HORROR EXPRESS – The Blu Review

Review by Roger Carpenter

At first glance, Horror Express wouldn’t seem to be the type of film a company such as Arrow Video USA would release.  Sure, it’s a European horror film and sure, it’s a bit of a cult film as well.  But the film has had so many budget VHS, DVD, and Blu releases one can’t help but wonder why Arrow would give it any special treatment.

Until you see the film itself.

Horror Express, directed by Spanish journeyman director Eugenio Martin, has two things going for it that many films of this ilk don’t: it’s a well-made, rip-roaring adventure yarn and it’s also much more than a low budget horror offering.

Though the film was made on a very low budget, Director Martin had already had enough experience with low budgets to know how to produce a quality film with few resources.  First and foremost, the story needed to be strong.  Perhaps borrowing some ideas from the classic sci-fi tale Who Goes There?, the scriptwriters created an unsettling atmosphere by using a monster capable of shifting to different bodies as the need arose, thus keeping the passengers guessing as to who exactly was offing them.  Setting the story on a train zipping along the frozen tundra of Siberia essentially trapped the passengers, sealing them into a relatively confined space, which lends the film an air of claustrophobia. This last plot device also allowed Martin to produce the film economically by using only two train cars.  While he filmed scenes in one car the other would be decorated by the set designers.  Once the crew moved to the second car, the set designers then redressed the first car, and so on, as various types of cars—sleeping, eating, storage—were needed.

Not done with the plotline yet, Martin also threw in elements of many genres such as science fiction, mystery/thrillers, romance, and even spy films.  While the result could have been an uneven mishmash of genres which would only serve to confuse audiences, the reality was that each element was perfectly balanced and the actual result was a wildly entertaining little gem that kept audiences on their toes. There is even an army of the undead, controlled by the monster, which rise up and attack the train passengers!  This genre mixing can really muddle a film.  Yet, despite this, Martin manages to concoct a fun and entertaining little film that rattles along just like the train rattles along the tracks.  Though a turn of the century period film, the movie still seems fresh even today, 45 years after its release.  It has the feel of a classic Hammer film.

Gore effects are minimal but were very likely shocking back in 1972, including autopsies which expose the (very unrealistic rubber) brains of some of the victims as well as close-ups of a needle drawing fluid from an actual eyeball, ostensibly human but very likely from a cow or a pig.  While they sound lurid, by today’s standards these effects don’t shock.  The musical score is also strong and features a haunting lullaby-like motif which is repeated throughout the film—even by characters who whistle the tune.

Christopher Lee stars as Sir Alexander Saxton, a British scientist who discovers a two million-year-old fossil which could prove to be the Missing Link.  Discovered in the icy mountains of Manchuria, Saxton must first get the fossil back to England via the Trans-Siberian Express before attempting to unlock its mysteries.  Lee’s real-life friend and collaborator Peter Cushing costars as Dr. Wells, a somewhat more amiable type compared to Saxton’s pompous personality.  Wells and Saxton seem to be rivals and Wells would dearly love to know what’s in the box Saxton so zealously protects.  Supporting characters who mix it up with Saxton and Wells on their long journey through the Siberian wasteland include Count Petrovski (Jorge Rigaud) and his lovely bride Countess Petrovski (Silvia Tortosa), their spiritual adviser Father Pujardov (Alberto de Mendoza), and the beautiful stowaway Natasha (Helga Line).  Telly Savalas makes an appearance as Captain Kazan, leader of the Cossack soldiers who board the train during the journey.

Using the savings created by recycling and redressing the two train cars, Martin was able to hire a solid European cast for the film.  Of course, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing were the primary stars, and readers likely won’t need an introduction to these two iconic actors.  However, others including Albert de Mendoza and Helga Line, were experienced actors in European genre films.  For example, de Mendoza had previously been in gialli like The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail and A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin as well as spaghetti westerns the likes of A Bullet for Sandoval while Line had appeared in pepla (Goliath at the Conquest of Damascus), horror (Nightmare Castle), spaghetti westerns (at least one Sartana sequel), and gialli like So Sweet…So Perverse and My Dear Killer.  And, of course one cannot forget about a pre-Kojak Telly Savalas, here playing a coarse and arrogant soldier who ultimately gets his proper comeuppance. To say the primary cast is strong is an understatement.

Unbeknownst to the train passengers, the “fossil” riding along with them is not made of stone, but flesh and blood, and merely frozen and awaiting warmer temperatures.  As the creature thaws out, it patiently plots its chance to escape, which arrives when Dr. Wells bribes a Russian official to take a peek in the box.  This allows the creature its freedom and mayhem ensues on the train.

Of course, the bonus here is that one can actually see the film as it looked upon its original release.  No more cheap, dark and muddy copies.  Thankfully Arrow has done a brand new 2K restoration from the original film elements, so Horror Express has never looked so good.  And, as per usual, Arrow includes many special features including an audio commentary, an introduction by super fan and Fangoria editor Chris Alexander, and several short documentaries including an interview with director Martin, a discussion about being blacklisted in the McCarthy Era by producer Bernard Gordon, and an interview with composer John Cacavas, who became close friends with Savalas as a result of this film and went on to score all four seasons of Kojak.

Horror Express is a terrific little film. Genre fans probably know it well, and will appreciate the new transfer as well as the additional material while potential new fans will discover what many of us have already known for decades. This film is now available for purchase at Amazon or you can purchase the film directly from Arrow Video at http://www.arrowfilms.co.uk/category/usa/.