Train (2008/I)

Director:

Gideon Raff

Writer:

Gideon Raff (written by)

Release Date:

2 May 2009 (Japan)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

You're in For One Hell of a Ride

Plot:

In Europe, a group of American college athletes unknowingly board a train that will become one deadly ride. |

Plot Keywords:

Train | Peeping Tom | Vomit | Brass Knuckles | Passport

Cast

Thora Birch	...	Alex
Gideon Emery	...	Willy
Kavan Reece	...	Sheldon
Derek Magyar	...	Todd
Gloria Votsis	...	Claire
Todd Jensen	...	Coach Harris
Vladimir Vladimirov	...	Vlad
Koyna Ruseva	...	Dr. Velislava
Valentin Ganev	...	Conductor Vasyl
Ivan Barnev	...	Gregor
Nikolay Mutafchiev	...	Vasily
Miroslav Emilov	...	Ishtav
Aleksandra Vasileva	...	Drunk Blonde
Lina Zlateva	...	Brunette
Matthew Tibbs	...	Backpacker
Dilyana Popova	...	The Pale Girl
Mihail Miltchev	...	The Burnt Guy
Israel Baharov	...	Coughing Man
Zahary Baharov	...	Croupier (as Zahari Baharov)
Yang Chung	...	Blind Boy
Wen Hong Ying	...	Blind Boy's Mother
Andrey Slabakov	...	Turkish Man
Tezdzhan Ismailova	...	Turkish Woman (as Tezdjan Ismailova)
Ruslan Kupenov	...	Urine Bag Man (as Rusian Kupenov)
Velislav Pavlov	...	Moldovan Commander
Shelly Varod	...	Female Patient
Daniel Dimov	...	Moldovan Guard
Mike Straub	...	Coach Maxwell (as Michael Straub)
Violeta Markovska	...	Teen Girl
Teodor Yordanov	...	Bald Guy
Marieta Krusteva	...	Fat Girl
Petar Dimitrov	...	Local Guy with Willy
Marli Grigorov	...	Hotel Clerk
Mimoza Bazova	...	Station Gypsy Agent
Adriana Penkova	...	Ten Mixed Orgy
Vyara Tomova	...	Ten Mixed Orgy
Ralitza Bojidarova	...	Ten Mixed Orgy
Alice Alexandrova	...	Ten Mixed Orgy
Valentin Bojurski	...	Ten Mixed Orgy
Stanimir Dimitrov	...	Ten Mixed Orgy
Emanuil Odadjiev	...	Ten Mixed Orgy
Lilyana Peeva	...	Ten Mixed Orgy
George Boyadjiev	...	Ten Mixed Orgy
Peter Dimitrov	...	Ten Mixed Orgy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bolt Birch	...	Monk 1 (uncredited)

Directed by
Gideon Raff

Writing credits
Gideon Raff		(written by)

Produced by
Jack Birch	....	co-producer
Boaz Davidson	....	producer
Danny Dimbort	....	executive producer
Avi Lerner	....	executive producer
Danny Lerner	....	producer
D. Daniel Vujic	....	studio producer
Les Weldon	....	executive producer
Les Weldon	....	producer

Original Music by
Michael Wandmacher

Cinematography by
Martina Radwan		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Alain Jakubowicz

Casting by
Pam Gilles
Valerie McCaffrey

Production Design by
Carlos Silva Da Silva

Art Direction by
Sonya Savova

Costume Design by
Djanina Baykoucheva

Makeup Department
Dean Jones	....	special makeup designer
Starr Jones	....	makeup designer
Michael Mosher	....	special makeup effects artist
Ken Niederbaumer	....	special makeup effects artist
Richard Redlefsen	....	special effects makeup department head
Tatyana 'Tita' Sleptsova	....	key makeup artist
Clint Zoccoli	....	sculptor

Production Management
Veselin Karadjov	....	unit production manager (as Vesselin Karadjov)
Sarah Parker	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Irina Doneva	....	assistant director trainee
Igor Hristov	....	third assistant director
Kalina Krasteva	....	second assistant director (as Kalina Krusteva)
Galina Kyuchukova	....	second second assistant director (as Galina Kuchukova)
Peter Mechkoff	....	first assistant director (as Petar Mechkov)
Mark Roper	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Borislav Belberov	....	props on set
Bilyana Buchmann	....	assistant property master
Dirk Buchmann	....	property master
Lidiya Burukova	....	graphic designer
Emanuil Deyanov	....	set dresser (as Emanuil Deanov)
Nikolai Dikov	....	set dresser
Zahari Dimitrov	....	props trainee
Maria Doicheva	....	props
Boris Drumev	....	set dresser
Andrey Filchev	....	stand-by props
Anna Hadzhieva	....	art department coordinator (as Anna Hadjieva)
Alexei Karagyaur	....	graphic designer (as Alexey Karagyaur)
Georgi Kodzhabashiyski	....	painter
Petar Kostov	....	stand-by props
Lazar Lazarov	....	set dresser
Venci Lilev	....	set dressing buyer
Krasimir Pashkulev	....	assistant set decorator
Nadya Popova	....	stand-by props
Pavel Rasenov	....	on-set dresser (as Pavel Rosenov)
Lyubomir Sirakov	....	on-set dresser (as Lubomir Sirakov)
Eleonora Slavkova	....	painter
Dobrinka Stamenkova	....	assistant art department coordinator
Valery Yankov	....	leadman
Zhivko Zhelyazkov	....	storyboard artist

Sound Department
Willy Allen	....	dialogue editor
Tara Blume	....	foley artist
Christopher Briles	....	supervising sound editor
John Fairlamb	....	foley mixer
John-Thomas Graves	....	sound effects editor
John-Thomas Graves	....	sound recordist
Angela Hemingway	....	additional adr editor
Brent Kiser	....	sound effects editor
Donald Lyles	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Marcus	....	director of sound services
Lionel Montabord	....	sound mixer
Jeffrey A. Pitts	....	sound designer

Special Effects by
Orlin Budinov	....	special effects crew
Ivo Jivkov	....	special effects supervisor
Georgi Karadjov	....	special effects
Marten Ruskov	....	special effects crew
Hugo Villasenor	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Javor Asenov	....	lead artist
Simeon Asenov	....	visual effects art director
Maria Boyuklieva	....	digital compositor
Alexander Chaliovski	....	animator
Scott Coulter	....	visual effects producer
Nina Dimitrova	....	digital artist
Alexander Dimov	....	visual effects
Stanislav Draganov	....	visual effects
Stanislav Dragiev	....	visual effects supervisor
Ivan Gochev Ivanov	....	visual effects artist
Rosen Ivanov	....	digital compositor
Milen Jiliazkov	....	visual effects lead artist
Paul Amadeus Kim	....	digital cleanup artist (as Paul Kim)
Dragomir Kostadinov	....	matte painter
Kalin Krumov	....	digital compositor
Maria Maltcheva	....	on-set supervisor
Jordan Markov	....	visual effects
Svetoslav Mitev	....	visual effects coordinator
Diana Moneva	....	digital compositor
Nikolay Pachov	....	visual effect assistant editor
Nick Peshunoff	....	visual effects coordinator
Diana Simeonova	....	match move artist
Georgi Staikov	....	visual effects
Boyan Stoyanov	....	blood simulation
Stoilova Tsvetelina	....	simulation artist

Stunts
Ivailo Dimitrov	....	stunt rigger
Genadiy Ganchev	....	stunts (as Genadii Ganchev)
Dian Hristov	....	stunt coordinator (as Diyan Hristov)
Radoslav Ignatov	....	stunt double: Mr. Magyar
Danko Jordanov	....	stunts: alpha team (as Danko Yordanov)
Kalin Kerin	....	stunt double: Mr. Emery/Mr. Reece
Stilyan Mavrov	....	stunts: alpha team
Radoslav Parvanov	....	stunts: alpha team
Stefka Patzeva	....	stunts: alpha team
Rumen Petrov	....	stunts: alpha team
Elitsa Rajeva	....	stunt double: Ms. Birch/Ms. Votsis
Svetoslav Rangelov	....	stunt double: Mr. Ganev
Krasimir Simeonov	....	stunt double: Mr. Barnev
Georgi Stanislavov	....	stunts: alpha team
Vencislav Stojanov	....	stunts: alpha team (as Ventzislav Stoyanov)
Asen Asenov	....	stunts (uncredited)
Georgi Manchev	....	stunts (uncredited)
Teodor Tsolov	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Mihail Apostolov	....	key grip
Fiodr Canovsky	....	additional electrician (as Fiodor Canovski)
Spiro Dichev	....	additional grip
Georgy Dimitrov	....	genny operator (as Georgi Dimitrov)
Georgy Dimitrov	....	set generator (as George Dimitrov)
Antonello Emidi	....	director of photography: second unit
Lyubomir Hristoskov	....	best boy grip (as Liubomir Hristoskov)
Rumen Idakiev	....	electrician (as Rumen Edakiev)
Krasi Iliev	....	additional electrician (as Krasimir Iliev)
Ivelin Ivanov	....	Genny base camp
Emil Ivelinov	....	additional grip (as Emil Ivelinnov)
Ivailo Kostov	....	electrician
Tsvetan Kostov	....	grip (as Cvetan Kostov)
George Mihailov	....	best boy electric
Nikolai Mihailov	....	electrician (as Niki Mihailov)
Neven Mihailova	....	camera operator: "c" camera, main unit
Elena Nenkova	....	still photographer
Vihar Nikolov	....	additional grip (as Vihar Nikov)
Borislav Penchev	....	camera trainee
Emil Petkov	....	additional grip
Georgi Petkov	....	grip
Radoslav Petkov	....	video control
Kiril Prodanov	....	camera trainee
Boris Slavkov	....	camera trainee
Plamen Soklev	....	electrician
Plamen Somov	....	director of photography: second unit
Venelin Stepanov	....	grip
Ivan Vatzov	....	second assistant camera
Mihail Velichkov	....	additional electrician
Danail Voutchkov	....	additional grip (as Danail Vuchkov)
Teodor Yordanov	....	additional electrician
Teodor Yordanov	....	electrician
Yavor Zahariev	....	gaffer
Borislav Zlatinov	....	loader (as Borislav Zlatanov)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ruben Ganev	....	wardrobe trainee
Yordanka Orlova	....	tailor
Naiden Prahov	....	wardrobe
Boryana Stefanova	....	costume supervisor
Jasmina Vasileva	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Prince Bagdasarian	....	high definition coordinator
Damien Brennan	....	senior digital intermediate producer
Julius Friede	....	digital intermediate colorist
David Graubard	....	digital intermediate senior systems engineer: Hollywood Intermediate
Dennis Little	....	digital intermediate producer
Jon Pehlke	....	on-line editor
Sarah Priestnall	....	production supervisor: digital intermediate
Chris Ward	....	digital intermediate producer
Todor G. Todorov	....	colorist (uncredited)

Music Department
Selena Arizanovic	....	music coordinator
Susie Bench	....	music scoring assistant
Susie Bench	....	orchestrator
Ben Kopec	....	composer: additional music
Ashley Waldron	....	music supervisor (as Ashley Miller)

Transportation Department
Stefan Lalev	....	action vehicles
Kalin Nikolov	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Wiebina Berrington	....	script supervisor
Anna Gand	....	accounts payable
Marcin Janowski	....	marketing and publicity
Todd Korody	....	systems engineer
Alan J. Lam	....	production controller
Rosen Marinkov	....	production assistant
Violeta Piperevska	....	production coordinator
Lonnie Ramati	....	production business affairs
Ray Tamayo	....	staff accountant
Arturo Lopez Uscanga	....	scanning manager

Production Companies

• Millennium Films
• Nu Image Films

Distributors

• Movie-Eye Entertainment (2009) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Bridge Entertainment Group (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Eagle Films (2008) (non-USA) (all media) (Middle East)
• Illusions Unlimited Films (2011) (Austria) (DVD)
• Lionsgate Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• SBP (2010) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Sunfilm Entertainment (2010) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Nu Image Films  marketing, publicity, online
• Wow & Flutter  sound post-production
• Wow & Flutter  sound re-recording

Also Known As:

"Terror Train" - Japan (English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong grisly bloody violence, disturbing images, sexual content and language (cut)

Runtime:

Argentina:94 min | Japan:94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:NC-17 (original rating) | USA:R (cut) | Japan:R-15 | France:-18 | Argentina:18 | Mexico:B15 | Finland:K-18 | Netherlands:16 | Ireland:18 | UK:18 | Brazil:14 | Portugal:M/18 | Germany:(Banned) (uncut) | Germany:18 (cut)

Filming Locations:

New Boyana Film Studios, Sofia, Bulgaria

Company:

Millennium Films

Trivia:

Originally conceived as a remake of Terror Train (1980) to be written by Ryan Eslinger. The script eventually morphed into its own story.

Movie Connections:

Remake of Terror Train (1980)

Soundtrack:

Trade Places

Enough Xenophobic Horror Already

When Hostel was released I found it to be an interesting twist on the likes of Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Hills Have Eyes, playing on the fear of being outside one's normal environment, but exchanging the backwoods for Eastern Europe. Even back then, however, I noted the American-centricity of the film.

Since then we have had Hostel II, Turistas (known as Paradise Lost here in the UK), and now we have Train- another in this unfortunate sub genre that shouldn't be called Torture Porn, but rather "Don't be Leavin' America!" Because yet again those poor beautiful Abercrombie And Fitch mannequins are under threat by Eastern Euopeans who want to take their organs.

A film I recently enjoyed was Saw VI. Yes- seriously. The sixth part in a series of horror films and it still felt fresher than this film. Why? Probably because it quite cleverly, highlighted the brutality inherent in the medical insurance system of care in the US, and selfishness of banks practically handing out risky loans that has led us to this economic crisis. This was a horror film brave enough to assess America's own problems.

In contrast films such as Train are contemptuous of all things non- American. It makes me wonder about the the directors of these movies- did they take their middle-American rite-of-passage trip to Europe as students- backpack around? At what point did they decide to cinematically urinate on the countries they visited? The film itself is bland, feels cheap and thinks revealing a character's pierced nipples counts as character development. Thora Birch looks annoyed at having signed on- I'm pretty sure there are moments her face screams "I was once in American Beauty." And let's be grateful this film was about Eastern Europeans stealing organs, because if it was about bottling charisma or likability, no one would have died.