A group of pre-med students throw a masquerade party on a train to ring in the new year, but their celebration is disrupted by an unknown killer. Ben Johnson portrays the conductor, and David Copperfield appears as a magician. “Terror Train,” released in 1980, followed the popularity of “Halloween” (1978), putting Jamie Lee Curtis in a comparable scenario—but this time on a moving train. The concept originated with Daniel Grodnik, who dreamed up a combination of elements from both "Halloween" and "Silver Streak" (1976). The ingredients for a standard slasher are all present. The enclosed environment of the train works well as a setting. However, the filmmakers didn’t quite succeed with the script; the narrative isn't particularly engaging. Fortunately, the final section is somewhat better, especially the big reveal. Copperfield performed his own magic acts, but it hardly matters in a film where illusions can be created through special effects—magic seems to only function when presented live. It’s still a nice touch, though. Sandee Currie and Joy Boushel stand out among the female cast members; Vanity is also present. But the filmmakers seem unsure of how to portray women on screen, if you catch my meaning. If you're looking for better horror films set on trains, check out “Horror Express” (1972) and “Train” (2008). The first one involves a monster, while the second is more grounded in reality. The film’s running time is 1 hour, 37 minutes. Filming took place at night in a Montreal warehouse, with the exception of one death scene near the end, which was shot in Claremont, New Hampshire—about three hours south of Montreal. GRADE: C+

Source on TMDB