Thursday Movie Picks: Train Movies

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This week's theme from Wandering Through The Shelves is train movies. Also a nice reminder that I never got around to seeing Transsiberian...

 1) Snowpiercer

 One of my favorites from last year, the entire film takes place on a train that goes around the world after an attempt to stop global warming ruins it. Sure, there's a few plot holes, but who cares? IT'S AWESOME!

 2) The Darjeeling Limited

 This movie is definitely wacky, but it's fun and bright and well, it's Wes Anderson. That's most of his films. I think this tends to me on most peoples' lower end of Anderson films, it's actually on the higher side of mine.

 3) The Station Agent

 Okay, so this film doesn't take place on a train, but it's about a train enthusiast who inherits an abandoned station and it has amazing performances by Peter Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson and Bobby Canavale. 

Comments

  1. MyerlaSeptember 10, 2015 at 7:39 AM

    Both Snowpiercer and The Darjeeling Limited have been picked so many times haha. It's probably a sign saying that I have to see them...and soon...

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    1. Brittani BurnhamSeptember 10, 2015 at 8:42 AM

      I figured one or both would be popular today. Snowpiercer is my favorite of the two.

      Delete
  2. UnknownSeptember 10, 2015 at 7:44 AM

    Argh I really need to watch The Darjeeling Limited! I hadn't even heard of it until today. Love that you picked Snowpiercer, it was one of my favourite films last year :)
    - Allie

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    1. Brittani BurnhamSeptember 10, 2015 at 8:42 AM

      It was one of my favorites too. You should see Darjeeling, it's great. Also watch the little short film that goes with it prior.

      Delete
  3. MattSeptember 10, 2015 at 8:12 AM

    I love the design of the train in Snowpiercer. every car gets cooler and cooler. Great picks although I haven't seen The Station Agent.

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    1. Brittani BurnhamSeptember 10, 2015 at 8:40 AM

      I really liked the set design in that film as well. Especially the raver train car and the aquarium one. Those were gorgeous.

      Delete
  4. DellSeptember 10, 2015 at 8:52 AM

    Great picks in Snowpiercer and Darjeeling. I need to see The Station Agent. Heard a lot of good things about it.

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    1. Brittani BurnhamSeptember 10, 2015 at 1:01 PM

      All those good things are probably true. I love that film.

      Delete
  5. BirgitSeptember 10, 2015 at 11:50 AM

    The first 2 are on my list to see and are popular ones for today. I haven't heard of the last one but sounds good actually

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    1. Brittani BurnhamSeptember 10, 2015 at 1:00 PM

      It's very good, the cast is excellent. I think it was on Netflix last time I checked.

      Delete
  6. joel65913September 10, 2015 at 1:27 PM

    Haven't seen the first two but they've certainly been showing up all over. Darjeeling isn't something I have a great interest in because of my aversion to Owen Wilson but I'll catch it some time. Snowpiercer was already on my list I'll have to bump it up.

    Like the off center choice of The Station Agent. I liked, but didn't love, it. Good performances though.

    There are so many great train movies that didn't get mentioned today, Silver Streak, Trains, Planes and Automobiles, The Cassandra Crossing, The Narrow Margin (both versions), The Great Train Robbery, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three and on and on.

    These are the four I came up with:

    The Lady Vanishes (1979)-An example of all that can go wrong when a classic is inadvisably remade. Peter Bogdanovich recasts the roles so expertly done by Margaret Lockwood and Michael Redgrave in the Hitchcock original with the totally unsuitable Cybill Shepard and Elliott Gould and proceeds to get everything else wrong that the first did right. The one bright spot-Angela Lansbury taking over the role of Miss Froy that Dame May Whitty played in the original but she’s in too little of the movie to save it.

    Murder on the Orient Express (1974)-The gold standard for mystery adaptations. Superior version of Agatha Christie’s novel of a snowbound train on which a murder has occurred and which the famous detective Hercule Poirot sets out to solve. Everything is top of the line from the set and costume design to the cast. What a cast! In every role is a recognizable face from either American or international cinema. Everyone does terrific work though Ingrid Bergman’s best supporting actress Oscar is puzzling, even she didn’t think she deserved to win. Betty Bacall is a real standout as the loquacious Mrs. Hubbard and Albert Finney gives a tremendous performance of the fussy Belgian sleuth.

    Lady on a Train (1945)-A lady on a train, Deanna Durbin, witnesses a murder from her window but can only identify the victim not the killer. She goes to the police but when they don’t believe her story she turns to a writer of detective stories for help and together they try to find the killer and solve the case. Light mystery spoof even finds ways to have Deanna sing a few songs, backed up by a great supporting cast including Edward Everett Horton, Dan Duryea, Elizabeth Patterson, George Coulouris, Ralph Bellamy and William Frawley she has rarely looked so beautiful.

    Honorable Mention-Unstoppable (2010)-Because of a stupid mistake a train containing dangerous material has become a runaway. A mismatched pair of train engineers on their first day as partners try and stop it before disaster strikes. Fast paced and exciting with some cool derring-do but nothing that pushes the movie over into ridiculousness. Denzel Washington and Chris Pine make a solid team.

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    1. Brittani BurnhamSeptember 11, 2015 at 6:47 AM

      I loath Planes, Trains and Automobiles, but I haven't seen the rest of those. Now that you mentioned Pelham, I'm surprised I didn't see that one more. That film even had a remake.

      Lady on a Train sounds really interesting! I'm going to have to look for that.

      Delete
  7. Katie HoganSeptember 10, 2015 at 2:17 PM

    Love love Darjeeling Limited (quite a favourite) and YES Snowpiercer too (its on my list too). I remember when The Station Agent first came out, its on my watch list.

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    1. Brittani BurnhamSeptember 11, 2015 at 6:48 AM

      I hope you enjoy them both when you get a chance to see them!

      Delete
  8. RuthSeptember 10, 2015 at 3:26 PM

    Yay we have Snowpiercer in common! I mean, that axe battle alone is perhaps the craziest scene set in a train. The Darjeeling Limited is not my fave Wes Anderson movie but it's a memorable one set in a train, that's for sure.

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    1. Brittani BurnhamSeptember 11, 2015 at 6:48 AM

      I love Snowpiercer so much, I'll overlook the few glaring plotholes. lol

      Delete
  9. Kevin PowersSeptember 10, 2015 at 5:42 PM

    I have to see Snowpiercer. I so regret not getting to that one last year. Darjeeling is great! And The Station Agent is another one that eluded me. Need to check that one out as well.

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    1. Brittani BurnhamSeptember 11, 2015 at 6:49 AM

      I'm kind of shocked so many people haven't seen Snowpiercer yet. I know it had a terribly limited release last year, but there was a lot of word of mouth.

      Delete
  10. thevoid99September 10, 2015 at 7:08 PM

    I love all 3 of those films. YAY!

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  11. Big Screen Small WordsSeptember 11, 2015 at 9:00 AM

    Great picks! I have yet to see The Station Agent!

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    1. Brittani BurnhamSeptember 11, 2015 at 9:21 AM

      It's so good, especially Dinklage and Canavale. They're a joy to watch.

      Delete
  12. KhalidSeptember 12, 2015 at 5:28 AM

    Snowpiercer is so awesome. Hard-hitting, depressing but thoroughly compelling. Love it.

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  13. WandererSeptember 16, 2015 at 3:55 PM

    Oh I want to see The Station Agent. Not an easy film to find.

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    1. Brittani BurnhamSeptember 17, 2015 at 6:55 AM

      Yes, it was a very small film here. I hope you can find it eventually.

      Delete
  14. JoshOctober 5, 2015 at 2:13 AM

    YAY! I love all three of these! Now see Transsiberian. ;)

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