Horror Express (1973)

Director:

Eugenio Martín

Writers (WGA):

Arnaud d'Usseau (screenplay) and
Julian Zimet (screenplay) (originally as Julian Halevy)

Release Date:

January 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Can it be stopped?

Plot:

An English anthropologist (Christopher Lee) has discovered a frozen monster in the frozen wastes of...

Plot Keywords:

Eye | Chess | Sword | Murder | Thief

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Christopher Lee	...	Sir Alexander Saxton
Peter Cushing	...	Dr. Wells
Alberto de Mendoza	...	Father Pujardov
Silvia Tortosa	...	Countess Irina Petrovska
Julio Peña	...	Inspector Mirov
Ángel del Pozo	...	Yevtushenko (as Angel del Pozo)
Helga Liné	...	Natasha
Alice Reinheart	...	Miss Jones
José Jaspe	...	Conductor Koniev
George Rigaud	...	Count Maryan Petrovski (as Jorge Rigaud)
Víctor Israel	...	Luggage Worker
Faith Clift	...	American Passenger
Juan Olaguivel	...	Creature (as Juan Olaguibel)
Barta Barri	...	First Telegraphist
Peter Beckman

Also Known As:

Pánico en el Transiberiano (Spain)
Panic in the Trans-Siberian Train (International: English title)
Dödsexpressen (Sweden) [sv]
Expresso do Horror (Brazil) (DVD title) [pt]
Kauhun pikajuna (Finland) (video title) [fi]
Terreur dans le Shanghaï-Express (France) [fr]

Runtime:

USA:90 min | USA:88 min | Spain:84 min

Country:

UK | Spain

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Norway:15 | Spain:13 | UK:15 (video rating) (1994) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R | Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Estudios Madrid 70, Daganzo, Madrid, Spain

Company:

Benmar Productions

Trivia:

Peter Cushing arrived in Spain for filming and immediately told producer Bernard Gordon that he could not do the picture, as he felt it was too soon after his wife's death. Christopher Lee convinced Cushing to stay on by reminiscing with him about the previous films they'd worked on together, much to the relief of Gordon.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The military forces are not correctly dressed. The first one – O'Regan - is in a blue suit with red epaulets with a star on his service cap. Stars only appeared after the revolt.

Quotes:

Dr. Wells: What are you going to astound the scientific world with this time?
Professor Saxton: You'll read about it in the Society's annual report. A remarkable fossil.
Dr. Wells: Fossil? But you've got something live in there, I heard it.
Professor Saxton: You're mistaken!
Dr. Wells: You won't need to feed it then.
Professor Saxton: The occupant hasn't eaten in two million years.
Dr. Wells: That's one way to economize on food bills.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Stargate (1994)

Great teaming of Cushing and Lee in horrific chiller

A sadly neglected and underrated horror story. Every avid fan of either Christopher Lee or Peter Cushing should see it! Consider the setting; a trainload of passengers on the Transsiberian Express, with no way to go -trapped with a spooky prehistoric monster! It has a feel of low-budget italian productions, but it's not enough to spoil the great atmosphere of this old-fashioned fright night. And how many times do you get to see Cushing and Lee on the same side, battling the same foe? The climax, which resembles a zombie-movie could very well be the scariest in the history of all on-screen train rides!