Its been a while since my last post. For that I apologize. I guess I just ran out of steam or something. Anyway back into it now and ready to face another year! And what better way to start off than with a Hammer Horror classic, Horror Express?
Anything with Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing in it is going to be pretty cool. No worries there. This time round its a retrospective look at a failed Chinese venture that ended in disaster. Like every “Hammer Horror” movie I’ve reviewed here this one is impeccably shot and produced for the time and the dialogue is oooohhhh so English. You can’t help but love it.
THE PLOT
The movie starts out in China. Set in the early 1900’s, with some strange cargo being transported to Russia on the famed Trans Siberian Express by a Dr. Alexander Watson (Lee). From the start the cargo provokes a reaction in a spiritualist who is riding on the train with some wealthy aristocrats from Poland. Is it as dangerous as he proclaims it to be? It would appear so. The cargo is a long frozen creature, that thaws out on the train ride and sets itself free by picking the lock of the container it was being transported in (this part was hard to believe) wreaking havoc on the patrons of the train. One by one people start dying in a gruesome fashion. Watson tries to rationalise what is going on with science. (This is my other criticism of the plot.) The science doesn’t make sense. Probably not even from the point of view from the year 1900. There are some great occult references though. Small criticisms aside, the movie moves along quite well, and flows naturally for the most part.
THE VERDICT
Overall Horror Express is a great film. But to be fair I’m a little biased as I’ve long been a sucker for these films. Christoper Lee puts in a sterling performance and the film is well made and as usual with Hammer films it is captivating from start to finish with both production values and their innate ability to spin a great yarn. There’s some level of gore or blood and guts to keep the gore fiends among us happy (but it is a little dated but still punches at a very respectable level for the time of production) but if you can appreciate a great film this is definitely one you should keep on the radar.
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