L'ultimo treno della notte (1975)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Aldo Lado

Writers:

Roberto Infascelli (story)
Renato Izzo (writer)

Release Date:

8 April 1975 (Italy)

Genre:

Crime | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Most movies last less than two hours! This is one of everlasting torment!

Plot Keywords:

Killing | Desperation | Train | Room | Drug Use

Cast

Flavio Bucci	...	Blackie
Macha Méril	...	Lady On The Train
Gianfranco De Grassi	...	Curly
Enrico Maria Salerno	...	Professor Giulio Stradi
Marina Berti	...	Laura Stradi
Franco Fabrizi	...	Perverted Train Passenger
Irene Miracle	...	Margaret Hoffenbach
Laura D'Angelo	...	Lisa Stradi

Also Known As:

Don't Ride on Late Night Trains (UK)
Last House - Part II (USA) (poster title)
Last Stop on the Night Train (USA) (dubbed version)
Late Night Trains (UK)
New House on the Left (USA)
Night Train Murders (Philippines: English title)
Second House on the Left (USA)
The New House on the Left (USA)
Torture Train
Violenza sull'ultimo treno della notte (Italy) (alternative title)
Xmas Massacre (USA) (reissue title)
La bête tue de sang-froid (France) [fr]
Le dernier train de la nuit (France) (cable TV title) [fr]
Le train de l'enfer (France) (video title) [fr]
Le train de la mort (France) (video title) [fr]
Night Train - Der letzte Zug in der Nacht (West Germany) [de]
Nighttrain Murders (Belgium: English title) (video title) [en]
Train de nuit pour un tueur (France) (video title) [fr]
Violencia en el último tren de la noche (Argentina) (new title) [es]

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

France:-16 | Australia:(Banned) | UK:18 (2008 rating, uncut) | Argentina:18 (re-rating) | Argentina:X (original rating) | USA:R | UK:(Banned)

Filming Locations:

Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria

Company:

European Incorporation

Trivia:

The film was rejected for a UK cinema certificate in 1976 by the BBFC and later ended up listed as an official video nasty. It was released fully uncut (as "Night Train Murders") in 2008 on the Shameless DVD label.

Quotes:

Curly: We're only gonna cut her a little.

Movie Connections:

Version of Jungfrukällan (1960)

Decent Italian take on "Last House..."...Good flick!

This movie is well worth at least one look:yes,it is a variation (rip-off)of Last house,but it does have a few surprises and arguably,a stronger theme than Last House;there is a definite anti fascist ,left leaning sensibility to this film,underlying its more European take on the "Us and them "idea behind Last house.

Firstly,its really well made.If you've seen Lado's Gialli ,you'll know hes no hack,but he sets scenes really well.The scenes on the train have a insular,outward looking feel,as though you are really trapped inside looking at the world flowing by the windows.

Thematically,the two films are VERY similar;two ultra middle class girls (more worldly than their square parents know)get involved with two scumbags,Blackie and er...his junkie friend (cant remember his name).Sorry,THREE scumbags,as Macha Merill,middle class but a deviant,joins in as the two girls are trapped on an overnight train,en route to a family Christmas.Rape,torment,and retribution follow,as you damn well expect.

Anyway,its not as brutal as last house.The rape and revenge stuff is strong (enough for it to be banned here,anyway)but its quite a dark film nonetheless:its very influenced by Pasolini.Hence,the middle class are twisted deviants who exploit the working class to get their fun.Its Macha Merill who is the real villain here,not Blackie,enjoying the twisted stuff to fulfill her libertinism,as the ending (no spoilers)reveals.Shes good in this film,too.

The bad?the theme song is awful.Seriously.I played this on my laptop and at first I thought the speakers had melted,the singer warbles so much.Awful.I hope Morricone had nothing to do with it.The actings so-so,I liked Blackie anyway.Cute Irene Miracle is one of the girls.The parent figures are really dull...and the Dads a doctor!How blatant is that!

I dug the humour of the film too:in one scene in the train a young priest notices that the rummy old Cardinal is slyly winking at him;he turns to another priest who says "Oh its just a nervous tic".But in the best scene,Blackie discovers a carriage full of old ex-Nazis singing a fascist marching song(the film is set in Germany and Italy).He sneaks in and shouts "Heil Hitler" to which all the old chaps jump up and shout "Heil" in response.I liked it anyway.i think it reveals a lot about the films idea that perversion is always under the surface,in the most respectable of places.

This is one of the few nasties I never tracked down on copied VHS,so its great to see it so pristine and clear.It could easily get released now in the UK;but they would probably cut the scene where Merill gets raped and enjoys it,totally taboo for the BBFC,especially in a non art-house flick (total hypocrisy of course)as they did with House on the edge of the Park.The scene with the knife would get axed as well,if you see the film you'll understand.All readers in Countries where people can make up their own mind,check it out now!

N.B has now been released with an uncut 18 certificate by shameless in the UK. What a dunce I sound like now...