Terror Train (1980)

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.

Director:

Roger Spottiswoode

Writer:

T.Y. Drake

Stars:

Ben Johnson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Hart Bochner

5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ben Johnson	...	Carne
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 Lamoreux	...	Shovels the Stoker (as Don Lamoureux)

Storyline

A college fraternaty prank goes bad and student ends up in the mental ward. Four years later, it's graduation time, and the members of the fraternity decide to have a costume party aboard a train trip to celebrate thier graduation. Unknowingly to them, a killer has slipped aboard, wacking them off one by one, disguised in the costumes of the victims.

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Plot Keywords:

costume | train | killer | college | party | 

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Taglines:

All Aboard... If You Dare!

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Canada USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 October 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

Train of Terror

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$3,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Astral Bellevue Pathé, Sandy Howard Productions, Triple T Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Along with Halloween and Prom Night, this film would give actress Jamie Lee Curtis the title of 'Scream Queen' because of her frequent appearances in horror films early in her career.

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Goofs

When the killer murders the Guy in the Lizard Suit (Jackson), the mirror is shattered. When the conductor discovers the body, the mirror is intact - even though there is blood on the sink at this point.

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Quotes

Alana Maxwell: I never knew you liked magic.
Kenny Hampson: I watched you tonight.
[Referring to the magician]
Kenny Hampson: You liked him.
Alana Maxwell: No. Kenny, you're better than he is. I'm sure you're better than he is.
Kenny Hampson: I am. He didn't know how to cut a woman in to pieces.

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Connections

Referenced in Hollywood's Top Ten: Scream Queens (2011)

User Reviews

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.