Terror Express – Dark Force Entertainment (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1980
Director: Ferdinando Baldi
Writer: George Eastman
Cast: Silvia Dionisio, Werner Pochath, Zora Kerova, Gianluigi Chirizzi, Carlo De Mejo, Giancarlo Maestri, Fausto Lombardi, Gino Milli, Roberto Caporali, Antonio Maimone, Gianfranca Dionisi, Rita Livesi, Gianfilippo Carcano, Andrea Scotti, Cesare Gelli, Fiammetta Flamini, Venantino Venantini

Release Date: May 25th, 2021
Approximate Running Time: 85 Minutes 12 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: R
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: N/A
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"Three thugs led by international superstar Werner Pocath commandeer a couple of cars on a moving train and spread terror among the passengers including lots of rape and depravity." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Brand New 2k Scan from Original 16mm Film Negatives with Extensive Reconstruction and Color Correction."

Terror Express comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 21.6 GB

Feature: 19.9 GB

The source used for this transfer has white specs, scratches, emulsion stains, and other source-related imprecations that vary in degree of severity. Colors look correct, the image generally looks crisp, and black levels leave room for improvement. That said, this transfer looks very good considering the limitations of the source.

Audio: 3/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English. There are some minor issues related to background hiss and though the dialog comes through clear enough to follow, range-wise, do not expect too much.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 25 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), and an archival featurette titled Tails from the Rails (24 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles).

Summary:

In the 1970’s and early 1980's, Italian cinema churned out a handful of "Last House on the Left" clones like Night Train Murders, The Last House on the Beach, and House on the Edge of the Park. While on the surface, the narrative appears to be yet another Last House on the Left clone, The end result is something that is closer to A Clockwork Orange. The three young men terrorizing the train passengers, like Alex and his droogs, commit more impulsive violent acts. the featurette included with this release, writer George Eastman cites the 1967 film The Incident as his main inspiration for Terror Express.

In between moments of shock and sleaze, the narrative explores, with mixed results, the more negative aspects of social status. And though the narrative takes a while before it settles into its more salacious content, To its credit, it takes just enough time to set up who all the main players are. Terror Express's inability to build tension is one of the film's flaws. It quickly becomes apparent what lies just around the bend. That said, other Italian films have explored similar territory with greater effect. Also, Terror Express more than holds its own visually for a film that is primarily confined to one location.

There are a few performances that go over the top and then some. Luckily, these types of performances work well with the story at hand. The standout performance was by Silvia Dionisio (A Wave of Pleasure) in the role of a prostitute named Giulia. Not only does she sell the sexual allure of her character, She is also very convincing in showing her character's more vulnerable side. Another performance of note is Zora Kerova (The New York Ripper). Her character is subjected to the most grueling assault of all the characters. Ultimately, Terror Express is a mildly entertaining explosion film that has an ample amount of sleaze.

Terror Express makes its way to Blu-ray via a strong release from Dark Force Entertainment that leaves plenty of room for improvement.

Written by Michael Den Boer