Horror Express (1972)

Ratare Uzant:

6.4/10   

Regizor:

Eugenio Martín

Writers (WGA):

Arnaud d'Usseau (screenplay) and
Julian Zimet (screenplay) (originally as Julian Halevy)

Release Date:

IANUARIE 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Replica Esantion:

Can it be stopped?

Plot:

An English anthropologist has discovered a frozen monster in the frozen wastes of Manchuria which he believes may be the Missing Link...

Plot Keywords:

Monster | Anthropologist | Train | China | Fossil

Awards:

1 win

Comentarii uzant:

Great Yarn

Cast

Christopher Lee	...	Prof. Sir Alexander Saxton (as Cristopher Lee)
Peter Cushing	...	Dr. Wells
Alberto de Mendoza	...	Father Pujardov
Silvia Tortosa	...	Countess Irina Petrovska
Julio Peña	...	Inspector Mirov
Ángel del Pozo	...	Yevtushenko (as Angel del Pozo)
Helga Liné	...	Natasha
Alice Reinheart	...	Miss Jones
José Jaspe	...	Conductor Koniev
George Rigaud	...	Count Maryan Petrovski (as Jorge Rigaud)
Víctor Israel	...	Luggage Worker
Faith Clift	...	American Passenger
Juan Olaguivel	...	Creature (as Juan Olaguibel)
Barta Barri	...	First Telegraphist
Peter Beckman

Cunoscut si ca:

Pánico en el Transiberiano (Spain)
Panic in the Trans-Siberian Train (International: English title)

Lungime Film:

USA:90 min | USA:88 min | Spain:84 min

Tara:

UK | Spain

Limba:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Mixaj Sunet:

Mono

Certificare:

Finland:K-16 (1990) | Australia:M | Norway:15 | Spain:13 | UK:15 (video rating) (1994) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R | Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Estudios Madrid 70, Daganzo, Madrid, Spain

Company:

Benmar Productions

Stiati ca:

Most of the film was shot without audio recording, the soundtracks and dialog were all added in post production. Stars Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, and Telly Savalas provided their own voices for the films English release.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: In the opening credits of the English-language VHS version, Christopher Lee's name is misspelled as "Cristopher".

Quotes:

Dr. Wells: What are you going to astound the scientific world with this time?
Professor Saxton: You'll read about it in the Society's annual report. A remarkable fossil.
Dr. Wells: Fossil? But you've got something live in there, I heard it.
Professor Saxton: You're mistaken!
Dr. Wells: You won't need to feed it then.
Professor Saxton: The occupant hasn't eaten in two million years.
Dr. Wells: That's one way to economize on food bills.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Svengoolie: Horror Express" (1997)

Great Yarn

Judged on its own terms--as a 70s ghoul movie--this film should be rated a 10 out of 10! The plot is well-structured and tightly directed, and contains lots of great elements: 1906 setting, fancy trans-Siberian train ride, a ghoul, a mad monk, alien theorizing a-la-X-files, zombie soldiers stalking, Peter Cushing sawing the top of somebody's head off, a beautiful spy, eyeballs in a dish, a beautiful Polish Countess, and, believe it or not, it's all very cohesive! That's an admirable achievement

And the acting is great. The Monk is a scene-stealer. Christopher Lee gets to play a testy, priggish Edwardian scientist, and he does it very well. Cushing's character plays off Lee's stodginess as a laid-back deal-maker(yes, he actually smiles and cracks jokes)These two performances prove that Lee and Cushing were both gifted and versatile actors. Telly Savalas arrives for the final act, and proceeds to strut around and chew up the scenery on a level that would make Rod Steiger or Al Pacino jealous. This movie is one of the best of its type. Yes, in the first two minutes you can see signs of a limited budget, and yes, the microscope scene is ludicrous, but in a way, on the level of imagination and poetic license, it's pure genius.

Corrections: a certain "Dik" offered this information while commenting:

1. "An Italian film".(It's a Spanish/UK production) 2. "Lee plays an American Scientist"(the first thing you hear in the movie is Lee saying he is part of the ROYAL Archeological Society, and there's also a lengthy exchange about his character's Englishness: "Queen Victoria, crumpets, Shakespeare"...etc.(The commentator actually goes on about how Lee's portrayal of an American reflects how foreigners view Americans. Well...there's a little problem with that idea, isn't there?)