The Midnight Meat Train
All aboard!
Ah, the public library. It's a
wonderful, magical place where you can borrow books on any subject
you want, read the newspaper, or just enjoy some air conditioning.
Oh, and they also have movies to rent. Libraries are an untapped
resource that some horror fans may overlook. Why many people use
Netflix or Hulu, the local library does actually have movies you may
not be able to find via the internet. It also forces you a bit more
to commit to watching a movie. I can't tell you how many movies on
Netflix instant that I've stopped within 5 minutes because they
sucked so badly. At least with having a physical copy, I feel more
compelled to watch. Lucky for me, there was no need to force my way
through today's entry.
The Midnight Meat Train is a 2008 film
based on a 1984 story by novelist/director Clive Barker (Hellraiser,
Nightbreed). Directed by Ryuhei Kitamura (Sky High, Godzilla: Final
Wars), the movie stars Bradley Cooper (Wedding Crashers, The
Hangover) as photographer Leon and Leslie Bibb (Talladega Nights,
Iron Man 2) as his fiance Maya. Leon takes photos of the grim and
gritty in New York City and photographs a woman being harassed by a
group of thugs in the subway. He points out a surveillance camera and
they leave, allowing the woman to get on a subway while Leon snaps a
few more pictures. On the train, the woman is brutally murdered by a
silent killer named Mahogany (Vinnie Jones, Snatch, X-Men: The Last
Stand). When news breaks of the girl missing, Leon searches his
photos for clues, leading to the mysterious, silent man. Leon begins
to track Mahogany, following him to his work as a butcher in a meat
packing plant. Leon becomes obsessed with the man. He tails him one
night into the subway and witnesses Mahogany butchering passengers
and hanging them on meat hooks. Leon passes out and strange creatures
paw and scratch at him, leaving strange markings on his chest.
Meanwhile, Maya and her friend Jurgis sneak into Mahogany's apartment
to find clues as to who he is and why he's killing people. He returns
to his apartment and captures Jurgis while Maya escapes. She goes to
the police to report Mahogany, but the detective, seemingly involved
with the conspiracy, won't listen. She goes down into the subway to
find him while Leon does the same, arming himself with various
butcher knives and implements. A bloody battle ensues, taking the
trio deeper and deeper down into the catacombs underneath New York
City, where the creatures from before are waiting for their meat.
Will Leon and Maya survive and what did that symbol the creatures
carved into Leon's chest mean?
I'll take a pound of pastrami and half a pound of turkey
The Midnight Meat Train is a thrilling,
violent, and gruesome horror movie. I guess you can put it in the
slasher genre, but crusher seems like a more appropriate title. The
story is pretty basic and easy to follow, but the mystery is what
keeps things interesting. We desperately want to know who this silent
killer is and why he's killing and butchering people. We only get
small hints and glimpses of what the creatures are, though I could
have used more. I'm also not too big on conspiracies, but I would
have liked to see how far it went. The other big interest factor is
the bloody, gorey violence. Nothing is implied in this movie because
the blood is too busy being splattered in your face. It's a
face-smashing, eyeball-dangling orgy of guts and organs, making gore
hounds squeal like 13 year old Justin Bieber fans. There are some
scenes that are clearly “who check this on in 3D!” but it's not
enough to annoy someone watching it on a regular screen.
Vinnie Jones is a big reason why the
movie works out so well. For someone that has one line the entire
movie, his body language and facials speak volumes. This character
has one mission in life and he achieves it with sheer brutality.
Bradley Cooper is a bit of an odd choice for the role of Leon, and
comes off a bit awkward. He's not terrible, I just didn't really care
for him that much. Ryuhei Kitamura does a fantastic job directing,
with some really creative shots that still standout in my mind. One
particular scene was shot from a victim's point of view. The audience
is literally right there along with the victim, watching her bloody
hands claw at the floor. We feel the blows of the hammer as the
camera snaps back and forth. I also appreciated the parallel between
Leon's psychological descent and his descent deeper down the rabbit
hole, so to speak.
What a beautiful eye you had
The Midnight Meat Train is a fun horror
movie with a simple, yet thrilling story. The movie is polished and
visually appearing without ever feeling fake. Vinnie Jones is
perfectly cast and the movie is well directed by Ryuhei Kitamura.
There are buckets and buckets of blood and gore throughout, so you
might need a strong stomach to get through it. While I would have
liked to have seen a little more depth in the overall story, Midnight
Meat Train is a fun and violent thrill ride to the depths of Hell.
7.5/10
