TERROR TRAIN

Canada, 1979, 97 minutes, Colour.
Ben Johnson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Hart Bochner, David Copperfield, Derek Mac Kinnon.
Directed by Roger Spottiswoode.

Terror Train is the fourth time round for Jamie Lee Curtis ('Time' said "Queen of the screamies") to be terrorised by homicidal maniacs (Halloween, The Fog, Prom Night). She portrays the strong, intelligent young woman audiences can admire, identify with and get some plausibility for the horror. The plot is always the same: the perpetrators of malicious acts are terrorised by the traumatised victim. This one is as good as any other: Ben Johnson is the benign railway guard and magician David Copperfield entertains with his tricks. The novelty aspect is a graduation party aboard a train and trapped by terror; some are nasty, some nice and all in danger. Jamie Lee Curtis' next film was the Australian-made Road Games directed by Richard Franklin. Director Roger Spottiswoode was a former editor.

1. The appeal of this kind of horror film: fear, scares, shocks? Identification with the victims? Testing one's ability to cope imaginatively, vicariously? The values of nightmares and coping? The pleasure of being scared?

2. The homicidal maniac genre and the quality of this film as an example? Its popularity at all times. during the late 1970s? Jamie Lee Curtis and her presence in so many - echoes of her mother in Psycho?

3. The plausibility of the plot? The point about victims and the way that they are treated, the callous victimisation? The poetic justice for the tormentors? The nature of madness? People being driven mad? This kind of horror as a popular fable? The effectiveness of the prologue: the young people, the atmosphere of college., the party atmosphere., drinking.. sexuality,, modern style, moral issues and values, peer pressure? Kenny and the discussions about virginity? The set-up by Doc? Alana and her place in the plan? Her executing it? The grim aspects of the pseudo seduction? The ugliness of the dead body? Kenny and his whirling madness on the bed? The irony of this being taken up later?

4. The build-up to sow kind of poetic justice on the tormentors? Audience anticipation of this? Expecting the shocks and scares, the creation of a fear atmosphere? Taking sides?

5. The transition of time? Graduation? The train and the party atmosphere? Doc and his friend being able to hire the train? The old railway guard and his benign care of the kids? His attitude towards the trip? Audience enjoyment of train rides - the emphasis on the train, the carriages, the engine, crew? The blend of the train genre with the horror? The guard and his letting the kids be - not being a wet blanket? His having to cope with the deaths? His reaction to the murders, to the disappearance of the bodies,, to the puzzles? His help with Alana? A father figure? The final solution?

6. The atmosphere of party, friends., drinking, the masks and the dressing up, the irony of the horror aspects of the costumes? A better setting for the puzzle? Behaviour, relationships, jealousy. practical jokes? The initial sword-piercing and everybody laughing? The puzzle about the identity of the killer, the hiding place?

7. The contribution of the magician - tricks, seeing and not seeing, illusions. atmosphere? The seriousness of the magician? The audiences overlooking his assistant, her disappearance and the irony of the identity of the killer? Doc and his ridicule? The impressiveness of the tricks? The irony of audiences thinking it was the magician - his death? The atmosphere of magic and horror?

8. The portrayal of the group: Doc and his arrogance, the brains behind the set-up, his manipulating of people's feelings, relationship with Alana, making her jealous, friendship? His being threatened, the ugliness of his death? The other boys and their friendship, flirting? The girls and their vanity, friendships? The range of ugly deaths, fear?

9. Alana as heroine? The truth about the initial episode with Kenny, her relationship with Doc? Nice, sensible? Friendship with the guard? Her reactions to the deaths? Her having to cope? Identifying the murderer? Her being safe and chased? The elaborate fights and her warding off the murderer? Her discovering the identity? The final kiss and Kenny's going berserk again and his death? Audience identification with Alana?

10. The picturing of the violent deaths? The effectiveness of the special effects? Editing, pace, shocks? The sense of movement with the train moving? Stopping? The group on the train fearful? The build-up to the climax and Alana's confrontation and safety? An emotional experience of fear and coping?