The Midnight Meat Train (Books of Blood) (V)
| release date | February 17 2009 |
| studio | Lionsgate |
| director | Ryuhei Kitamura |
| writer | Clive Barker, Jeff Buhler |
| starring | Vinnie Jones, Bradley Cooper, Brooke Shields, Leslie Bibb, Roger Bart, Peter Jacobson, Barbara Eve Harris, Quinton Rampage Jackson, Tony Curran |
| rating | R |
| site | lionsgate.com/midnightmeattrain |
| trailer 1 | Trailer #1 |
6 Comments
well, i just saw this film in wichita, ks. and it wasn’t bad. definitely worth seeing. some parts were a little far fetched but every movie like this is. not as gory as inside or high tension or even frontier, but still a hell of a movie. glad to see american made horror again.
The Midnight Meat Train. Wow. What a great title. This should be a fun, dark-humored flick, right? No, not really.
The title, the premise, and the outrageous gore create a tone that should make the movie fun (and funny in the best way possible) to watch, but it isn’t. The confused tone created is more of a dark, serious film. The problem is, you’ve seen this movie before. It’s a humorless American Psycho or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre set in an underground subway instead of rural Texas. I kept waiting for it to go somewhere new, but rather it became repetitive. The film wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. It was simply okay.
It really wasn’t until the ending in which the movie became slightly original and somewhat interesting. But by then, it was over sadly. The mystery of Vinnie Jones’ character grew old and the deprecation of our hero’s mental state was very fast and seemed unbelievable. The behavior and actions of his girlfriend made her seem extremely superficial and selfish. While the argument could be that she’s trying to help her boyfriend, I saw it more as she wanted to prove him wrong.
I went in knowing nothing about the movie except that there was a bunch of anger over the movie going directly to “cheap” theaters. Well, it really had direct to DVD written all over it. The film must have had a low budget because it seems nothing is done with practical effects. Everything, including most of the blood and the subway trains and shots in the train were done with CGI. It leads to an outrageous scene involving Ted Raimi, but I’ve always been more of a practical effects person when possible. Low budget movies can and have been successful in the past at creating tension and using the cheaper CGI effects, but this simply wasn’t one of them.
I started off thinking it was going to be a darkly-humored movie with the likes of American Psycho based on Jones’ early scenes and was confused when I found myself realizing it was trying so hard to be a serious, but unoriginal horror film where the ending finally made the movie interesting, albeit with the almost expected, if actually unique, twist.
I loved it. Flat out. I had been waiting a while for this film, and maybe that coupled with the controversy made it even better, but I loved it.
It’s a darkly shot movie, that takes full advantage of the claustrophobic environment of the subway setting. The effects were tight for the most part except for the Ted Raimi scene, it just didn’t work, but obviously I don’t think Lionsgate would have cared to shell out the cash to fix it anyways.
The story, tone, and ending are total Clive Barker. I love his work because it’s irreverent and usually takes something familiar and makes it fresh. This is no exception.
The film begins with a good bit of character development, that I actually found quite enjoyable. In between these scenes we see “The Butcher” taking lives on the train, until Leon and The Butcher begin to intertwine. It follows pretty standard from there, but yet it still felt fresh. The last 15 minutes however were amazing, and much of it I did not see coming.
It’s a wonderful little film. It would be perfect late night viewing. It is a damn shame for what happened to it. It almost feels like a PR stunt to garner interest but sadly it’s not. Either way, if you have a chance, see the flick.
i just seen the this movie in Grand Rapids, Mi. i have been very excited to see this film cause i had seen the directors other films and was entertained, because he has alot of style. the story is a mess, the gore was great and the direction was good. i agree the movie didn’t get really interesting till the end and it was over:(
Well directed, well acted, perfectly cast, but a little slow at times. Although it had a decent amount of gore, you hardly even notice it because it is actually part of the storyline instead of just being there for shock value. Vinnie Jones is perfectly cast! It’s like the part was custom written for him. A little slow paced for my taste, but when there was action it was great. It reminded me of a horror version of “no country for old men”. Although it sucks that Lionsgate didn’t even give it a chance, it most likely wouldn’t have achieved much mainstream success no matter how wide of a release it got. some of the camera angles were amazing! I’m a huge Kitmura fan after this one, can’t wait to see what he comes with next. Hope he stays in english.
Despite the multiple setbacks with this movie, it’s finally gotten it’s release and those of us who’ve been dying to see it all year are finally be rewarded for our patience.
It starts off slowly, building up characterization and introducing a little of the plot that hints at things to come, but it picks up very quickly. Actually, it’s a bit jumpy..it starts abruptly, slows down and then speeds back up. Almost like a subway train ride actually. I loved the ending personally and didn’t see it coming until it actually arrived. There were a few things looking back that I missed, but it still tied in well.
If you have the chance to see it, do so! It’s an absolute must see on the big screen and I’d love to see it again.
wow great movie!! i saw it at danberry doaller saver this weekend and loved it! i can’t beleave this didn’t get a bigger realease.. go now and see it quickly.
I like most have been waiting for this film for a damn year. Today at 9:35pm, I had the pleasure of seeing this amazing movie for $1.75. I was completely blown away by this movie, it had character development, GORE, great writing, GORE, great directing, and did I mention GORE. I am so glad that I had a chance to see this movie. Alot of people out there will claim blasphemy, but I saw the Dark Knight the day before and it paled in comparison to The Midnight Meat Train.
Anybody, everybody go see this movie before its too late. I am definitely going to buy this on DVD.
Great movie I can’t stress this enough.
awesome
TWO WORDS TO DESCRIBE THIS MOVIE F*%&*KING AWESOME! i was amazed how good it was. very very gory. some really great scares and an AMAZING TWIST. loved it. whoever dumped this movies in the dollar show is INSANE!
Good, gory fun. Dissapointing ending. “Midnight Meat Train”, to me, had the “It” problem. Great, scary, then BOOM, its a big hairy spider. But overall, satisfying.
Excellent movie!! Lions gate screwed up big time by not giving this film a proper release.The dollar cineman in my area already pull the film! What a shame,i wanted to see it a few more times on the big screen. The ending did leave a big “?” at the end.Maybe that was done purposely in order to have a Midnight Meat Train 2? I hope so!
It has been way too long since I have seen a straight up, no bullshit, horror film on the big screen. Being a Clive Barker fanatic, I was very pessimistic about the outcome this film would have. To my knowledge, all the major Clive Barker releases (Nightbreed, Hellraiser, Candyman, Lord Of Illusions) involved him not only writing the script, and directing the film, but they were also the brainchild of his short stories and books. Because this one was going to be done by a different director (Ryuhei Kitamura who I don’t know a whole heck of a lot about) and the character Kaufman was now a photographer vs. an account-like in the story-I thought the film was not going to be all that great.
Personally, I don’t get much more satisfied when I walk into a movie thinking it is going to suck and coming out amazed, which is exactly what happened when I saw the Midnight Meat Train. Vinnie Jones was excellent as the silently terrifying killer Mahogany! I could go on forever about how his facial expressions-the way he sat waiting for the train holding his bag, to the time he was doing the killing-really sucked me into the character behind this malicious iconic horror archetype. Even though I am a big fan of the funny slasher over the top flicks or the Evil Dead/Dead Alive want-a-be’s, I realized that the world was ready for a no-bullshit, non humors, blood fest.
Now as far as Lionsgate limiting the release of this film: your loss! This film is an instant Barker classic that is going to be followed and remembered by fans for decades to come. I only hope to see more films from the Books of Blood. Maybe after The Book Of Blood Movie they are doing (which may go straight to video this time because the movie industry cares nothing about quality horror films) I would like to see The Yattering Jack, Son Of Celluloid, Sex Death and Starshine, Pig’s Blood Blues…..or fuck it make all of em….they are such great stories every single fucking one! My only hope is that any other Clive Barker adaptation is as kickass as this one was!!!
RH
Wow, this movie was so bad. Special effects are good, but the story itself is slow paced and poorly acted.
Awesome movie. Saw it at the London Frightfest last night. The look is ultra-stylish, the cold tone of the story reflected in the visuals. Vinny Jones is fantastic as serial killer Mahoganey. Great gore with some fabulous on screen deaths.
Saw this in my local discount theater, and I thought it had quite a good stylish look to it. I’ve read the original short story, and had high hopes for the movie. I does mostly follow the story, but misses some of the extreme brutality of the book version. I would say you get 80% of the book, and the gore is impressive. What captured my interest the most was the visual representation of the story, not unlike “The Ring” or even “Silent Hill”. Overall, I’d say this should have gotten a more mainstream release, and would have proven to bring in the audience. Lionsgate messed up on this one, and missed a great opportunity. Hoping the DVD includes some great bonus features.
It is almost impossible to talk about “The Midnight Meat Train,” the first film in a long-awaited series of adaptations of Clive Barker’s Books of Blood stories, without discussing the film’s handling by Lionsgate. The film played several international film festivals over the past year, gaining a good amount of positive buzz, but Lionsgate moved its official theatrical release around several times before finally settling on August 1. When the film was released, it was carefully dumped into discount theaters–where tickets run between $1 and $4–mostly a good distance from major metropolitan areas. So despite being eagerly anticipated, “The Midnight Meat Train” ended up with a release that doomed it to failure.
The reasons behind this decision aren’t entirely clear. There are rumors that the film got tied up in politics inside the studio, and there’s no question that R-rated horror is a hard sell at the box office these days. Regardless of whatever reasons led to the film’s unfortunate theatrical opening, it certainly didn’t deserve to be dumped so unceremoniously. While it’s not “The Film That Would Have Saved R-rated Horror” by any stretch of the imagination, it is unique enough (and its pedigree impressive enough) that it deserves to be seen by the horror fans who have been waiting so long for it to appear.
Leon Kauffman (Bradley Cooper) is a frustrated photographer who wants to capture “the city” as it’s never really been seen. He lives with his waitress girlfriend Maya (Leslie Bibb) and manages to get an audience with influential art dealer Susan Hoff (Brooke Shields), who tells Leon he is failing at his goal and to “keep shooting” the next time he finds himself at the dark heart of the city. Meanwhile, the mysterious Mahogany (Vinnie Jones) is butchering people like cattle on late-night express trains. Their paths cross one night after Leon saves young model Erika (Nora) from a group of thugs, only to discover that she has gone missing the next day.
From here, Leon becomes obsessed with Mahogany after following him off the train one night. Leon’s personal life starts to deteriorate as his obsession becomes more intense, and the bizarre secrets of Mahogany’s life are unearthed. Anyone who has read the story will find the most familiar parts are all packed into the film’s last few minutes. As is typical for any short story adapted into a feature-length film, there is a lot of padding. Most of this is character development, and while the actors are mostly fine (especially Vinnie Jones in a completely silent performance), Kitamura handles much of the non-action scenes a bit awkwardly.
However, when it comes to those gory sequences, Kitamura takes every opportunity to do what he does best–show off. The violent sequences are shot with hyperkinetic energy, playing all sorts of camera tricks that are often as disorienting as they are viscerally exciting. If anything, Kitamura’s weakness as a director here is that he is too involved with stylizing the violence to realize that it makes the violent scenes a lot less scary when the audience is murmuring appreciation for another clever shot. This is complicated further by some questionable CGI effects and at one shot that looks as if it was cut-and-pasted frame-by-frame directly out of Timur Bekmambetov’s “Wanted” (although this was finished long before that film).
All that said, “The Midnight Meat Train” is a much more interesting and unique film than pretty much any of the PG-13 “horror” films the major studios have had on their slate recently. It looks great, it does a great job of capturing the tone of the Barker short story (particularly at the end, when most of the story is actually used), it has a fantastic Carpenter-esque score, and it has its share of tense moments. Unfortunately the film’s release (and the subsequent fan uproar) make it difficult to approach the film on its own terms: it has become a symbol of the major studios’ perceived negligence of horror fans, and as such is likely to quickly gain a mass of enthusiastic fans. However, taken on its own merits, it’s just a decent horror show that was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Here’s hoping future “Books of Blood” adaptations don’t find themselves in similar circumstances.
Originally posted on Rabbit Room:
http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/forums/journal.php?do=showjournal&j=33039
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Pretty good horror flick. It started slow, but really built up. Vinnie Jones is one scary bastard.
thanks to clive barker and to Ryuhei Kitamura for this treat! too bad there was so much mess around the distribution…oh well…America, where mediocrity and laziness is rewarded and quality is shunned. but then there’s moments like these
with all the crap that comes out theatricality how did this one end up how it did? if people went to see Mirrors (it sucked by the way) why would people not see this? sure the name is kinda iffy but people also went to see snakes on a plane (nuf said?) the movie shows skill all over its shot well paced well the writing is good (its Clive Barker nuf said?) so why is this getting the the shaft? am i out of the loop? did Barker piss some one off at lions gate? did Ryuhei Kitamura sleep with some ones wife? i don’t know why it got such a bad release 102 discount theaters for god sakes its injustice dame it! give this one a shot even if its on another web sites on-demand channel
I thought that this movie was everything a horror fan could ask for. It had loads of gore, monsters, a psycho serial killer, an awesome fight on a subway train and a lot of suspense. It is a real shame that this only got a limited release cause it would have done really well. Instead they chose to release “The Strangers” which was no where near as good as Meat Train. Well thats hollywood for you. When this comes out, buy it because you will not be disappointed.
I can get over the bad acting because the storyline was okay. It could have been great had it not been bogged down with the couples relationship. The characters did horribly stupid things, for example everything the wife did, except for bringing a gun. The fight scene at the end was more tacky than anything because of the apron armor and over dramatics which weakened the effect of the interesting ending. If they cut down on all the boring over acted loving couple interaction and hinted at the existance of creatures maybe it would have been more exciting.
this movie was awesome
storyline is ok, Vinnie Jones as Mahogany is really scary. what bothers me most is the CG blood, this is becoming some kind of a trend in new movies, sometimes it looks good but sometimes it is really funny (like the Ted Raimi scene here). what I really liked was the camerawork, really dynamic sequences of fights and the most awesome thing in this movie – the hammer which the killer used to butcher the victims. it is a well made movie, nothing groundbreaking but still worth a watch. if you like other movies inspired by Barker’s novels you won’t be disappointed. MEAT, FLESH and BLOOD – this is what matters.
Decent film, but the use of CGI blood/gore still sucks.
Awesome dark and gory. A must see
Badass movie. I will agree it was very dark and really effin gory. Great film. Some of the CGI blood effects were gay but for the most part it worked very well. Awesome ending, didnt see it coming.
This movie rocked. I could probably watch it many more times.
I liked this movie a lot but it definitely has some scenes that are a bit tongue in cheek. I really enjoyed the POV angles this film has to offer but other shots got messy and confusing. The fight scene was a bit jumbled as the camera goes in and out of the moving train and was quite ambitious. The CGI gore could have been traded in for more traditional special effects. I liked the ending a lot and I think Vinny Jones did a great job. Roger Bart was also pretty good in this film. I saw it on demand which was pretty awesome since it’s release was so pathetic. I’ll definitely pick this up on DVD.
The Midnight Meat Train is bar none, the best horror flick you’re going to see this year. The writing, the screenplay, the atmosphere, the acting, the kills. It’s all very old school(sans the CGI.)
You really get the sense that you are getting a story from Clive Barker. Midnight Meat Train made me feel a way that I had not felt since the first time I viewed “Lord Of Illusions.”
Do yourself a favor, and do not skip on this flick. Catch it on FEARnet ondemand all month long, or check out the FEARnet.com online premiere on 10/30.
9/10
Far exceeds what i was expecting, and i already had high expectations after reading alot of positive reviews, but i tend to still watch a horror movie that looks interesting to me even reguardless of the reviews that it has already, after all some of my favorite movies had a bad wrap when first released. anyways, this was a real delight, fun entertaining, interesting story, good acting, good villian(s) and a very satisfying conclusion and explanation of the reason for the meat train.
ok, ive got to say, i didnt have high expectations for this film. the name just made it sound so horrible. but the fact that it was based on a clive barker story just kind of intrigued me. so i watched it and totally loved it!!!
*SPOILERS*
at first it seemed ok because the story wasnt that good and i really couldnt figure out what really going on. but after the killings started, i didnt really care that much. in response to some peoples complaints, i actually really did like the cg blood that was flying around all the time. i loved the slow motion death sequences. and i especially loved the point-of-view shot when the blonde lady got her head hit off.
overall, this movie was spectacular!!! i highly recommend it.
I went into this movie with little to no expectations (though I was excited for it), and came out disappointed. It was great up until the first death scene (the one with the two men and the blonde woman), which was just terrible – acting, the way it was choreographed, etc. From then on the movie became progressively worse up until an absolutely astoundingly bad final half hour. The acting from Bradley Cooper and Vinnie Jones was great, but the rest of the cast was average or below (especially the ‘random kills’. Terrible), and the dialog got worse as the movie as a whole declined in quality. I just couldn’t get into it.
Here’s my story on this movie. I live in upstate SC, which doesn’t have a second-run theatre and certainly wasn’t playing this movie. I was driving to Duluth, GA on August 13 to catch a Nine Inch Nails concert, and saw that there was a theatre playing this. Thrilled to death that I could catch the 4:45 showing before the 7:30 concert, I GoogleMap the theatre through my phone and show up. Unfortunately, they had cancelled the matinee and the next showing was 7:10, interferring with the concert. Hopelessly defeated, I waddled away from the theatre. I’m so mad the studio pushed “The Strangers” instead of this. “Midnight Book Train” was much better than that piece of garbage. It delivers on the gore and depravity, and is done in old school Hellraiser fashion. Definitely rent this movie instead of “The Strangers”
This movie it was worth the long wait. The story line might not be so original, but it was delivered in a beautiful fashion. Bleak imagery, awesome gore, good acting … what more can you ask for in a time where modern horror movies relay on only violence?
Midnight Meat Train is just one of those movies…
You know, one of those movies that suck.
I could, however, find some good things in it:
- Clive Barker’s story. Most of it (ending included) is original and well thought;
- some (few) eerie atmospheric bits;
- one thing my grandmother taught me is that fair amounts of blood and guts are always enjoyable in any given situation.
Now let’s see if I can somehow pack the bad things in a short statement:
- cliche acting, cliche dialogues;
- for some reason, it’s very hard for me to look at Vinnie Jones’ mug when he’s trying to pull off that serious look and not laugh, with that kind of laughter that says, in a Homer tone, “He he he… he’s such a bad actor”;
- sadly, I still haven’t read any of Barker’s Books of Blood yet, so I don’t know how faithful the movie is to the original story in all its aspects, but either they’ve changed it beyond tolerance, or that’s one story that should’ve never been adapted to the big screen.
But somehow I doubt the story’s characters talk like plain old Hollywood predictable pun throwers;
- everything else I forgot.
Which I undoubtly did.
So if you just feel like watching something where Vinnie Jones is being violent, simply try one of the soccer matches he played and was sent off from due to unprofessional conduct.
EXACTLY!
Pretty much any soccer match he played in will do.
Final note goes to say that this can actually be interesting to watch if you have an almost sexual thing for late night deserted subway stations.
Though if you do, I’d probably advise you to become a subway ticket machine rather than watching this.
Ah, but I’m not militant about it.
To each his own.
The Midnight Meat Train is exactly the reason horror isn’t a very big genre money-wise. Being a hardcore horror fan, but one who actually enjoys HORROR and not just cheese, I’m constantly told by people that they don’t watch horror movies for the same reasons Scream listed: They all follow the same, predictable plot. They’re all pumped to the max with cheesy, unrealistic, laughable situations. They’re never scary. They’re never really gory. They’re ridicules. That’s the non-horror-watching public’s view of the genre. And you know what’s sadder than their misconception? Movies like The Midnight Meat Train are just out to prove them right.
The reason I bring this up is because the controversy over The Midnight Meat Train stated that it was a “good horror movie” and had “no reason to be treated this way”. Umm, sorry, but yes, there was a reason this film was released in cheap, limited theaters. A big one. If it were a major theatrical release it would have been laughed out in a week.
What The Midnight Meat Train got right:
- It rips-off Saw and Hostel’s art styles, then adds a new, fresh layer of directing that was very stylish. Why couldn’t this have been used in better movies?
- The first hour was pretty engaging (if also not predicable).
- It was in no way a very gory movie, but it earned its R-rating. I’ve seen so many horror movies that are rated R with no reason to be.
What The Midnight Meat Train got wrong:
- Beyond everything else, the plot has to be one of the most cliché, unoriginal things to hit a theatrical horror movie in a long time. Someone kills The Texas Chainsaw Massacre-style, who would have guessed they’re also a butcher? Or a random, unsuspecting man witnesses a murder, who would have guessed he becomes obsessed and tries to figure it out himself? From opening to close, The Midnight Meat Train was one cliché after another cliché. The ending, no matter how cheesy, has been used countless times in Stephen King and Dean Koontz short stories long before Clive Baker could have even been old enough to get the idea. I’ve seen a lot of unoriginal movies in the past, but this is just ridicules.
- The meat is pumped to overflowing with cheese. The acting from anyone and everyone on the train was like watching a first-time Sci-fi Channel actor. The ending plot twist had me laughing out loud. To top that off, it was delivered by Mr. Sci-fi Channel in a monotone voice that I swear I’ve heard say “The Ultra 5000 landed on Yenum in Quasi-Tum!” before.
- I’ll never get the overuse of pointless sex scenes in movies. It just makes them laughable, but directors don’t seem to get that. But because The Midnight Meat Train did everything else pumped with cheese, we get to see the main leads bang dogie style in a subway station. What was the point of that, other than to show the director/writer has the maturity level of a 13-year-old boy? Is this what our generation considered “characterization”?
- The CGI gore was horrible. I think the trailer and promo pictures were more brutal than the actual movie. Most of the gore is a cut-off scene where the camera is focusing at the wall while Mr. Cliché is mutated. I really miss the time when horror was actually pushed boundaries and was actually disturbing . . .
The overall consensus: The Midnight Meat Train was a joke and the ending plot twist was the punch line.
So much for horror that is really scary or disturbing, because this is what the horror fans beg for, and this is what we get.
Not terrible, like what was said before, it was filmed in a unique stylistic fashion, and the gore was pretty well done, but the acting and just the casting itself took me out of the film’s believability entirely. I was expecting alot more out of this one…
Now this is what I like in a horror movie!!! Nice blood, gutts gore. Suspense, not predictable
I think the end could have been better but who am I , certainly no Clive Barker!
Good going. Do I hear part 2 ?
The best Clive Barker adaption since CANDYMAN!
I saw this for free on FEARnet on Halloween night and I am glad I did! Wow! It was great to see Clive Barker’s vision come to life by one of my favorite Japanese directors, Ryuhei Kitamura(VERSUS, GODZILLA: FINAL WARS). Vinnie Jones is one scary guy in this, I thought. Even when he is getting ready to start his day, he is terrifying to watch! Bradley Cooper is someone I have been watching since WEDDING CRASHERS and the underrated TV show “KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL” and thought he brought real fear and depth to his role as Leon. Leslie Bibb could not be anymore beautiful in this if she tried, she is stunningly hot here as Leon’s girlfriend. The film also boasts a lot of great humor to the film and a very cool cameo from Ted Raimi as one of Mahoganey’s(Jones) train victims. All in all, this is a terrific horror film that brings two extroadinary visionaries(Clive Barker and Ryuhei Kitamura) together to create a visual feast for the horror fans eyes! My only complaint was the ending, I had a bad feeling where it was going to go by the start of the third act. But that is very minor because the rest of the film is awesome!
Agreed with the poster below me–best Barker adaptation since Candyman. It’s such a shame what has happened to the release of this film.
im after scrolling through all the reviews for this film, and its good to see everyone exprssing there opions but im with the group that really enjoyed this film. ive seen vinny jones play football and then trying his hand in acting and i have to say this is his best film yet. it reminded me of arnie in terminator 1, actions speak louder than words. we dont have subways in ireland, but if im ever in america i dont think id take one over there either!!! good film. one of the best horrors out this year!!!!!!!!!
This was a pretty decent flick…
I went to see this movie with very high spectations since the reviews of the movie were really positive but when the movie started i knew this was gonna be scary but…….
it was not, it was one of the most cheesy and laughable films i have ever seen it haves the most funny and cheesy deaths in a movie and the special effects were horrible you could easily see every death was made with a puppet and by a computer and as for the ending oh my god it was the most cliche and obvious ending i have ever seen since i saw prom night oh and the photo of the girl crawling full of blood from the killer was the most laughable moment of all because she gets decapitated in the most funny way and i dont care if my review contains spoilers the movie just deserves a rent cause you can only see it if youre looking for a good gory, bloody and laughable time.
This movie was really sweet. The plot was interesting and the characters were well fleshed out. The blood was also plentiful which is always nice to see. My only complaint was that at times the blood was obviously CGI which detracted from the realism for me. But I still loved it.
This movie was actually pretty good. If I didn’t see the concept art I would have loved this movie. But because of the concept art posted on this very site, I was waiting to see something to happen. And of course, what I was waiting for happened in the last scene of the movie. Way to go, BD. Way to go.
i was so excited for this movie and knew it would be good…..BUT IT WASN’T!!!!! The movie started off good and kept my attention….than it started going way too slow…it just got boring and became unintresting…than all the blood and death scenes were already shown on this website so there was no shock in the kills…even the creatures at the end didn’t help this movie become terrifying and as good as it was supposed to be….the only good thing about this movie was the hot girl and the cinematography…..When is Clive Barker going to come out with something as good as Hellraiser again???
along with quarantine, this is one of the best horror movies of the past year. it was nearly perfect. vinnie jones is an underestimated talent today. i’m a big clive barker fan, so i was excited for this, and i was very happy with it. roger bart has a small part, and i think leslie bibb is one of the hottest actresses out there today.
I would have liked it more if I knew what i was getting myself into. I was not expecting a movie with aliens so I wasnt prepared for a movie with aliens. I was prepared for a slasher movie. Vinnie Jones probably the most well known villian actor of today did a fabulous job as a alein agent whos job it is to provide Aliens with food witch is the corpses of human beings. The death sequences were gory but the amount of CGI in this film did not flow well with the movie. Ah this movie did not fulfill any of my expectations. I thought this movie was a scattered mess. It did not live up to my expectations, or perhaps I would have enjoyed the film more if i knew what i was getting myself into. I give this film a C
Very Nice Friday Night Gore Movie.
Nothing Like Sitting Down Enjoying And Gross Out Your Girl Friend All At The Same Time.
Hoping For A Squeal.
wow. ridiculous. shot beautifully.incredibly captivating. loved it
Absolutely LOVED this movie, I’m a big fan of Vinnie Jones and he does an excellent and creepy job in this flick. I especially liked the captivating cinematography and Lovecraftian feel. Probably the best horror movie I have seen last year.
After all the delays, was this movie worth the wait? Yes. It was a well done film. But I wouldn’t say it was “awesome”. To put in into better words. If you are expecting a fun, gory little film then Midnight Meat train is the film for you. But, if, on the other, you are expecting a smart, clever, by the numbers, suspenseful flick this is the wrong place to be.
Midnight meat train is about Leon Jones (Bradley Cooper) who is a photographer for New York City. But before the brutal kills occur from the “subway butcher” the photographer takes the pictures before the deaths. He tries to warn the cops, but they are in denial, and now he has to stop it.
Originally, Midnight Meat Train was announced to premiere May 16, 2008, but didn’t want to compete against The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Then it was pushed back to August 1, 2008, then moved to an earlier spot, July 11th. But didn’t want to compete with Hellboy II: The golden army. Then it decided to come August 1, 2008 in 100 second run, dollar theaters, which made a box office bomb. Then on February 17th the fans’ dream came true. Midnight Meat Train premiered on DVD and Blu-ray.
The film is just like any other horror film. It has a killer, mediocre acting, ridiculously shot gruesome imagery, and a “yawn” ending. So why should I recommend this film? The gore scenes are well shot in slow motion. When the blood splatters it splatters. Characters are hacked, bludgeoned, and decapitated. The movie also starts off very interesting and full of great ideas.
Although it does have its great moments, it does have it’s flaws as well. First of all, the only thing backing this movie up is just the gore and the story. The ending is very weak and might make the movie that much worse for your experience. The acting is mediocre at best and while it isn’t terrible, it certainly isn’t good either. The “subway butcher” isn’t so kick-butt material. Yeah he kills people with a hammer, but they never make him kick-butt or at least tough.
Overall, Midnight meat train is a recommendation from me. It does have it’s moments and the gore effects are stupendous. While I do have to say, it is a mild recommendation. Despite a weak ending and weak acting, the movie turns out being okay. I also thought the punishment for the film was way too harsh. What’s wrong with it? A heavy-R typical horror flick. Who wouldn’t want that?
The only flaw in this movie is the shitty CGI’s which messed up some potential great scenes.
I don’t get it! It could be so much better without….
Anyway! I really enjoyed it… Vinnie is a real Bad Ass……
This dark and gory horror thriller from director Ryûhei Kitamura (2000′s Versus), based on a short story by Clive Barker and adapted by Jeff Buhler, certainly was a refreshingly grisly movie experience for me. I was really getting more and more burned out on the PG-13 styled horror films I had been downloading and wondered if this was what modern horror was all about. There seemed to be nothing with any meat on the bones anymore. Then I saw The Midnight Meat Train (aka Clive Barker’s Midnight Meat train) and was delighted to see meat actually getting shred from bones.
The film had little time in the theaters and went to DVD sooner then it should have. Barker pointed the finger at Lionsgate president Joe Drake for essentially selling out a real horror film like Midnight Meat Train and focusing advertising and distribution on films like The Strangers. There is no doubt that Midnight Meat Train is a more satisfying horror film for true fans but probably not the type for mass appeal. Most films now are really aimed at the under 18 crowd or dating couples. Meat Train is a brooding and grim film that does not flinch in the gore and blood department. It is also well made and the criticisms about the computer generated gore are unfounded as the effects are superb and in particular one scene where Ted Rami gets his eye balls knocked out of their sockets by a metal butcher’s mallet. This is just not for mass consumption but it is certainly for mine. In fact this film gets my first four skull rating despite an unsatisfying ending that added an unnecessary supernatural element to the film.
The story follows Leon (Bradley Cooper), a free lance photographer, on his nightly excursions into the underbelly of a large dark American city. While it looks a bit like New York the film was shot in LA. He is determined to capture the “real city” on film since no one has yet to do it. He has a meeting with a tough (as in bitchy) art critic, played by Brooke Shields, who sees talent in his work but feels he is falling a little short of his goals and tells him to go back out and come back with better material. This he does when he interrupts some gang members who about to assault a woman in the subway terminal. He manages to get close up pictures of the hoods who do not kill him because they are on a security camera. The girl, a model, is later killed while sitting alone in the subway by a looming brute named Mahogany played by Vinnie Jones. Leone gets pulled into the case of the missing model and his obsession with her and then with the identity of the butcher causes serious friction between him and his girlfriend Maya (Leslie Bibb).
Leon is soon stalking the butcher during his nightly adventures but soon the tables are turned as Mahogany confronts Leon one night on the sidewalk. At the center of Leon’s suspicions is a ring worn by Mahogany that appeared in one of the shots he had earlier taken in the subway station. It is your basic dime store variety Satanic looking ring and he just happened to get a shot of it as Mahogany was holding the door for the model as she entered the car on her last ride. Lucky break. Maya and her friend Jurgin (Roger Bart) are more than a little dubious at first about Leon’s growing claims that the disappearance of the model and the Butcher are linked to a series of murders going back over a hundred years. Leon becomes a witness to a couple of these one night as he hides in an adjoining subway car and gets to see Mahogony in action. And bloody brutal action it is.
Leon is captured by Mahogany but not killed by him for some reason. Instead he wakes up the next day with a Satanic looking symbol carved in his chest. He is now pulled more and more in the life of the butcher and even more so after Maya and Jurgin sneak into Mahogany’s apartment to either prove or disprove Leon’s suspicions. Jurgin is captured and in the end there is a stand off on the subway between Leon and Mahogany while Maya tries to free Jurgin from the meat hooks impaling his ankles. The fight sequence is well done though we wonder how Leon can actually ward of the attack of super killer Mahogany unless the butcher is allowing it for some reason. This is open to speculation.
The film winds down with the reason for the butcher’s nightly murders being that he needs to gather fresh meat for demonic creatures that lurk under the city. The train conductor (Tony Curran), as we already know, is in charge of the operation and it reaches into all branches of city life, including the police inspector who earlier seemed more suspicious earlier of Leon than some mysterious butcher and now we discover was part of the demonic cover up. I could have done without the creature feedings as the motive for the killings or the train conductor having superhuman strength. I think the film would have been more terrifying had it remained on the human plane and there not been deep reaching conspiratorial connections. But it is a small matter really and
Good story line, awesome movie title.
I liked the movie very much but there was a little problem with the blood and special effects. THe blood was computer generated and it sucked ass. THere was some stuff that was out of controll. I liked it a little.
really really great movie.good story,great gore,lots of blood.very intriguing.makes me want to read the books
Actually it wasn’t bad movie its been a while since Clive Barker came out with a movie….I really liked Hellraiser II……tried to read his books which I couldn;t get into…..I thought the dudes eyes popping out was cool….well at of movies are computer generated which seens so its hard to find ones that are not…when I tried to rent this movie 7 locations didn;t have it so I guess fans like this type of horror.
I find too many horror movies are not that interesting at all, its hard to find a different type of script there are so many that are boring or just remakes (Friday the 13th) (Halloween) so I felt Midnight meat train was a new type of horror yes it had gory but I like the story line with a twist in the ending.
My god! When will they stop using CG to compensate for practical effects? IT DOESN’T WORK!!!! Pretty much everything in this movie was CG. other than that (if you can get past it, i cant) it was still just ok.
I found it to be an alright movie. I have to agree with the whole CGI thing it is being used way to much in horror films today. Bring back the blood like in dead alive or hell even cabin fever. I did enjoy the scene where Ted Raimi took the meat clever to the back of the head and his eyes popped out in slow motion. That is the only part where I could see using CGI.
FUCK YEAH.
this movie owned. Granted the CGI was a little over the top, but it didn’t take away for me. It made me squirm, it gave me chills. And features a most fucked up ending since The Mist. The creatures were cool. The acting was intense. My only problem was a random sex scene. I didn’t care for. But other then that. Watch this film. It is what us horror fans need. But please bring back the real blood.
Fuck yeah! And fuck all of you with the “CG” comments. So what if the gore is CD enhanced or generated? I love gore, be it prosthetics or otherwise. Anyway, this movie owned. It’s one of the better horror movies to come out in recent years that isn’t aimed towards the mainstream crap that Hasbeenwood has been putting out. The acting was fine, the script wasn’t dumbed down, and was a fun roller coaster ride. Glad I purchased this one.
I was really surprised at how bad the CGI was. Who does CGI blood anyway? Fake blood is the easiest stuff in the world to make. cheap as balls. cgi blood…. I could maybe look past that, but how predictable was this movie? Shame on you if you didn’t see the end coming a good bit before-hand. i must say i’m pretty disappointed overall.
In regards to the last comment: What in the hell are you talking about? Explain to me how to ending was at all predictable? I’m a die hard fan of Clive Barker’s work, I’ve seen his movies, I’ve read most of his books…And I didn’t for a second see the ending coming. So brilliantly done! So nice to see some originality in this pathetic world of used and abused ideas. I thought this movie was great…Except for the excessive use of CG. I mean C’mon, I know it was directed by a Japanese guy (and we all know how notorious the Japanese are for using CG)but seriously….These people NEARLY ruined Clive Barker’s work with this one.
Finally! A dark, gritty film that delivers. Clive Barker has been an inspiration to horror fans and writers alike, myself included. I’ve read the original story and it adapts to it very well!
The acting was good. Better than most horror films and the characters were very likable and realistic. Much like Hellraiser and Candyman, movie adaptations of Clive’s work are always dark and serious and rarely include over the top humor. That’s a good thing. This movie kept me watching and wondering what was next.
The only major dislike I have with this movie is the use of CGI. Gone are the days of blood effects and prosthetic contraptions to compensate for actual limbs or impalement. That is just laziness on the film-makers part. The CGI was poorly done, but considering the atmosphere presented by the film, it is forgivable. The kills themselves weren’t spectacularly original or inspired, but they weren’t meant to be. This is NOT a slasher film, nor is it’s most intriguing quality how creative the kills are.
The atmosphere is the most intriguing quality. From dark city life to the beautifully shot train sequences, everything about this film’s atmosphere is wonderful.
On a side note: reading through these user reviews are just ridiculous. People claiming the movie was so “predictable” and “laughable”…please. Pull your head out of your asses please. People like you go into movies just WAITING for something to tear apart and its ridiculous.
With that aside, this movie is an entertaining and terrifying film for any horror fan. Check this one out!
I liked this movie it reminds me of the people I see when walk around taking pictures. I see like 3 people that remind of the butcher who’s pretty creepy but still didn’t scare me.
I had been waiting for this film since reading the short story in the Books of Blood. I thought when I heard that it was being made into a film it would be a slam dunk, it wasn’t quite there. Vinny Jones as Mahongany was outstanding, the silent killer ever intimidating and able to create a sense of dialogue and dread without uttering a word. The film itself was alright, not great, but alright. I hope that this doesn’t stop more of the stories from the books of blood from being adapted and made into films. One suggestion is that Clive Barker make himself more involved with the creation of one of his stories into any future films.
I thought it was awesome until the last five minutes and it took one of the stupidiest terns I’ve yet to see! everyone was great! Bradley Cooper,Vinnie Jones, and Leslie Bibb! and it had great suspense and kills! But…the end was shit!
I liked this movie a lot it keeps you stunned the whole time while you watch it…THe story is nice until it unfolds in the end.
The twist of the story at the end is prettty lame and nothing for realists…personally I enjoyed this movie alot!
the Best in 2008 at all… im really waiting for Trilogy .. it was fucking interesting.. Bring it on
It was EXCELLENT until the ending & I was left thinking WTF? Still, a great movie!
loved it just brilliant, much much better than any Saw film ive ever seen, just such a shame that hardly anybody got a chance to see it, i just dont understand why, ive seen both this and the strangers, which clive barker was complaining got more publicity and more of a chance in theatres and midnight meat train is far far far better then the strangers, the gore is fantastic and pulls every punch brilliantly just loved it the ending was fantastic and the gore worked so well in this movie it worked to provide such a chilling atmosphere for the movie, cant remember last time i saw a horror film that had this much of a chilling effect upon me, cannnot recommend this enough, everyone GO WATCH NOW !!
i realy liked this looked great,awsome ending super gore effects(and i hate cg)!the return of barker is comming and this is a great start!
I read all the positive reviews, but I found this movie to be boring. The gore was good and the plot wasn’t bad, but I just couldn’t wait for the movie to be over.
Now if you had read my comment on this news story when I saw it back in April, my outrage at Vinnie Jones in the lead role of any horror movie was like….just not happening.
However, I bought this movie this week and watched it and loved it. Vinnie Jones scares the hell out of you when he doesn’t talk does he not?
Loved it, and found it stupidly hard to watch when the photographer is tracking Jones in the butchers.
While the ending was shocking and not what I was expecting, I did like it. A twist I didn’t see coming. Defo see this movie.
Last Night, I finally got the chance to watch “The Midnight Meat Train”. I was all hot and bothered thinking about the meat train chugging along and entering dark holes. As it turns out, This was not the case.
Yes, This movie had a big angry German. But this big angry German was not forcefully entering all that would allow him. He was killing mother fuckers with a giant metal butchers hammer in a $10,000 suit.
This movie was awesome. That crazy ass soccer playing Irish guy Vinnie Jones killed everyone who was lucky enough to take the train home late at night. He even killed the UFC’s Rampage Jackson who plays a crazy ass violence and crime seeking black man. This must have been some stretch which truly shows this man’s acting range.
I’m sure there was some story or point to this madness but I could care less. It had death, destruction, Leslie Bibb and alot of Gore.
I give this movie 3.5 out of 5 slabs of man meat.
Also, My ADD allowed me to watch this entire film. Was it the hope of actually seeing a meat train? The beautiful and untalented Leslie Bibb or the fact that this movie bled more than Rhianna. We will never know..
i liked this movie, but it wasn’t great. Gore is always nice to see. I just wish people would make more movies with less cgi in them. Once i see too much i lose interest in them. Yeah, what was up with the ending..really…under ground demon/canables….um ok then.
I was expecting an okay movie, but what I got was one hell of a flick. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, the gore, the story, the actors, it was all superb. I definitely recommend this flick to everyone who hasn’t seen it. Oh, and the CGI goes well with the flick, IMO.
“Welcome”
Quite a good little horror flick, better then most of the stuff that reaches theaters nowadays.. Then again, should I expect anything less from the Clive Barker?
Gotta admit, going in I didn’t expect much but your run of the mill slasher, which isn’t much. But I was pleasently suprised.. The movie is quite engaging, the cast is good- especially Vinnie Jones as the silent butcher.. I think Jones was made for this kind of role, he has the prescence needed for a horror film, and he is a scary guy in general. The ending really comes out of nowhere, in a good way. It makes you think a bit, which is what you want in a movie. Make no mistake, this is much more then your standard slasher, which is probably why it didn’t last long or get a wide release in theatres- the average audience isn’t ready for something like this just yet.
ridiculous movie…brutal…ending i was a little ehhhh but its still good
This movie was always off the shelves at blockbuster when I tried to rent it.. I thought it was gonna be SUPER good because of that… but when I finally got a chance to get it, it was kinda disappointing. The storyline wasn’t bad, but the effects were cheesy.. the ending made me SUPER angry, and what was the point of the killer scraping those things off his chest and saving them in his medicine cabinet…?
This is probably one of the better horror films to come out recently. This movie certainly was relentlessly entertaining. Vinnie Jones man! The directing, editing and transitions are without a doubt awesome. As a film student I can say this movie is well done. Not Oscar worthy but it was not meant to be.
Thank you, Lionsgate, for fucking all of us horror fans in the ass! You all fucked us with Repo! and with this movie! Midnight Meat Train is one of the more original slasher films I have seen in a while. It carries a nice B-list cast (except for Brooke Shields), good acting, and some major bloodshed! The gore in this film is fucking awesome! Except for the CGI. When the CGI is used, not only does it make the kills look super cheesy, it takes away the intensity and the seriousness of the kill. Like the scene where Randall gets his head smashed by the meat tenderizer and one of his eyeballs flies out of his head and when Quinton Rampage Jackson gets shot in the head by the conductor, and you can see that his eye has been shot out, and they slow down and out comes the CGI blood. And, while there was good acting, sometimes it was stale. In fact, I find it funny that Brooke Shields, the only A-0list actor in this movie, is the one who had the worst acting, in my opinion. But really, I can’t believe Lionsgate would keep a film this well done away from the viewing public, which makes give them a wag of my finger. It’s a good thing they did not fuck us with My Bloody Valentine 3D, or I would have just had it with Lionsgate. Overall, this movie is awesome, and the only part of the film that was just ehhh was the twist. It was a good twist, but not a great twist. But seriously, check out this movie!
I really enjoyed this film! I would have gave it a higher rating if it wasn’t for some of the CGI blood, but all in all the movie was so great that you didn’t pay to much attention to the CGI, It was a perfect splatter fest!
Fuck. Yes. This is the movie that all the “Friday the 13th” and “My Bloody Valentine” fans need to see. This is how to make a good movie with gore. No bland teenagers, no clichéd story, no capitalizing on ignorant fans that never care about the original until a remake comes out. No bullshit.
I don’t know how Barker does it. All of his movies have a story that just sounds stupid on paper (especially this one) and yet, somehow, he makes them work with developed characters and imagery alone. He’s like fucked up version of PIXAR.
“The Midnight Meat Train” does feel more like an extended episode of “Tales from the Crypt” than a full length movie. It’s not Barker’s best work, but Barker at his worst does better than 95% of all horror movies out there.
Great Film adapted from Clive Barkers Books of blood! This film was very, very close to the original story published back in the 80′s. I highly reccomend this film to horror fans, Espically Clive Barker fans!
After driving an hour and a half to what really was a dollar theater, I witnessed a movie that not only is brutal and gory but also dark and pretty atmosphreric. That movie was The Midnight Meat Train.
This was a very well done movie and had some pretty awesome kills in it, and Vinnie Jones just kicks ass. The only real downside about this is that they USED CGI FOR EVERYTHING. I mean everything was CGI, even blood dripping on the ground :C. But I got passed the CGI to see a very different and original movie.
The performances are good and the directing style of Ryuhei Kitamura is one that we’ve seen before, with the slow mo kills and over the top (ina good way) gore. But since this is a Clive Barker story I was really looking forward to seeing it.
It was worth the hour and a half drive to see this movie, even though like 2 months later it was free on FearNet lol, and I would recommend seeing it, it is underrated and awesome. I give it a 7/10!
Love the story Clive Barker wrote and I was impressed watching it go to film. It was brutal and enjoyable,this movie is definatly a fucked up movie which I like. Vinnie Jones couldn’t play a better killer.
Best title for a scary movie in a long time! Sounds like it has everything it needs to be a good horror flick, but it’s a little boring. Try to get to the end – even if you have to fast forward. Pretty bad CGI, and the hero is totally lame, but the villain rocks!
An interesting horror/thriller. This film is far more creative than most generic horror thanks to the crazy imagination of Clive Barker. The plot is an interesting mystery with a few surprises. Well acted and directed.
A good movie with some pretty cool effects. The story was good and some of the camera angles really made the killings cool to watch. Vinnie Jones rocked as the butcher and I would like to see him do more horror movies. The ending was kinda weak though. Overall, good flick.
One of the best adaptaions of a Clive Barker story since Night Breed.Vinnie jones could be horror legend if stays in the genere.He’s been great in alot of non horror films he play’s villian roles with ease.This film is probably one the best horror films to come out last year.Highly recommend it.
The Midnight Meat Train overall has a pretty good story line. However, I have seen all of this in different movies. This does not make it bad though. It was a movie with some special effects thrown in (the eyeball part made me crack up) and a nice twist at the end, causing the movie to take a turn and allow a second one to be made. Overall, this movie gets a 7/10.
Just not any fun to watch. The main character was annoying. The killer was annoying. The plot itself, totally ludicrous and inconceivable. Yeah, people constantly go missing every night whilst taking the same exact train and no one catches on? Oh wait, the cops have they just don’t give a shit cause they’re working for a “higher power”. Blah blah blah.
Maybe this movie would’ve done a lot better in the mid to late eighties or maybe if they had gotten a better director. Seriously, all the shitty CGI gore really turned me off. Not even Ted Raimi’s death, which by all means should’ve been awesome, looked like it belonged in a last generation video game.
The twist ending was lame and predictable. It was simply unbelievable and forced; just so we, as the audience, could say “wow, now I’m excited for the sequel”.
See Candyman or Hellraiser if you want to see some great Clive Barker film adaptations.
AMAZING! This is a very surprising film with wicked twists and turns, fantastic visual effects and a strong story. The “video-clip” style also allows for a smooth transition between the scenes. There is a lot going on in this film (more than I anticipated, at least), great kills and even great fights! It’s the kind of movie you would want to watch over and over again. Fans of “Hostel” and especially “Frontier(e)s” will beg for more. Enjoy this super gory ride!
Great movie!! The fight scene at the end was AWESOME!!!!
Better than I thought it would be. The name made me laugh and when I first saw the title I thought it was a comedy, but I saw someone talk about it in a review video so I decided to watch it today. I just finished and I have to say it was alright. Some parts were pretty lame, but without giving anything away I like the ending and how you understand things more when you watch the beginning again. Only the end was my favorite part, the rest of the time it was a little boring.
love the hammer want one for myself, would of liked to know more the creatures though mybe there will a squel but why ruin it.
Great movie
This was an okay movie. It was pretty creepy. I will probably never ride on a subway… ever. Even if it is in the day time. It’s just a freaky movie. The only thing is, when you see blood on the floor you can see the people’s reflection. But anyway It’s another movie that is worth the view. Don’t get me wrong.
This is a better than average adaptation of Barkers excellent short story, which i’m a massive fan of, so I was excited to see this. But it does have it’s problems. Firstly, CGI blood has NO place in a horror film, none whatsoever. Is it so hard for the make up and effects team to rig some tubing to an actor and then pump blood? Speaking of blood, this film has loads of it which is good considering the story does as well so full points for the film makers not shying away from the gorier elements. Secondly, everything is just too clean looking, especially the train. When reading the short I picture a grimy and dirty train carriage, not silver and shiny surfaces that feature in the film. Thirdly, while Vinnie Jones was impressive in the role of Mahogony I was expecting him, like that train carriage to have more of a rough and dirty edge to him. Instead we have a killer who looks like a lawyer. Last but not least the creatures. I would have liked them to feature more here but instead we get only a few glimpses towards the end and I would have much preferred if the film makers could have used more of the shorts climax, especially with the tongue removal.
As i said i’m a huge fan of the short but besides those gripes this is a pretty good adaptation and considering the running time, the screen writer has done a great job fleshing the characters out and adding to the story.
Fans of the short will find much to enjoy here as a lot has been put in and it works well on screen.
If a Clive Barker story can be adapted to this great level then I can’t wait to see the upcoming ‘Dread’.
midnight meat train was a very brutal and satysfying film.
the killer was very cool and the choice of weapon was indeed one of the coolest weapons in a movie.
stylish kills were magnificent.
the one thing that i absolutely did not like about this movie was the ending.
the ending was really bad.
i would give this movie a very high rating but the climax makes me drop it down.
Its Bloody As
absolutly loved this film everything about it was amazing Clive Barker’s story really came to life in this film.
An gory as hell thrillride that was fast paced and should of been in 3D if it had a chance to be a wide theaterical release. I do feel though that this is a tad overrated and wasn’t worth the wait they put us through and I wasn’t a big fan of the ending either, it didn’t give us a good enough explaination. It’s lack of story and good dialogue made it uninteresting in some parts but it makes up for that with its gory and creative kills, if it wasn’t for the gore I would have given it a lower rating. I thought the acting was on in some parts and off in others, nothing was a stand out in this department. I do however think the filming was expertly done and was one of the high points of this movie. Overall it’s a great gore flick but nothing more than that, check out the horror/thriller End Of The Line, a much better subway horror movie that you can now buy online at amazon/canada if you have an all region dvd player that is.
great movie!, heaps of gore
I came into this movie ready to hate it, but I was really surprised when the movie was over. Great villan, gory, kind of a out-there story but all in all a great horror flick, check it out if you haven’t seen it.
This is a really great movie. I’m not just saying this because I’m a big Vinnie Jones fan, but this is a great movie. The plot is very well thought out, with some great action moments and suspenful thrills. The gory action, CGI eyeballs, that big hammer of his and the sweet, sweet blood. This is horror at it’s best by far!
9/10
I’m quite a fan of Clive Barker. But most of the movies I saw based on his books, I found them very bad…
TMMT surprised me! I don’t find it brilliant, but quite a good book-to-movie work.
Of course the staff was also quite contributor to my rating.
This film was a terrific surprise. It was chock full of gore(albeit CGI laden) suspense, solid acting and filmed in an impeccabe blue hue aesthetic that gives this movie a very bleak and somber mood.
Sit back and enjoy the ride!
Stylish and over the top. One of the better horror films to come out in recent years. 8.5
THIS IS A BORING FUCKIN MOVIE….I TRIED TO WATCH IT TWICE…BUT I FELL ASLEEP BOTH TIMES…
The movie was alot better than I excpected. I really wanted to see Vinnie Jones Beating the shit out of his victums and I wasn’t diappointed. The CGI sucked but it didn’t bring the film down at all. The blood and gore was very well pleasing.
A pretty interesting and unique story but I was hoping for more from the movie. Vinnie Jones was a good choice though.
great movie.
interesting story, great actors
this movie was very well done! I did think the ending sucked big time but pretty good cant complain about this movie…good job!
The ending was a bit foolish but the film its self was sweet. I seen the movie box at the video store forver so I decided to give it a shot and man I was blown away at how well it was filmed compared to what I expected.
I hated the CGI effects but that’s nothing new. Aside from that it was pretty cool.
i loved this movie. the only thing i hated was the ending it was kinda disappointing and far fetched but other than that it was great.
I was very surprised by this movie as i was expecting less. YOur not going to see anything that’s original in this movie but who really cares what it does do it does right. Vinny Jones is perfect for this role as he tends to say more to the viewer when he is not talking. As for the guy that likes to compare every horror movie to Saw and Hostel, get over yourself you sound like fucking riger Ebert. If you were a true hardcore Horror fan then you would stop butching about Horror movies and actually liked them. Why you write endlesslly about movies you don’t like is beyond me. It justs shows how annoying and pathetic you are.
The cinematography and atmosphere of this movie is very well done (dark and stylish). The concept of a photographer following a serial killer in a gloomy late-night urban world is not terribly original, but enough twists in the plot keep it fresh. The acting, especially by the serial killer who is a ghost butcher from the early 1900s, is exceptional. This movie deserved more buzz. It is one of the best of 2009.
holy CGI!!!
that said, i thought it was pretty good. the butcher scared me, he has a great face! love brooke shields as well.
holy CGI!!!
that said, i thought it was pretty good. the butcher scared me, he has a great face! love brooke shields as well.
great movie loads off gore ending was stupid though made no sence
what can we say about clive barker…hes defintely one of the best horror writers ever, and this movie proves it. sick and twisted blood and gore..fans of clive will be pleased
All i can say is give me more!
Man this was bloody…Clive Barker proves he is not only a Barker but he bites Bad ….Koontz, King – they are nowhere near his twisted mind.Vinnie is cool..Brilliant Bad – ass Horror.
Aaah I loved this movie soooo much I had to buy
it because I also loved the cast. And even though
Tony Curran had a small part I didn’t care I still had to buy this bad-ass fantastic story.
Clive Barker is amazing!
These days, it’s uncommon to see a horror film really outshine its central plot.
From the beginning Kitamura lets us know that this isn’t going to be your typical “cheap scare, shock horror” movie. What Kitamura really delivers is Clive Barker horror with his own visions; no doubt inspired by Japanese Horror. The cinematography is outstanding as the film delivers the same kind of grit that Leon was attempting to show in his photographs. Kitamura adds his own creativity to his death scenes. It’s something you’ve seen before, but you get it in a new prespective. And oh there wil be blood – this is what I really admire about this film. You get your gore and you get it in a way that’s applicable to the film. It’s not the flashy “hey look at me” Hostel-type. Rather than falling into the trap of shock horror, Kitamura let’s the blood play into the film rather than let it take over.
The killer (Vinnie Jones) pulls off a menance equal to Jason and Michael. Business as usual, nothing overly creative with the complexity of his kills.
That’s the good, now time for the bad. I’ll start with Bradley Cooper. What makes him great in The Hangover is what makes him a bad choice for this movie. His acting is shallow. This is great for his roles in comedies but when he has to take over a leading role, he really Keanu’s it down. If you never saw The Devil’s Advocate, that means he’s way too stiff and lacks the range to develope his character fully. But he does enough and doesn’t ruin the movie. My major problem with this movie is that the plot tries to do too much. That’s mainly on Clive Barker (however he continues to devliver horror gold, so I can only assume that he makes it beautiful on paper). I felt the plot went too far over the top. Where the first half of the movie took a highly cliched sub-genre of horror (slasher films) and gave the audience a fairly unorthodox (and highly effective) perspective, the second half got a little too far “out there” and fell into some of those old cliches (*cough* “I’ve got a train to catch” *cough*).
The bright spot about the second half of this movie is when you think you’re going to see the old cliches finally come home to roost, Kitamura or Barker (I’m not sure which, probably a combination of the two in the end) throw you a little curve and knock at least a couple cliches out of the water.
Final word: Kitamura really makes this film shine, I highly recommend it for anybody who’s been bored with the constant remakes and the 3-D gimmicks.
One of my favorites.
If this didn’t have baddy V. Jones cast it would have been sorely lacking in identity, as he is definitely the face of this movie. Some good kills, decent bloodletting, and good CGI (for the most part)….but something about this had me feeling a bit uninvolved or detatched. Some of that may be due to a just ok Cooper, and an awful Bibb as his girlfriend. I may have expected a little too much out of this, but it is still above average fare with some replay value.
This is an great horror film that I would credit to a solid story by Clive Barker. It’s comes off as a very unique slasher flick. Acting is top notch and so are production values. This baby is slick.
If you like gore, this one’s got it in spades (The Killer’s favorite weapon is an outsized meat mallet/tenderizer). Very realistic and convincing f/x complete with severe ocular trauma (one of my favorites).
Although I loved this movie, it kind of runs out of steam with a very unsatisfying ending. I won’t give it away, but the ending is far-fetched based on the events preceding it. Kind of silly actually.
Despite the ending, this one ranks as one of the best slasher flicks of all time.
The best Clive Barker adaptation in a looooooooooooooooooong time, right up there with Hellraiser and Candyman.
When people review and intend to spoil. HELLO!! just freakin add the word *SPOILER* before you go and ruin it for everyone else!!! Lame, rude and just bad reviewing skills. Sheesh!!
This has got to be my favorite Barker story set as a movie. Vinnie Jones does an outstanding job at work with Mahogany.
Mahogany being the quiet, shy, person that he is in the daytime, and the brutal and very neat killer at night. The dead-eye stare was always very creepy and he perfected it even more. This movie somewhat reminds me of Night Train, but only just a little. The gore factor wasn’t overwhelming, but there was enough of it to make my mother run from my room and into the bathroom.
And why is it that in almost every movie with an odd serial killer always seems to know exactly what they are doing? It’s almost as if they were medical students at one point in time, then fell in love with it. They always seem to go on a killing spree to satiate their appetite for blood and flesh. You pretty much know what’s going to happen at the end of the movie, but it’s always to good to give it a shot anyway.
I give this movie 9 out of 10 skulls. This is by far, my favorite slasher movie.
good one
Another horror movie with no suspense! Great visuals, good acting… absolutely no nail biting! A lot of computer effects in place of creativity was part of it. Still, it was pretty neato.
……
Big let down the gore could have been done without CGI easy the ending is crap that’s all.
Being a fan of both Clive Barker and Ryuhei Kitamura, I was pretty excited about this one. It didn’t disappoint me, for the most part. I watched the Unrated Director’s Cut version, so the added gore was welcome. One slight problem I had with it was a few CGI gore scenes. I think CGI has its place within special effects and I’m not completely against it, but I don’t think it should be used in place of traditional make-up FX for gore/splatter scenes. Thankfully there are only a couple scenes like this, and most of the splatter FX is done with traditional make-up prosthetics. Although, I have to admit, the one CGI gore scene where the guy’s head gets smashed with the hammer and his eyeball pops out in a stream of grue was awesome.
I have to say, I think this film was visually stunning! I thought a lot of the film’s gore could have been done with Gag’s but hey it still worked for me. The overall cleanliness (I write that word with a chuckle) of the film was amazing, the beauty and fluidness of the cuts (hehe) was immaculate. I thought it was a brilliant adaptation of Clive Barker’s short, and even though people don’t care for the ending much, I thought it left much to the imagination, like any good horror film should! 9/10!
What a fantastic film. Took me a little while to get around to it due the mixed reviews, but DAMN.
Boooo to Lionsgate for the pathetic release. It was a well crafted and beautifully filmed movie that kept very close to the source material. Although “Midnight Meat Train” was a short story they were able to flesh this out admirably. Definitely worth seeing and all the gore to be imagined is there. Only complaint would be the use of CGI..really? Can practical blood be that expensive? Otherwise a great film and one to steal as I don’t believe Lionsgate deserves a dime after the pathetic marketing and distribution of this film. Anyways at least 6 skulls..maybe more
A good, fast-paced little movie, with enough gore to keep even die-hard horror fans satisfied. Vinnie Jones, ideally cast as the butcher. Think he only says 3 words in the whole film, but that doesn’t matter. His prescense is enough to let you know he means buisiness! The rest of the cast are also good. But come on, THAT CGI scene?!(you guys who’ve seen this know what i’m talking about!) For me, that was a let-down. But this is a minor quibble in a film which is easily the best Barker adaptation since HELLRAISER or NIGHTBREED. Worth a look!
GOOOREEE FEAST…..d story hasnt got much depth and dampens d movie bt d gore(reminds u a tad bit of hostel) doesnt dissapoint in ny way…….its well directd wid actin jus above par……..
This movie was garbage, the gore was mediocre, the best part was when he was fixing up that asian, and the whole movie was just tacky with sub par acting. There was no competent story that held you in to keep focus on anything until the last 20 minutes, maybe. Boring, but interesting to look at from time to time. I’ve got a train to catch and it’s far away from this movie as possible.
`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 Clive 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 Movie visual are absolute stunning (it’s like compute generated in some parts of the film, with its visual showings) & downright gory & hardcore for us Horror fans, this movie is guaranteed to make you squirm, scream and beg for more as it quit unique in its creative style & format from its adaption from Clive Baker short story into making a bloody & terrifying movie that really scares me going on a subway train in New York City late at night now, the blood, body counts, showing of disturbing murders & the many eye popping showings are really gross, but cool to look at & that what makes this movie for what it is because that what its main theme is really to gives us the thrills & why would you don’t (kind of thing) and it’s so chilling on how he waits on the same train at 2:06am & finds s victim to kill (because around that time there isn’t as many people & the fact is there wouldn’t be any witness so it’s very much like a perfect crime). I do like the tune that use in the movie, with great music & sound effects and it does have a little romance between Bradley Cooper & Leslie Bibb characters which it gives us heart racing & sadness at the end of the movie.
The director Ryuhei Kitamura was on top form on this Movie as I really loved his camera angles & how he captured the three main character of this short story to Movie form, the acting was perfect from everyone to be in there character form as Vinnie Jones as Mahogany (his performances was extremely freighting crafted & pick the right person to play such a odd, weird, creepy & isolated person, while he never said anything until he was killed, he had massive depth in having a huge influence in this movie of portray-ling his character all the way through this movie until he died, one of Vinnie Jones best performance in a movie I think) , Bradley Cooper (Excellent & at the end it shocking), Leslie Bibb (charming, sexy * absolute fanatics), Brooke Shields (did a amazing job), Roger Bart, Ted Raimi, Peter Jacobson, Barbara Eve Harris & Tony Curran and the ending was the perfect twist & twisted movie of a 2008 release & a brilliant one at that as a few people know about it or where in the circle of knowing `The Midnight Meat Train’(and now he was meant to be a part of it) and as the ending got more gore fest & bloody with its cool action scene & shocking turn of event it kept me at the edge of the bed with a disgust & brutal terrifying truth & his death of his Girlfriend was soo disgust & horrifying it was like shit & upsetting that he had to eat her heart, as I have to say what a twisted, fucked gore disgust ending of this decade (2000-2009) & the year (2008) I enjoyed it which is very sick of me I know. (This Movie I think would be different enjoyed by the Clive Baker fans & director Ryuhei Kitamura fans and also being potential a Cult Classic in years to come).
(The Movie to me seem a crossing with `The Descent’ & `Creeps’, but in its own form, style, storyline/plot & especial its own material format)
Another hollywood horror stay away at all costs.
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 and convoluted, nigh pointless adaptation of one of his own works. I think he learned his lesson from there.
So here we have “The Midnight Meat Train”, which is based off of a work of Barker. This is one of the best adaptations a story of Barker has gotten, and lucky for him, it’s not directed by Barker. Last time that happened, we almost killed ourselves, depending on what you thought when it came to “Hellraiser”.
Leon is an aspiring photographer who gets a gig that could land him a life-time of good money and fame. He likes how such a life-style sounds, and will stop at nothing to get what he wants and where he wants to be. With the support of his girlfriend, Leon hopes to follow his dreams, and when a well-known art-lover asks him to get some good “night shots” detailing what city life is really about, Leon is excited and enthusiastic about taking the job. Eventually, Leon walks the street at night, and comes across a burly man who seldom speaks, and doesn’t seem to fancy communication either.
This man is Mahogany; a man who works mostly at a butchery, and has a part-time job as a serial killer on a “midnight meat train”. He’s a man who, as Leon puts it, “slaughters humans like cattle”. Why he does this, I shall not say, for all is revealed in the flawed, predictable, but never boring ending.
I’ve literally seen “The Midnight Meat Train” more than once, and I’ve also seen it several times, figuratively. This film isn’t terribly unique in how it brings out its inner horrors, and it’s not a true horror classic, but I think there are a couple of good reasons to why it’s better than (most of) what’s out there. For starters, this film is a cocktail party in a slaughterhouse; violent, vomit-worthy, and to many, sickening. It’s a film drenched in blood, CG blood to be precise, and never restrains itself from being messy. What I openly admired about the film was that it doesn’t turn into “Hostel” or the “Saw” sequels. It is bloody, gory, and nasty throughout; but there’s a certain quality to these things that makes this train ride pretty endurable, and thoroughly entertaining.
I liked how this film did not feel disgusting, and neither does the gore. So many horror films are retrained; so many are over-the-top, and “The Midnight Meat Train” understands that refraining from being incredibly disgusting is the right way to go. I enjoyed this movie. It is well-acted, well-filmed, and has some of the most insane, addictive visuals I’ve seen used in horror cinema for quite some time. It’s worth seeing if you are a fan of the genre, and I think that this is a future cult hit. I can say I liked it; the film has its flaws (flawed ending, lack of complex characterizations, some plot holes that need filling), but like I said; this train ride is fun, entertaining, and gloriously violent. My advice is to take the ticket, stay for the ride, and leave with whatever feelings and emotions you choose.
You know what I’ve always thought? Vinnie Jones (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch and Gone in 60 Seconds) would be a fantastic psycho killer in a horror movie. To my surprise, I stumbled upon the movie Midnight Meat Train; and it turns out, I was dead on.
Midnight Meat Train is a really decent horror flick.
The Hangover’s Bradley Cooper plays a pretty good role as the inquisitive photographer who just doesn’t know when to quit. Sucks to be him, because he’s chosen to `stalk and pry’ into Vinnie Jones, as the dude on a subway train who plays butcher to unsuspecting victims riding the rails.
The butcher sequences are gruesomely brutal and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of them. The fantabulous cheese factor reminiscent of 80′s gore tricks with the wonders of the computer generated effects of today kept my attention.
I am normally not a fan of CG blood and guts. I’m an old school girl who wants to see the texture and color of the fake stuff made by FX geeks, not computer geeks. But this movie had a fair mixture of the two elements, so I have no real complaints. The CG always adds a bit of fun to the movies, sometimes appropriate, sometimes lame, but this film has found the happy medium.
The story line is one that will keep you interested and doesn’t really slow down to much, keeping a great pace of suspense. I won’t give anything away, as I wouldn’t want to spoil it for anyone but I will say, Midnight Meat Train is definitely worth a view if you’re up for some thrills, chills and maybe some spills all in the name of good ol’ fashioned horror movie fun!
First half of the movie was great. The killer is cold, menacing, mysterious and brutal as they come. However, the ending was far fetched to say the least and threw cold water on a good psycho flick. ***SPOILER ALERT*** They should have had the killer and train driver in cahoots with an underground meat market for the wealthy elite or something along those lines … instead of feeding the crazy goblins under the city. Realism and believabilty is always more shocking than fairy bullshit.
This movie is awesome.
Great story, great acting, great gore (some of the only CGI gore that I’ve seen and LIKED), great killer, & a great twist.
Highly recommended.
Hobo Approved(TM)
I remember reading this short story by Clive Barker and was looking forward to this. Vinnie Jones is great and it must have been a right result getting an acting job with no lines to learn! His characters name ‘Mahogany’ is very appropriate, I’m sure I’ll spot it soon as someone’s gamertag on Xbox Live.
Bradley Cooper, known for his role in âe~The Hangoverâe(TM) films and the excellent âe~Limitlessâe(TM) is the photographer trying to make a name for himself. Heâe(TM)s advised to make improvements in order to gain serious interest in his photography art, so he starts shooting pictures of everything at night. Late one night in a subway station he saves a stranger from assault and then his whole world takes an unexpected turn…I wonâe(TM)t go into further plot because this is a real surprising thrill movie to watch. It has put me off from travelling late on any of the worlds underground travel networks, just the same reaction when I couldn’t take a bath after watching ‘Jaws’! The Blu – ray version I watched did have some salt and pepper distortion, so I plan to return it and request a replacement. I love the films atmosphere and the feeling of raw panic and dread. The director; Ryuhei Kitamura has done a terrific job here, this film seems to be his first major project. He is definitely another talented director to look out for.
Bradley Cooper is a popular guy casting directors use at the moment. I saw him in ‘Hangover 2′. He’s cool, the ladies adore him and he is a good actor. His work journey is like the guy who starred in ‘Avatar’; Sam Worthington. You don’t know them and suddenly they seem to be in many films.My only niggle with this film is that some of the violence is so over the top special effects, almost crossing the terror line over to comedy town, but it’s not a major problem…I had a word with myself and rolled with it. I hope this film will have cult status with horror collectors and enthusiasts. It’s a lot better than it’s marketing suggests; Yes it has the gore content and incredibly violent murders, but the thread of the story and how it builds up is it’s strength.
Clive Barker is a genius. He gave us ‘Hellraiser’, he can do no wrong….similar to Stephen Kings stories that are made into film, Clive has had some hits and misses as well. However, I can assure you that MMT is a big hit for me. The problem with some horror films like ‘Clive Barkers The Plague’ is that they are good creative ideas, but their straight to ‘sci-fi channel curse’ is due to bad acting and awful production. Luckily a sensible amount of money was invested into ‘The Midnight Meat Train’.
As a sideline comment Clive Barkers ‘Books of Blood’ short stories are simply brilliant and I intend to read both volumes again. ‘Candyman’ was another one of his efforts as a writer, which was not bad at all back in 1992. My wife had a market stall at some spook festival, she noticed that a bloke was leaning, with his back towards her, resting on her table far too close to her gorgeous work. She told him off in a polite manner….it was only Clive bloody Barker!
He is a great talent and this film is scary, thrilling and clever. Don’t miss this one.
The bleedingcritic
bleedingfilms.com
I thought that this movie was actually good. Almost every aspect of this movie was enjoyable.
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The Ultimate Movie Review! – http://tss5078.blogspot.com – @tss5078 – A gory, scary, horror film with an actual storyline! This movie should have been a can’t miss and for the first hour it seemed that way. The movie progressed and it got weirder and weirder and then the ending just absolutly killed it.