Sad news arrived Thursday afternoon for fans of colorful actors. John Phillip Law, who appeared in dozens of movies over a career that spanned more than four decades, died on Tuesday from undisclosed causes, according to the Associated Press. He was 70 years old.

As noted at his official site, Law took on roles both big and small, in epic blockbusters and tiny independents, all over the world. He began his acting career on Broadway before getting nominated for a Golden Globe Award as Most Promising Newcomer for playing an endearingly sweet Russian seaman in Norman Jewison's The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming in 1965. He swiftly moved on to meatier parts in films that later became enduring cult favorites -- Giulio Petroni's Death Rides a Horse, Mario Bava's Diabolik, and, especially, Roger Vadim's Barbarella, in which he played a blind angel.

As his career continued, the overall quality of his films varied wildly, but he could be counted upon for level-headed performances, always looking like a proper dignified gentleman no matter his surroundings. I think my first exposure to him was when he played the title role in The Golden Voyage of Sinbad; he looked very heroic to me as he battled mythical creatures, but I also loved him in Open Season, snapping off words as the nastiest kind of all-American villain. Demonstrating his versatility, both films came out the same year (1974).

Following in the tradition of horror film anthologies like Dead of Night, Tales from the Crypt, and Creepshow; 1985's Night Train to Terror provides an interesting spin by having each of the film's three stories distilled from a feature film. Granted, packing a full-length movie into a twenty-five minute or so segment doesn't leave a lot of room for characterization, motivation, or plot even. The film distills the horror elements of these three features into a concentrated and highly flavorful B-movie paste that goes down well with nachos and beer. The disjointed narratives lend a dream-like quality to the stories, and while they ultimately don't make a lick of sense, they sure make for a fun ride.

To connect the three tales, God and Satan are meeting on the titular train to discuss the damnation or salvation of a handful of mortal souls. The train is also carrying a jaw-droppingly awful pseudo-80s pop band, resplendent in their headbands and Flashdance-style sweatshirts. The young musicians seem perpetually stuck in music video mode, repeatedly singing an infectious (though certainly not good) tune that you'll be humming for days.