, that part is actually pretty clever to be like, alright, he's just harvesting people, so he needs, like, to keep making people and then keep juicing them.
00:57:17
Speaker
Ha ha ha. what Yeah, because all the water is like disgusting, green, contaminated, like you can't drink it, radioactive, you can't drink it, so that's the most precious resource.
00:57:32
Speaker
ah But do you think later on he knew that he was on water?
00:57:39
Speaker
Like, were there bases? Yeah.
00:57:44
Speaker
i what yeah I wonder if yeah what if he knew and didn't just hit the fact that, like, well, yeah, there's tons of water in here, but I'm not going to let anyone get it. Or if he was, like, actually shocked by it.
00:57:55
Speaker
Yeah. that That's why I'm like, oh, did he know that there's, like, a water spring? Or that was just sort of, like, you know, his grand plan.
00:58:07
Speaker
Just keep juicing people at the water spring. Yeah. Yeah, when they when they blow him up with the whatever like whatever that ridiculous bomb is that Frederick makes. Okay. So when when Michael Ironside is basically doing his best Godzilla atomic breath impression, ye shouting is pretty hilarious because this was the era of like the blue light beam in the sky.
00:58:30
Speaker
So instead of like going to the sky, it's going to this bomb that like gets kicked at him. Yeah.
00:58:37
Speaker
Because it's pretty funny. It's like one of those like atomic breath, but it's like a death beam that you have to, like, it has to hit you for, like, five minutes to kill you. Yeah. It's not an instant, like, rah, it's like, all right, charging.
00:58:51
Speaker
It seems like it's more of, like, an electric shock, because, like, Frederick and, like, the Trimble Kid get, like, hit with it, but they just kind of like, fly off with the, like, sparks on them. So it doesn't really seem like it does a lot of damage.
00:59:03
Speaker
but it's a lot of it at once. you know yeah Not much damage, but if done over time, will like hurt you if you stand still. i mean i get I'm assuming if you like just like let him like just like blast you, it'll eventually like sort like kind drill through you because it's like an actual like industrial laser or something. It'll just bore through you.
00:59:24
Speaker
Again, why does that cool robot get the kill functions, but the friend the friend robot is just like
00:59:33
Speaker
she's quirky, you know? yeah ah Were these made by two different like companies? like is this Is this like an Alien Earth thing where there's like two yeah like two two competing corporations?
00:59:45
Speaker
Yeah. And it's just like, wow, we knew who was the budget one and which one was the like, do you want to add a cup holder or two to this?
00:59:56
Speaker
But that is there is kind of, it's like it's like a reference. there's like There's so many, like, setups in the beginning that pay off at the end. like Because, like, Turbo Kid asks, like, ask like um Apple, like, oh, can you shoot, like, lasers out of your mouth? And she's like, no, I'm just i'm just a friend unit.
01:00:09
Speaker
and then But then you find out, like, an outside unit can shoot lasers out of his mouth. Yeah. So somehow, like, well, first of all, does Turbo Kid know about robots?
01:00:21
Speaker
Or, like, You know, like, that's a very specific question about lasers that, like, you had to know from that from something. His comics maybe that? Maybe. mean, he doesn't seem that shocked that Apple is a robot. He's just like, oh, you're a robot.
01:00:35
Speaker
like Yeah, so that that tells me that maybe it's not his first robot he's met, but it's only one where, like, he personally gets to, like, meet. And, I mean, there's a robot graveyard that's, like, a place where they dump the robot bodies. So, I mean, yeah, there's like there's, like, a lot of robots walking around, apparently.
01:00:51
Speaker
Or there were. Yeah, then maybe that also caused the war? We have no idea. lore is mysterious.
01:00:58
Speaker
The Turbo Rider was about to kill the robot, but then... Can you imagine this was actually like a sort of sequel to Terminator, where basically the Turbo Rider was like like ah the world's last off defense and against the robotic Skynet?
01:01:14
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. And their their their master their master plan was like, send a guy with an ah ah a blaster on his arm to go blast all the robots.
01:01:26
Speaker
But like, one guy. One guy, one glove, though. Like, you can make two, but only one. It's like, we we played Mega Man. This'll work.
01:01:38
Speaker
That's also a very 80s thing to think, also. Yeah. I mean, yeah, it's obviously based on the power glove, and then it's also, yeah, it definitely is like a Mega Man, like Mega Buster.
01:01:55
Speaker
But yeah, that that the final fight is is great. That's like where like just all the all the most ridiculous like violence happens. like We're talking about like the totem pole of like dead bodies, and people just like exploding, and ah people getting ripped half, and just gushers of blood everywhere.
01:02:13
Speaker
It's definitely like the big payoff, because there's a long stretch until it's back to the zany death again. Not saying it there isn't any during this movie, but like it's the reminder that like they're going to go ham on the blood spraying everywhere scenes. And Frederick has a new like robot hand, so he uses that like rip the guy's face off, or like a jaw off. I think he shoves it into his face to kill him or something with it.
01:02:44
Speaker
So yeah, so yeah tons tons of just great like ridiculous gore that final fight. ah That scene definitely like just is the pool scene now perfected.
01:02:58
Speaker
The pool scene was just like a preview, so when you see the full blast of it, where I think um a lot of the like um inspiration behind this, the short, like is also this again, like just up more.
01:03:10
Speaker
Yeah, the the T for ter Turbo is basically like this this final fight in like four minutes, but then everyone dies at the end of that one because it was for ABC's a death.
01:03:23
Speaker
I think it's like the power glove like overheats or like blows up and it kills up like kills Turbo Kid and like the early who's saving in T for Turbo. Yep. But and in this one, like, it's the happy ending.
01:03:36
Speaker
Because it i actually would have been, can you imagine this movie's dark ending where like, it just, oh no, like that happens again. Like the power glove overheats and it takes out everybody.
01:03:47
Speaker
Yeah. Or the orri sacra but like he blows is like he he sacrifices himself to kill Michael Aronside. He's like, he's like right right next to the bomb and like blows up with the power glove.
01:03:58
Speaker
I can see that. And then it's just like, Apple now becomes Trouble Kid.
01:04:05
Speaker
but actually i'm actually i was i was I'm actually kind of surprised that they like kind like stuck to their guns. Apple is like dead, as far as we know. it because like they They do like a last minute save like, oh, she recharged, or we find we found another body for her. It's like, oh no, we buried her. She's dead.
01:04:23
Speaker
Yeah. it's It's sadder, because you think they're going to do this like, yeah, we're now our team and all that. But, in some, I think, western movies, or even in the 60s, like, the hero sometimes loses the girl at the end.
01:04:39
Speaker
Like, yeah girls never, like, guaranteed to be there. And we and we're also we're also in, like, the area of like, you know, it's, like, of the main complaints about, like, Marvel movies, where it's, like, no one, there's no, like, meaningful deaths ever. just So it's just, like, oh, they came back, or, like, uh... Miracle, like... Miracle, save them. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
01:04:59
Speaker
Yeah, the stakes are low, but, like, you don't... I understand the need for that, because in in those kind of escapisms, like, you just want, like, like a story to continue, so you have to kind of space out the death.
01:05:12
Speaker
But... ah I mean, it also depends, because they threw enough money at Robbie Downey Jr. that he resurrected! yeah like yeah So there's a whole difference in characters there. But...
01:05:24
Speaker
ah you don't expect that in ah in a like exploitation movie like this. It's one of those things where you thought maybe she'll come back because like she's come back from the dead like three times already in this movie.
01:05:38
Speaker
Yeah, because because we because we we we saw that you put her head on a different robot body and and they'll like power up and come back and then she's like, fine. But for somehow, this time... There was too much damage, I guess, to her new body, and then they couldn't there wasn't a new body to put her head on, then they're just like, oh, she's dead, for real, this time? It kind of makes sense, where maybe your her head isn't her power source, so if you power down, like you lose all that memory, and then you basically can't turn back on again?
01:06:08
Speaker
i don't know. trying think of the stupid robot rules. She had that she had that like Zelda heart-life... heart life five like, they get her on her first body that, like, is, like, powering down because she got shot.
01:06:19
Speaker
So, like, they need to, like, get that that part before she, like, powers off permanently. Right.
01:06:27
Speaker
It's like saving a dying Furby. Like, again, you'll lose your data. So, like... This based on, like, wackadoo 80s tech. I don't know. It just seems like It is just a way to hint that, like... Yeah, the first incident is sort of like a lucky chance, but, like... It's still, like, a crazy world, for even for robots.
01:06:48
Speaker
Mm-hmm. Because I think about this movie, and I kind of think about, like, Big Hero 6, where Betamax sacrifices himself. Yeah, that's that's it's like the the the exact opposite that's, like, the opposite of it's just, like... yep Yeah, that would have been like a super meaningful death, but then it's like, oh no, he's fine.
01:07:06
Speaker
In fact, he's better than ever. Yeah. He's yeah he's yeah like he's like three series. He's got three more series after that movie. I was thinking there's another movie called like like something's wrong, like there's a glitch in Jeff or something.
01:07:23
Speaker
It was like one of those movies that came out during COVID. dude It like had Zach and Galaminakis in it. You know which movie I'm talking about? I don't think so. there' aque Was he like a robot or something? Yep, he was a robot.
01:07:39
Speaker
But anyway, the reason I bring it up because they also do like a Betamax robot sacrifice itself. And what's the power up going to do? You know, like what's the like return? And it doesn't like wink like I'm still alive.
01:07:53
Speaker
Like ah angle. So, yeah, like whenever a robot is injured and then you think, OK, well, Can you just copy its memory? Oh, they kind do that in, like, the electric state. I don't know if you saw that yet, Chris.
01:08:08
Speaker
Same concept? there's There's, like, a similar concept where it's, like, a robot. It's, like, there's, like, a lot of, like, robots. Obviously, the whole thing is, like, there's, like, robots or like in, like, their own, like, separate, like, part of the country.
01:08:19
Speaker
Right. But, like, their conscience? Yeah. It's, like, somebody, like, it's, like, somebody, like, robot desk. It's, like... can robots really, like, you can repair them, right? It's like, robots are just like, you just like, rewire them and like, fix, like, just put, like, it's not like, it's, you know, it's not like there's like, ah organs that need to like, be like unless unless it makes sense that like, the memory core got injured and it's the only new one like, in the robot, then I understand it can't come back, you know? But if it's like, oh no, my like, oil is... Yeah, my arm got blown off. It's like, oh, just put, just like,
01:08:53
Speaker
put it back on like it's not like it's not some dramatic like trauma like you know a lot of like the robot's arm doesn't remember you know it's the same as its brain yeah yeah yeah yeah you like the robots like robots death is like like ah its memory gets wiped or something it's it's like a movie rule yeah that That itself could have been, and we could have talked about just like dumb robot things like this in movies.
01:09:22
Speaker
It's the same thing with like, what it? Like, uh, short circuit. It's the same. At least that one's like, it wanted to understand its brain. But in this version, like, it's just like, no, that's another thing about this terrible kid.
01:09:37
Speaker
You think ah Apple being a robot was like kind of the main catalyst. Like, oh no, we got to get robot like Apple. Cause it's like, she has the answers to some secret or whatever. Right. Nope. Nope. They're not trying to capture Apple. She's just there. You know, her being a robot is secondary to actually the plot of the movie.
01:09:55
Speaker
So it's so funny that like when she dies, it's not like, oh no, like my, um, yeah I have to like write down the code or or show you the map. This is just like she dies and it sucks because it's like a very like a character like, you know, you kind of like enjoy watching, I guess, because like sometimes she's annoying, but you learn to love the like quirkiness though.
01:10:16
Speaker
Yeah.
01:10:19
Speaker
I mean, especially at the end fight where she really shows her own and she kills someone with her like gnomestick and it's like goofy. Well, gnomestick and she like um tapes like ah like a carousel like unicorn and head to like ah up her bike and then like impales someone with it.
01:10:37
Speaker
Mm-hmm. So she she does a lot. Like you you really get to enjoy like the last act with her because she's not just like sitting there and like pointing or doing some sort of dance. um I swear to God, this is like the same attitude you'll see on like a TikToker.
01:10:53
Speaker
ah But ah yeah. Apple actually like is a character that, you know, by the end's journey, you're like, oh, man, like she died. You know, like you're really bummed out about.
01:11:06
Speaker
Yeah, then and there's no like ah after credits or like kind of like stinger where it's like, oh, like her her like fist like punches out of the grave or something. It's like, yeah, as as right now, as far as we know, like yeah, she's she's dead. She's buried at the playground.
01:11:23
Speaker
But I think in the game she comes back. like say the Which is weird that like it took eight, nine years for the video game to come out on this game this movie. And... and It's crazy because like, we don't remember like, oh, well, that game took like few years of funding and sort of like the community of Turbo Kid people, ah which I didn't think there was that many. Like, I think one time I saw one Turbo Kid at a convention.
01:11:50
Speaker
You don't really see Turbo Kid cosplay or anything like that right now. Yeah. But I think at the time they did, but. Yeah, the apparently the game's story is that like Apple's alive and they got another adventure together.
01:12:03
Speaker
But ah I don't know. I get i can leave it take it. like do Do you want this to just be your only Turbo Kid story and enjoy it? Or do you want the expanded lore?
01:12:16
Speaker
Well, they were talking about a sequel starting in 2016, but then we have not really heard anything about that. Yeah. I know, it sucks. I want more of Turbo Kid, but like I enjoyed the silliness as like um like if they never made one. But i hope if they do, like I hope it's just as good and and like more. you know like You wish that in every sequel.
01:12:41
Speaker
Yeah, I think the only kind of official more that we've gotten is there is a prequel that is the like official music video for the Lamato song No Tomorrow.
01:12:53
Speaker
which I think they made, but I think they, Lamontos made an album that was basically like this like, this is like the album for the sequel. Oh, wow. Did it happen? So, they made like a second like Turbo Kid like music album.
01:13:07
Speaker
And like, No Tomorrow was like the main track from that. It's like, this is to be the main theme for the the sequel. Oh, man. Like, see, that's such a like, come on, guys. What's going on? You have the soundtrack done already.
01:13:18
Speaker
but then it's weird because like the music video is like prequel to the movie because it kind of like follows Apple. before she met Turbo Kid, kind of just, like, wandering around, and like, with, like, a corpse. I don't mind that. Like, I like the expandedness of the lore. I enjoy the, like, what they, instead of doing, of, like, doing an unofficial sequel, whatever, in case, I don't know, Lamonto has the rights to make Turbo Kid stories on their own.
01:13:43
Speaker
It'd be funny if, like, for for whatever reason, the band somehow the band got the rights to the movie. Yeah. So Lamonto could just make their own music video movies. it's all it's It's all just music videos. you though You have to watch like six music videos.
01:13:57
Speaker
that's That's the sequel. Well, was thinking about like Daft Punk, how they made a music video based on like their soundtrack. um So they just own like the music videos to their album for Discovery.
01:14:08
Speaker
Yeah. So you get ah like a Turbo Kid that is the same thing where it's like, oh, you have to watch the Turbo Kid movie. Then you got to watch the Turbo Kid music video. And that's like part of the lore now.
01:14:23
Speaker
But I mean, like, the music videos are good. Like, they're they're like... ah I kind of wish there was more now. Like, now that I've seen this and it's like, kind of like seeing more synth with a story. and You don't really see that a lot.
01:14:43
Speaker
Yeah, I feel like I gotta watch more, like... Because a lot of these, like, synthwave artists do, like, music videos and I haven't really watched any of them. Yeah, I think, like, was it, like, Midnight? Like, they have no music videos.
01:14:55
Speaker
I love their music, but it's in a, like, synth band that, like... The Midnight, yeah, I don't... Yeah, I don't know if they do music videos or not. Yeah, it's hard to be, like, a synth music video.
01:15:06
Speaker
I feel like, like, like, um, like, synthwave, like, artists doing, like, actual, like, you know, like, music videos with like, actual, like, people in them is, like, ah kind of a recent thing. Hmm. A lot times well i was just like it's just like visuals. It's like, here's like a here's like a eighty s movie poster that we you look at while we listen to our music.
01:15:30
Speaker
That is like half my YouTube playlist when it comes to like hearing more synth music. And it's like, oh, I haven't heard this album or haven't this band. And then just like a fan-made thing. Like New Retrowave, their channel. where's just like yeahs It's like, here's Rambo, and it's like an hour just like listen this like hour-long mix.
01:15:48
Speaker
And you're just like, okay, like is this what band is this? like I'll never know. It's just a rainbow band. It's the Lone Mates Lintwave.
01:15:59
Speaker
Yeah, you know, the downtime between Toastal King, I just play on my keyboard a little bit. I'm all like, do-do-do, do-do-do. ah But ah you you could see, like,
01:16:12
Speaker
This movie and like others in this retro exploitation, it definitely brought back like the trend higher, and it made it like easier for everyone to like find this subgenre music of electronica again.
01:16:25
Speaker
Yeah, because same year, Mitch Murder did the Kung Fury soundtrack. Which also was like great. like Killer, yeah. Great album. ah Great soundtrack.
01:16:36
Speaker
I say that as someone who kickstarted that movie. Yeah.
01:16:41
Speaker
ah And there another sequel that, like, who knows if we'll ever see it. I mean, I kind of wish, because now I can, if I wish could kickstart and get, like, a Kung Fury 2 shirt. I think, I haven't seen, like, a Kung Fury shirt. I'm, like, the only one who knows I own it. You know, like, everyone doesn't own one.
Merchandise & Cosplay Culture
01:16:59
Speaker
Granted, I would wear a Turbo Kid, like, T. That was one of those publicity things.
01:17:05
Speaker
um i could probably find it a fan site, but if they had an official merch, that'd be cool.
01:17:13
Speaker
Sell that, like, the full, like, Turbo Kid, like, Turbo Rider, like, armor. But as a shirt? Or like as a shirt, like, a Halloween costume or something.
01:17:22
Speaker
I think that's what a guy lot cosplayers could wear, because it's not, like, a complicated, like, build. You just gotta buy, like, BMX stuff and spray-painted red. Yeah. yeah's it's Yeah, it's pretty it's pretty much just like BMX protective gear, basically. and then and then like Maybe you can get a power glove, but you don't have to. that made you know like Yeah, like it be like turn a power glove into a turbo glove.
01:17:46
Speaker
Not even, just take like a wrist gauntlet and slap on a calculator. someone will get the reference right it's not like you need an accurate movie one for that but for like a like homemade cosplay like yeah that looks pretty good it's like it passes as like oh I get the reference
01:18:06
Speaker
and that And that matches the lo-fi vibe of like the movie. That's what I enjoyed about it. Lo-fi 80s vibe, yeah. Yep, yep. Just homemade costumes and just like great practical things.
01:18:18
Speaker
So like that's why, even on a rewatch, it works great for like guys like us who enjoy cult-y, action-y movies. And synth, apparently.
01:18:28
Speaker
Apparently, we... Synth, right, yeah. Again, I think it's just because, like, if you think about every third kind of action-y video game or, like, maybe not mainstream movie, like, it's got a synth soundtrack or it's got, like, synth vibes to it.
01:18:48
Speaker
Well, yeah, yeah and yeah like like we were saying, Sugar Tastes came out, and then that was just like, it just exploded. There's so many Sithwave artists that you can just like just go through the The insane thing is that, like ah again, now the synth thing we're talking about, um is that like everyone every country got in on it.
01:19:09
Speaker
Like, synth with Germans, Italians, French people, like French, french um English, definitely. And then yeah Everyone was like releasing synth albums.
01:19:23
Speaker
i think And then I think what? like Not really synth, but in this like new club mix. um Like La Cassavania. They can definitely do synth. They just got to tone down their stuff and it's just like, now it's synth.
01:19:37
Speaker
You
01:19:40
Speaker
you the you know the guys who did the John Wick? Yeah. yeah like There's synth rock in there. Or Synth Club? Dark Synth sometimes? Oh, yeah. Now there's sub-genres within Synthwave. It's like Mall Wave. Kind of like City Pop when it's Synthwave. City Pop is its like mall ma wave like like ah ah kind of like city pop when it's like sithway for like ah no no see city pop is a is a is a pop subgenre, not a synth subgenre, because it's based on a certain 80s era of pop in Japan.
01:20:20
Speaker
But I feel there's like there's like some synthwave artists that are like... Oh, both. Making synthy, but it's like clearly inspired by city pop, but it's like synths. yeah I was thinking saying that City Pop is synth. Me and and Chris Ali, ha we we got into a whole like what is synth and not. He went on a whole discussion and I learned a lot about City Pop.
01:20:45
Speaker
And then back when we talked to Adam, I was talking to Adam once about City Pop and like yeah he was like, he knows a lot about music. Next time we have a synth movie, like talk music with Adam, he'll he'll like give you a lesson.
01:20:59
Speaker
yeah
01:21:02
Speaker
Well, to figure out like a, movie, a commentary on a movie that's like super synth heavy or like super like, has like, weirdly has like a city pop soundtrack or something. Yep. Yep.
01:21:13
Speaker
But, well, that said, we watched, uh, Man with a Iron Fist would have no pop, no city. Can you imagine that movie had city pop at no reason whatsoever? Oh God, yeah.
01:21:25
Speaker
Just like, B-side, like, Wu-Tang.
01:21:32
Speaker
It's just like, whoa, what was this about? The songs that Rizzo, like, pitched to the Wu-Tang are like, no. Next. but no next
01:21:50
Speaker
Anyway, i think that'll do it for Turbo Kid and Synth Talk.
Everything Action Content & Addams Family Discussion
01:21:54
Speaker
So, if you want more from us, head over to everythingaction.com. We got ah news, reviews, trailers. We got our August commentary. We're trying to get like the back-to-school spirit, and then we watched The Principal, the 1987 Jim Belushi, Lou Gossett Jr. action comedy.
01:22:13
Speaker
Although, definitely more kind of like comedy than action. There's like... one big action scene was the end. It's mostly just like a kind of like a so of dangerous minds kind of like Jim Blue she cleans up the school movie.
01:22:25
Speaker
But that's on Tubi. You can like sync their comedy up and watch that with us. um And come back next week for the podcast where we're talking about family values because Wednesday season two part two going be on Netflix. So we'll get into Gary for that by watching another and his family uh probably one of the most popular but as only things which is as many values yeah i think people merge like the two of those movies because they're like just as good i think but i think everyone remembers the camp scene yeah i i feel like everyone like people like like the first one but then i think a lot lot of people agree like the second one kind of just like improved like was like the better one that kind of like added like improved everything that
01:23:08
Speaker
the first one of was set up. Well, if you think about this in like superhero terms of movies, like the first movie just the origins. And then the second movie is actually just like them kind of doing like a classic Addams Family, like situation.
01:23:22
Speaker
They don't need to introduce like a core character to the team. Yeah. so That's like, oh Adam's Family 1 was very interesting to do to reintroduce the Adam's Family as a reboot, which was successful. But in comparing the second one, if you know the Adam's Family, the second one's just an easy watch, like a standalone.
01:23:44
Speaker
Yeah, so so we'll dive into all that next week. So come back for that. And yeah, so for Chris, I'm Zach, and we will
Where to Find Everything Action Online
01:23:51
Speaker
see you next time. For more Forever Everything Action, head to www.everythingaction.com also find us on Facebook at facebook.com slash everything.action and follow on X at Evie Action.
01:24:05
Speaker
We're also on Instagram and threads at everything.action. Find more episodes of the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your at podcast app of choice and be sure to rate and subscribe.