ALL ABOARD, the movie train!
I'm your conductor for this week's Thursday Movie Picks. It's a great weekly meme in which our host, the wonderful Wanderer at Wandering Through the Shelves, gives us a topic and we bloggers suggest three movies that fit. These can either be what we deem to be the best, the worst, or just hidden gems. This week, the theme is train movies. I tend to go for hidden gems. This week, we're only sorta going that route. We'll start with one that is the absolute greatest of them all. No, I don't care if you agree with that. You're wrong if you don't. We'll then move on to one that might be the worst...but in a good way. And we'll finish up with one something you may or may not have heard of. Let's get this train rolling.
The General
(1926)
The story is about a man who loves two things: his train and his woman. When his train his stolen with his woman on board he must leap into action to save both. All of this is just framework on which to hang some of the most amazing stunt work ever committed to film. All of it is done by the star of the show, the incomparable Buster Keaton. And just about all of it was done in one take. Think about it. This was made in the 1920s, so there was no cgi and Keaton could only afford one train to use. He did some of the craziest things imaginable...and didn't die. This is the greatest train movie of all-time.
Under Siege 2: Dark Territory
(1995)
Let's go to the other end of the spectrum. The first Under Siege was set aboard a naval ship. For the sequel, we move things to a train. Casey Ryback, our hero, is taking his niece Sarah on vacation. By the way, she's played by a young Katherine Heigl. Morris Chestnut shows up in the sidekick role. Anyhoo, an ex-CIA nutjob and his crew hijacks the plane leaving the highly skilled Ryback to try and save the train. I'll say nothing further except that the good guy is played by Steven Seagal. In other words, this is ridiculous to the point of being sublime. In other words, it's so bad it's awesome!
The Midnight Meat Train
(2008)
Now, we can settle somewhere in the middle. I'll call this a hidden gem if you don't mind for horror fans who don't mind blood and guts. Some psycho is literally bashing people to death in the subway and we get to see every bit of it. It is low-budget scary flick stuff, but there are some amazing shots in this one. It just so happens they are all soaked in bodily fluids and death. My favorite is from the point of view of person while, and even after, they get decapitated. The story is that a photo-journalist who is drawn to morbid content wants to get some pics and a story on this guy. So he enters into a cat-and-mouse with said psycho. The photog is played by Bradley Cooper before he blew up and the always awesome Vinnie Jones plays the bad guy. I would post a gif of this one, but they're all a bit much, showing you exactly what that pic above suggest.
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"this is ridiculous to the point of being sublime"
ReplyDeleteHaha. Not sure why this made me laugh, but I love things like this.
I've haven't actually seen Midnight Meat Train and because of my love of blood and gore I really do want to now. Plus Vinne Jones, an ex footballer (soccer player), is a nutter.
Always happy to make someone laugh. My only warning about The Midnight Meat Train is I hate how it ends. Good stuff until it starts being explained. But yeah, Vinnie Jones brings it.
DeleteThe General's plot sounds so ridiculous at first, then I was like "No, that sounds awesome." Thank you for reminding me about the Midnight Meat Train. That's one I actually wanted to see. I'll keep in mind the ending kind of sucks.
ReplyDeleteThe plot if The General is both of those things. Love to see what you think of The Midnight Meat Train.
DeleteI don't know if I'd say The General is the greatest train film but it is indeed an awesome achievement and Keaton, and his crew, take the credit for that. The Under Siege films lead by that great thespian Steven Seagal are brainless fun, I liked the first better but this one is a decent diversion. I'm not the audience for Midnight Meat Train.
ReplyDeleteI too try and find hidden gems but I will freely admit my first is more of a deservedly hidden lemon that I include as a caution. I spent the longest time pursuing it in a quest to see all of Angela Lansbury's feature films and it was one of the last. It shows that once a classic is done right it's better left alone. I love my other two though and I included an extra that I thought would pop up all over the place today.
The Lady Vanishes (1979)-An example of all that can go wrong when a classic is inadvisably remade. Peter Bogdanovich recasts the roles so expertly done by Margaret Lockwood and Robert Donat in the Hitchcock original with the totally unsuitable Cybill Shepard and Elliott Gould and proceeds to get everything else wrong that the first did right. The one bright spot-Angela Lansbury taking over the role of Miss Froy that Margaret Rutherford played in the original but she’s in too little of the movie to save it.
Murder on the Orient Express (1974)-The gold standard for mystery adaptations. Superior version of Agatha Christie’s novel of a snowbound train on which a murder has occurred and which the famous detective Hercule Poirot sets out to solve. Everything is top of the line from the set and costume design to the cast. What a cast! In every role is a recognizable face from either American or international cinema. Everyone does terrific work though Ingrid Bergman’s best supporting actress Oscar is puzzling, even she didn’t think she deserved to win. Betty Bacall is a real standout as the loquacious Mrs. Hubbard and Albert Finney gives a tremendous performance of the fussy Belgian sleuth.
Lady on a Train (1945)-A lady on a train, Deanna Durbin, witnesses a murder from her window but can only identify the victim not the killer. She goes to the police but when they don’t believe her story she turns to a writer of detective stories for help and together they try to find the killer and solve the case. Light mystery spoof even finds ways to have Deanna sing a few songs, backed up by a great supporting cast including Edward Everett Horton, Dan Duryea, Elizabeth Patterson, George Coulouris, Ralph Bellamy and William Frawley she has rarely looked so beautiful.
Honorable Mention-Unstoppable (2010)-Because of a stupid mistake a train containing dangerous material has become a runaway. A mismatched pair of train engineers on their first day as partners try and stop it before disaster strikes. Fast paced and exciting with some cool derring-do but nothing that pushes the movie over into ridiculousness. Denzel Washington and Chris Pine make a solid team.
I enjoyed Unstoppable, but haven't seen the others. Lots of people picking the original of The Lady Vanishes this week. Need to brush up on my Hitchcock.
DeleteThe original is definitely the one to seek out, this one is a bad, bad distillation.
DeleteOh, I definitely plan on watching the original. The remake, probably not.
DeleteDo you know The General is at the top of my "Must see or you're an Idiot" list! I can't believe that I still have not seen this film. Apparently the remains of that train is still in that gorge since they had to use a real train. Buster is just amazing. I think I have seen parts of the 2nd film but it is just nutty. As for the last film, I shall pass as I am not into gore pictures at all-too dang depressing
ReplyDeleteOh, please see The General. Keaton is amazing. As for the train most, if not all, of the train was removed during WWII and used as scrap metal. By that time, ithad been sitting there almost 20 years.
DeleteOh I didn't know that! I thought most of it was still there. Gosh you know I could have picked another Keaton great which was made in Canada called the Railrodder
DeleteHmmm...haven't seen that one. Thanks!
DeleteOh gad. I'm not a horror fan but didnt Bradley Cooper was in it! Bizarre. The General looks great - I'm a Chaplin fan but I think I need to watch Keaton.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's definitely not the norm for Cooper. Please check out The General.
DeleteYAY for The General! This may be the only time Buster Keaton gets mentioned in the same post as Steven Seagal LOL. I've kinda wanted to see Midnight Meat Train for Vinnie Jones and Bradley Cooper, but I don't do well with blood-and-guts horror.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Keaton and Seagal are an odd pair. If you don't do well with blood-and-guts you might want to skip TMMT.
DeleteI need to up my Buster Keaton game. The General sounds great. That Seagal gif is beautiful. And Midnight Meat Train sounds amazing!
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I need to see more Keaton myself. Still, The General is great.
DeleteThe General.... one of the best films ever.... Under Siege 2.... no... Seagal is tubby bitch. Plus, a wrestler is named after that character in which we smarks call him... CRYBOTCH!
ReplyDeletelol. Yay for more love for The General.
DeleteI fully agree on The General. It's not my favorite Keaton (that's Sherlock, Jr.), but it's almost certainly the best Keaton in a lot of respects. Also, I want to thank you for not including Snowpiercer, which I found to be one of the most overrated films of the last several years.
ReplyDeleteI'll toss out The Train from 1965 as an unknown train film that should be better known. It's a solid war film that doesn't let up on the action, and it's hard to go wrong with Burt Lancaster.
lol, I do like Snowpiercer, but I knew it would be everywhere today so I went a different route. Haven't seen The Train. I'll have to check that out.
DeleteI've actually only watched Under Siege 2 from your picks and I loved it. Steven Seagull was one of the best things about the 90's. Who cares if he only had one facial expression, he kicked so much ass and did it with so much ease that everyone of his movies is great to watch for me.
ReplyDeleteUS2 and much of "Seagull's" late 80s/early 90s stuff is just pure dumb fun. I love them.
DeleteOh man, I might just have to watch The General after this post. You've sold it to me! I don't think even Bradley Cooper could bring me to watch Midnight Meat Train though...
ReplyDelete- Allie
I hope you do get to watch The General. I completely understand skipping The Midnight Meat Train, lol.
DeleteThe General is fun to watch, I loved it. The bridge collapsing and train falling in the river still impresses today, especially when you read that it's the most expense shot in silent movie history. Great choice!
ReplyDeleteNot surprising that it was such an expensive shot. They actually bought a train and a bridge (or built it, not sure) then destroyed them both. Amazing.
DeleteI didn't know Under Siege had a sequel. I have yet to watch The General. Great picks!
ReplyDeleteYup, US2 is not quite as well known as its predecessor because it didn't exactly impress critics or ticket buyers.
DeleteJust the name, Midnight Meat Train, sounds amazing. And that picture!
ReplyDeleteI own The General and yet...I still haven't seen it :-(
One of the great titles of all time. There actually is a scene where people are hung from the ceiling of the train as if it were a meat locker. Now, go watch The General.
DeleteBuster could have two movies on this list because Our Hospitality has a long train sequence and I've always loved it as much as The General.
ReplyDeleteThen there's Horror Express with Peter Cushing.
And Narrow Margin, that film noir classic with Marie Windsor. The last time I saw it, I noticed it was directed by the guy who directed Conan the Destroyer and Red Sonja. And Soylent Green!
And I almost forgot 1937's Prison Train! It's not bad but the poster is much better than the movie.
DeleteThanks for the recommendations. I've got movies to find!
DeleteYou always manage to come up with an interesting mix of picks of every week.
ReplyDeleteJust one train to spare in The General... well that takes guts.
Thanks. The General is worth it just to see the stunts which Keaton did himself.
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