Christopher Lee

Peter Cushing

Telly Savalas

Alberto de Mendoza

Silvia Tortosa

Julio Peña

Ángel del Pozo

Helga Liné

Alice Reinheart

José Jaspe

George Rigaud

Víctor Israel

Faith Clift

Juan Olaguibel

José Marco

José Canalejas

Vicente Roca

Hiroshi Kitatawa

Barta Barri

Peter Beckman

Allen Russell

Fernando Villena

Eugenio Martín

Arnaud d'Usseau

Julian Zimet

Bernard Gordon

Gregorio Sacristán

Alejandro Ulloa

John Cacavas

Robert C. Dearberg

Ramiro Gómez

José María Ramos

Rafael Berraquero

Fernando Florido

Romana González

Julián Ruiz

María Nieves Ruiz

Juan Gracia

Gil Carretero

Vicente Escrivá hijo

John Chisholm

Jesús Mateos

Rafael Pérez Murcia

Julián Martín

Manuel Ferreiro

Antonio Illán

Luis López Díaz

Enrique Molinero

Pablo Pérez

Fernando Pérez

Teo Escamilla

Simón López

Luis Peña

Antonio Vega

Andrés Fernández

Charles Simminger

Carmen Alonso

Fernando Megino

Mari Carmen Taberner

Katrina Bayonas

José Luis Rubio

Isabel Ruiz Capillas

John W. Campbell Jr.

Horror

Pánico en el Transiberiano

Benmar Productions

Granada Films

Sincronía

Spain

United Kingdom

English

Español

Horror Express

monster

based on novel or book

loss of loved one

monk

expedition

cossack

alien

train

creature

gothic horror

stockings

anthropologist

whipping

siberia

fossil

hidden identity

pair of evil eyes

crate

One of our links is missing!

It's as nutty as a Dundee Cake is Horror Express, but a wonderful slice of horror it is. Boasting Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing as a twin elegant force that are fighting evil, pic is in safe hands. As the title suggests, story takes place on a train, a Trans-Siberian Express no less. Anthropologist Prof. Sir Alexander Saxton (Lee) has discovered a creature frozen during one of his mountain expeditions, and has it safely locked up during the train journey. Yeah, right! Pretty soon grisly deaths start occurring so Saxton and Dr. Wells (Cushing) must find out what the beast is and how to stop it - if it can be stopped that is...

It's a splendid amalgamation of films like And Then There Were None and The Thing from Another World. Although it's often cheap looking, the modest budget actually makes the "B" movie roots engage rather than hinder. Telly Savalas' introduction late in the day doesn't make a lot of sense, and he hams it for all he's worth, but again there's a horror charm about it as the blood does flow and eyeballs do pop. While the revelation and modus operandi of the creature, the science aspects of it, contains good thought and doesn't insult the viewers in spite of the nuttiness of it all.

Great fun, so go buy a ticket and get on board. 7.5/10 

***Originally titled "Panic on the Trans-Siberian Express"*** 

A British anthropologist (Christopher Lee) discovers a frozen prehistoric “missing link” in 1906, Manchuria, and transports it to Europe by train. All hell breaks loose when the eerie thing escapes and preys on the passengers. Peter Cushing plays a colleague while Telly Savalas hams it up as an intimidating Cossack officer in the last act.

A joint UK/Spanish production, “Horror Express” (1972) isn’t a Hammer film, but it has the aura of one, and I love Hammer films. The best way to describe it is as a meshing of "The Thing,” "Murder On The Orient Express," “Ten Little Indians,” "Trog," "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" and a few Hammer flicks with Lee & Cushing. The horrific creature obviously influenced Chris Claremont’s Proteus, aka Mutant X, in the X-Men comic seven years later.

You might be curious as to why I included "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" in the list; it's because the quality score by in John Cacavas will bring to mind that popular Western composition, except that it's a more eerie and fitting for early 70’s horror. Another highlight is that it features two gorgeous redheads: Helga Line, who was 39 years-old during shooting, and 24 year-old Silvia Tortosa as a Countess.

In its time "Horror Express" was cutting edge horrific entertainment. It may be dated now, but the film at least takes its subject seriously and is never campy. I’d give it a higher rating except that it loses its mojo in the last act and becomes dull. Up to that point, though, this is stellar early 70’s Gothic horror.

The film runs 88 minutes and was shot in Madrid, Spain.

GRADE: B

CinemaSerf

Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Telly Savalas - yes, Kojak himself, star in this Anglo-Spanish horror flick about a beastie unearthed in China that wreaks havoc on the train that is bringing it back to Europe. The story is actually quite good; though the quality of the print I saw was pretty dreadful so sadly it became more of a perseverance exercise, than one of enjoyment. The direction is quite taut, and it builds to quite an exciting crescendo. As you'd expect, the music and dubbing are not quite what they might be, and the exterior sets could do with some more glue - but that isn't too off-putting. Give it a go.

Horror Express (1972) - Trailer

Joe Dante on HORROR EXPRESS

Horror Express( 1972)

A nightmare of terror travelling aboard the Horror Express!

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A review by John Chard

Written by John Chard on Sat Nov 28 2015

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