Another Train Movie For My Enjoyment

You certainly have some very good ones there, however,,,,,that "Runaway Train" thing is pretty much an insult to one's intelligence, in my opinion.

I just came home from a long weekend in the mts with no TV so most the time was viewing DVD movies and train DVDs i bought years ago. Real trains and all just trains. Highball productios of the Oregon Blues, UP over the Beaumont hill,Salt lake route, and Sherman. One has to have a good sleep before watching these train movies as I would fall asleep fast with my eyes waggin back and forth with the trains crossing the screen but loved all 4 movies. Now to see if any new movies are available as these are from mid '90s to 2K. I was seeing a lot of trains with lite empty cars up front and more weight to the rear. I would think that the middle to the front would try and straighten out and pull the forward cars of the rails like one pulling a string straight. Ever hear of such a thing.

 

 

Phil  

Hal, two more for you..."Switchback" with Danny Glover ( I think) and an old classic "It Happened to Jane" with Doris Day and Jack Lemon.  Kind of cheesey but lots of steam action.

 

 

HEY HOT WATER: 

 

The film "Runaway Train" may be an insult to your intelligence, but that's not necessarily the case to "one's" intelligence as you say.

 

Frankly, that movie is not even about a train, so technical errors and inconsistencies concerning locomotive and railroad operations can be thrown out, but that doesn't detract from the real subject of the story, which is the conflict of personalities between the two escaped convicts on board.

 

Internationally acclaimed movie critic and film expert Leonard Maltin is very hard to please when it comes to giving high marks to a film's plot, acting, and directing, yet he gives this movie three out of the four stars he occasionally gives to a top-level classic, such as "Gone With The Wind", "Citizen Kane", or "Lawrence of Arabia".

 

The Amazon Film Viewers poll of 113 reviewers of "Runaway Train" voted the following way:

 

5 stars:  74 votes

4 stars:  22 votes

3 stars:  6 votes

2 stars:  2 votes

1 star:   8 votes

 

Yes, "Runaway Train" has aquitted itself nicely!

 

BAD ORDER  (I get a new volume of Maltin's Movie Guide every other year.)

 

 

 

 

 

HOT WATER WAS RIGHT!

 

The film "Runaway Train" is indeed an insult to one's intelligence, as Hot Water pointed out.

 

Not only does it ignore the basic operations of a Diesel Locomotive, but the personality conflict between the 2 escaped convicts contains dialog which I'm surpised that top-level actor Jon Voight (as Manny) consented to after reading the language in the script!

 

Totally foul and disgusting, with the F word occurring at least once a minute!  Such a role would have been better served by the likes of Jack Nicholson, who thrives on verbal filth!

 

Even the supposedly level-headed professionals in the subdivision's dispatch office were loud and trashy in their dialog and appearance! 

 

The one redeeming scene was when the runaway train destroyed the tail end of the train that was diverting to a siding to escape the onrushing 80MPH 4-engine hookup.

 

After that scene, the remains of the caboose were seen stuck all over the lead engine's pilot.

 

I wasted 20 bucks on this DVD, which I'll never watch again!

 

BAD ORDER

 

 

 

I try and try, but very few listen & believe.

Hal, this just goes to prove what Leonard Maltin knows about trains. Hot Water is the far more trustworthy critic in train related matters.

 

If I remember correctly, this was a Golan - Globus production. They were the 80's masters of low budget action mostly B movies. This was one of their more well received offerings, and even got Voigt and Roberts Oscar nominations. However, good acting doesn't always translate into a good movie.

 

 

HEY LARGE FELLOW,

 

You're right too!

 

I guess I place too much credence in Maltin's opinions.  You're right about the film being a Golan-Globus production, too.

 

I guess a 77-year-old like me can always be brought up to date!

 

BAD ORDER

 

My two favorite train movies are "Unstoppable"  which you already have and "Silver Streak" with Gene Wilder, Richard Pryor and Jill Clayburgh.  I t is a fun story with lots of train shots through western US and the BEST train crash I have ever seen in a movie.

 

I am no Steven Seagal fan but I really enjoyed the train scenes in "Under Siege 2 - Dark Territory".

 

I might suggest you consider joining Netflix and renting train movies before you commit to purchase.  For $7 or $8 a month, you can watch quite a few train movies.

 

Happy railroading,

Don

"It Happened to Jane" is available on YouTube for viewing free.

 

Consider "Union Station" if you want to see Chicago's underground municipal freight railway, now defunct.  It brought coal and merchandise to downtown buildings & stores, and hauled away trash & ashes.

 

"Emperor of the North" is excellent, for it is a tale of someone having a little lording it over someone who has less.  Excellent scenery.

HEY DON,

 

I'll consider NETFLIX, but I probably won't do anything about it.

 

Thanks,

 

BAD ORDER

HEY RJR,

 

I have "Emperor of the North", and have been watching it for years!  Lee Marvin sure does a good portrayal of "A Number One", the smartest, craftiest hobo who ever rode the rods!

 

And hey...I just finished watching "It Happened to Jane"!  A nice, pleasant, non-violent, small-town yarn about Individual Enterprise vs Corporate Greed, which turns out nicely, as any Doris Day film always does!

 

(I'm not sure, but I think the loco was a 2-6-2 Prairie.)

 

Thanks for the tip!

BAD ORDER HAL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hal, what I liked about Emperor was that it wasn't one of those inane pictures that litter the screen.  Was a classic depiction of life. 

 

Here's the classic scene from It Happened to Jane.  Out of fuel on the diamonds.

I too like Silver Streak very much.  Gene Wilder is the best at yelling in movies.  I have a number of other train related tapes as well.  I have the Flying Scotsman, which for some reason has a picture of a N&W J on the cover, a four tape set of the history of British steam, Burt lancaster in The Train, always good, but one you might be interested in is Steam in the Late 50's and Early 60's, from Green Frog Productions.  It is mostly in color; the footage is all Super 8 and similar shot by fans, with a lively, good natured narration.  Come to think of it, I ought to replace my copy of Volume II (it was 'eaten' by a VCR more than a decade ago and 'fixed') and buy Volume I, which I have never seen.  I am glad I read this topic.

This was filmed using New Haven RR equipment and the specific location is Plainfield, Ct. I drive by there a few times a years and the track is largely the same still and being used by the Providence and Worcester RR which is a regional carrier in CT,MA & RI.

 

Hal, the locomotive was New Haven steam locomotive J-Class 2-8-2 #3016.

 

Nice to see these photos!

 

Thanks

 

Bob

Silver streak is my favorite. My dad took me to see it when I was about 4. I got one look at Reece and that was it, started screaming and would not return. I've since been able to get past his teeth and enjoy the movie.

 

Unstoppable was the "Days of Thunder" for railfans. I took my son to see it when he was 11. He loved it. I thought it was an insult to anyone with a basic understanding of railroads, physics and life in general. The biggest insult was saying that it was based on a true story. It had no bearing on reality. Crossing gates going down as the train crossed the road? a 5000 hp SD-40? Cops opening fire with automatic rifles trying to hit a fuel cutoff? 

I realize it's hollywood. I do. But when my mind is constantly fixated on all these stupid, un-needed antics, it makes it impossible to enjoy a movie.

You guys have missed "Broadway Limited" one of the worst farces ever made, saved only by the shots of equipment

I have a several favorite train movies just to name a few..

 

The Denver and Rio Grande 1952

The Train

4's a Crowd

The Professionals

The Great Locomotuve Chase

Breakhart Pass

Terror by Night, Sherlock Holmes

the list goes on...

 

HEY ROUNDHOUSE ROWDIES,

 

I guess I'll have to wait to see "Silver Streak" before rendering a judgement on my favorite train flick.

 

As for the present, even after recently acquiring 3 train films: "The Train", "Unstoppable", and "Runaway Train", my favorite is still "Emperor of the North" for real footage showing steam locomotive operations, servicing the tender at water stops, yard activity, mainline switching, and emergency application of train air brakes,

resulting in injuries to the Hogger, the Bakehead, and the Brakie, with real anger from the Conductor!

 

Even the opening scene shows the 2-8-2 light Mikado rolling through the countryside with a short consist, with Marty Robbins singing "A Man and a Train".

 

Just a great, great movie, placed in the Great Depression year of 1933.    (I came along 3 years later...)

 

BAD ORDER

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have a whole lot of prototype train videos but not that many of the Hollywood movies.

 

I have "Silver Streak", "Unstoppable", "The Train", "587 The Great Train Robbery", "Danger Lights", and "Rail Kings".

 

I'd say "Silver Streak" is probably my favorite as I have seen it so many times I can't even count. For those that haven't heard of "Rail Kings" it is a B movie I found in the bargain bin at discount store. The price was $1.99 and I figured how could I go wrong at that price and with that title. Earnest Borgnine has a cameo. It's about a young man whose parents get killed and he is blamed by the cops for the murder. He then takes to the rails as a hobo to find the real killer. It wasn't great but it wasn't bad either. It certainly sounds a heck a of lot better than "Runaway Train". I think I was watching "Runaway Train" once and I just couldn't get interested in it and turned it off.

 

I've never seen any of these movies below. I'll have to keep an eye out to check them out.

 

The Denver and Rio Grande 1952

It Happened to Jane

4's a Crowd

The Professionals

Breakhart Pass

Terror by Night, Sherlock Holmes

If you want to see some classically bad William Shatner acting combined with some really really insulting railroad movie writing (Nobody in the whole company really understands how ATC actually WORKS) as well as a fictional railroad company running equipment that is clearly labeled Amtrak, rent "Disaster on the Coastliner."  It's one of those movies that's so bad I actually enjoyed watching it and rolling my eyes CONSTANTLY.

 

HEY 4-6-4 HUDSON,

 

Don't feel guilty about not having "Emperor of the North" on your list.....I haven't seen "Silver Streak" either!

 

bad order

"Emperor of the North" is by far the best movie about U.S. railroading made to date, and you can take that to the bank! 

 

HEY ALLAN,

 

You're so right, and I'm sure glad I own a copy!

 

"A Number One to Portland...mark it on the tower!" 

 

Bad Order

Actually I saw the last 1/3 of "Emperor of the North" one time when it was on TV. I couldn't get into it but then again I didn't see it from the beginning so I really can't make a fair opinion on it. Since so many train guys love that movie I will have to try to see the whole thing one day.

Bad Order hal,

    My favorite is BreakHeart Pass, pick up a copy, stars Charles Bronson, Ben Johnson & Richard Crenna a serious old western train movie, in the snow filled western mountains, what a show, even better than Murder on the Orient Express.

PCRR/Dave