Terror Train (1980)

Director:

Roger Spottiswoode

Writer:

T.Y. Drake
(more)

Release Date:

3 October 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

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 | Prank | Party | Train | College

Awards:

5 nominations

Cast

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 Lamoureux	...	Shovels the Stoker (as Don Lamoureux)
Charles Biddle Sr.	...	Donnelly the Chief Porter
Elizabeth Cholette	...	Maggie the Dispatcher
Thom Haverstock	...	Bill Chase (as Thomas Haverstock)
Peter Feingold	...	Senior
Richard Weinstein	...	Pledge #1
John Busby	...	Pledge #2
Roland Nincheri	...	Bus Driver
Andrea Kenyon	...	Bunny Girl
Elaine Lakeman	...	Nurse
Gerald Eastman	...	Porter #1
Charles Biddles Jr.	...	Porter #2
Nadia Rona	...	Corpse
Larry Cohen	...	'Crime' band member: Keyboard Vocalist
Brenda Gagnier	...	'Crime' band member: Bass Guitar
Phil Albert	...	'Crime' band member: Drummer

Directed by
Roger Spottiswoode

Writing credits
T.Y. Drake
Daniel Grodnik		story (uncredited)

Produced by
Lamar Card	....	executive producer
Don Carmody	....	line producer
Harold Greenberg	....	producer
Daniel Grodnik	....	executive producer

Original Music by
John Mills-Cockell

Cinematography by
John Alcott

Film Editing by
Anne Henderson

Casting by
Ingrid Fischer
Anna St. Johns

Production Design by
Glenn Bydwell

Art Direction by
Guy J. Comtois		(as Guy Comtois)

Costume Design by
Veronica Hadfield		(as Penny Hadfield)

Makeup Department
Michèle Burke	....	makeup artist
Alan Friedman	....	special makeup consultant
Joan Isaacson	....	makeup artist
Louise Mignault	....	makeup assistant (as Louise Mignault Rundell)
Huguette Roy	....	hair stylist

Production Management
William Zborowsky	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lamar Card	....	second unit director
David McLeod	....	second assistant director
Blair Roth	....	third assistant director
Ray Sager	....	assistant director

Art Department
Raymond Larose	....	draftsman
Jean-Pierre Laurendeau	....	assistant props
Maurice Leblanc	....	property master
Rosanne Moss	....	assistant to production designer

Sound Department
Ellen Adams	....	dialogue editor
David Appleby	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Dave Appleby)
Fred Brennan	....	sound effects editor
Bo Harwood	....	sound mixer
Sharon Lackie	....	dialogue editor
Jean-Marc Magnan	....	boom operator
Andy Malcolm	....	foley artist
Michael O'Farrell	....	sound effects editor
Dino Pigat	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael Rea	....	assistant sound editor
Helen Watson	....	assistant sound editor
Don White	....	foley recording mixer

Special Effects by
Joe Elsner	....	special effects (as Josef Elsner)

Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Benison	....	additional photographer
Lou Bogue	....	gaffer
Alan Carruthers	....	still photographer
Don Caulfield	....	key grip
James Devis	....	camera operator
Normand Foy	....	best boy
Jonathan Goodwill	....	clapper loader
Paul Gravel	....	focus puller
Pierre Lapointe	....	assistant key grip
Allen Smith	....	additional photographer (as Al Smith)
Jerome South	....	grip
Yves Tessier	....	electrician
René Verzier	....	additional photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Susan Hall	....	wardrobe mistress
Jenepher Hooper	....	set costumer
Lise Pharand	....	seamstress

Editorial Department
Thomas Metzger	....	color timer
Susan Shanks	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Kirk Hawkes	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Michael Bernardelli	....	driver
Victoria Frodsham	....	driver (as Vicki Frodsham)
Donna Noonan	....	driver
Roy Perryon	....	driver
Joe Sanchez	....	driver
Michel Siry	....	driver captain
Steve Wilkins	....	driver

Other crew
Victoria Barney	....	assistant to producer
Don Carmody	....	production executive
Paulle Clark	....	assistant production accountant
Marie Renée Collette	....	stagiere
David Copperfield	....	illusion creator
Lucie Drolet	....	production accountant
Kathy Flynn	....	production secretary
Brigitte Germain	....	continuity
Ginette Hardy	....	unit coordinator
Paul Lamontagne	....	location manager
François LeClerc	....	assistant location manager
Holly Levine	....	publicist
Louis A. Massicotte	....	assistant to executive producer
Sandy Rochester	....	production assistant
Caryl Wickman	....	dialogue director
Paul Wisenthal	....	train coordinator

Production Companies

• Astral Bellevue Pathé
• Sandy Howard Productions
• Triple T Productions

Distributors

• Astral Films (1980) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Cine-Studio (1981) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1980) (USA) (theatrical)
• Astral Video (Canada) (VHS)
• Future Film (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• MRA Entertainment Group (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Magnum Video (????) (Finland) (video)
• Oy Europa Vision AB (????) (Finland) (video)

Other Companies

• Berger Novek Entertainment PR  publicity
• Pathé Sound and Post Production Center  sound facilities

Also Known As:

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:MA (DVD rating) (Cable TV 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.

Goofs:

Continuity: After the killer murders the student in the lavatory, a witness opens the door to find the dead body and blood everywhere. Minutes later, a second witness opens the door to find the lavatory in a clean, pristine state. It would be virtually impossible for the killer to have disposed the body and cleaned up the mess (without help) in the short amount of time it took for the second witness to see the lavatory.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Something to Scream About (2003) (V)

A decent, fun slasher flick

I really was not expecting much from viewing Terror Train, quite honestly, and I don't think many would. I did not know much about anyway, but I had been really wanting to see it regardless, because it looked cool and it starred Jamie Lee Curtis, who we all know was a big horror star back in the 80s, and I enjoyed all the films she starred in as well. It seemed like it would be a fun watch, and it was.

Well, this was no Halloween or The Fog, but I liked it all the same, even if it is not as classic, professional, and suspenseful. The plot is a college fraternity hosts a New Year's Eve costume party upon a moving train. Simple enough, and sometimes simple plots are the best kinds of plots to go with, though the simplicity of Terror Train makes it seem dull and mediocre at times. I liked the very cool and unexpected twists this movie had though, and even though sometimes the characters were annoying, they were nicely done and they commingled with the type of atmosphere the film had perfectly.

It tries to be more than it is at times, but if you can appreciate B-Movie horrors, or are just a horror fan in all, it is a good time, though nothing to really praise. Overall, Terror Train was very interesting and a nice edition to the slasher genre. There's not much I can really say about it, but it's satisfying in a sense, and I recommend it if you think you'll get any enjoyment out of watching it.