MovieChat Forums > Terror Train (1980) Discussion > The Official Body Count (SPOILERS)

The Official Body Count (SPOILERS)

posted 17 years ago by furrailroad
6 replies | jump to latest

O.K. Folks, this subject has been brought up a number of times so here goes. An official body count of victims in Terror Train in order of their death viewed in the film.

Victim #1 - "Ed" (Groucho Costume)
Cause of Death: Sword through the stomach / Run over by train
Comments: Killed at train station before start of trip. Costume stolen by killer in order to sneak into the crowd unnoticed.
Disposition: Sliced in half body to be found in train yard the next morning.

Victim #2 - "Jackson" (Lizard Man Costume)
Cause of Death: Head cracked open in sleeping car toilet.
Comments: THE BLACK GUY DIDN'T DIE FIRST!!! Costume also stolen by killer to be used in a later killing (see victim #3).
Disposition: Body either thrown off train or hidden in sleeper bed.

Victim #3 - "Mitchy" (Witch Costume)
Cause of Death: Strangled in sleeping car berth.
Disposition: Body to be removed from sleeping car the next morning.

Victim #4 - "Moe" (Parrot Costume)
Cause of Death: Stabbed in Club Car
Comments: How the hell did he get stabbed in full view of a car full of people? Body moved by "Doc" to sleeping car.
Disposition: Body to be removed from sleeping car the next morning.

Victim #5 - "Walter" (Locomotive Engineer)
Cause of Death: Unknown, Head wound???
Comments: People have asked just why the murderer killed the engine crew, I believe it was to get the conductor and Charlie the Brakeman out of the way since they were snooping around after discovering Jackson and Mitchy. Without the crew they had to run the locomotive.
Disposition: More than likely thrown from train, to be discovered by railroad crew/police the next morning.

Victim #6 - "Shovels" (Locomotive Fireman)
Cause of Death: Unknown
Comments: What was he doing while Walter was getting killed??
Disposition: Same as Walter

Victim #7 - "Doc" (Monk Costume)(Cause of murderers insanity)
Cause of Death: Dicapatited in drawing room of Pullman sleeper.
Comments: The one victim that deserved it.
Disposition: Body to be removed from train the next morning.

Victim #8 - "Donnly" (The black Redcap/porter)
Cause of Death: Sword through stomach.
Comments: Killed in sitting room of Pullman sleeper while guarding Jamie Lee Curtis.
Disposition: Body to be removed from train the next morning.

Victim #9 - "The Magician"
Cause of Death: Trapped in box, sword through head.
Comments: If you follow the time line, the magician was probably killed right after the train made an emergency stop and before "Doc" was killed.
Disposition: Body to be removed from lounge car the next morning.

Victim #10 - "Charley" (Train Brakeman) (UNCONFIRMED)
Cause of Death: Unknown.
Comments: Charleys death is never actually seen, however since the killer fools Jamie Lee Curtis into believing he's Charley buy wearing his uniform it's probably a good bet that he's dead.
Disposition: Probably thrown off (see comments of victim 11), to be found by railroad crew/police next day.

Victim #11 - "Kenny" (THE MURDERER)
Cause of Death: Hit with shovel, falls off train while crossing bridge, falls into river after landing hard on ice.
Comments: Kenny falls through open door of the train work car which is probably open due to Kenny throwing off Charley's body. Also if the engine crew and Charley are dead who's running the engine while the conductor is smacking him around with a shovel??
Disposition: Body to be dragged from River, if found.

Official Count: 11 (10 confirmed and 1 unconfirmed)
-This does not count the cadaver in the beginning, she was not a murder victim.
-Also I have never been able to understand if "Pet" (the girl trying to bang Moe) is murdered. She is never seen or heard from again after Moe leaves her in his room.

So there you go.

[–] moviematt71 17 years ago

Hi furrailroad,

First off, so cool that there are others out there as into these flicks as I am.

Second, one correction...Mitchy's throat was cut off screen. She wasn't strangled.

I like your "disposition" comments. :) And I could never figure out Moe's death either. It seemed that they were trying to be "magical" about it. I feel that Kenny (as the assistant) slipped by him and stabbed him during the magic show. Using my imagination. Do people even do that anymore?!

Also, the issue of Pet was either bad writing or sloppy editing. I love this film, but it was a little uneven in places. It kinda dragged on in spots.

This is up to debate, but I feel that "Prom Night" established key characterization in the slow parts (and did drag on a bit – again, debatable) before the first murder. Ex: Weak in how Jude could be friends with Kim after she “killed” her sister 6 years before.

Compartmentalization anyone?

[–] Squonkamatic 17 years ago

Aside from the opening segment with the prank the whole movie is a dream or nightmare concocted by Alana's subconscious as a way to get revenge for having involved her in the prank, so logic questions like who was driving the train don't apply. If you watch it again pay attention to the reaction of the crowd and Doc's growing hysteria after Moe is killed. It's a play on one of those public humiliation nightmares where you are trying to get people's attention and nobody believes you. Since there was no opportunity for Kenny to have knifed Moe during the magic act his murder is part of that fantasy or nightmare, and the purpose of his dying was to push Doc over the edge and set him up for his ultimate punishment meted out by a killer hiding somewhere that only blind luck could have placed him.

If you watch the movie closely a LOT of things don't make sense and it's easy to write them off as just low budget filmmaking with blunders. I say the inconsistancies are due to physical reality being suspended because you are in a dream world. For me the key to the puzzle is the scene where Kenny appears outside of the train window and sort of revolves around in midair. How did he do that? The answer can only be that it didn't really happen, she invented it.

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] moviematt71 16 years ago

Yes, but Jude "knew." Would you want a "friend" like that?

[–] Bub_the_zombie 16 years ago

The writer of Terror Train DID base this movie on a dream he had about a killer on a train...after watching Halloween and Silverstreak. Sounds kind of logical.

"You can't triple stamp a double stamp. You can't triple stamp a double stamp."

[–] ScorpionTDC 12 years ago

Doc is the one who deserved to die LEAST :/
The only complex character in the whole film..... Plus, he actually tried to help SAVE Alana!

Alana deserved it most! What a bitch!!

Death Awaits you (Horror forum)
http://w11.zetaboards.com/Death_Awaits/index/