A Brilliant Conflict

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Jamie Lee Curtis stars as one of many graduating college students who board a train to celebrate, but a killer with a grudge(for a cruel prank used against him four years earlier) disrupts the festivities, as he begins murdering the passengers, and donning their costumes(part of the party) in order to fool them. Magician David Copperfield plays a magician(naturally!) and veteran actor Ben Johnson plays the no-nonsense train conductor, determined to get the killer.Film builds some atmosphere in the snowy wastes outside the train(it is wintertime) and Ben Johnson is appealing,(most of the characters are not) but is otherwise dreary and predictable, and sometimes defies logic(killer seems to be a real magician!) Good ending cannot save it.

Jamie Lee Curtis electrifies the opening scene of Terror Train with her beaming, toothy smile. She was a beautiful young actress. Sadly, because of her trite label as the "Scream Queen," I believe she never reached her full potential. She was terrific in A Fish Called Wanda, True Lies, and even Halloween, but she could've really been a talent. However, she settled for something that may not be as prestigious, but is just as remembered as an Academy Award: being the face of a genre that always draws fans. She's very good in Terror Train; although it feels like a very similar role to those she portrayed in Halloween and Prom Night, there's something stronger about the character that makes Curtis work standout more.There are some stereotypical college partying scenes and generic characters, but Terror Train is very entertaining. With movies such as this, you can't judge them on a regular film rating scale that you would judge film such as The Godfather, Taxi Driver, or Citizen Kane with. Instead you have to look at what's in front of you. Terror Train isn't a film with ambitious goals to meet, it's meant to purely entertain its audience and it does an acceptable job at that. It's a decent of the genre and for what it sets out to be. The exposition of horror films in the 1980s was dreadful, all falling to the same fate. They barely involve the viewer in the characters or the story, they keep them afar from the action. Terror Train has traces of that in explaining the characters, besides the character of Jamie Lee Curtis and the train conductor. All the other indistinguishable characters are expressed to have no moral values. Other problems Terror Train runs into is the convenient plot devices working in the plot's favor (the train used take has no radio...hmm?). Sometimes the screenplay has the characters do things just to say they did them without, but the plot wasn't advanced by said action. The choreography of the final chase scene was so sloppy; it was probably put together a few minutes before shooting.Setting can sometimes make or break a horror film, and I love the setting in Terror Train! It's ominous, spooky, and gives a distinctive quality to the horror flick. Hitchcock used trains a lot in his films, the setting serves as an homage to the legend in a way. The different color of lights are used to create mood and it's mostly effective. The villain works in Terror Train very well. It's a different take on the antagonist in a horror film, the mask at the beginning was my favorite face of the killer. Terror Train holds the anticipation of the killings, but its a film that rejects the graphic violent scenes. I'm not sure if it adds to retracts the film's overall quality, but it's certainly noticed with each death. Is Terror Train bursting with originality? No. Does it use clichés of the 1980s horror films? Yes. It's not an expertly made film, but I did enjoy the time I spent watching it. It's more entertaining than Prom Night, but lacks Halloween's brilliance and insight. Rating: 5/10Grade: C+

I didn't even know this film existed until I saw it at HMV, I picked it up along with a couple other scream-factory Blu-rays. I honestly didn't have high hopes for this film, but it actually wasn't too bad. As usual the cover art is great, very appreciated from a fan of collector editions.I have to say, the first 15 minutes were awful, you get some stupid kids pulling pranks and yelling constantly. But once they got on the train, the film picked up. I didn't think a train setting could be pulled off as well as it was in this film, it's a great change of pace for a slasher film. The train almost feels cozy and has a good atmosphere to it. Jamie lee Curtis wasn't as useless as she was in The Fog, which was refreshing. The kills weren't over the top and sickening, I'm okay with that. My favourite character was Ben Johnson as the conductor, it's rare for an older man to be the star of a horror film. Then we got David Copperfield doing magic tricks, which were interesting. I biggest complaint is how the film went on and on, when it should have already ended.Overall, it was a pretty enjoyable film, I recommend it to fans of slasher films. Even if you are not a fan, it's still a good waste of time.

Terror Train starts off with young people around a campfire checking each other out. The scene is awkward and strange with kid's furtive glances over the big fire outdoors. We see a group of young guys teasing each other about sex which leads to a sick joke played on someone in the group. A scene that doesn't wrap up well. Later, the same group is on a train for a Halloween party to end all. The interior car sets are excellent and the cars even rock back and forth while the characters party. A nice touch. The lighting, the colors, the costumes are all great. Oddly enough, even though the cars are small and cramped at times, the film doesn't seem claustrophobic, just tight. The problem here isn't with the familiar 10 Little Indians story. The problem is with the characters. There isn't anyone likable here. Is that intentional so we don't mind if one by one they are all bumped off? At times it does seem like they focused on most of the unpleasant characters. Even the so-called hero of the film isn't really that likable. With that in mind there is sort of a lack of punch here. Even when it is confirmed who the killer is it isn't suspenseful. It is just creepy because of the way the actor portrayed his part. He/she isn't likable either. So if a horror film is to be successful we are all told that there must be someone to root for and that isn't here. Other than that though, the film has a unique atmosphere and isn't bad. I doubt anyone will want to sit through it over & over though like Halloween.