I was telling my daughter that those narrow passages with the curtained compartments on the train were effectively eerie. I could see where if you are a passenger who knows that a killer is on board that train, those narrow passages and curtained compartments (and even the little closets) could be very spooky. Particularly since we know that McKinnon is very thin and petite, it isn't too far-fetched he could move about often undetected or carefully hidden. I believe that "old age mask" is of Albert Einstein, and it is that one mask I too often forget about. And I have always missed that very subtle moment where McKinnon's black-painted fingernails could be misconstrued as Mitchy's on Doc's (Hart Bochner) shoulder before cutting his throat...it adds to the premise of Kenny (McKinnon) disguised as his victims. Doc is that one victim Kenny never imitates, leaving behind his bloody body (and head) to be found by Ben Johnson's conductor.
For the longest, I remember seeing "Terror Train" on Fox Movie Channel's rotation on DirecTv, but it wasn't until we got it as part of a package that I finally was able to watch it. This was before I picked up the 20th Century Fox DVD copy of the film. I want to say when I finally got to see it, Fox Movie Channel was running the film for an extended block, so I just kept the film on even after the initial viewing of "Terror Train". If you read plenty of comments on either IMDb or Letterboxd, you'll get a real smörgåsbord of differing thoughts and opinions. As a lot of slashers, "Terror Train" retains a mixed bag of feelings depending on the viewer (and how they view the genre). I find it always watchable, and there is just that disco era tinge to it, with a very early 80s aesthetic thanks to Alcott's lighting. And the characters of that era feel very much of the late 70s/early 80s, medical students taking the edge off with booze and grass. The costume/disguise party / New Year's Eve atmosphere adds this flavor that is very attractive to me. Because I was about three years old in 1980, this particular era of slasher is very appealing since my mom would have been about Curtis' age at the time. I go back and forth on which I like more: "Terror Train" or "Prom Night".
I think why I really like "Terror Train" has a lot to do with Sandee Currie. Maybe it is how she says, "Mmm hmm..." Very sexy. Not to mention, her kind of blond has always been a weakness of mine. But she's very much buzzed and stoned a lot of the time on the train. Attached to Doc, I think most would always think had she survived and he did, her life would have been crushed by his attitude towards her...one, I imagine, could see Doc very much like Bochner's coke-snorting yuppy in "Die Hard" eight years later. There is a sense of loose, easy-going frivolity in regards to the college kids on the train. Sure, Johnson was irritated by them, but besides a lot of booze and pot-smoking, the kids seemed decent enough...Doc was able to influence Mo to throw the train party for Alana, probably because he wanted to rub it in her face. I felt Doc had romantic feelings for his pal, Mo, and Alana was his rival for his affections. There is a scene where Mo is oblivious to Doc's emphasis on always being there for him even if Alana broke up with him.
My daughter didn't know who Groucho was so I had to clue her in on some history, but she did think the mask was scary. I told her that for us "Terror Train" slasher fans, that mask is really iconic. I always thought Spottiswood got a lot of mileage out of that disguise, the mask and costume.
I have noticed a lot of slasher fans seeing this for the first time consider it very slow, a slog. I have never had a problem with the pacing or the characters or the direction. I think maybe it is because I love the look of the film, the use of the confined spaces, the setting of the train. I'm just involved enough that I'm not thinking about the running time.
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| Mitchy (Sandee Currie) with Groucho |
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| Jackson (Anthony Sherwood) with Groucho |
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| Alana (Curtis) unaware of what is in store for her |
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