Terror Train (1980)

Director:

Roger Spottiswoode

Writer:

T.Y. Drake (writer)

Release Date:

3 October 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

The boys and girls of Sigma Phi. Some will live. Some will die.

Plot:

A masked killer targets six college kids responsible for a prank gone wrong years earlier and whom are currently throwing a large New Year's Eve costume party aboard a moving train.

Plot Keywords:

Costume | Train | Party | Prank | Student

Awards:

5 nominations

Cast

Ben Johnson	...	Carne, Train Conductor
Jamie Lee Curtis	...	Alana Maxwell
Hart Bochner	...	Doc Manley
David Copperfield	...	Ken, The Magician
Derek McKinnon	...	Kenny Hampson (as Derek MacKinnon)
Sandee Currie	...	Mitchy
Timothy Webber	...	Mo
Anthony Sherwood	...	Jackson
Howard Busgang	...	Ed
Steve Michaels	...	Charley the Brakeman
Greg Swanson	...	Class President
Vanity	...	Merry (as D.D. Winters)
Joy Boushel	...	Pet
Victor Knight	...	Walter the Engineer
Donald Lamoureux	...	Shovels the Stoker (as Don Lamoureux)

Also Known As:

Le monstre du train (Canada: French title)
Train of Terror

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 (1990) (cut) | Finland:K-18 (1981) (cut) | West Germany:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | UK:X (original rating) (1980) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (2007) | Italy:T (VHS) (alternate rating) | Italy:VM14 (VHS rating) | Italy:VM18 (DVD rating) | Australia:R | France:-16 | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (re-rating) (1989) | USA:R | South Korea:18 | Spain:18

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Astral Bellevue Pathé

Trivia:

The observation type passenger car used in the film called the 'Denehotso' is being restored and is now located at the Arizona Railway Musuem in Chandler AZ.

Quotes:

Carne, Train Conductor: Have you ever shoveled any coal?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Nightmare in Canada: Canadian Horror on Film (2004) (TV)

A Slasher Movie On A Train...Different

Jamie Lee Curtis was once again cementing her status as the Scream Queen, after the successes of "Halloween", "The Fog" and "Prom Night", but this one unfortunately wasn't as successful as the previous ones and remains the least remembered. But that doesn't mean that this movie is bad. A Slasher movie set on a train is something different I suppose, which makes Terror Train a stylish and inventive and really makes the most of it's settings. And I also loved the fact that the killer uses different costumes for each murder, pure genius.

The only draw back on this movie is that most of the murders happen off-screen, but more than makes up for it in the performances like Derek MacKinnion who plays Kenny a very well rounded performance, Ben Johnston does well in his role as the train conducter and even real life magician David Copperfield plays his part well. Hart Bochner plays the coward Doc annoyed me and glad he got his just desserts and once again Jamie Lee Curtis is brilliant as the lead heroine and gives the best chase scene in this movie which is the main highlight of this movie in my books.

All in all "Terror Train" is an underrated gem and a highlight on Jamie Lee Curtis's glowing CV.