Customer Reviews

Horror Express (Blu-ray / DVD Combo)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Just received my copy today. I won't go into the story; you can read the product description for that. I just want to comment on the terrific improvement of the picture quality over past releases.

I've owned at least a couple of public domain versions that were washed out, blurred, and grainy. This verion is crisp and clear, with vibrant color and a lot of clean up done. I won't say it's pervect. I saw a couple of spots of imperfection, but they were few and far between. This looked as good as any of the Hammer releases to me.

Very happy how this release turned out, especially given what had to be dated materials. Now if someone can just do something with Dr. Terror's House of Horrors.

I originally saw this film on SciFi Channel back in the early nineties during a Halloween marathon of horror films. This is probably one of the best Peter Cushing/Christopher Lee movies, that rival even some of their better hammer era films. The atmosphere isolated and creepy and the special effects are simple but very effective and startling. It's also a real treat to see Lee and Cushing working together.

The best way to describe this film is "Murder on the Orient Express" meets "The Thing". A strange prehistoric missing link creature in discovered in a frozen countryside by Christopher Lee's character and is transported on a train. Cushing plays Lee's professional rival, but they soon join forces when they discover the creature is a not so dead alien and is on the rampage turning passengers into mindless zombies.

The movie's not perfect. It has some awkward dialog in some spots, but other then that this film is an often overlooked diamond in the rough. If your a fan of films like the Hammer Studios horror films or just curious about older horror movies of yesteryear give this one a try. The new Blue-Ray edition of this classic by Severin has given this movie the treatment it deserves with some interesting extras.

A previous review was critical of the image quality, but I've never seen this film look better (I hope they also found a new print of Shock Waves in that Mongolian film vault). I like to see a few flaws in the film - reminders that I'm watching something made in 1972. The Spanish credits and use of its original title further enhanced the feeling of seeing this for the first time. The use of a 1973 Peter Cushing interview as the commentary track is a nice touch, as is the inclusion of three "bonus" trailers.

The film itself is great - in my opinion, far superior to any genre films Hammer/Tigon/Amicus produced in the 70's. An alien fossil thaws-out and infiltrates an isolated group of humans. Sound familiar?

Director Eugenio Martín's 1972 fright film, HORROR EXPRESS (PÁNICO EN EL TRANSIBERIANO) is, arguably, the most interesting and enjoyable 70s pairing of acclaimed horror film stars Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Long considered to be in the public domain in America, this British-Spanish co-production has seen dozens (at least) of crappy, washed out, battered-looking video releases over the years. Now, thanks to the fine folks at Severin Films, this Gothic gem finally receives the high-quality, high-definition treatment it deserves in an extraordinary DVD/Blu-ray Combo pack.

In 1906 China, Professor Alexander Saxton (Christopher Lee, HORROR OF DRACULA, THE RESIDENT) unearths a frozen fossil in the Manchurian province of Szechuan that he believes may be the "missing link." Determined to bring the fossil back to England, he crates up the creepy creature's remains, drags it to Shanghai and boards the trans-Siberian Express train, where he encounters professional rival Dr. Wells (Peter Cushing, FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED, SHOCK WAVES). During the trip, an alien entity trapped within the icy corpse is released, possessing various passengers, absorbing their knowledge and memories, and then moving on, leaving blank-eyed corpses in its wake. The two British scientists set out to identify and destroy the creature, but their efforts are complicated by paranoia among the survivors and the arrival of an overbearing Russian military officer (Telly Savalas).

HORROR EXPRESS is a delightfully claustrophobic and suspenseful mishmash of Gothic horror, zombie, sci-fi and serial killer tropes, with a dash of 70s Satanic possession elements tossed in for spice. With a twisty, witty and constantly surprising screenplay written to take advantage of a detailed - and startlingly realistic - vintage steam train model built for another movie, HORROR EXPRESS is 90 fast-paced minutes of thrills, chills, and terrific performances by a talented, International cast. The special effects are remarkably good - and surprisingly gory - for a film of its vintage, and the production values are top-notch. The eerie score by composer John Cacavas is also noteworthy, adding considerably to the overall success of the film.

Cushing and Lee are in fine form, the two old friends playing off each other magnificently, and - unlike many of their 70s pairings - enjoying equal screen time and prominence in the plot. Eurobeauties Helga Liné and Silvia Tortosa provide lovely eye candy, and Savalas is a hoot as the arrogant Cossack, Captain Kazan, assigned by his superiors to investigate the murders on the speeding train.

As stated above, HORROR EXPRESS has seen many previous home video releases on VHS and DVD, including a fairly decent, non-anamorphic DVD from Image Entertainment back in the late 90s. For this new edition, Severin Films has used the original Spanish negative as the source of their 1.66:1 widescreen 1080p HD transfer. Clearly, the custodians of the negative didn't take particularly good care of it - there is minor damage throughout in the form of specks and small scratches. But the colors are bright, detail is astounding, and the overall visual presentation is light years superior to any previous home video release. Two audio options are provided: English and Spanish dialogue tracks in Dolby 2.0 mono.

Severin has assembled a nice batch of supplements, including an enthusiastic Introduction by Fangoria editor Chris Alexander, new interviews with director Martín, producer Bernard Gordon and composer Cacavas, and a vintage audio Interview with Peter Cushing, which can be played as a commentary over the film, and which covers the distinguished actor's film career in great detail. Finally, there's the creepy theatrical trailer, along with previews of three other Severin titles - PSYCHOMANIA, NIGHTMARE CASTLE and the forthcoming THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD.

This new HORROR EXPRESS Blu-ray/DVD combo is, by far, the finest presentation of the movie to date, and barring a future, frame-by-frame digital restoration, likely to be the definitive video version for some time to come. Fans of the film and or the Lee & Cushing team - even if they don't own a Blu-ray player - should pick it up; it's reasonably priced and the DVD contains the same fine transfer and bonus material as the Blu-ray disc, albeit in standard definition.

HORROR EXPRESS is a classic chiller, and highly recommended.

Awesome horor movie with Horror icons Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee! And actor Telley "Kojak" Savalas is in it too! "Who loves you baby?!"
I watched this movie many many years ago and it's on Bluray now with a CLEAR CRISP picture! (I'm not sure what these other reviewers are crying about the picture?)
The picture quality is great and awesome! Get it!
Now I can finally throw away my $1 poor quality DVD that I bought at the dollar store!

I admit that I have always been a huge fan of this film. I have had several versions in as many formats as I could get. I even own a dvd version that I got before dvds were common. I have to say this is a really good version of the film and i enjoyed it and will continue to do so for quite a while it is really the best I have seen on dvd.I am impressed with the transfer and encourage all fans of the movie to get this version. If you have only heard or read of the film I recommend you get this and enjoy the film it is a lot of fun and the late Telly Savalas steals the show. So get a copy put in your player, sit down, and enjoy.

Please note that this review is for the quality of this Blu Ray disc only. The movie itself is definately 5 stars! I am disappointed with this Blu Ray release. It appears that there has been little or no restoration to the so-called newly found print from Mongolia of all places. Sure, the picture quality itself is up to Blu Ray standards as compared with the DVD (also included in this package). But as you probably know, there have been several "public domain" releases and one official release (now out-of-print) from Image Entertainment. Well, the dots and print scratches are still here on this Blu Ray release! In some cases, depending which DVD release you compare it with, there is a slight reduction in these imperfections, but I guess I'm spoiled by other Blu Ray releases that have previously only been available as poor quality "public domain" material DVDs.

Here is an example: If you're a fan of these classic, yet underated or obscure horror flicks, then you may be familar with Roger Corman's "The Terror" starring Boris Karloff and a very young Jack Nicholson (1963). There have been at least a dozen DVD releases of this film, most of fairly poor quality, scratches, washed out color, etc. And I owned all of them! But earlier this year, Film Crest, Inc. released it on Blu Ray, Digitally Remastered HD Restoration, and the quality is breath-taking!! Hardly a speck or scratch. There is even a side by side restoration comparision in the menu.

Sadly, this is not the case with "The Horror Express." But here it is, a Blu Ray that falls short in the restoration department. Still, I suppose it is worth owning for its 1080p resolution, but I guess (to use the title of a more recent Jack Nicholson film) this is As Good As It (is going to) Get(s).

I agree with E.A. Solinas' review, yet for the reasons he expressed, I am giving Horror Express five stars. Arguably, four stars might be more appropriate, but, I have great affection for this film and will give it an additional star from emotion.

The "best" of any genre may be defined differently. I think Horror Express is the best of the Cushing-Lee vehicles and, in its own right, a remarkably entertaining, endearingly quirky film the outrageousness of which actually works to its benefit. It is the kind of horror film romp that pleasingly detaches you from reality and makes you happy to "suspend disbelief." It may not be groundbreaking as was Horror of Dracula, nor open the door to new genre approaches as did Curse of Frankenstein. But, among the Cushing-Lee teamings, it is the most enjoyable from all regards and the most satisfying because it uses the wonderful interplay of those two compatable but different actors to the best advantage.

Unlike most of their other films, Lee and Cushing share many scenes in this intricately plotted film. Lee portrays his classic hero: stalwart, humorless, brave, stuffy but decent and more emotional than the character would admit outright. Cushing escapes from the Van Helsing mode (which he certainly portrayed so well), for a different heroic model: impish, conniving, humorous, a bit randy but ultimately brave and willing to risk himself for the sake of others.

Their characters seem to begrudgingly respect and even like each other, but they grate, allowing these good actors to interact vividly. Their droll, spot-on classic British styles fit nicely in the exotic world of the "Orient Express" suddenly gone mad with seemingly supernatural danger and political intrigue. More than any other film, these two highly enjoyable actors get to play against each other. It truly is delightful, not a word that often applies in such films.

The script is tight and clever. The supporting players are earnest and able, with a nice, brief turn by Telly Savalas that is at once funny and frightening. The plot is ridiculous, but definatly works. Like many Hammer and Amicus films, despite low budgets, the sets, costumes and such are lush (I read that the train is the one used in Murder on the Orient Express, but a commentator on this discussion list disagrees and likely that commentator is correct. The director and editor have kept the pacing crisp. Horror Express is a horror-comedy of the rarest type, funny when meant to be funny, scary (or at least tense) when so intended, well acted, interesting, engaging, in sum, highly entertaining.

For these reasons, I rate it the best of the Cushing-Lee movies.

I have been viewing classic horror more recently and this release was brought to my attention by a friend. A nice tale of a fossilized creature brought on a train that thaws out and creates havoc on board. Classic horror stars Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, and Telly Savalas lead the way against it.

I was happy to see this wonderfully creepy film get a blu-ray/DVD combo release that it deserves. The print is startlingly clean and beautiful, colors are gorgeous, picture sharp and clean, and the sound is clear and haunting.

The pairing of Lee and Cushing has always been a draw for fans of European cinema. Hammer made both actors international stars, pitting them against each other in such classics as The Horror of Dracula (US title) and The Mummy. In this Spanish co-production, both actors, cast as rivals, must join forces to beat an ancient evil that threatens to kill everyone aboard the Trans Siberian Express. There is horror, humor, and gore for everyone.

Image released this film several years ago in the only decent print on the market, but this release blows it out of the water. Recommended highly.