Review of Horror Express (1972) by Christina C — 01 May 2008

Entertaining and silly horror film which is worth watching for Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, who always bring a touch of class to anything they do, even a film about an alien-possessed Missing Link draining people's brains out of their eyes on a trans-Siberian train ...

The train is a great setting for this adventure, and the film does a good job of setting the scene and making it feel claustrophobic and isolated. The dialogue and editing is clunky, especially at first, but you just have to suspend disbelief, and there are some great lines (Cushing's "Monsters? We're British!" being the standout).

The film's premise is quite Lovecraftian and has some real potential for interesting debate - hinted at when the film approaches the themes of evolution and religion. However, the film goes for a more straightforward tone overall, with some hilarious pseudo-science.

Basically, films like this are a matter of taste - their silliness and cheap production values can be offputting, but if you can get past those, or rather embrace them, it can make for great entertainment with a hint of potential for greater things!