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This movie is well worth at least one look:yes,it is a variation (rip-off)of Last house,but it does have a few surprises and arguably,a stronger theme than Last House;there is a definite anti fascist ,left leaning sensibility to this film,underlying its more European take on the "Us and them "idea behind Last house.

Firstly,its really well made.If you've seen Lado's Gialli ,you'll know hes no hack,but he sets scenes really well.The scenes on the train have a insular,outward looking feel,as though you are really trapped inside looking at the world flowing by the windows.

Thematically,the two films are VERY similar;two ultra middle class girls (more worldly than their square parents know)get involved with two scumbags,Blackie and er...his junkie friend (cant remember his name).Sorry,THREE scumbags,as Macha Merill,middle class but a deviant,joins in as the two girls are trapped on an overnight train,en route to a family Christmas.Rape,torment,and retribution follow,as you damn well expect.

Anyway,its not as brutal as last house.The rape and revenge stuff is strong (enough for it to be banned here,anyway)but its quite a dark film nonetheless:its very influenced by Pasolini.Hence,the middle class are twisted deviants who exploit the working class to get their fun.Its Macha Merill who is the real villain here,not Blackie,enjoying the twisted stuff to fulfill her libertinism,as the ending (no spoilers)reveals.Shes good in this film,too.

The bad?the theme song is awful.Seriously.I played this on my laptop and at first I thought the speakers had melted,the singer warbles so much.Awful.I hope Morricone had nothing to do with it.The actings so-so,I liked Blackie anyway.Cute Irene Miracle is one of the girls.The parent figures are really dull...and the Dads a doctor!How blatant is that!

I dug the humour of the film too:in one scene in the train a young priest notices that the rummy old Cardinal is slyly winking at him;he turns to another priest who says "Oh its just a nervous tic".But in the best scene,Blackie discovers a carriage full of old ex-Nazis singing a fascist marching song(the film is set in Germany and Italy).He sneaks in and shouts "Heil Hitler" to which all the old chaps jump up and shout "Heil" in response.I liked it anyway.i think it reveals a lot about the films idea that perversion is always under the surface,in the most respectable of places.

This is one of the few nasties I never tracked down on copied VHS,so its great to see it so pristine and clear.It could easily get released now in the UK;but they would probably cut the scene where Merill gets raped and enjoys it,totally taboo for the BBFC,especially in a non art-house flick (total hypocrisy of course)as they did with House on the edge of the Park.The scene with the knife would get axed as well,if you see the film you'll understand.All readers in Countries where people can make up their own mind,check it out now!

N.B has now been released with an uncut 18 certificate by shameless in the UK. What a dunce I sound like now...

I thought that Night Train Murders was a very good but disturbing film It was rejected for release in 1976, And banned until 2008 in Britain. Because of its strong sexual violence. It is about two street punks and a sex craved woman that manage to sexually assault two young girls on wile they are on board a late night train. They are trapped on the train by these people they make the two men sexually abuse the two girls. This was was once a video nasty in Britain. I found the film quite hard to watch at times because of the strong sexual violence in it. I feel that it might be a bit to hard for other viewers to watch it as well because of the content in the film.

Macha Meril, as "The Lady On The Train" is the star of this seasonal, fun for all ages, thriller.

Yes, it rehashes the plot from "Last House On The Left" but it's done effectively and brutally. Lisa and Margaret don't stand a chance against Blackie, Curly and beautiful, sexy Lady. I particularly like the inventive use of the phallic knife. The final third of the film, where the killers meet the victim's parents is predictably implausible but gratifying nonetheless.

Demis Rusos' epic song which accompanies the opening and closing credits is wonderfully insensitive and inappropriate.

I'd love to see this on Christmas Day television.

7/10

Two psychopathic men and their nymphomaniac associate get on the night train running from somewhere in Germany to Italy. They rape one girl, drive another to jump off the train, then go spend some time with the latter girl's parents.

It's always difficult to figure out performances in a movie that's been dubbed, even when the dubbing is good, as it is here. I thought this one might have inspired Michael Haneke's FUNY GAMES but concluded that there's very little sense of drama or black humor in it. Instead, it wound up about horrid people doing horrid things for no clear reason -- I don't believe "They're psychopaths!" to be sufficient motivation absent other items of interest, and there weren't any here. This was rejected for a theatrical license in Great Britain when it first was released. I do not approve of censorship, but can certainly understand why. I cannot recommend this movie except to those who enjoy blood sport solely for the gore.

"The Night Train Murders," also known as "Last Stop on the Night Train," follows two teenage girls riding an overnight train on Christmas Eve from Munich to be home with their families for the holiday. Unfortunately, two thugs are also onboard, who happen to find an unlikely accomplice when they decide to brutalize the two girls in an empty car. Things, however, get increasingly complicated when they find themselves in the company of one of the girls' parents after de-boarding.

The Italian equivalent to Wes Craven's "The Last House on the Left" (or Bergman's "The Virgin Spring"), "The Night Train Murders" follows a familiar plot, so it needs to excel in other areas in order to set itself aside from its source material; and it more or less manages to do this, with some caveats. Where "Last House" took place in bucolic New England, "Night Train" sets itself within the confines of a train (a tradition dating back to Hitchcock's "Lady on the Train") running through rural Germany, and the film is extremely atmospheric for this. The Christmas Eve setting, though ultimately inconsequential to the narrative, does give the film another sinister layer.

The film is really well shot and there are some fantastic overhead views and other shots of the narrow train corridors that make for claustrophobic chase sequences. There is some contrived social commentary peppered in from the doctor father in the film, who waxes poetic about contemporary violence, but what's more interesting is the involvement of an austere woman on the train who finds herself a voyeur, and ultimately, a participant, in the brutalization of the girls. The psychology behind this is truly fascinating, and Macha Méril plays the part perfectly. The violence inflicted on the girls is difficult to watch, and the anonymous woman's participation in it is riveting. The conclusion, per the source material, is expected, but is also handled with stylish flair.

Overall, "The Night Train Murders" is a grim and stylish retread of a familiar story, but the material is handled well and the film boasts several disturbing scenes and a general atmosphere of foreboding and dread. Some people have tended to classify the film as an example of genre sleaze, though I didn't necessarily get that vibe from it. The violence here is more implicit than it is gratuitous, and the thematic overtones keep the film from edging into outright exploitation; it's more of a character study in the terrible things people are capable of in the most arbitrary of circumstances. 8/10.

An Italian reaction or "response" to Wes Craven's 'The Last House on the Left'. 'Night Train Murders' was never granted a U.K cert' in 1976 and for obvious reasons. Thankfully an uncut version was released (in recent years) by 'Shameless' and despite falling short of the gut churning 'Last House', it's pretty effective in places. As usual the dubbing is pretty awful and the Italians always have such cartoonish thugs. On the positive side, the sheer nastiness of tone will keep you watching after a pretty mundane (first) 30 minutes. Another reason to watch is it's scored by the genius that is Ennio Morricone but even he delivers a forgettable piece of music. To be honest the title track sung by Demis Roussos, is more despicable than the strong, graphic depictions of violation and murder.

I couldn't sleep last night, so I decided to dig up something to watch. Being in the holiday spirit, I wanted to watch something I haven't seen on Christmas. I got sick from the 24 hour marathon of A CHRISTMAS STORY, so I found this little doozy of a picture in my vaults. Bottom line - I liked it. It blatantly rips-off THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, but this film took more time in getting to know the characters, and the German-Austrian-Italian locations are gorgeous. Blackie (the guy from SUSPIRIA), and his pal hop a train bound to Italy for Christmas and violate two young girls with a psychopathic woman (creepily played by Macha Meril from Argento's PROFONDO ROSSO). Afterwards the trio unknowingly run into the parents of one of the girls ala finale LAST HOUSE. I had an extremely difficult time finding this movie, I don't think it was ever released in the United States; the copy I had was Dutch subtitled. If you can obtain this film, I recommend it.

I am in the process of collecting all the "video nasties" and I picked this one up a week or so ago. I watched it today and was disappointed overall. When it was released in the US it was called "Last House on the Left 2" and is in fact the Italian version of "Last House" but is not nearly as visually brutal. It takes place on a train going from Germany to Italy during Christmas and other then that it tries to follow the "Last House" script almost to the letter. When I say that it is not visually as brutal as "Last House" I mean that there is more innuendo then actual gore. In fact there is virtually no gore in this film and unlike "Last House" there is no nudity. The two thugs are no where near as sadistic as David Hess and his gang were in "Last House" and even display remorse when they kill the first girl. It is definitely worth a watch but don`t expect much if you`re looking for something brutal and gory.

basically a remake of last house but set on a train. it starts out with an ear bending demis roussos song 'a flower is all you need' which is worryingly catchy. we see 2 girls going home for christmas on a train but they didn't count on there being a depraved macha merrill and 2 psycho guys sharing the train. inevitably after doing their dirty business the bad guys end up at the home of the 2 girls as guests of their parents. this film has a nasty line in violence and is actually well worth checking out.

Director, Aldo Lado made the impressive Short Night of the Glass Dolls (1971) and Who Saw Her Die? (1972) before this and Flavio Bucci, the leading thug here would make many Italian films including Suspiria the next year. Renowned actress, Macha Meril, who has such a pivotal role as instigator of most of the violations on the infamous train, featured in numerous films and worked with Godard, Bunuel and Argento as well as many others. Nevertheless this was one of the films included on the infamous and notorious UK 'Video Nasties' list. The reason for this is partly because it is so very nasty, not particularly explicit with regard to sex or gore but difficult to watch due to the apparent glee of the perpetrators and the inherent nastiness of the actions. All this is exasperated by the fact that it is so well done, the direction and cinematography, particularly the extended set-up and within the cramped railway carriage. The performances too are not amateurish enough to dismiss, we actually believe this nastiness might be possible. The terrible actions that could follow, some flirting, some bravado and the wicked intent of the 'Lady on the train' as the veiled Meril is listed in the cast. Fierce and uncompromising film making.

"Night Train Murders" is known as a "Last House on the Left" rip-off, set mostly on rails. But it's more than that: it's also boring and pointless.

The pacing is hopelessly out of wack so that you barely pay attention for at least half way into the proceedings. Then the movie finally gives you the train rape/murder sequence, which is unpleasant but nowhere near graphic enough for those into these things, and then the revenge.

Rape/revenge was never my favourite exploitation sub-genre. The movies of this genre that are so offensive are really just bad: take "I Spit on Your Grave" for an example, where they couldn't even make the rape look realistic.

"Night Train Murders" isn't badly shot or directed; the filmmaker, Aldo Lado, made "Short Night of the Glass Dolls", which is a classic. This one is just hopelessly derivative and boring.

Taut thriller from director Aldo Lado.

Frequent criticism that "nothing happens" in the film's first forty-five minutes is rubbish. The film takes its time to establish what finally becomes a very nasty situation for two teenage girls (Marina Bertie and Irene Miracle). The suspense builds slowly as the villains, impeccably played by Flavio Bucci and Gianfranco De Grassi, are introduced and the predicament of the women is unfurled.

The production values are top notch and the spare Ennio Morricone score is utlized for maximum effect. A haunting but melodic Demmis Roussos song, "A Flower Is All You Need", is a perfect, ironic bookend to the film's grim developments.

Lado directs with a sure, intuitive, practised hand. He conjures a very uncomfortable atmosphere and tightens the tension with sharp cutting, ultra-moody interior lighting and excellent direction of the actors.

Macha Meril plays a female passenger who allows herself to be corrupted by the villains. Lado uses her to explore the nature of evil and the fascination of horror. Meril's performance is exemplary for she renders her highly disturbing character with great authenticity.

The centrepiece of the film is a sequence featuring the rape and killing of one of the girls. Although the scene is reasonably brutal, much of the violence is suggested. A shot of one of the women being thrown off the train into a river is strangely beautiful.

Comparisons with LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT's plot structure are to be expected. Technically, the film is much more accomplished than LAST HOUSE, but LAST HOUSE, as a work of pure terror, is more confronting on a pure gut level.

NIGHT TRAIN MURDERS is a film of subtle power and horror, and it leaves one feeling uneasy (which can only be a good thing).

What makes Night Train Murders so interesting is that it is highly exploitative material presented in a highly stylised manner. Its story has a couple of girls boarding a night train and then being subsequently brutalised and sexually assaulted by psychopaths. There's no getting away from it, its pure grind-house sleaze. But unlike others of its ilk it has a polish and production value that sets it apart somewhat. It's helmed by director Aldo Lado who had previously directed a couple of excellent gialli, Short Night of the Glass Dolls (1971) and Who Saw Her Die (1972). Like those two this is another well directed affair. Lado paces things well and creates a genuinely unnerving atmosphere. The middle section of the movie is where the rough stuff happens and it is highly stylised. Coloured lighting is used to make the interior of the train look a little more interesting but also to create a definitely unsettling atmosphere. In addition, the music by Ennio Morricone adds a lot to the intensity with a main theme that sounds not unlike a train. On a similar note the film also bizarrely includes a ditty by Greek crooner Demis Roussos which seems wildly inappropriate for a video nasty!

There are some good acting performances too but special mention has to go to Macha Meril as the mysterious female sociopath who provokes the two thugs into the acts of depravity. Meril is an extremely striking looking woman who also made a highly memorable turn in Dario Argento's Deep Red (1975), in this film she has more of a starring role and she is quite exceptional. The idea of the enigmatic and sadistic woman behind the attacks is a good one and gives the movie a more original feel. However, despite the stylish presentation Night Train Murders is still pretty much full of the more typical grimy sleaze you would expect. The middle section is quite brutal and the final revenge fairly violent. Ultimately, this is a nasty movie with cinematic flair.

Two young teenagers cross paths (or tracks) with a trio who degradate and sexually humiliate them. One of them is accidentally killed, the other jumps from the train to escape her captors. The trio then find themselves at the home of one of the teenagers. Revenge ensues.

Stylish direction and cinematography prevail in this film whilst the 70's Euro vibe is captured very well indeed. Just like Last House this film is VERY extreme!

In fact this film was banned by the BBFC when submitted for cinema screenings in 1975. The video was placed on the Video Nasties list in 1983 but was then acquitted the year after and promptly removed from the DPP list.