NIGHT TRAIN MURDERS (DVD)

Night Train Murders is often called Last House on the Left on a train and make no mistake it's fairly obvious where Night Train Murders got its idea from. It's pretty much the same exact movie at times only difference is set on a train. Basically if you have seen Last House on the Left you pretty much know how this movie will turn out.Night Train Murders has a lot going for it though; for starters unlike the movie it knocked off there is no comedy here. It's a straight forward movie with no happy ending.The script by Renato Izzo & Aldo Lado lacks in the character development, but despite that they are able to create real characters as well as make some political statements. Aldo Lado also directs and does a fine job at the pacing of the movie; the first half of the movie is rather slow. Not a whole lot happens as we follow the two teenage girls who despite depth come across as real and likeable people.Some people might find the first half boring and in many ways I understand why. But despite the slowness I still quite enjoyed it. I liked the two main characters and that helped keep my interest. The scenes with the parents early on are also well done and like the two girls the parents lack depth, but come across as real people.Night Train Murders does start to get a little boring right before the villains attack the two girls. But it's only a matter of minutes before the movie picks up again. The torture scenes on the train are actually rather tame compared to most movies like this. Though the razor blade scene easily has to rate as one of the most twisted scenes ever; besides that scene while there are some shocking moments and the torture scenes are unpleasant Night Train Murders is though very tame compared too many movies with this style.The train scenes during the attack are very well done; first off it's well shot and beautifully lit. The blue lighting used really is amazing and adds to the tension. The girls are stuck with these terrible people and you feel as if you are stuck with them as well. Anything that might be lacking in those scenes is made up for with the feel of claustrophobia.The villains are pretty much a poor mans version of the villains from Last House on the Left, Flavio Bucci as Blackie even has a resemblance to David Hess. Despite that the villains work well for the most part and are very unlikable. In movies like this even when the villains pay for their crimes there is no happy ending due to what came before. But Night Train Murders while offers nothing really different to this genre doesn't have your typical ending.Like in real life not everybody pays for their crimes and while there is revenge in Night Train Murders not everybody gets what's coming to them. While it's some what disappointing it also keeps the movie a little more real. The two thugs are worthless vile people who truly get what they deserve, but I thought the most interesting part was the fact the Lady on the Train played by Macha Meril was probably the most sadistic.The lower class will often pay for their crimes, which they should; but many times the upper class even if more ruthless a lot of the times get away with what they have done. Some of these aspects help keep Night Train Murders feel very real. The revenge scenes were solid, but they could have maybe lasted a little longer. They are too quick, but at the same time get the job done.While Night Train Murders may not be the best this genre has to offer and the torture scenes are tame compared to other movies like this, it still works well and is rather unpleasant to watch. Even when the movie ends you still feel a bit down due to what came before it. For those looking for something hardcore you won't find it here, but Night Train Murders is quite well done in my opinion.

Yes, yes, yes, it's a Last House On The Left ripoff through and through, but the action here takes place on a train-The Night Train!!This time out, the two unfortunate females are on a train to Italy. Also on board are two doofus thugs(one of them is Flavio Bucci, who was the blind piano player in Suspiria). If it would have been just the two thugs, some mischief, vandalism, and all around A-Hole-ism might have been about the extent of it, but that's where the rich lady comes in. The rich lady, played by Macha Meri(the psychic from Deep Red), comes across as a snooty upper class wench, but we can guess by some sexy pictures that fall out of her travel bag, that there is more to her than meets the eye....kinda like The Transformers. After a sexual encounter with Doofus Thug #1(Flavio) in the train pissoir(which begins as an attempted rape), the rich lady takes the opportunity to use the two thugs as a means to cut loose(footloose) and live out her wacky sex fantasies. This also brings out the worst in the two thugs who become much more dangerous and threatening than they originally came across as being.Our two female friends become the target of this unholy trio as they force their way into the girls' train car and proceed to degrade and sexually assault them, eventually ending in their deaths(don't accuse me of spoilers, you knew that was gonna happen! This is a Last House On The Left ripoff, remember?). One particularly sleazy moment has a fellow passenger on the train witnessing the horrors going on inside the train car, and instead of stopping it or reporting it, he joins in just long enough to rape one of the girls! Good Golly Miss Molly!Of course, in our Last House tradition, these three clowns end up in the clutches of the parents of one of the girls. Well, you know what happens then.This movie is certainly sleazy and mean spirited, though not as graphically violent as it's reputation would have you believe. It has it's moments though. You get to know the female victims a bit better here than you did in Last House, but Last House's ace in the hole was David Hess, who was more imposing and sinister than the three villains here combined.In the end, it's another exceptional piece of Italian exploitation sleaze. Dig in.

First of all I a m really enjoying watching Italian movie from the 1960's-1970's. The directors were really ahead of their time ..many of these actors are either deceased or really elderly. I believe that they would really get a kick from the reviews of jobs that are nearly 50 years old. The ending of movie was well worth it ..seeing how the dope heads assaulted the girls and the trauma that was inflicted upon them..? Remember the acts committed on the young girls would never be allowed to be filmed in American movies. Even the actresses who played the high school or college age were possible 20 or 24 years....? One funny scene I liked was when the two dope heads ,,slit the back of the mink coat of the elderly gals at the train station.. The movie was banned and re-named ...compared to most of the Rap music and the lyric's..this movie is tame by most who were born after 2000. This movie is leaving Prime..so catch it while you can..

First quality is great. And the movie is decent. That simple. This is a blatant rip off of last house on the left... however it can be argued this one is actually the more creepy and atmospheric of the two. I was expecting more grindhouse and I got a high class exploration flick... that hence ... makes it - not so exploitive ... but still a nice addition to the collection as an Italian horror buff.

Bella edizione, peccato che l'audio è solo in inglese e non c'è l'italiano come indicato..... .. . .... ........ ..

Two teenage women are going on a train journey from Germany to Italy, they then run into two psychotic men and a upper class lady who sexually torture and violently attack them.Glossy Italian take on Last House is a sinister and compelling chiller. Story is very similar, 2 girls tortured and the 3 responsible end up at the parents of one of the victims, the main difference here is this film had a budget and is much the better for it. The low budget, downbeat feeling is replaced with a far more slick and (somewhat) easier and enjoyable watch. The dubbing isn't great, the metaphors are a bit clumsy- the train entering a tunnel while 2 of them have sex- but none of that affects the film. The scenes of the attack on board the train are strong but compelling, the knife rape scene is very shocking but as with the other violent sequences handled very well. Acting is good, Macha Meril as "the lady on the train" is fantastically sinister looking and Irene Miracle & Laura D'Angelo as the victims are also well played. Aldo Lado does a great job keeping the audience's interest going and the atmosphere is excellent throughout. The Demis Roussos theme song will be too much for some (just mute the opening credits & don't watch the end credits and you won't have to hear it).An excellent horror/thriller with a strong story and a shocking climax, a bit of an ambiguous end for one of our three killers. Interestingly on the video nasties list but not one of the prosecuted titles as you might expect, this in my opinion is one of the very best nasties.

In this 1975 Italian chiller with English audio [aka: The New House on The Left, aka: Second House on The Left, aka: Don't Ride on Late Night Trains, aka: Last Stop on the Night Train, aka: Late Night Trains, aka: Last House Part II and Xmas Massacre] two students, Margaret (Irene Miracle) and Lisa (Laura D’Angelo), take a crowded overnight train from Munich to Italy for Christmas and are forced to sit in the corridor but amongst the travellers are two petty criminals, Blackie (Flavio Bucci) and Curly (Gianfranco De Grassi), both looking for ‘fun’ as is a mysterious ‘well heeled’ blond. Then things begin to take a sinister turn.With a quivering Demis Rousos opening song this is a typical mid 70’s movie full of artistic and quaint shots that sets a relaxed pace building for the horrors to come. The acting is not great, but the music is very atmospheric and suits the film well. The tension is highlighted by contrasting the teenagers plight against the dinner party that is taking place at their destination. The plot is a good one, with some neat little extras thrown into the mix to give added drama and suspense.The single disc plays six trailers then offers play, scene selection, theatrical trailer and other shameless treats [the opening 6 trailers].  It gained notoriety when it was banned in the UK as a video nasty in the 1980s but despite one surgical scene there is little gore here but there are some disturbing themes. The real scares come from the fear that is instilled into the storyline and the manner in which seemingly harmless beginnings soon escalate out of control. Well worth watching id you like 70s-80s style chillers.

One of the 3 best films by Aldo Lado, a not so famous yet excellent Italian director from the seventies.The ability here is to set most of the story on a train, in the narrow space of a wagon room, where gradually crime and horror unfold and take over, in a increasing disturbing atmosphere, that he manages to achieve through a great use of photography, music (just a harp composition, written by Morricone) and fantastic yet unsettling acting.The other valuable thing is that the story is split in 2: first haf/second half.You empathyze with characters, then some of them are ripped away.But, as usual with Lado, this is not one of those gory italian horror film from the Seventies: it is a subtle and provocative attack to hypocrisy and violence that comes from society, from upper classes, from the System itself. See his interview in the extra: very enlightening.Definitely a film to re-discover.The blu ray quality is quite good