Conjured from the second story of the first volume of Clive Barker’s collected short horror tome, Books of Blood, The Midnight Meat Train is both succulently horrific and criminally overlooked. A fate thanks in no small part to the ever-shifting sands of big studio marketing. A tide that can turn in an instant and incredulously bury its young, those that it had once plied with money and filled with expectation.
The Midnight Meat Train – Horror Hobbled on Initial Release
This is the bitter medicine that many a director of worth has been forced to swallow. A style of fiscal fueled cinema politics that tries ever so carefully to elevate films above one another. Each precise move balanced to be carefully in tune with the fickle fancy of the ticket buying public. But sadly this is a game where ‘flavor of the month’ mediocrity invariably trumps artistic style and integrity.
So seek out “The Midnight Meat Train” and spurn the DVD wastelands of hollow and soulless horror releases that drip from the dirty exhausts of the greedy and the indifferent. It is not a perfect film, it will not be the best horror you have ever experienced, you may even hate it – but it is stylish, unrelenting and brutal horror straight from the heart.
Ryuhei Kitamura Directs (Spoilers)
From its very first frame the visual style of Japanese director Ryuhei Kitamura (Alive, Versus), along with some wonderfully effective sound engineering, instantly engage the senses. We are alone, the final passenger on a midnight subway train and we have just dozed through our very last stop. Lights flicker as the scenes color-palette over compensates then blurs. A sea of unseen red is at our feet.
The Midnight Meat Train is classic Clive Barker to its very core. Leon (Bradley Cooper), is the character that is this time chosen to rail against those creatures that would occupy the void between this world and the next. A struggling photographer, he lives in the night shadows. Waiting for that one perfect shot with which to capture the trueness of his beloved city at sleep.
High society art trader Susan Hoff (a strangely cast Brooke Shield) offers him chance of an exhibition, should he manage to ‘snare’ that iconic instant of bleak beauty. Maya (Leslie Bibb), is Leon's girlfriend and it is she that must witness as obsession and violent delusion engulf the man she loves. But it is Vinnie Jones (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, X-Men: The Last Stand) that of all on show, so effortlessly ignites the screen.
As Mahogany, the films signature mad butcher psychopath, his is a silent menace that strains for release. And release it does, in some of the most innovative and wildly over the top gore to have been seen in recent release. The obvious CGI and insanely violent content of these frenetic set pieces complement rather than detract from what is essentially a graphic novel that moves.
The Midnight Meat Train – Imperfect Gore Lovers Treat
There are instances in which the film leans a little to heavily on what are now tired and abused plot devices. Endless screeds of newspaper reports are pinned to the walls in 'plot reasoning' collage, characters needlessly snoop around in serial killers underwear draws and numerous other minor leaps in logic and reason abound to gnaw at the films credibility.
But this is an energetic and engaging beast, one whose flaws soon fade away beneath the shear exhilaration of its pace. Unabashedly violent, as it winds into that inevitable sucking spiral into hell that comes prerequisite with most any Clive Barker fare, The Midnight Meat Train is one ride that should not be missed.
The Midnight Meat Train
Taglines … The most terrifying ride you'll ever take
- Director … Ryûhei Kitamura (Versus)
- Writers … Jeff Buhler (screenplay), Clive Barker (original short story)
- Cast:
- Bradley Cooper (Case 39) as Leon, Leslie Bibb (Law Abiding Citizen) as Maya, Vinnie Jones (The Bleeding) as Mahogany, Roger Bart (Hostel: Part II) as Jurgis, Brooke Shields (Chalet Girl) as Susan Hoff
- DVD Release Date … February 17, 2009 (US)
- Runtime … 100 minutes
- View Trailer … The Midnight Meat Train
Hari Navarro - Hari Navarro is Topic Editor for Suite 101's Horror Film section and Editor/ Writer at online horror review site, The Hell Street ...
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