Terror Train (1980)

A group of frat boys hire a private train to throw a New Years Eve costume party. As the trains speeds through the snowy mountains, brutally murdered bodies start turning up. Could these killings be tied in to a mean spirited prank that went horribly wrong three years ago? Directed by Roger Spottiswoode (UNDER FIRE), this is a rather simplistic slasher movie. The identity of the killer is never in question. The mystery comes from where could he be and in what guise. It's a perfectly serviceable slasher best suited to fans of the genre. Jamie Lee Curtis at the height of her "scream queen" fame is the engaging and plucky heroine. But it's hard to care much for the other victims, drunken frat boys and their airhead girlfriends. More frightening than anything in the film is that these drunken party animals are pre-med students and the thought of them practicing medicine is scary. The cinematography is quite striking and courtesy of John Alcott (BARRY LYNDON). With Ben Johnson, Hart Bochner, Vanity, Timothy Webber and Derek MacKinnon.