MovieChat Forums > Terror Train (1980) Discussion > More entertaining than Prom Night, but l...

More entertaining than Prom Night, but lacks Halloween's brilliance

posted 11 years ago by RyanCShowers
6 replies | jump to latest

http://feelthefilms.wordpress.com/2013/07/31/terror-train/

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 cliches 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: 5/10

Grade: C+

Feel the Films: A Blog by R.C.S. -> http://feelthefilms.wordpress.com/

[–] shmucking 11 years ago

Well-written review. I liked the movie more than you did. I thought the magician was handled very well, and it was interesting how much he looked like the Doc character. I liked the conflict between the two of them, and how the magician seemed suspicious. Also, the actor who played the killer was very effective. I also was somewhat annoyed by Jamie Lee Curtis's character. Curtis was convincingly emotional, but I got tired of her ragging on Doc about how she didn't like what he did. There were some unusually well-executed scenes, like when the first victim is stabbed and nobody believes him, and when Doc is carrying Moe's body and everyone thinks he's joking. It had an eerie quality to it.

[–] thecultofhorror 11 years ago

I enjoyed it. The imagery of the last ten minutes, Jamie Lee in the cage, the killer smashing the lights while wearing that old hag mask was awesome. It sold the film for me, I was take it or leave it until that scene.

[–] Doc110894 11 years ago

I kind of prefer Prom Night over Terror Train.

[–] darrellthedestroyer 10 years ago

I like terror train more than prom night, but i havent seen prom night in years so i may have to revisit soon.

http://wildcinemamoviereviews.blogspot.co.uk

[–] ElectricWarlock 10 years ago

All three movies are great, but I think I'd rate this third against Prom Night and Halloween. Prom Night had more fun characters and the disco music was wonderful and of course Halloween is perhaps the greatest slasher film ever made. This one is still very good, though.

[–] brandonhelee 9 years ago

I agree with horror2 a little bit in that I love all three films but as for rankings mine would be slightly different.

Halloween(1978) is clearly the best of the bunch.
Terror Train(1980) I enjoy more than Prom Night has more a energy to it.
Prom Night(1980) is a fantastic film all the way around in my books.