''The Death Train'' (alternately titled ''Death Train'') is a 1978 Australian

made-for-television A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made fo ...

horror

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...

Ed. Scott Murray, ''Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995'', Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p42 directed by

Igor Auzins Igor Auzins (born 1949 in Melbourne) is an Australian filmmaker. He joined Crawford Productions in 1969 and worked as a cameraman, then a director. He made documentaries for the South Australian Film Corporation, TV commercials, tele movies and ...

, and starring

Hugh Keays-Byrne Hugh Keays-Byrne (18 May 1947 – 2 December 2020) was a British-Australian actor and film director. A former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, he was best known for playing the main antagonist in two films from the ''Mad Max'' franchise ...

and Max Meldrum. It was produced by Robert Bruning's Gemini Productions.

Plot

A dead man is discovered at the bottom of his garden. It appears he has been hit by a train even though no train has run along those tracks for years.

Cast

as Ted Morrow * Ingrid Mason as Vera * Max Meldrum as Johnny Loomis * Ken Goodlet as Sergeant McMasters *

Brian Wenzel Brian Thomas Wenzel (born 24 May 1929) is an Australian former actor, comedian, director and singer. He has been in the entertainment business for 75 years, including circus, stage, television and film (including made for TV movies and theatrica ...

as Peter Murdoch * Colin Taylor as Herbert Cook

Production

The film was shot in Sydney. Shooting started September 1977.

Reception

Don Groves of the ''Sydney Morning Herald'' said "Bruning has made some terrific thrillers, but this isn't one of them. After an intriguing opening, ''The Death Train'' simply runs off the rails... the script is given such tongue-in-cheek treatment, it's little more than a farce." Charles Tatum from ''eFilmCritic'' rated the film a negative two out of five stars, criticizing the film's script, and editing. Dave Sindelar from ''Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings'' gave the film a positive review, stating that the film's overall quirkiness (from its bizarre mystery, offbeat characters, and surreal humor) worked in its favor.

References

External links

* * * *
''The Death Train''
at Screen Australia
''Death Train''
at AustLit (subscription required) 1978 horror films 1978 television films 1978 films 1970s horror thriller films Australian horror thriller films Australian television films Horror television films Films directed by Igor Auzins 1970s English-language films {{1970s-thriller-film-stub