Le train de l'angoisse

By 1973, the disaster genre had conquered the skies and the sea. I guess a move to train transportation was iinevitable.

This TV movie has all the elements necessary for a disaster film: panicking passengers, absolutely stupid dialogue and an all has-been cast. Unfortunately, the special effects are virtually nil and it has very low camp value.

The terror, however is very real. These actors know their careers are OVER.

A fantastic, pulsating action film that defies belief it was made for TV in 1973. These characters all gathered 'soap' style are almost literally just thrown under the table within 15 minutes of the start. The runaway train is on its way down the tracks and nothing will stop it. This is small scale suspense and humane drama combined at its finest. No silly flashbacks for 20 minutes at a time, this train is on the tracks and there's no stopping the actual action threat. Of course there's silly melodramatics along the way, but this really is a superlative exercise in how to do TV movies. And technically it's incredible how they achieved so many of the shots and effects in 1973 on a TV budget. The obvious back projection is obvious, but there is hardcore stuff here involving train hardware that looks real and dangerous. It was enduring memory for me first seeing it at 5 years old on UK TV in the 1980s, I so wish it would be unvaulted and restored and released in HD.

A passenger train in the snow is a runaway.

I am a 1970s disaster movie-lover, my childhood was in that period, and I am now very surprised to find a movie of this genre now today in 2016 (on YouTube)! Why has this movie been kept on the shelf away from TV re-runs and DVD??? How dare they!

Well anyway, the review. This movie is all about interesting people like Vera Miles, Martin Milner and others. Don't expect any lavish special effects or anything like that, in fact some scenes are very obviously filmed in a studio. You will not even get a decent musical score. This is all about people and suspense, and done is a very pleasing way!

Find this TV movie on YouTube, I hope they don't take it down!

I've now seen this film twice on television over the years and there is nothing wrong with it. For a TV movie I think it is quite good and it whiles away a pleasant couple of hours. I would love to get it on DVD.

In an out of control train hurtling back down the mountain at 70mph, Ben Johnson doesn't bat an eyelid, and gets off the train at the station as if it is all in a days work!

In a comparison with "Unstoppable" which I have just seen and which is apparently being tipped to win an Oscar (why! how?) I know which of the two films I prefer!

The Runaway Train, as a TV movie, was made on a shoestring in comparison with films made for the big screen by the movie moguls in the large studios. Special effects were virtually non-existent in this film, where as today CGI effects are on tap and can produce anything the produced or director wish.

This might have been one of the likable Ben Johnson's more smaller films in his illustrious career, but it certainly wasn't his worst.

I fully enjoyed this movie. Having once worked for a railroad I am aware of some technical inaccuracies, but it's worth overlooking to enjoy the premise. I especially love Ben Johnson as the engineer. I used to love the railroad the way his character does and totally relate to him. Some people have said there are no stars in it besides him, but Vera Miles was nice to see. Martin Milner's character is a little annoying to me though. I liked seeing the young boy from "Ben" too. I love those old diesel locomotives too! I have a grainy copy I recorded from TV. I wish they would release this on DVD. And yes, it is short and sweet.