The Death Train

*The Death Train*
The Death Train
Written by	Luis Bayonas
Directed by	Igor Auzins
Starring	Hugh Keays-Byrne; Max Meldrum
Music by	Suzi Pointon
Country of origin	Australia
Original language	English
Production
Producer	Robert Bruning
Cinematography	Richard Wallace
Editor	Ron Williams
Running time	96 minutes
Production companies	Grundy Productions; Gemini Productions
Original release
Release	1 November 1978

The Death Train (alternately titled Death Train) is a 1978 Australian made-for-television horror thriller film^[1] directed by Igor Auzins, and starring Hugh Keays-Byrne and Max Meldrum.

It was produced by Robert Bruning's Gemini Productions.^[2]

Plot

A dead man is discovered at the bottom of his garden. It appears he has been hit by a train even though no train has run along those tracks for years.

Cast

Hugh Keays-Byrne as Ted Morrow
Ingrid Mason as Vera
Max Meldrum as Johnny Loomis
Ken Goodlet as Sergeant McMasters
Brian Wenzel as Peter Murdoch
Colin Taylor as Herbert Cook
Terry Camilleri as Taxi Driver (uncredited)

Production

The film was shot in Sydney.^[3] Shooting started September 1977.^[4]

Reception

Don Groves of the Sydney Morning Herald said "Bruning has made some terrific thrillers, but this isn't one of them. After an intriguing opening, The Death Train simply runs off the rails... the script is given such tongue-in-cheek treatment, it's little more than a farce."^[3]

Charles Tatum from eFilmCritic rated the film a negative two out of five stars, criticizing the film's script, and editing.^[5]

Dave Sindelar from Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings gave the film a positive review, stating that the film's overall quirkiness (from its bizarre mystery, offbeat characters, and surreal humor) worked in its favor.^[6]

References

^ Ed. Scott Murray, Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995, Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p42
^ Beilby, Peter; Murray, Scott (September–October 1979). "Robert Bruning". Cinema Papers. pp. 517–519.
^ ^a ^b Groves, Don (9 July 1978). "A Movie That's Off the Rails". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 55.
^ "Rugged - so he's a villain". Sydney Morning Herald. 11 September 1977. p. 100.
^ Tatum, Charles. "Movie Review - Death Train, The - eFilmCritic". eFilmCritic.com. eFilmCritic. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
^ Sindelar, Dave (6 November 2018). "The Death Train (1978)". FantasticMovieMusings.com. Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings. Retrieved 19 October 2019.

External links

The Death Train at AllMovie
Death Train at IMDb
The Death Train at Letterboxd
The Death Train at the British Film Institute^{[better source needed]}
The Death Train at Screen Australia
Death Train at AustLit (subscription required)

This article related to an Australian made-for-TV movie is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This article about a 1970s thriller film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[scott-1] Ed. Scott Murray, Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995, Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p42

[2] Beilby, Peter; Murray, Scott (September–October 1979). "Robert Bruning". Cinema Papers. pp. 517–519.

[smh-3] Groves, Don (9 July 1978). "A Movie That's Off the Rails". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 55.

[4] "Rugged - so he's a villain". Sydney Morning Herald. 11 September 1977. p. 100.

[efilmcriticrev-5] Tatum, Charles. "Movie Review - Death Train, The - eFilmCritic". eFilmCritic.com. eFilmCritic. Retrieved 19 October 2019.

[sindelar09-6] Sindelar, Dave (6 November 2018). "The Death Train (1978)". FantasticMovieMusings.com. Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings. Retrieved 19 October 2019.

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