_**The Horror Express**_ A train journeying from Geneva, Switzerland to Stockholm, Sweden is struck with a pneumonic plague thanks to an act of terrorism. A US Colonel, played by Burt Lancaster, receives questionable instructions and redirects the train toward Poland, forcing it to cross an old, abandoned steel arch bridge. “The Cassandra Crossing” (1976) combines elements of a train movie and a disaster film centered around a plague outbreak. It doesn’t reach the heights of films like “Runaway Train” (1985) or “Outbreak” (1995), but it comes close to matching the quality of “Under Siege 2: Dark Territory” (1995). The film boasts an extensive cast, in addition to Lancaster’s role as the Colonel. Ingrid Thulin portrays a doctor who clashes with him; Richard Harris plays a renowned neurologist; Sophia Loren is his former spouse; Lee Strasberg embodies a Holocaust survivor; Ava Gardner takes on the character of a wealthy older woman; Martin Sheen acts as her questionable younger companion; OJ Simpson appears as a “priest”; Ann Turkel is a musician with a hippie vibe; and John Phillip Law portrays the Colonel’s assistant. When measured against other top-tier disaster films from the 1970s, such as “The Poseidon Adventure” (1972), it falls short due to "Poseidon's" more engaging character development, a more significant challenge presented to the characters, and stronger female roles. Certain aspects of this film are quite good, even exceptional, like the impressive aerial cinematography and Jerry Goldsmith’s musical score. The final section is exciting and justifies the cost of admission, but the preceding 90 minutes contains too many slow moments with people who don't immediately grab your attention. Sophia Loren looked good at age 41 during filming, while Richard Harris was 45 but appeared older. Ava Gardner was 53 when the movie was made and also seemed to have aged, though her last film appearance I recall was a dozen years prior where she still had allure. Time takes its toll on everyone. The running time is 2 hours and 8 minutes. Interior scenes were filmed at Cinecittà studios in Rome; exterior shots took place in France and Switzerland. The steel arch bridge seen in the movie is actually the Garabit Viaduct located in southern France, built by Gustave Eiffel between 1880 and 1884, who would later design the Eiffel Tower. GRADE: B-

Source on TMDB