12/8/11

Blood Capsule #1

New feature alert! I don't review every film that I see. There are various reasons for that. For one, it may be something that I've written about before (I had amassed a wealth of horror movie reviews before I put this site together). Or maybe I don't have anything interesting to say. In some cases, I'll refrain from reviewing a certain flick because I have too many irons in the fire. So what is a blood capsule, you may ask? It's a mini-review of a motion picture that, for whatever reason, I won't be devoting four paragraphs to. You can expect a new capsule every 8-12 days. Giddyup!

HORROR EXPRESS (1972)

This Lee/Cushing collaboration just made its debut on Blu-ray. The film is just as wonky and diverting as I remember. Surprisingly, the image quality leaves much to be desired. There is an abundance of print scratches, and the colors are preposterously bright. At one point, I was bedeviled by a sustained close-up of the sun until I realized it was Terry Savalas's scalp. Don't upgrade your DVD collections just yet, fellow cinephiles. Of course, the movie is what matters, and Horror Express is one of the best Hammer productions that Hammer had nothing to do with.

An alien caveman (astro-erectus?) pesters a train full of important people. We get eidetic eye fluid, random zombies, hints of espionage, witty dialogue (Cushing is rewarded with the funniest lines), gnarly creature make-up, brazen gore, stunning exterior shots and a Satanic priest. Don't miss it.

1 comment:

  1. "We're British!" That line always cracks me up! I actually really like this movie, it's very spooky and atmospheric. I love that scene with Kojak where everyone in the train is "possessed" I also loved the way the red eyes looked.

    Very much like a Hammer film, but as you mentioned, not. It reminded me of The Thing a lot.

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