NIGHT TRAIN MURDERS (1974)


(aka. L'ULTIMO TRENO DELLA NOTTE, DON'T RIDE ON LATE NIGHT TRAINS, VIOLENZA SULL'ULTIMO TRENO DELLA NOTTE, LATE NIGHT TRAINS, TORTURE TRAIN, THE SECOND HOUSE ON THE LEFT, NEW HOUSE ON THE LEFT)


Reviewed BY-Devin Kelly
CAST: Macha Meril, Flavio Bucci, Gianfranco De Grassi, Enrico Maria Salerno, Irene Miracle, Laura D'Angelo, Marina Berti, Franco Fabrizi, Daniele Dublino

DIRECTOR: Aldo Lado
PRODUCER(S): Pino Buricchi and Paolo Infascelli
A European Inc. Production
RUNNING TIME: 94 min. 01 second
VIDEO SOURCE: Grey Market Uncut Letterboxed Import Print (Midnight Video)



In the fairly lengthy line of Italian rape/revenge films to follow the cult success of Craven's LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (1972), Aldo Lado's L'ULTIMO TRENO DELLA NOTTE (1974) rates near the head of the pack. Cash-in retitlings like THE SECOND HOUSE ON THE LEFT and NEW HOUSE ON THE LEFT can be misleading as the film more commonly known as NIGHT TRAIN MURDERS is much more than just another rip-off. Lado handles the grim subject matter well, laying out the blood in moderation, but still making sure to dish out a good dose of discomfort. For a few of the passengers, this train's headed for hell!

We open with a wailing and mind bending song by Demis Russos called "A Flower is All You Need", which is sort of memorable and makes you cringe all at the same time. Set to what is supposed to be a touching little song are our opening shots of a couple of hoods up to nothing but blatant trouble. The greasy and reckless pair, played by Flavio Bucci (SUSPIRIA '76, CONTROL '87) and Gianfranco De Grassi (RETURN OF THE 38 GANG '68, THE CHURCH '88) lurk around an outdoor Munich shopping center in Germany loking for some kind of deviant mischief to get into. They find it in the midst of a busy Christmas shopping rush as they proceed to mug a Santa Claus for his earnings. At the same time a seemingly innocent and harmless Macha Meril (DEEP RED '75) shops around the busy public square picking up a few last minute gifts, and two young ladies, Margaret (Irene Miracle) and Lisa (Laura D'Angelo), excited by the holidays, do the same in another section. Little do these people know, they will all be brought together by violence.

Miracle (INFERNO '80) and D'Angelo (DIFFICILE MORIRE '77) return to Miracle's home where D'Angelo has been staying as an exchange student from Italy over the summer months. The two have quickly become very good friends. Now they are heading to Italy just in time for Christmas to stay at D'Angelo's to live with her parents, Julio and Laura Stradi (Enrico Maria Salerno and Marina Berti). The two adventurous ladies head to a packed train station, where in the very same place, Macha Meril is also hopping aboard for some travel time. And unfortunately for everyone, Bucci and De Grassi are wreaking havoc yet again on innocent bystanders, such as cutting a woman's fur coat right off of her. When chased by the police they find an escape and make a last minute jump aboard the train heading for Italy. The same train the two girls are riding. The same train they'll wish they had never gotten on.

Without giving away too much of everything that happens in the film, Meril eventually takes a liking to the two thugs after having been screwed by Bucci in the washroom. Bucci and De Grassi not only take a liking to the beautiful Macha, but they also get a dirty taste in their mouth for Irene Miracle and Laura D'Angelo after having tried to sweet talk them earlier. Things get tense aboard the train, but it isn't until they are forced to board a second train that the real fun begins. Miracle and D'Angelo find a quiet compartment on the second train thinking they've rid themselves of the slimy duo of Bucci and De Grassi. They realize otherwise however when the boys crash the party, this time with a devious Macha Meril leading the way.

From here the viewer well gets the fact that it's a grim outlook for Miracle and D'Angelo. It's obvious that the devilish trio are not shy about their perverse desires and Bucci again proceeds to have sex with Meril, following the cat-eyed beauty's orders for Miracle to watch them. From here it's an onslaught of nastiness towards the two girls as they are raped and abused. The worst of it comes at the hands of De Grassi's switchblade. All the while D'Angelo's parents celebrate Christmas, anxiously awaiting the return home of their daughter and her friend. They'll soon be in blood up to their elbows.

NIGHT TRAIN MURDERS is truly one of my personal favorites from the Italian rape/revenge cycle, just behind HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK (1979). In terms of cast performance alone, it's excellent. Flavio Bucci is sort of David Hess-like, possibly a little influenced by Hess as Krug two years before. He comes across as the more dominant of the two, but definitely not the more psychotic. That honor would go to Gianfranco De Grassi as a tranced out, maniacal heroine junkie. He does some horrible things to Laura D'Angelo, one point while raping her making it known, "She's no good! Jesus, she's as tight as a frightened asshole!", out loud as he becomes frustrated with her struggle. Quite frankly though, the incredibly sexy Moroccan born Macha Meril steals the show as the alluring and sadistic ring leader, organizing all kinds of sleazy acts for everyone to participate in. Her charcter has finally found a situation in which to vent her dirty desires and she is the film's highlight.

Irene Miracle and Laura D'Angelo handle their parts well, making their crisis uncomfortably believable. For some reason, as with LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, the girls are made to look almost like their situation is punishment for thinking and talking about sex. Before the icky fate that catches up to them, the two ladies had been kidding around about sex and how far they'd gone or wanted to go. "Try leaning against the wall, you get a great feeling from all the vibration...go on...", Miracle encourages D'Angelo. Yeah, you're right. You think of everything!", she excitedly replies. If only things could be that innocent. The rest of the cast is really good also, including Enrico Maria Salerno (BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE '70) and Marina Berti (WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO OUR DAUGHTERS? '74) as the happy then shocked and vengeful parents, especially Salerno, who goes on an all out rampage. Sadly, Marina Berti just passed away this last October 2002. Also worth mentioning are Franco Fabrizi (WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO OUR DAUGHTERS? '74) as a pervert watching the degradation taking place, only to be invited by Meril to rape Irene Miracle, and Daniele Dublino (KILLER NUN '78) in an uncredited role as a doctor friend of surgeon Salerno.

Aldo Lado's direction leaves things uneasy and claustrophobic and the choice of icy blue lighting in the train compartment makes things all the more somber. Lado is a competent director and he had more up his sleeve here than a blueprint of Craven's trend-setter. The score from Ennio Morricone is also fairly low key, yet dark, being played out of Gianfranco De Grassi's harmonica at every turn. All in all the mood and bleak climax suit the film. I recommend it to anyone looking for this type of Italian shock cinema.

4 1/2 BITCH SLAPS

 

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