Customer Reviews

Torture Train [VHS]

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

First off, I am a fan of Italian horror films of the 70's and 80's. I had always wanted to see Night Train Murders, but it was never released in the United States making it nearly impossible to view. Instead of buying a bootleg, which I thought about on several occasions, I waited for its official release. After receiving my DVD, I was pleasently surprised by how good the film was. Like most Italian flicks, they "rip-off" or "borrow" ideas from American films. Zombie borrowed from Dawn of the Dead, The Beyond borrowed from The Shining, Conquest borrowed from Conan the Barbarian, and Night Train Murders borrows from Last House on The Left. So much in fact that it was released as Second House on the Left, New House on the Left, and Last Stop on the Night Train in other parts of the world. Many of the story elements are borrowed from Craven's film debut, including characters and situations. Even though it freely borrowed from Craven's film, I actually came out liking this film better. First of all it has higher production values so the filmmakers were able to heighten the cinematography, and other such aspects. I also liked how Night Train Murders was more disturbing and gritty. There were no awkward comedy moments like the ones present during Last House. There is more character development so you learn to like the two leading actresses more. In turn, since you like them better, you hate the goons more for the violoations they did to them. The director inserts a lot of flair and style while making a truely likeable revenge/exploitation epic that finally gets its just release in the United States. I've been waiting a long time for this film and I greatly thank Blue Underground for releasing a this steller DVD. The picture absolutely looks wonderful and the extra features were great. For fans of Italian horror, this DVD will not disappoint!

I agree that while this film borrowed heavily from Last House on the Left, Night Train Murders is the better of the two. Good production values, excellent cinematography, an Ennio Morricone score, decent acting and a tight script, set Night Train Murders above Last House and other films of this type. The first third of the film introduces the main characters and then gets them on a train (the night before Christmas) that is full of odd, quirky travelers - most of whom seem to be prone to indulging in one perversion or another. The "defilement" section of the film is a gripping, harrowing affair that escalates in viciousness before climaxing in a very brutal fashion. The final act does not live up to the scenes that precede it. While there is another escalation towards a violent outcome, the plot seems to falter in a couple of spots, and the eventual retribution seems tame in comparison to the acts which have ignited it. The character who gets revenge is a surgeon, and when we first see him he is cutting into people (using what looks like real footage) so I was expecting a truly grisly and horrific conclusion. However, the director's desire to keep from glamorizing violence is probably why the ending feels somewhat restrained. As for the DVD itself, the image is pristine throughout most of the film, the sound quality is good and extras include an interesting interview with the director. However, one problem I have with the presentation is that the original Italian audio track with English subtitles is not an option, only an English dub is available. Still, this is another great release from Blue Underground and definitely a film which deserves a larger audience.

If Bunuel had ever made a "genre film" it would have been a lot like this.

I rented this thinking it was going to be just another slasher movie, but imagine my surprise when a few minutes into the movie I realized that the director, Aldo Lado, actually had some talent and shot a film that was not only engaging, but quite beautiful.

I won't ruin the movie by giving away a bunch of spoilers but lets just say two girls on the way home for Christmas have a bad (to say the least) encounter with two petty thieves who are unknowningly being manipulated by a rich (and ultra-seductive) female passenger played by Macha Meril, who was in Bunuel's erotic masterpiece BELLE DE JOUR.

If you're a gorehound looking for wall to wall guts (or nudity) then you'll be disappointed, but if you want to see an intelligently made film about the darker side of human nature then check it out. Make sure you watch the interview with director Lado, very interesting.

Night Train Murders follows the same basic set-up as The Last House on the Left. Two girls are kidnapped by thugs, tortured, raped, and then brutally murdered, and then their parents find out and exact bloody revenge. The setting this time is in Italy, and the plot follows two girls on a series of train rides to one of their parents house. The film starts off much like a film about two innocent tourists. The girls get on the train and have a series of little adventures, not entirely innocent, but innocent and without much fear. However, as their train rides continue, things don't go as planned. Two thugs sneak on board and begin to harass the girls, as well as another female passenger who soon decides to join them on their night of debauchery and mayhem after one of them rapes her.

When the two girls find themselves fearing for their lives and uncomfortable, they take advantage of a somewhat convenient bomb-threat and sneak onboard another train that will get them to their destination about half an hour early. They get on-board only to find that the train is, mostly, deserted and seemingly without lights or electricity. They take a nap in one of the compartments and then wake up later on in the night to have dinner by candlelight. However, during their dinner they soon discover that the thugs, along with their female friend, have sneaked on-board and the two girls find themselves trapped in a horrible nightmare of torture, rape, humiliation, and heartless cruelty.

When the deeds are done the terror still continues. Even after the bodies are violated and disposed of there is still such incredible suspense in it's unfolding of events. When the parents show up to pick the girls up and find the two thugs and the girl at the train station instead, we can feel the slowly building paranoia as the characters realize who they are each dealing with. As the parents come to find out what happened, we truly can feel their sorrow as they realize that they will never see their daughter alive again. Then the revenge aspect comes into play and it is even more shocking than we anticipated. It is not shocking in a gratuitous gorefest kind of sense, but rather it is shocking in that it is obvious that the father who performs these killings is unprepared and inexperienced in such matters. The terror comes from the fact that he is a normal man who is doing something he has never wanted to do. As a result the film is not only horrifying, but it is also an emotional roller coaster ride.

This is one of the most effective horror films I have ever seen. The realism of the situations presented here comes off so authentic and suspenseful that it's practically a guarantee that most viewers' stomachs will be in knots. The film is relentless in it's horror and the way the victims' lives are toyed with. The audience is toyed with as well in several moments of what I could pretty much describe as false hope. The film will likely take an emotional tole on viewers who aren't prepared. This film is far more disturbing than The Last House on the Left due to the unfolding tension. There are no moments of forced dark comedy or cheap style. The film pulls no punches in depicting the last hours of the lives of these two innocent girls. The character of Curly is also far more terrifying than the character of Krug in the original in that he comes across as so simple-minded and yet so screwed up in a realistic way. This is an absolute must-see for all horror fans. This film is a masterpiece, and I'm glad that a modern day version of The Virgin Spring has finally been told in a proper and effective way.

NIGHT TRAIN MURDERS has a lot in common with the movie LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT. The only main difference is that one film uses the subject matter to it's potential, while the other movie doesn't. Allow me to explain what those differences are.

I've never been a huge fan of Wes Craven or his "highly acclaimed" early 70's exploitation film THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT. Back in the late 80's I heard many people (FANGORIA magazine and Horror circles) praise the movie as a "shocking cult classic." Something that stands the test of time and has earned it's place among the greats. People talked about this movie with raised eyebrows and hushed whispers. As if it was some kind of "holy grail" of shock and exploitation cinema.

Need less to say, I was pretty disappointed when I finally saw the actual film. It wasn't anything that it was built up to be. I didn't think it was that scary, bloody or shocking. Sure, some of the idea's might be a little grim in the movie, but that doesn't excuse the fact that it's a terribly over rated film. Maybe the version I watched back in the day was edited (as the MPAA was known to do during that time period) but I don't think any amount of gore could make up for it's short comings. Misplaced humor, unlikeable characters, weak gore sequences. THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT seemed to have it all in terms of what makes a film truly horrible. The bottom line, it's just not that good. Plain and simple.

If there was any movie that was in desperate need of a remake, it was LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT! The basic foundation for a good Horror story was there, it just needed to be executed properly. Sadly, that remake version has already come and gone (back in 2009), fixing very little about what made the original film so bad. The remake definitely upped the ante in terms of blood and guts, while also giving audiences some characters to actually care about this time around. Yet, while fixing some of these old problems from the original movie, they ended up making some mistakes of their own. In the end, the remake was a mixed bag and just barely better than the original film. If you want to see my in depth review on THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT remake, check out my profile for the full review.

So here I am, yet again with another movie that shares elements to THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT. I can't say for sure why I keep watching these cinematic variations of the same film premise. Maybe it has something to do with my love for "revenge" and exploitation movies. Many Horror films have these classic elements to them, but the one that always left a lasting impression on me was I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE. Ever since then, I've been interested in movies where the bad guy gets his "just desserts" in the end. I guess there is just something about watching a horrible act in a film (because it's not real) and then following through with a revenge tactic. Call it a "guilty pleasure" of exploitation cinema. Maybe it's even a form of escapism to me. In the end, there is something just satisfying about movies like these.

NIGHT TRAIN MURDERS pretty much follows the formula of THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, only making some different changes here and there. Strangely enough, the movie is also known as "THE NEW HOUSE ON THE LEFT" in some countries. I guess they just considered it a "follow up" in genre subject matter only. Anyways, the film is about these two girls named Lisa and Margaret who are on their way home from Germany for Christmas vacation. They decide to travel by train, thus starting their adventure home for the holidays. Meanwhile, two street thugs board the same train, looking for some sadistic kicks.

As this plot begins to unfold, another element is thrown at the viewer in the way of social commentary and violence in modern society. We (the audience) bounce back and forth between two groups of older, distinguished, rich couples. We're introduced to Lisa's partents, who are discussing the effects of violence in society, during a lavish dinner party. The other group of people we're introduced to is on the same train our main characters are on. They too are discussing the effects and cause of violence in modern society.

One of the conversationalists is tall blonde woman who is never named in the film, played by the beautiful Macha Meril. You could conclude that this unknown woman represents a part of society that is out of touch with reality. Someone who doesn't actually understand the cause and effect of violence in modern society. At first, it's hard to tell where these two elements fit into the story. Eventually all the pieces start to fit, weather there is a purpose to them or not.

The unknown blonde woman excuses herself from the converation to use the restroom. Along the way, one of the thugs from the beginning of the movie follows her into the restroom and attempts to rape this woman. While do so, the tables become turned and this unknown woman begins to enjoy this sexual advance. It becomes obvious this woman has some double standards considering her conversation earlier in the film. Afterwords, the two thugs and this new woman become a "gang" of sorts. Doing whatever they want on the train.

All of this leads back to our main characters, who are unwillingly forced into a train cab with these three miscreants. From this point on, NIGHT TRAIN MURDERS becomes an exercise in exploitation as the two girls are tortured and raped by the two guys and this older woman. Anyone who has seen THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT knows where this is going. Eventually the two girls are killed and our three villains are some how led into the path of their parents for a little bit of revenge killing. I won't go into details about how they're killed off or the turn of events at the end of the film, but I will say that some things in this movie work and other things not so much.

First of all, the music in this movie is really good. It's done by Ennio Morricone (THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY) and it gives this otherwise Slasher, exploitation, "revenge" film a bit of class. One of the main villains in this movie plays a harmonica, which harks back to Morricone's ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST movie score. It's a nice touch if you ask me.

Gore wise, this film has got the goods but not really all that much. Considering the subject matter and the level of exploitation, I would have expected a little more in terms of blood shed. Sadly, thats one area where this movie lacks. Some parts are gruesome and disgusting, other parts are weak and hidden from the camera. It's almost as if the director was going for more of a reserved perspective. Sorry Gore Hounds, nothing to write home about here. There are a few moments of genuine blood shed and flinch inducing pain but nothing major.

Over all, this film is a little bit better than THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT and it's remake, but it doesn't transcend it's genre into something amazing. If you ask me, I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE still holds first place for the best "revenge" themed Horror movie. Even the remake of I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE beats the living tar out of LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT and it's remake.

In terms of NIGHT TRAIN MURDERS, it's an enjoyable enough film. Perfect for late night parties with your friends and beer. The soundtrack is pretty good and the ending is actually rather haunting when you take into consideration the plot and social commentary through out the movie. Just don't expect anything to blow your mind. For that, just watch the original I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE. If you want more, watch it's remake.

Whatever you do, just stay away from THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT. There are much better "houses" to look at. Trust me!

Hopefully I've been helpful.

Over and out.

Night Train Murders was a brilliant, disturbing and politically charged exploitation film that was released from Italy during the 70's. While the film was basically a Last House On The Left rippoff, it still had the ability to shock and be different than many of the exploitation films from that period. It was directed by Aldo Lado who also made the giallo flicks Who Saw Her Die and Short Night Of The Glass Dolls so he was obviously a skilled director who used alot of flair and style, his camera work was stunning and the use of scenery was gorgeous, the lighting in the compartment with its heavy shades of blue was also amazing. The way these scenes are lit adds to the film's claustrophobic and uneasy feel and his direction was tight. The music was also great and it was done by Ennio Morricone, he makes effective use of a harmonica to announce the arrival of the two criminals/psychos.

Night Train Murders was definitely a high class Euro-trash film with first rate acting and good production values unlike Last House, don't get me wrong though I loved both films although the dubbing job could have been better. Ripping off Wes Craven's exploitation classic The Last House on The Left, Lado's film starts with best friends Margaret played by Irene Miracle (Inferno) and Lisa (Laura D'Angelo) preparing to travel overnight in a train to spend the Christmas holidays with Lisa's parents in Rome. Unfortunately a couple of punks Blackie (Flavio Bucci) and junkie Curly (Gianfranco De Grassi), hitch a free ride on the same train when they board it to escape a policeman who was chasing after them. Once on the train the punks amuse Margaret and Lisa when they ask them to help them hide from the ticket collector, but things soon turn sour when Blackie gets acquainted with a mysterious lady (Macha Meril) while trying to rape her and Curly has a violent confrontation with the ticket collector.

Margret and Lisa get back at their compartment resolving to keep out of harms way for the remainder of their journey. They even change trains when theirs is held up at a station by the police who are keen to arrest Blackie and the others and for a while they seem at ease in their new train having conversations about their next college term and their sex lives (or lack of), but it's at this point that they're joined by Blackie, Curly and their seriously twisted new female accomplice and soon things turn ugly. Macha Meril delivers a chilling performance as the pervert who encourages the street thugs to violate the girls. Meril (who played the doomed psychic in Argento's Deep Red) has an exotic beauty and her devolution from respectable intellectual to a sadistically cruel woman is quite convincing. Earlier in the film you'll notice the character trying to hide some pornographic pictures that fell from her purse from the other passengers and this reveals her dark and sadistic side which she attempts to conceal. The rest of the cast were great too especially the two girls who end up in this sad and horrific situation.

In the 15 minute interview extra on Blue Underground's DVD release, Director Aldo Lado mentions Night Train Murders as equal parts thriller and social commentary and he claims to have never seen Last House On The Left but liked the basic story outline prepared by his producer Roberto Infascelli who had been very impressed by Craven's film. He also says that he wanted to make a statement about society's class conflicts and the way the rich use young proles to commit crimes that satisfy their own secrets and forbidden desires. The Rape and violence was quite disturbing but not as graphic as I Spit On Your Grave or Last House but it still managed to be a very grim and unsettling film and there was a knife scene that's guaranteed to make you cringe, it was quite sick!. Night Train Murders is a fantastic film overall, the likes of which just don't get made anymore and it's a worthy addition to any hardcore horror fan's collection especially those who like these type of well made Italian exploitation/horror films, check it out.

I know this movie was inspired by the Last House on the Left, but there is really no comparison. This is the far better movie. Macha Meril plays a fantastic villian. The acting here is excellent, where in Last House, it was pretty bad all throughout the first half of the movie. The director sets a good tone of appropriate creepiness. The train setting is fantastic, because it gives you a feeling of claustrophobia, there is just no place to go! There is a theme of the "rich taking advantage of the poor to serve their evil needs and getting away with it", and it makes things even more interesting. I think this movie worked better than Last House because it builds a feeling of dread, without the absurd attempts at "comic relief". The revenge aspect wasn't quite as satisfying, but it is more realistic.

Night Train Murders is often called Last House on the Left on a train and make no mistake it's fairly obvious where Night Train Murders got its idea from. It's pretty much the same exact movie at times only difference is set on a train. Basically if you have seen Last House on the Left you pretty much know how this movie will turn out.

Night Train Murders has a lot going for it though; for starters unlike the movie it knocked off there is no comedy here. It's a straight forward movie with no happy ending.

The script by Renato Izzo & Aldo Lado lacks in the character development, but despite that they are able to create real characters as well as make some political statements. Aldo Lado also directs and does a fine job at the pacing of the movie; the first half of the movie is rather slow. Not a whole lot happens as we follow the two teenage girls who despite depth come across as real and likeable people.

Some people might find the first half boring and in many ways I understand why. But despite the slowness I still quite enjoyed it. I liked the two main characters and that helped keep my interest. The scenes with the parents early on are also well done and like the two girls the parents lack depth, but come across as real people.

Night Train Murders does start to get a little boring right before the villains attack the two girls. But it's only a matter of minutes before the movie picks up again. The torture scenes on the train are actually rather tame compared to most movies like this. Though the razor blade scene easily has to rate as one of the most twisted scenes ever; besides that scene while there are some shocking moments and the torture scenes are unpleasant Night Train Murders is though very tame compared too many movies with this style.

The train scenes during the attack are very well done; first off it's well shot and beautifully lit. The blue lighting used really is amazing and adds to the tension. The girls are stuck with these terrible people and you feel as if you are stuck with them as well. Anything that might be lacking in those scenes is made up for with the feel of claustrophobia.

The villains are pretty much a poor mans version of the villains from Last House on the Left, Flavio Bucci as Blackie even has a resemblance to David Hess. Despite that the villains work well for the most part and are very unlikable. In movies like this even when the villains pay for their crimes there is no happy ending due to what came before. But Night Train Murders while offers nothing really different to this genre doesn't have your typical ending.

Like in real life not everybody pays for their crimes and while there is revenge in Night Train Murders not everybody gets what's coming to them. While it's some what disappointing it also keeps the movie a little more real. The two thugs are worthless vile people who truly get what they deserve, but I thought the most interesting part was the fact the Lady on the Train played by Macha Meril was probably the most sadistic.

The lower class will often pay for their crimes, which they should; but many times the upper class even if more ruthless a lot of the times get away with what they have done. Some of these aspects help keep Night Train Murders feel very real. The revenge scenes were solid, but they could have maybe lasted a little longer. They are too quick, but at the same time get the job done.

While Night Train Murders may not be the best this genre has to offer and the torture scenes are tame compared to other movies like this, it still works well and is rather unpleasant to watch. Even when the movie ends you still feel a bit down due to what came before it. For those looking for something hardcore you won't find it here, but Night Train Murders is quite well done in my opinion.

Italian cinema in the 1970's, the home of cheap imitations and ruthless money obsessed producers whose last concern was the creative or artistic endeavours of their directors. Despite the mercenary capitalism of Italian film production, a few genre films of note drifted out of the mediocrity. Aldo Lado's 1975 effort "The Night Train Murders" lies in that perilous middle ground between an interesting film with some value and a shameless rip off, of in this case, Wes Craven's "Last House on the Left". From a narrative point of view the films are identical and so is the rather feeble moral message about violence and the society that breeds it. Naturally the sadistic sexual violence is deeply unpleasant and its impact is increased by Ennio Morricone's Spartan and uncharacteristically minimalist soundtrack (excluding the truly awful Demis Roussos theme song). This brutality left me rather hollow and empty. However Lado's does have cultural value. It builds on a concern present in many Lado films, which is the uncompromising exploitation of a younger permissive generation by a bored, apathetic and dangerously decadent bourgeoisie. What gives this film added virulence is that the bourgeious is represented by an astonishingly sadistic woman. She plays the young thugs like mindless puppets as they act out her darkest and sickest fantasies. The films conclusion punishes the young thugs with death, but the female sadist survives which implicitly suggests that bourgeious exploitation will continue. The same message can be found in Lado's superior giallo "Short Night of Glass Dolls". The film is made with polish and style by Lado, who is an accomplished director, he eschews the rough and ready cinema verite approach of Craven, to produce a uniquely European take on this revenge tale. However this doesn't excuse the film or the sour taste it leaves in the mouth.

Firstly this film does copy the Last House on the Left but to be fair Last House is a remake of an earlier Ingrid Bergmann film called the virgin spring and not in itself an original. I think this film is a far more powerful animal. The direction is excellent and the cinemaphotography really captures how alone on a busy train you can be. The scene in the carriage is disturbing and very uncomfortable to watch and in my opinion delivers. The performance of Macha Meril is particularly sleazy and reinforces the class issues the film is dealing with. The two young thugs are reprehensible in their actions but it is the middle class woman who is calling the shots and directing them in their heinous acts. Good performances all round excellent transfer and letterbox. Extras round out the disc with a good interview with Aldo Lado. If I had a complaint I would have preferred the original Italian language. This would have enhanced the feeling of the film as dubbed tracks rarely work. One of the better Euro exploiters give it a spin.