And behind door number 22... a guide to some music of the more traditional kind
Catherine Munn and Jacob Martin list their Top 5 programmes to watch over the festive period.
And behind door number nine... some dazzling musical delights
The complete arts guide, for week 9
10. Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
Based on Agatha Christie’s novel, super-detective and moustache enthusiast Hércule Poirot must solve the case of a murdered American businessman on a crowded train from Istanbul to England.
9. The First Great Train Robbery (1979)
As a man said, trains are often used to carry heavy loads, such as gold reserves. And Sean Connery likes gold and trains so much he combined his two passions, when he decided to steal gold from a train.
8. From Russia with Love (1963)
Bond must catch the Orient Express out of Istanbul to escape from sinister KGB agents, one of which catches up with him and pseudo-defector Tatiana in the guise of a fellow British spy. Cue the exploding briefcase.
7. Sliding Doors (1998)
Missing a train is one of the most jolting and disturbing things that can happen to you in life, but who knew that so much depended on it? Love, pregnancy and death all hang on getting to the station in time.
6. Polar Express (2004)
Trains have always had an intimate connection with the forces of goodness, so it’s no wonder one plays such a pivotal role at Christmastime. Tom Hanks plays four distinct roles in this film about a magic train which takes kids to meet Santa Claus. Heart-warming schmaltz.
5. Strangers on a Train (1951)
Trains play a central role in Hitchcock’s famous thriller, in which an incidental meeting between two men on a train leads to strangulation and suspense. One thinks they made an agreement to commit murder on one another’s behalf. The other… doesn’t.
4. The Railway Children (1970)
The story of three children, removed from the comforts of the city by their father’s false imprisonment, who pass the time by having train-related adventures and shenanigans, eventually proving their father’s innocence. Praise be to the trains.
3. Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000)
Everyone’s favourite locomotive, Thomas the Tank Engine, usually brought to life by the dulcet tones of Ringo Starr, is instead enlivened for real in this live action feature, mysteriously featuring Alec Baldwin as the Fat Controller. Thank God for 30 Rock.
2. Snakes on a Train (2006)
The titular satire of the excellent Snakes on a Plane, the plot is slightly different and Samuel L. Jackson surprisingly doesn’t show up, but all that is immaterial. All you need to know is that there are snakes and they’re on a train.
1. Von Ryan’s Express (1965)
Frank Sinatra is the downed American pilot leading a group of British POWs to freedom from fascist Italy by hijacking a Nazi train. On the way to Switzerland, they have to bluff their way through signal crossings and evade fighter jets, all with the support of their sturdy locomotive.
Good list, but surely Wes Anderson's brilliant 'The Darjeeling Limited' deserves a place- number one spot?
Yes, it does. Forgot about that one.
lolzowned.
No 'Brief Encounter'?
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