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Happy 35th Anniversary to ‘Terror Train!’

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Terror Train

“The boys and girls of Sigma Phi. Some will live. Some will die.” –Terror Trains tagline, aka the best tagline ever.

Saturday October 3rd marked the 35th anniversary to the Jamie Lee Curtis slasher Terror Train, and we thought we’d write a short piece to celebrate the film! It wasn’t my plan to write two tributes to the 1980 slasher film Terror Train in one year, but I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to celebrate the film’s 35th anniversary. Terror Train was the last original slasher film Jamie Lee Curtis would star in, and she went out on a high note. I realize I said back in December that I wasn’t Terror Train’s biggest fan, but I’ve watched the film twice since then and the more it sits with me, the more I like it. 

Critically maligned upon its release, Terror Train still managed to earn back nearly twice it’s budget (it made $8 million domestically on a $4.2 million budget). This would probably come as a surprise to the late Roger Ebert, who wrote “The classic horror films of the 1930s appealed to the intelligence of its audiences, to their sense of humor and irony. Movies like “Terror Train,” and all of its sordid predecessors and its rip-offs still to come, just don’t care. They’re a series of sensations, strung together on a plot. Any plot will do. Just don’t forget the knife, and the girl, and the blood.” He was not alone in his sentiments.

I’m not sure why I like Terror Train so much. It’s certainly not a good movie, but it’s quite entertaining. Unlike many slashers at the time, Terror Train isn’t particularly gory. There are plenty of deaths sprinkled throughout the film, and the twist ending is equally clever and hilarious. That may not be what they were going for, but it is what it is.

The killer’s modus operandi of adorning his victim’s  costumes after he kills them is also inspired. It’s not just a man in a mask, he could be anyone at the party. Adding to the tension is the fact that the entire movie takes place on a moving train. Sure, they could just stop the train, but what fun would that be? It takes an insanely long amount of time before the any bodies get discovered anyway.

Terror Train

Director Roger Spottiswoode, who would go on to direct films like Turner and Hooch and the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, of all things, does a fairly decent job filming in the tight spaces of the train cars as well. The claustrophobia he and cinematographer John Alcott is able to instill in his audience is remarkable. For being filmed in 1980, it also looks good.

Interesting to note is that there was no magician character in the original script. One of the producers just really liked David Copperfield, so they wrote a role for him. This wasn’t the wisest decision, as his sole purpose is to provide the film its main red herring, but other than that he is just there to do some magic tricks in some overly-long magic show sequences. His off-screen death doesn’t help matters either. It would be fun to see the original version of the script without the magician character.

Curtis also does serviceable work as the lead character, even if she is just the standard “good girl” until she gets to let loose in the final act. She is definitely the most memorable character among a cast of interchangeable characters. At this point in her career (and after reading Ebert’s blurb about her in his review), it’s understandable to see why she wanted out of the horror genre.

Of course, no discussion of Terror Train would be complete without a discussion of its ending. I won’t repeat myself to much here, but I love the last 30 minutes of the film. If the first hour seems too slow for some, the final act redeems it completely. It’s a suspenseful, extended chase sequence between the killer and Jamie Lee Curtis, and while the identity of the killer is completely obvious, Terror Train manages to provide some imagination with the way he is revealed.

Terror Train is not a brilliant film. But in the plethora of Halloween ripoffs that were happening in 1980, it truly is one of the better ones. Do yourself a favor and give this one a re-watch this weekend to celebrate its anniversary. It may just surprise you! Just for fun, here’s a modernized trailer for the film made by YouTube user theSupercasa which is pretty cool (and doesn’t spoil the film like most 80s trailers did):

A journalist for Bloody Disgusting since 2015, Trace writes film reviews and editorials, as well as co-hosts Bloody Disgusting's Horror Queers podcast, which looks at horror films through a queer lens. He has since become dedicated to amplifying queer voices in the horror community, while also injecting his own personal flair into film discourse. Trace lives in Austin, TX with his husband and their two dogs. Find him on Twitter @TracedThurman

Editorials

‘Leprechaun Returns’ – The Charm of the Franchise’s Legacy Sequel

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leprechaun returns

The erratic Leprechaun franchise is not known for sticking with a single concept for too long. The namesake (originally played by Warwick Davis) has gone to L.A., Las Vegas, space, and the ‘hood (not once but twice). And after an eleven-year holiday since the Davis era ended, the character received a drastic makeover in a now-unmentionable reboot. The critical failure of said film would have implied it was time to pack away the green top hat and shillelagh, and say goodbye to the nefarious imp. Instead, the Leprechaun series tried its luck again.

The general consensus for the Leprechaun films was never positive, and the darker yet blander Leprechaun: Origins certainly did not sway opinions. Just because the 2014 installment took itself seriously did not mean viewers would. After all, creator Mark Jones conceived a gruesome horror-comedy back in the early nineties, and that format is what was expected of any future ventures. So as horror legacy sequels (“legacyquels”) became more common in the 2010s, Leprechaun Returns followed suit while also going back to what made the ‘93 film work. This eighth entry echoed Halloween (2018) by ignoring all the previous sequels as well as being a direct continuation of the original. Even ardent fans can surely understand the decision to wipe the slate clean, so to speak.

Leprechaun Returns “continued the [franchise’s] trend of not being consistent by deciding to be consistent.” The retconning of Steven Kostanski and Suzanne Keilly’s film was met with little to no pushback from the fandom, who had already become accustomed to seeing something new and different with every chapter. Only now the “new and different” was familiar. With the severe route of Origins a mere speck in the rearview mirror, director Kotanski implemented a “back to basics” approach that garnered better reception than Zach Lipovsky’s own undertaking. The one-two punch of preposterous humor and grisly horror was in full force again.

LEPRECHAUN

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

With Warwick Davis sitting this film out — his own choice — there was the foremost challenge of finding his replacement. Returns found Davis’ successor in Linden Porco, who admirably filled those blood-stained, buckled shoes. And what would a legacy sequel be without a returning character? Jennifer Aniston obviously did not reprise her final girl role of Tory Redding. So, the film did the next best thing and fetched another of Lubdan’s past victims: Ozzie, the likable oaf played by Mark Holton. Returns also created an extension of Tory’s character by giving her a teenage daughter, Lila (Taylor Spreitler).

It has been twenty-five years since the events of the ‘93 film. The incident is unknown to all but its survivors. Interested in her late mother’s history there in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, Lila transferred to the local university and pledged a sorority — really the only one on campus — whose few members now reside in Tory Redding’s old home. The farmhouse-turned-sorority-house is still a work in progress; Lila’s fellow Alpha Epsilon sisters were in the midst of renovating the place when a ghost of the past found its way into the present.

The Psycho Goreman and The Void director’s penchant for visceral special effects is noted early on as the Leprechaun tears not only into the modern age, but also through poor Ozzie’s abdomen. The portal from 1993 to 2018 is soaked with blood and guts as the Leprechaun forces his way into the story. Davis’ iconic depiction of the wee antagonist is missed, however, Linden Porco is not simply keeping the seat warm in case his predecessor ever resumes the part. His enthusiastic performance is accentuated by a rotten-looking mug that adds to his innate menace.

LEPRECHAUN RETURNS sequel

Pictured: Taylor Spreitler, Pepi Sonuga, and Sai Bennett as Lila, Katie and Rose in Leprechaun Returns.

The obligatory fodder is mostly young this time around. Apart from one luckless postman and Ozzie — the premature passing of the latter character removed the chance of caring about anyone in the film — the Leprechaun’s potential prey are all college aged. Lila is this story’s token trauma kid with caregiver baggage; her mother thought “monsters were always trying to get her.” Lila’s habit of mentioning Tory’s mental health problem does not make a good first impression with the resident mean girl and apparent alcoholic of the sorority, Meredith (Emily Reid). Then there are the nicer but no less cursorily written of the Alpha Epsilon gals: eco-conscious and ex-obsessive Katie (Pepi Sonuga), and uptight overachiever Rose (Sai Bennett). Rounding out the main cast are a pair of destined-to-die bros (Oliver Llewellyn Jenkins, Ben McGregor). Lila and her peers range from disposable to plain irritating, so rooting for any one of them is next to impossible. Even so, their overstated personalities make their inevitable fates more satisfying.

Where Returns excels is its death sequences. Unlike Jones’ film, this one is not afraid of killing off members of the main cast. Lila, admittedly, wears too much plot armor, yet with her mother’s spirit looming over her and the whole story — comedian Heather McDonald put her bang-on Aniston impersonation to good use as well as provided a surprisingly emotional moment in the film — her immunity can be overlooked. Still, the other characters’ brutal demises make up for Lila’s imperviousness. The Leprechaun’s killer set-pieces also happen to demonstrate the time period, seeing as he uses solar panels and a drone in several supporting characters’ executions. A premortem selfie and the antagonist’s snarky mention of global warming additionally add to this film’s particular timestamp.

Critics were quick to say Leprechaun Returns did not break new ground. Sure, there is no one jetting off to space, or the wacky notion of Lubdan becoming a record producer. This reset, however, is still quite charming and entertaining despite its lack of risk-taking. And with yet another reboot in the works, who knows where the most wicked Leprechaun ever to exist will end up next.


Horror contemplates in great detail how young people handle inordinate situations and all of life’s unexpected challenges. While the genre forces characters of every age to face their fears, it is especially interested in how youths might fare in life-or-death scenarios.

The column Young Blood is dedicated to horror stories for and about teenagers, as well as other young folks on the brink of terror.

Leprechaun Returns movie

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

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