In 1906, in China, a British anthropologist discovers a frozen prehistoric creature and must transport it to Europe by train.
The nightmare train is pulling back into the station once more. “Horror Express” has run from every medium that it can since it was released in 1972. But Arrow Video is finally here delivering the screams in a brand new 2K scan made from the original film elements that breathes new life into a living (and undead) cocktail of fear.
“Horror Express” follows Alexander Saxton (Christopher Lee) who has made an anthropological breakthrough in a fossil found in Manchuria. He loads the fossil into a large crate that is to be boarded on the Trans-Siberian Express to Moscow, but before the train leaves the station, a body appears near the crate with its eyes wiped clean. When a Catholic monk named Father Pujardov (Alberto de Mendoza) claims the contents of the box to be of the work of Satan, Saxton dismisses him and prepares to leave the station.
Once aboard the train, we meet our ensemble of characters including Doctor Wells (Peter Cushing), Marion Petrovski (George Riguad), Irina Petrovski (Silvia Tortosa), and Inspector Mirov (Julio Peña). During their travels, both a security guard and baggage handler are found dead. In this investigation of trying to identify the murderer, they find the crate that once held the two-million-year-old fossil empty, alive, and on the loose.
First, a key element to recognize about the “Horror Express” is that it’s not just a film about a loose fossil on a train, the film has got a perfect mix of a giant monster, zombies, evil incarnate, guns, murder-mystery, spies, body swapping, and the keys to the Earth’s history. This may seem like a lot to throw into the 84 minute run time but it keeps a constant pace that allows for an ever-evolving story that keeps the viewer ready to see what happens next. And for repeat viewers, generates a recurring wave of excitement to see these twists and turns again as the train barrels throw Siberia. It’s easy to see a murder mystery on a train as just being another Agatha Christie novel come to life but by pushing the limits of the story elements and allowing for each character to bring something new into the mix, “Horror Express” becomes a thrill ride that creates a true sense of anxiety as it manipulates the compact space of the train car into a field of fear.
Beyond the different set pieces and story, the real thrill for horror fans is getting to see the comradery between Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. While each of these horror icons had many successes individually, it’s in the work in the Hammer Films that the two began to shine together. Though this duo most of the time were always paired as rivals in a sort of star-off. So by the time “Horror Express” comes along, we’re introduced to Cushing and Lee as longtime colleagues who, despite their differences, look at each other with a sense of mutual respect. As the films progresses, so does their friendship in which they begin to actually work together to defeat the monster as opposed to facing themselves. Their characters have the signature taste that Lee and Cushing bring to their movies but have a more unique dynamic between them that is special to Horror Express.
This film, while gaining both high audience and critic praise in the UK and Spain, didn’t fare well in the United States market. It was only a given a small run by its U.S distributor which included a very poorly done poster that just featured a purple colored still of the beast and one of its victims. The poster didn’t show any of the stars, indicate anything about the story, or include any original artwork. In a time of where theaters are being blasted with lower budget horror, a good poster could make all the difference. Since then, this film has gotten picked up and tossed around from theater to VHS to television and eventually to DVD. In all these formats the film has never really looked that good. The story was always there and features some moments the viewer can never unsee but nothing that compels it forward as this new scan does. It’s vibrant, has truly dark blacks and makes the audience feel as if they’re on the train with Cushing and Lee like never before. It’s very exciting to see this movie pumped out back into distribution by Arrow Video and is a great way to see it and introduce it to a friend without being a damaged VHS in the bottom of the resale bin.
*In the review, I mention a specific poster used in its original distribution. Here is a link to that poster.
Available on a Special Edition Blu-ray February 12th
