HORROR EXPRESS (1972) starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Telly Savalas

"Whatever you have here is unholy — and must be destroyed!"

This was a tough year to select an entry for my 60-For-60 Horror Watchlist. It’s a classic year for horror, filled with ripe-for-the-picking choices like TALES FROM THE CRYPT, HUNCHBACK OF THE MORGUE, and THE NIGHT STALKER. But I couldn’t resist a rewatch of this underrated Spanish horror production starring Christopher Lee, longtime buddy Peter Cushing, a pre-stardom Telly Savalas, and a guy who is most definitely not Paul Naschy (Alberto de Mendoza).

A 1906 expedition led by Professor Saxton (Lee) unearths an ape-like creature frozen in a cave, which is crated up and placed on the Trans-Siberian Express. Scientific rival Doctor Wells (Cushing) is also on board and can’t help but wonder what Saxton has in that giant crate. Faster than you can say “there’s the stink of hell on this train” the thing is turning people’s eyeballs egg white and boiling their brains.

Puzzled by the murders—and those smooth, boiled brains—Saxton and Wells set out to solve the mystery while Not Paul Naschy has a complete breakdown, Kojak shows up with his Cossacks, and that detective won’t take his one hand out of his pocket.

Cushing lost his beloved wife just prior to filming and leaned on his old pal Lee to get him through the shoot, which gives the entire affair a sense of melancholy. The whole endeavor has an endearing turn-of-the-century period sci-fi vibe and this fun, claustrophobic, period take on ‘Who Goes There?’ deserves more love. – Dan Taylor