Movie Review: Terror Train (1980)
Synopsis: Three years after reluctantly assisting in a fraternity prank that sent a pledge to a mental hospital, a graduating Alana Maxwell joins her classmates at a New Years Eve costume party held on a train. What she doesn't know is one of the guests has murderous intentions.
Who's in it? The movie stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Ben Johnson, David Copperfield, Hart Bochner and Derek McKinnon.
Review: My wife has an almost child-like obsession with trains, and we both love horror films so, when I came across Terror Train last night, I decided to add it to the top of my list and watch it right away. Unfortunately, while this movie seemed to have quite a bit of potential, it did fall a bit short in my opinion.
The overall premise isn't a bad one. The train provided a great setting, both because it was a confined space and because it was moving, making it much more difficult for the intended victims to escape. The costume party was a nice added touch as well because it both made it easier for the killer to move around undetected and kept some mystery about the killer's identity - sure it could have been Kenny (McKinnon) getting his revenge, but it also could have been just about anyone else as well.
My main problem with this film is it is kind of dull. There were plenty of times when it felt less like a horror/slasher movie and more like a David Copperfield magic show because the magician (who played a magician) got a whole lot more screen time than he really needed. Between that and the long stretches between deaths, it was hard to stay invested.
Oh, and what the heck was up with everyone constantly leaving Alana (Curtis) by herself? Seriously. It was becoming a bit of a running joke between my wife and me because, on more than one occasion, she was invited to join the rest of the group (which would make the most sense because there's safety in numbers) only to somehow end up on her own again. Just based on the fact it was a train with a limited amount of space and a large number of people, it seemed like something that shouldn't even be possible.
Even the twist ending wasn't that much of a twist. My wife and I both figured out who the killer was long before the big reveal. It probably wouldn't have been that big of a deal, but that killer proved to be surprisingly easy to defeat once that reveal happened and if there ever was a horror movie that needed a bit more suspense/action in the finale, this was it.
Final Opinion: It was a movie with some promise but ultimately lacked something in the execution department. I'd describe it as OK but nothing memorable.
My Grade: C
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Here are some reviews of other movies that took place on a train:
Movie Review: Breakheart Pass (1975)
Movie Review: The Girl on the Train (2016)
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