Customer Reviews

Horror Express [VHS]

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(37)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Horror Express is one of my favorite movies -- it has a great cast, an interesting script, and a bit of humor to keep things entertaining. Having just purchased a DVD drive, I couldn't resist buying the DVD release. I don't regret my purchase, but the disc could have been a lot better. The film is only available on the disk in a panned and scanned format, and overall the print doesn't look much better than the one shown on TV fairly frequently. The disc's only extras are a few screens of text on the cast. If you haven't seen this film, it's worth seeing, especially if you enjoy British horror, but if you have seen it already, this disc isn't too spectacular an addition to your collection.

I'd long been a fan of this film: It's quite unique and has a very European avant-garde feel to it. It has a quite dark and foreboding ambiance to it that is chilling.

However, The quality of the DVD transfer is awful! The picture is muddy and fuzzy and there are fuzzy scanlines present. The colour is much more washed out than it should be. I recently taped this film from TV and the picture quality was much better, even on VHS! Sharper detail, richer colour. However, this is obviously a budget DVD and until someone decides to release a cleaned up widescreen version (and this is crying out for a collectors edition) , it's a choice between this and the VHS! The format can do much better than this.

Horror Express (1974), aka Panic in the Trans-Siberian Train, stars Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing in one of their many collaborations on film (22, in fact) and is certainly an interesting mix of science fiction and horror, providing a lot more than I would have expected, given this particular version comes from Image Entertainment's Euroshock Collection. I've never been a really big fan of European horror, specifically from the period of the late sixties through the late 80's, as I've found it more often than not a little too visceral, i.e. gory, for my tastes. I can understand the appeal to those who love that kind of thing, but I've felt extreme violence can work just as well, if not better, if it's implied, rather than shown, given that the director is any good at his/her craft. My imagination is a whole lot scarier than anything I've ever seen on screen, but I digress...

This Spanish production, directed by Eugeno Martin, takes place in the early 20th century, and begins with Professor Alexander Saxton (Lee), an anthropologist, finding an ancient frozen man-beast somewhere in Manchuria, I think...anyway, he crates it up for transport and future study back in his native England, and proceeds to take it with him on the Trans-Siberian Express, where he meets an acquaintance in Dr, Wells (Cushing), and his assistant whose name I forget but she reminded me a lot of that creepy little troll woman from Poltergeist (1982). As they embark on their journey by train across the frozen tundra, murdered victims begin popping up. The method of their deaths is particularly strange, as they don't seem to have been killed by any conventional methods, and their eyes always appear opaque, with a bit of blood emanating from their various facial orifices, eyes, nose, mouth, etc. It's soon learned that Professor Saxton's discovery, a seemingly fossilized creature, has come back to life, and is the cause of the deaths. The exact nature of the creature may surprise you (maybe not, as I think some have already give it away). What are its' motives?

I actually enjoyed this movie more than I thought I would. I was put off by thoughts of it being a European horror film, my reasons already explained, but I gave it a chance as I really enjoy Lee and Cushing, and having them together is a real bonus. That's not to say every film they been in separately or together is a winner, but this is certainly better than average (if you want to see some real stinkers, check out The Bloody Judge (1970) or the Fu Manchu films of the late 60's. They gained a little from his appearance in them, but not much.) The overall story had a plot, and it did manage to follow it quite well. If you are a fan of early 50's sci-fi, you will probably see a lot of commonalities in this film compared to some of those, one more famous one in particular, finally released to DVD by Warner Brothers in late 2003. The European horror elements (blood!) come in the form of blood emanating from the victim's eyes, nose, and mouth during the process of being killed, and isn't as graphic as I would have thought (no entrails being ate up and such, but there is a little brain exploration as various victims suffer the indignity of an autopsy in the baggage car of the train). The real reason to see this film is for Lee and Cushing, as they can often take trash and spin gold. That's not to say this movie would have been trash without them, as I think it's pretty solid, but their appearances make selling this Spanish production certainly a lot easier in the international market. And let's not forget Telly Salavas (Who loves ya, baby?). He appears as Captain Kazan, a brutal, ruthless Cossack who boards the train with his troops in order to investigate the murders. His screen time is limited, which is too bad, as he had one of the more interesting roles, but what he lacks in time on the screen he makes up for in a memorable performance.

I did feel a little awkwardness in the plot as some elements seemed to be tied in and together in fairly flimsy fashion, and particularly elements arose a bit too conveniently for my tastes, but these issues were pretty minor in the context of the film. The special effects were actually pretty good. The use of miniatures to show the train moving on looked quaint (for better or for worse) and gave a certain charm to the film. The claustrophobic nature of nearly the entire film being shot on sets meant to be the interior of the train helped keep the tension throughout, as escape into the vast, frozen wasteland was not a possibility. Also, the elegance of the interiors, specifically the first class cars, played nicely against the horror of the creature originally stuck riding in the baggage car (I thought maybe he was just looking for space in the first class compartments, but his greed was so much more). The creature itself really wasn't that frightening to me, but then I think years of horror films and such have desensitized my reactions to such stimuli. It did remind me of a dirtier, unkempt Grinch, with matted and mottled fur.

The wide screen print used for this DVD does show a good number of flaws, mainly scratches and signs of lack of preservation. It's not too bad, and doesn't hinder one's ability to watch, but every now and again you may be taken out of the film but an obtrusive defect. Not much in the form of special features, but this version does have the option of watching the film with only the music and sound effects, no dialog...very odd...there's extensive liner notes on the case flap worth reading for historical info on the film.

Cookieman108

An imaginative and entertaining variation on THE THING theme, beautifully played out on the Trans-Siberian Express. Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing are standouts, aided by an impressive character-driven supporting cast. Especially noteworthy are Angel Del Pozo as the monk and Julio Pena as the inspector.
Don't let the flickering glare of the locomotive lights in the beginning credits fool you into thinking that you purchased a poor print. The power of light and darkness will play a significant role in the film, but fortunately without the eyestrain associated with the gimmicky beginning credits.
HORROR EXPRESS has for a long time been a public domain item, with poor copies floating all over the place. But Geneon (Pioneer) has given us an almost flawless print of this respected Euro horror title at a very low price. The images are clear and stable, the colors sharp and clean, the sound full and strong. In fact, Geneon's high quality DVD print of HORROR EXPRESS is worth having, even if you already own a copy of this tremendous film in lesser condition.
I welcome this DVD release with 5 resounding cheers! It is always such a genuine pleasure to find good quality with a lower price tag.

This is for the Image Entertainment(more expensive)DVD, not the Caligula which I understand is cheaper but of very inferior quality. Decided no need to repeat that frustration. This print is not brand new razor perfect, but it is a 35mm transfer, as sharp as I've seen of this film and certainly worth owning. LBX is fine, as this film was only in 1.66:1 anyway. Cushing and Lee are a delight in one of their best teamings ever, and certainly one of the best international horror films of this period. This is definitely a +++ for the collection!! mcastle70@aol.com

Horror legends Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee are booked on the Trans-Siberian Express? There's a beautiful Countess onboard, too? And Telly Savalas shows up and absolutely steals the show? You'd better believe I bought my ticket for this wild ride. Despite a really, really hokey premise, a rather dark movie print, and a lack of major special effects, Horror Express somehow comes off quite well as a traditional sort of horror film with a quality all its own. The setting is the winter of 1906; Sir Alexander Saxon (Christopher Lee) has discovered a two-million-year-old "man" in the frozen wastes of China that may very well be the crucial "missing link." Before his men can even get the precious cargo loaded on the Trans-Siberian Express, a nosy little thief ends up dead, his eyeballs completely white. It just so happens that a Dr. Wells (Peter Cushing), a scientist not unknown to Saxon, is also a passenger on the train, and his curiosity about the strange crate leads to the baggage man's death. When the remarkably living creature escapes and begins a real killing spree aboard the train, rivals Saxon and West team up to try and stop the rampage of the monster. After they saw the heads off of several white-eyed victims, they are amazed to find brains that are wholly smooth. You know what this means, of course - the creature is somehow sucking the very thoughts out of his victim's brains through their eyes. This helps explain the bleeding from the eyes that also seems to accompany death. Just for kicks, the two scientists take a look at a sample of eye fluid from a victim - and what should appear on the slide but the spitting image of the last thing the victim saw. Then they look at a sample from the monster's eye (the monster has transferred his consciousness to another human being by this point, having had his initial host body pumped full of several holes); visions of ancient creatures and a vision of earth from space leads to the obvious conclusion that what we are dealing with here is a living intelligence who came to earth eons ago. In the movie's defense, the idea that the last image a person sees before he dies would be imprinted upon his eyeball was actually entertained by some thinkers as late as the early twentieth century.

From here on out, it's basically a struggle for all the panicked train riders to avoid meeting up with a pair of glowing red eyes until such time as our heroes, Saxon and West, can identify and kill the creature in whatever form he now possesses. A gorgeous Countess and her annoying Rasputin-like associate add to the fun, but it is the appearance of Telly Savalas in the role of Captain Kazan that breathes new life into the final half hour of the film. Savalas gives an unforgettable performance, obviously enjoying the role of the campy Cossack to the hilt. He doesn't appear for very long, but he packs loads of entertainment into that short time period, doing everything but bringing out a lollipop and asking someone "Who loves you, baby?"

In a sense, this is not one of Cushing's or Lee's better performances, in my opinion. Together as allies for once, though, their dual presence carries this film on its shoulders. Other than a filthy creature sporting the worst case of pinkeye you've ever seen, many shots of "ping-pong ball for eyes" victims, and a couple of cranial autopsy procedures, there's not much gore to be found here. The story sounds rather weak but holds itself together quite well, thanks largely to the inestimably grand performances by the great Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Horror Express, aka Panic on the Trans-Siberian Express, is definitely a ride worth taking.

Despite it's schlock horror origins, the thoroughly enjoyable "Horror Express" manages to toss in some interesting twists to the 'monster on the loose' formula. In the late 19th century, Christopher Lee discovers the frozen long-dead corpse of an ape-man, and transports it on the Trans-Siberian express. The creature, of course, is not dead, but revives en route, running amok, and causing "Panic on the Trans-Siberian Express" (the film's alternate title). I won't reveal the film's plot twist, only to say that there's more to this creature than meets the eye...

Horror legends Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing reunite once more in a colourful tale of terror, and as always deliver delightful performances. The film's period setting is memorable, as is the cameo by Telly Savalas as a Cossack officer. The fiery finale, featuring possession, the living dead, and a train wreck is wonderfully entertaining. A marvelous piece of hokum.

I bought this movie after seeing it on TV. It is a decent little horror flick, BUT the copy I got (cover "Different from the one shown", quoted from the remarks by the seller, for used/new marketplace copies) is from Diamond Entertainment. Packaged attractively, professionally, and with some (useless)special features -- don't be fooled, this is a BAD transfer to DVD. Some scenes inexplicably shimmer, as if you were looking at some gently sloooooshing water. Overall, the image quality is BAD, like it was filmed from a film screen rather than a direct transfer from an original source. Watch out. Don't waste hard earned money on bad copies, unless you are desparate.

I am biased, I admit it. Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing are fantastic actors, and I will watch anything they perform in. Much like the late actor Donald Pleasence, they somehow manage to elevate their horror pictures above drivel, into fun and interesting movies to watch. Of course there are exceptions, but usually I cannot find fault with a Lee/Cushing picture, they are worth the price of admission as pure entertainment.

Now, on to this movie. It was a blast. It was a ball. It was fantastic fun, and creepy camera work. It was a truly great horror entertainment. Lee and Cushing thrown together with Telly Savales (terrible, terrible portrayal of a cossack, if I ever saw one, but funny none-the-less. Imagine Kojak tossing out a Russian familiarity name "little grandfather". It's just too bizarre.) against a trainful of cossack zombies and a yeti/missing link monster with glow in the dark eyes and the ability to erase memories (as well as kill you really good.) High art? Maybe not, but I had a ball watching it. I am glad this is in my collection, for the story values (and Lee/Cushing).

Now on to the presentation. The disc has a poor image. Image struck me as scratchy, could have used a little touching up (what the film community would call 'restoration' for higher art films). I don't recall the sound being anything to write home about. It's worth the el cheapo price tag, though.

Is it Hitchcock or Scorsese? Nope. Is it trying to be? Nope. It has a ball with its subject matter. You will too.

Having already reviewed the Full Screen (Alpha video) version, which is quite good for the price, this review is of the Image Widescreen release. This film was also previously released by Simitar and that version has gone out of print. A release by Caligula may still be availabe, but was of poorer quality.

First the picture was only a modest widescreen production and has been correctly framed in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1:66:1. This alone improves a number of shots. The picture, while still not pristine, is much sharper than the previous releases I have seen. There was still some damage to the print, but this film is now over thirty years old. A major restoration aside, alas very unlikely, this is about as good as it is going to get.

The sound was a strong two channel mono available in both English and Spanish. The haunting "Whistling Theme" was well presented. There is also a seperate music and effects track. The Image version also includes the full musical prelude and exit music missing off the other editions. DVD extras are limited to the additional audio tracks and a couple pages of filmography for both of the stars who really make this train go. There are 18 chapter markers but I don't consider those an "extra"! The movie features a wonderful pairing of the late Peter Cushing and his lifelong friend Christopher Lee. Lee can barely contain his glee when Cushing makes his entrance. Christopher Lee (who turned 80 this year!) continues to star in wonderful films, such as "The Lord of the Rings" and "Star Wars" film series as I write this.

As kids, my brother and I used to watch "Horror Express" on early cable. Cable TV then consisted largely of big city TV stations (like NYC's WOR-9) beamed into, by and large, much smaller TV sets. It really is wonderful that the medium of DVD allows a new commercial outlet for these films to be re-released and presented to the next generation. Make some popcorn and get on board the "Express" by ordering a copy today!