[7]

British horror icons Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing play rival scientists trying to contain a defrosted prehistoric creature aboard the Trans-Siberian Express in this moody midnight horror flick. The monster’s kill count starts to feel repetitive and you’ll have to suspend your disbelief where science is concerned, but the film has quite a bit to offer otherwise. Lee and Cushing are at the top of their game, and there’s a charismatic third-act appearance by Telly Savalas (right before Kojak made him a global sensation) as a crazed Cossack determined to get to the bottom of things — with violence if necessary.

Horror Express gets bonus points for its sophisticated monster. The script transforms from a standard creature feature to a murder mystery when we learn the prehistoric cargo contains a parasitic alien that can jump from host to host, no doubt a nod to The Thing from Another World. There’s also some nifty miniature photography, a modest amount of gore, and a gitchy, retro-sounding score driven by whistling. Even though the film isn’t technically an Amicus or Hammer Films production, it’s paced and styled similarly, and should satisfy fans of either studio’s output.

Directed by Eugenio Martin. With Silvia Tortosa as feminine window dressing and Alberto de Mondoza as a priest who wants to serve the alien.