Horror Express (1972)

This movie sets itself a modest purpose: to keep us entertained for one and a half hours. It succeeds brilliantly, as long as we allow it to succeed, that is, as long as we are willing and eager to be entertained.

This is one of only two thrillers that I know of, in which almost the entire story takes place on board a train: the other is Murder on the Orient Express. The setting works very well in both movies, but I found Horror Express to be more satisfying. At the beginning, as the cast of characters got settled in the train, I got settled in my chair, eager for the journey to start. During the journey, there is enough suspense to keep the viewer interested, but nobody (except the very young or the very sensitive) needs to worry about being scared, or grossed out by gore. I must admit to not having paid too close attention to the plot, but this probably contributes to the enjoyment, and it means that I can enjoy seeing it again.

In short, this movie is jolly good fun as long as you are not too demanding in terms of plot or character development. One of my favorite horror movies.

Fmovies: Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. The two go together like strawberries and cream, like white wine and fish. One is a glove, the other is a hand that fits perfectly inside. The Lee/Cushing partnership made many movies together during the '50s, '60s and '70s, including some of the finest Hammer horror movies. Of their three decades as screen partners, their work from the 1970s is probably their weakest - Nothing But The Night, Dracula AD 1972, and The Satanic Rites Of Dracula are inferior examples of their films together. However, even in he '70s "low period" they still served up the occasional gem. The Creeping Flesh was a nicely done horror flick with a wickedly unexpected twist ending, and this - known in America and Britain as "Horror Express" - is a powerful and inventive bloodcurdler with a sprinkling of science fiction.

In Siberia, 1906, anthropologist Alexander Saxton (Lee) finds a frozen creature which he believes to be the Missing Link. He transports the being back to western Europe by trans-Siberian train. Aboard the train are the usual assorted types:- a Polish countess (Silvia Tortosa); her husband (Jorge Rigaud); a mad monk seemingly modelled on Rasputin (Alberto De Mendoza); and a fellow scientist and long-time rival of Saxton's, the charismatic Dr Wells (Cushing). Midway through the journey, as the train passes through a desolate snowscape many miles from civilisation, the creature thaws out and begins killing the passengers. Wells carries out an autopsy on the corpses and realises that they are not up against the Missing Link, but a weird alien organism which inhabits the bodies of its victims and steals their memories. As the finger of suspicion falls upon each character, the scientists try to figure out which passenger is "carrying" the shape-shifting monster, while trying to keep everyone safe and alive.

Horror Express has its share of dumb moments (what horror film doesn't?) but in the main it is quite an intelligent and original piece. Some of the supporting actors are quite amateurish, too, giving performances that distract one's attention for the wrong reasons. However, Cushing and Lee are believable as always, and it's their straight-faced conviction which makes the story as spine-tingling as it is. There is also a well-developed subtext in the film condemning religious fanaticism, with Mendoza's character shown to be so unreasonable and misguided that his "Christian" rantings are every bit as disturbing as the teachings of a heretic. The atmosphere is spookily maintained, with lots of eerie scenes (which probably got many a heart fluttering back in 1973, in the pre-Exorcist days of the horror genre). In particular, the climactic sequence in which Cossack soldiers, led by Telly Savalas, board the train only to be zombified by the deadly alien, is a chilling episode. You may need to be a fan of old-school horror flicks to enjoy Horror Express, but if you are it's definitely one worth seeking out.

An intriguing idea of a "spirit" of pure evil with the ability to jump from body to body aboard a trans-siberian train. Well done considering budget constraints, and claustrophobic. Lee and Cushing are fine, but it's Telly Savales who chews the scenery to good effect. He is an unexpected treat as a bullying cossack officer and good counterpoint to Lee and Cushing as civilized gentlemen. Don't expect a slick Hollywood production and you won't be disappointed. I watched this on late night TV spookfests everytime it was on during the late 70s and saw something new each time. It's something like a cross between Hammer and Argento, and a little bit of Corman, too.

Horror Express fmovies. This was a very enjoyable movie. The story--about a body hopping alien loose aboard the trans-Siberian railroad in 1906--is like a dry run for all those X-Files to come, not to mention FALLEN. If you crossed the X-Files with Murder on The Orient Express you'd come close what is on display here. I really wasn't expecting much from this movie and maybe that is why i was so pleasantly surprised. Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee--given a rare chance to play allies instead of enemies--rise to the occasion and deliver spot-on performances that are filled with an infectious wit and good humor. And the incomparable TELLY SAVALAS--in what is really only a glorified cameo--makes the most of his opportunity--arrogantly strutting thru the train swilling vodka and chewing on the scenery with delight.The director shows a real flair for developing an atmosphere of paranoia and fear and the screenplay is, quite simply, completely bonkers! The feverish pacing keeps everything hurtling forward with an hysterical abandon and a fine (if perhaps at the time, unwitting)comic edge.

If you are a fan of The X files, Agatha Christie murder mysteries, Brit horror icons Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, or just like movies set in Siberia featuring the dessicated remains of body hopping alien parasites--then HORROR EXPRESS is the film for you! Enjoy!

All aboard the Trans-Siberian Express - non stop to the shores of hell. That's the interpretation of the priest character on board. But he's off-base; it's an alien monster that's causing all the trouble - a monster derivative of "The Thing" story, but about 10 years before John Carpenter presented his version. The creature is literally millions of years old, having passed through various forms as life evolved on Earth; then someone makes the mistake of storing it on board in a frozen apelike fossil. Next thing you know, certain individuals are behaving strangely, with glowing red eyes, and others turn up dead with eyes whited out (and brains drained). This, of course, benefits from the umpteenth pairing of Lee and Cushing; Lee is the arrogant scientist here and Cushing is again a doctor. Much of the entertaining dialogue stems from the conflict between science and religion, during the transitional phase of the early 20th century. The priest rants on about Satan; Lee calls it rubbish. Here's a typical quote from the priest: 'There's the stench of death on board this train; even the dog knows it.' The dog belongs to a couple of aristocratic Russians on board.

At the one hour mark, Savalas shows up as a power-mad Cossack with his soldiers, ready to kick everyone to hell and back. He manages to make quite an impression in the next 15 minutes as the death toll escalates. He and the two leads (British all the way) sort of ham it up, as if knowing they're in some crackerjack cheesy horror material, but there's also quite a bit of eeriness to the proceedings. The filmmakers managed to get the nice train set from an earlier big budget production and made good use of it. The train itself becomes nearly another character, hurtling through the dark with snow and a chill wind all around, and the interior set design is quite good. The musical score is also unusual; when one expects ominous tones during some sequences, instead we get a kind of tuneful melody. But the best thing about this is the concept itself - this thing, this form of energy, having been around forever and theoretically capable of curing all our ills, contents itself with the easy kill. Boy, does it like to drain brains.

This is simply a very good movie. There is really nothing about it to dislike. Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing are the biggest names and they work well together on the screen. Telly Savalas shows up towards the ending, and makes a great performance.

The movie is very impressively made. It is a work of art. Other than horror qualities, the acting is great and the setting works perfectly. This is one of those movies who works good on every level. The acting, the pacing and the sets are all perfect. The special effects in this one are still very fascinating and scary.

This is one of my absolute favorite movies and I highly recommend it to everybody.