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The Midnight Meat Train

2008 horror film based on Clive Barker's 1984 short story

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Meet Clive

May 8, 2009

by cenobite7
posted in Movie Hype

Rating:

I'm writing this review with the biggest sh*t eating grin that I can possibly muster. Thank God for Clive Barker!!

For those of you who love the man & are quite familiar with his work, an introduction would be fruitless so I'll assume most of you know him from either Candyman or Hellraiser. Those of you remotely familiar will also know his work tends to be dark, gruesome, & ultra-violent. Midnight Meat Train really offers the goods here & makes good on it's promise. As one might expect, it's edgy & downright bloody in a way only Lions Gate would allow. Any other studio would never bequeath this gift to the multiplex.

I'm sure you guys are up on this story already if you're reading the review but I'll try to touch upon some of the interesting aspects. The story opens up with a guy trapped on a blood-soaked train & he finds himself slipping on the blood only to be brutally attacked by the midnight train psychopath. Train's beginning almost reminds me of something we might see in the Saw or Hostel franchises. Needless to say, that opening scene sets the stage for one hellish nightmare which will gradually unfold within the hour & forty five minutes.

A New York photographer wants to make it big & has just been introduced to an edgy gallery owner who obviously knows the man has talent but requires grittier work. Our protoganist then feels the need to photograph anything remotely dark or unnnatural in appearance in the heart of the city during those ungodly hours. He does manage to capture some truly disturbing images including a near killing right before a beautiful asian model boards a train. Naturally, the gallery owner is impressed.

The photographer slowly slips into madness when the cops question his motive for shooting the pictures when the model turns up dead. As the story progresses, we watch him unfold mentally as he is unable to cope with the murders taking place & actually tries the solve the case himself by following around a mysterious butcher who appears in several photographs. By this time, the viewer obviously knows who the killer(s) are but we haven't the faintest clue as to why these murders are taking place.

Midnight Meat Train is one of those films THAT does utilize all of the elements which make horror films great. There's splendid use of creepy lighting which flickers on & off while depictions of grisly murders flash before our eyes. There are also some pretty nasty images of people being hacked to death using various tools. However, what one will most likely find disturbing is there are no easy answers to this riddle & the answers provided are far from anything the typical horror fan has predicted. Having said that, the ending is completely demented or deranged in the way only Clive Barker could've imagined.

I'm thankful to have seen this on the big screen in light of all the unappealing popcorn blockbusters which flooded the theatres in an imposing flux during the humid summer. I am a bit shocked this release wasn't pushed back to early Fall but this one deifnitely made my Summer & I loved every gory second of it.

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FM_ALEX October 28, 2010

Yeah man I enjoyed this one more so than most people I know. Great review.

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woopak_the_thrill May 09, 2009

I saw this and had very mixed feelings about it. This had great potential and I am a fan of Kitamura, but Barker's films almost have the same formula--and I feel like I've seen them all (not saying they're not effective, but pretty routine for me now). I do like this new villain and the gore was pretty.Great review!

cenobite7 May 10, 2009

I really did like it but I guess it really has more appeal to me as there are very few films like it that ever make it to the multiplex in my home town. I felt kinda fortunate so to speak. Vinnie Jones made a freakin' fantastic villain. Thnx again man! You rock!!

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More The Midnight Meat Train reviews

review by ryguy4738. April 29, 2011

posted in Movie Hype

All aboard!

*** out of **** I have a love-hate relationship with films based on the works of Clive Barker, while I also have a just plain "love" relationship with the stories that one such man tells. What can I say: I enjoy a good "scary story" from the man who has been hailed, and has proven himself to be, a landmark contributor to horror-literature. Clive Barker is a man who described himself as "a lucky guy who got to make a film". I assume he was referring to "Hellraiser"; that messy … more

Comments (1) Compliments (12)

review by FM_ALEX. October 30, 2010

posted in Movie Hype

STYLIZED SLASHER PICK BASED ON BARKER PLUS IT HAS TED RAIMI

THE MIDNIGHTMEAT TRAIN There were two reasons for me to get this movie when it came out, well there were many but the two big ones were that it is a Clive Barker film and Ted Raimi is in it [not for long]. I have always been a fan of Barker's from his writing to his films I enjoy the man's work, same can be said for Mr. Raimi who I think is one of the most underused and underrated actors of all time. Any way the time came for this movie … more

Comments (7) Compliments (36)

Quick Tip by FM_ALEX. October 30, 2010

posted in Movie Hype

A Quick Tip by FM_ALEX

Fun movie based on Barker's story, full of blood and just an over all good time.

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review by woopak_the_thrill. February 19, 2009

posted in Movie Hype

A Great New Villain Sure to Develop a Cult Following but the film feels Too Polished to Scare

Based on Clive Barker's short story in the "Books of Blood" series in 1984, "MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN" is directed by Japanese director Ryuhei Kitamura in his Hollywood film debut. Those who are familiar with Kitamura's works know that the man is excellent in visuals and editing tricks--the man is renowned for the terrific Jidai Geki hit "Azumi", shot an excellent film in a measly seven days with "Aragami", gave us the genre-bending cult hit "Versus" and thrilled us with the Yakuza occult short film … more

Comments (7) Compliments (42)

review by arichards. November 14, 2008

Out on the edge of darkness, there rides the meat train

Imagine if you will, a slasher movie co-starring Brooke Shields (!) This movie adaptation of Clive Barker's short story is an edge of your seat, suspenseful chiller, but doesn't have many of those "Psycho" pull-back-the -curtain moments, and won't scare you enough to make you lose any sleep. Never-the-less, this is fine entertainment for fans of the genre, with copious amounts of blood and gore, slashing steel implements and body parts galore. … more

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About the reviewer

Brian (cenobite7)
Ranked #32

I've spent years trying to make others happy & not really focusing on what's most important in my own life. Having said that, my own health & security are paramount so now I'm more … more

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About this movie

Wiki

The Midnight Meat Train is a 2008 horror film based on Clive Barker's 1984 short story of the same name, which can be found in Volume One of Barker's collection Books of Blood. The film follows a photographer who attempts to track down a serial killer dubbed the "Subway Butcher" and discovers more than he bargained for under the city streets.

The film was directed by Japanese director Ryuhei Kitamura and stars Bradley Cooper, Leslie Bibb, Vinnie Jones and Brooke Shields. Its script was adapted by Jeff Buhler, the producer was Tom Rosenberg of Lakeshore Entertainment, and it was released on August 1, 2008.