Terror Train [DVD] [1980] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC] by Roger Spottiswoode see more by Roger Spottiswoode Starring Ben Johnson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Hart Bochner, David Copperfield, Derek McKinnon Studio 20th Century FoxLabel 20th Century Fox

Closer Look From: 20th Century Fox From: 20th Century Fox Salesrank: 45190 Released: 2004-09-07 Running Time: 97 Minutes Lowest New Price: Click Here  Format: DVD Customer Rating: Also Shop International: (Not all items available internationally)          Customer Reviews: Awful! I think this has been done to many times since and just didn't work for me.It's kind of like Scream on a train.Jamie Lee Curtis does a great job as the main character but it just doesn't work.Very cliched. Wrong side of the tracks Despite riding the wave of late 70s/early 80s masked slasher films, Terror Train is no Friday 13th and certainly no Halloween; despite starring the latter's 'Scream queen' Jamie-Lee Curtis. Curtis does the business in typically histrionic fashion, and director Roger Spotiswoode creates a claustrophobic and eerie atmosphere. However, the remainder of the teen cast and the somewhat slow feel of the action renders this a museum piece. As a previous reviewer said the DVD picture quality is pretty disappointing and the darkness sometimes means you can't really see what's going on. DECENT ENOUGH Three years ago, Alaina Maxwell, (Jaime Lee Curtis) humiliates the class nerd in college during a prep rally by accident. When the class takes a trip on a train as a graduation party, she goes along with the others partying. Unknowingly, the entire class is being watched from the shadows by an unknown person. The class members start dying along the route, and the conductor, Carne, (Ben Johnson) is the one who keeps finding the bodies. He informs the class that a killer is on the train, but when they can't find him after a sweep, they demand to be let back on. Alaina finds that the killer is after her, and tries to fight him off and stay alive. The Good News: As the slasher cycle started getting it'd feet in the late 70s, it was inevitable that the copy-cats would come out at some point. Fortunately, this is a copy-cat but a really good one. The familiar clichés found in the genre make for predictable viewing, but the way they're accomplished are what sets it apart. The film has some wonderful suspense moments that are courtesy of the spectacular camera work. After being locked out of her compartment, a figure approaches down a darkened hallway. This leads to a short chase where it's revealed to be a false alarm, but the idea was still there because of the camera work. The highlight, though, is the clever and downright creepy ending sequence where, after a brief struggle, a character locks them-self in a compartment in the same room with the killer. After several attempts to break in, the killer grabs a long pole and knocks out every light in the room, rendering it totally dark. It sets up a brilliant series of shock jumps that is only due to the camera making sure that the darkened part of the room is the main focus of the sequence. It's a great sequence that really sticks out. The double-twist with the killer's identity is nice, as the first one is pretty easy to guess, but the second one is a great one that does come from out of the blue. The Bad News: There's really nothing in the way of gore here. A couple of after-effects and finding some bodies with knives and other objects found in them, but that's pretty much it. Considering that it has some deaths that needed some blood, as well as a couple off-screen as well, lowers the gore content pretty drastically. Considering the time it came out, this should've been a little more gorier. Plus, the film does fall into the slasher cannon of the time, so it is fairly predictable and really offers nothing new. The Final Verdict: Coming out at the right time in horror history didn't hurt it at all. It's "Halloween" on a train, so that should really be the definitive response giving by this. Slasher fans with find a lot of good things here, but non-slashers will pretty much find this to be another by-the-numbers movie. This film has no saving graces...................... And it's the 20th Century Fox version, so I hate to think what the Anchor Bay version was like?? If it was possible I'd give it zero. I've seen Ben Johnson in some really fine roles but this is garbage and he should think of suing his agent. Although one of her first goes at acting this is clearly Jamie Lee Curtis' worst ever role.Usual plot of infantile American Ivy Leaguers-that's spoilt brats to the rest of us-whooping it up leaving their colleges and having previously bullied and upset one of their colleagues, he returns to seek vengeance.Early slasher type tripe! Terror Train is Terror-ific I thought Terror Train was alright. The Killings were a bit too far spaced apart, but near the end of the film, it has a bit of a twist to it when the killer is revealed, but, compared to other slasher films, it's considered to be one of the more considered ones!!! Related Categories: >> >>Video >>DVD & Blu-ray >>Categories >>Action & Adventure >>Heroes & Heroines