The Midnight Meat Train

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The Midnight Meat Train

July 20th 2009 01:14

I’ve been intending to read Clive Barker’s three volume collection of short stories, Books of Blood for a long time, especially after enjoying Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988), which along with Hellraiser (1987), was based on the short story The Hellbound Heart. Having now seen The Midnight Meat Train (2008) I really need to track down copies of the books. Stephen King was famously quoted as saying “I’ve seen the future of horror, and his name is Clive Barker.”

Not all movie adaptations of Clive Barker’s work are successful; so much of his writing is not easily digestible in the form of cinema. But, like Guillermo del Toro, the man is blessed with a fierce imagination and is not afraid to delve into the Darkness. Clive Barker has a very twisted take on life and death and the carnal desire that courses through our veins. The Midnight Meat Train may sound like a ridiculously B-grade piece of crap from its title, but the movie is far from conventional, as it thunders along on the thin ice of Argento-esque logic. Don't let the title put you off.

Bradley Cooper as Leon

Leon (Bradley Cooper) is a photographer keen to show the city as the dark and grim place that it is, and desperate for recognition. He’s given creative impetus from his girlfriend Maya (Leslie Bibb) and a further prodding from a staunch art gallery curator Susan Hoff (Brooke Shields) and his friend Jurgis (Roger Bart). But to be exhibited he needs to impress Hoff and get his hands dirty; capture the danger from the front line.

Leslie Bibb as Maya

Leon takes the bull by the horns, but in doing so becomes embroiled in the murder of a model on the city’s subway. Detective Hadley (Barbara Eve Harris) is intrigued by his story, but detached. Maya becomes concerned when Leon starts to exhibit signs of obsessive behaviour. There is a serial killer on the loose, a butcher by the name of Mahogany, who rides the last train, and Leon is determined to prove this. At all cost.

Vinnie Jones as Mahogany

Now this might sound all frightfully ordinary for a horror premise, but trust me, The Midnight Meat Train is not. It begins in an orthodox fashion, but becomes steadily stranger and stranger. The movie’s final ten or so minutes push the entire movie into the realm of surrealist nightmare. It’s pure Clive Barker, and in a rather unusual example for Hollywood, the result is a highly memorable movie experience, albeit not for all tastes.

Nothing more gross than blood in the eye

The Midnight Meat Train Vinnie Jones, Stephanie Mace

Leigh (Stephanie Mace) gets more than a little blood in her eye

Several elements lift this movie several notches above your standard stalk’n’slash fare, most notable the Japanese director, Ryûhei Kitamura, now based in America. He made the cult zombie-martial arts flick Versus (2000) and later the post-modern samurai flick Azumi. His visual style in The Midnight Meat Train is brilliant. At times it feels like a video clip, but the stylistics actually suit the surreal narrative. There is a heavy reliance on CGI, especially the blood and gore, and my initial reaction was, “What a cop out!” However I warmed to its use, and in most instances I realised the only way to depict the level of extreme graphic violence was to use CGI. There is excellent prosthetic work also. Kitamura adds an exotic richness to the mise-en-scene that is missing from all too many American productions. This is a compelling Asian-American movie, and is all the better for it. The ending reminded me of Lucio Fulci’s The Beyond.

One of the reasons that I enjoyed this movie so much, apart from the visual style, was the gaps in the narrative. This might sound strange, but not answering all the questions that were posed in one way or another provided the movie with a powerful sense of the arcane. Like a true nightmare, the descent Leon makes into madness and mayhem becomes overwhelming. It’s like he sells his soul to the Devil, who finally claims him in the most gruesome and grotesque way imaginable. Yes, there are some superb moments of pure unbridled horror.

Mahogany's made a bit of a mess

Vinnie Jones plays Mahogany, the silent butcher who rides the train clutching his large old-fashioned doctor’s bag, and brandishing a nasty steel meat tenderiser. With only one word of dialogue (right near the end of the movie), Jones’s menacing facial expressions speak volumes. John Curran plays the subway train driver and he too possesses a chilling presence that is only fully revealed at movie’s end. Although it was shot in Los Angeles, the movie’s city location is hard to determine. It feels like NYC, but those aren’t Manhattan subways. Grant Station is the key locale, and the subway line is called the Green Line.

The MIdnight Meat Train Vinnie Jones, Bradley Cooper

Leon bears the brunt of Mahogany's meat mullet

The Midnight Meat Train is incredibly brutal and visceral, and most definitely not for the easily squeamish. Hardened horrorphiles will relish and savour the exquisite gore (even if much of it has been CGIed) and nightmare imagery. There is a palpable sense of darkness that permeates the movie, from those fantastic shots of the train hurtling through the subterranean passageways; to the disquieting sexuality that rears its head from time to time (the engagement ring scene will provoke questions). Clive Barker has always been interested in blurring the sex and death angle, and in this movie the sexual symbolism is cleverly integrated (much to the skill of director Kitamura and screenwriter Jeff Buhler).

The Midnight Meat Train suffered poor distribution in the States being relegated to a small number of the dollar theatres (modern equivalent to the grindhouse cinemas) which is why it’s taken ages to get to Australia. Shame I didn’t get to see this on the big screen as it would’ve packed even more of a savage punch.

Here's the trailer:

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

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Comments

14 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by David O'Connell

July 20th 2009 06:01

Screen Fanatic

Very true Bryn that Barker's stories are very uncinematic at times in that their vivid explicitness kind of exceeds the boundaries of what cinema allows. I've read 5 of the 6 Books of Blood and as a young adult found them to be staggering in their way and was pretty much obsessed with them for a while (have no idea why I never read the other book - or maybe it's just missing from my collection). Anyway, there's nothing else in horror fiction that touches them - at least amongst stuff I've encountered.

Glad to hear the film isn't a total bust either; I suspected the story (which is an absolute gem) would be bloated into something generic and watered down (I'm sure it still is to some extent - no true Clive Barker nightmare could be contained by even an R rating!!)

Comment by Natalina

July 20th 2009 06:20

My Life My Muse
Beta Girl Blog

I truly enjoyed this film. I thought it was visually very appealing, particularly the muted colors and then the vivid red blood. There were so many cool scenes. I know exactly what question you're referring to with the engagement ring scene. I thought the ending was very satisfying, and I especially enjoyed the bonus features on the DVD. The one showing Clive's art was so interesting.

I too am a big fan of Clive Barker's work, and if I can be so bold, I'll plop a little link to a review I recently did of his novel Galilee right about...Here. Galilee by Clive Barker

Comment by Bryn

July 20th 2009 07:47

Horrorphile

Cheers Natalina, yeah, pity more American horror movies aren't being made with the same sense of imaginative abandon and sense of mystery. Sounds like Clive has smoked a few too many cigars in his life. I didn't know he was gay either ... very curious. Have you read any or all of the Books of Blood?

Comment by Natalina

July 21st 2009 01:03

My Life My Muse
Beta Girl Blog

Many moons ago I read a few of them. I'll have to revisit them at some point.

You know, after hearing his voice, I am going to quit smoking. I do NOT want to start sounding like THAT!

Comment by Bryn

July 21st 2009 01:42

Horrorphile

If he started painting at 45 there's hope for me yet.

Comment by Natalina

July 21st 2009 01:50

My Life My Muse
Beta Girl Blog

I concur...get back on that horse!

Comment by Bryn

July 21st 2009 04:12

Horrorphile

Hey! I never fell ... I was only having trouble with the stirrups

Comment by JohnDoe

July 28th 2009 22:28

Film & TV on DVD

i saw a trailer ages ago for this and then forgot about it....thanks for the reminder...your review has me putting it under "must see"

On the barker tip, I even enjoyed Nightbreed......but his books are real pageturners.

Comment by Bryn

July 28th 2009 22:47

Horrorphile

JD, I really wanna read the Books of Blood now ... I had no idea Barker was as old as he is. Did you know he was gay? And that he sounds like he has sandpaper for vocal cords?

Comment by Norm

July 31st 2009 03:36

Consumption Malfunction
Equal and Opposite
Arses and Elbows
Footy Power

I really want to see this now. Is it true that David Beckham was going to play the role that Vinnie Jones ended up with? That'd be scary.

Comment by Bryn

July 31st 2009 04:13

Horrorphile

Hi Norm,
I hadn't heard that one. You can't be serious? That would be scary. Truly terror-ble.

Comment by Norm

July 31st 2009 04:26

Consumption Malfunction
Equal and Opposite
Arses and Elbows
Footy Power

Hey Bryn, you know I can't be serious. Although, I have tried. But imagine that little metro ball-bag sitting there all self-gratified with a medical bag. It'd be full of lotions, moisturisers and hair product. I swear the smell of a Beckham's overly perfumed presence is enough to kill.
Keep up the good work.
Your blog does surely rock.
I have one question, though, and it's serious. What's this movie all about really?
Like for me Halloween is all about sin. You know, in that Michael is like God in that he only punishes the 'wicked', can't be killed and can't hurt the good, i.e. the one that got away...what's her name.. Laurie?... because she's pure...blah blah... reading too much into it, am I?

Comment by Bryn

July 31st 2009 05:20

Horrorphile

Norm, no not at all ... I just like the idea that Michael is the embodiment of the boogeyman, that supernatural force designed simply to scare the living bejesus out of you, but I do like your interpretation. I'd like to know John Carpenter's.
Midnight Meat Train is basically about a bunch of demons that feed on human flesh and "employ" a go-between guy to purloin the succulent flesh for them. The main guy, the photographer, becomes part of their dark design, and ultimately Mahogany's successor.
Cheers for the blog props by the way!

Comment by Norm

July 31st 2009 05:45

Consumption Malfunction
Equal and Opposite
Arses and Elbows
Footy Power

Maybe, Midnight Meat Train is about commuters and cattle ...you know, how people going off in their droves every morning are just like cattle...I mean, every day, day in day out.....and also how our society kind of covers up that the nice chops we come home to are a lot like us... we've just forgotten, or would prefer to ignore it... I dunno... certainly not things that you see too many photographs of.... I have to see it... the movie, I mean

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