Midnight Meat Train (2008)
With this week’s extremely limited release of Midnight Meat Train comes some controversy with the idea that serious mainstream horror is getting ignored by the distributors. As more and more horror films are being released with PG-13 ratings, the R rated American Horror film is getting the shaft. On the internet and in the press, Midnight Meat Train has recently been getting the spotlight for a film falling into this absent-minded mindset.
So, imagine how shocked I was when I found out that this flick was playing in a local (Raleigh, NC) theater and at $1.50 no less. What? Were my eyes deceiving me? No, there it was at the local second run theater on its opening night. While I thought I was going to have to decide whether or not I was going to pluck down the bucks to see the third Mummy movie or not, I found myself scrambling to get to the theater to see Midnight Meat Train.
So going into this movie, I knew very little about it. I knew it was based on a Clive Barker book of blood and that Vinnie (Juggernaut) Jones starred as the butcher. I discovered I’d been caught up in the ‘press’ of it all instead of the movie itself. How fascinating. I was going to go see a horror film, in the theater, with little to no expectation of the movie itself – besides the bare basics on the plot and stars.
I sat in the theater around 4:30 in the afternoon with about a dozen or so fellow North Carolinians. I wondered if it was going to be subpar or just gross or just silly. Why wouldn’t they wide release the film I was about to see. I hadn’t seen the first ad on television, only the online trailer – and that was some time ago.
The film itself is shot, directed and photographed very professionally. The actors are fine, better than usual in fact. Hey, is that Brook Shields and is that the guy from Desperate Housewives? Hey, there’s Sam Raimi’s brother – again. Bradley Cooper stars as Leon a photographer who stumbles onto the mystery of missing persons cases after he shoots a Model the night she goes missing. Later he pieces together that a mysterious Butcher (Vinnie Jones) was with the Model (on the train) that night as well. From there, things go downhill for Leon as he delves deeper into solving the puzzle. His girlfriend Maya (Leslie Gibb) and best friend Jurgis (Roger Bart) get drawn in as well trying to save Leon from his self-destructive obsession. Then it gets weird – in a good way.
Vinnie Jones makes a striking figure giving this film a much needed center; he’s quiet and imposing. The director, Ryuhei Kitamura (Versus, The Messenger, Godzilla: Final Wars), guides the movie with a steady and focused pace very unlike his other films. Only a few times during the film would I recognize his trademark kinetic style such as the climatic fight scenes on the train and some of the more graphic killings – watch out Ted! For the most part the film is a surprising success.
The film is not without its flaws however. To its credit it takes it time setting up the story, giving us some glimpses into the horror we’re bound for – sometimes these glimpses are too jarring for the narrative and upset the balance. The tension that should be surrounding the Butcher isn’t quite all there either. As we’re aware he kills on the train, he is not as imposing when the film spends time following him around when he’s not on the train. Also, the last act of the film builds to what should be a fantastic reveal to the mystery of the Butcher and his train, but it stutters and only gives us a brief unrewarding look into the bigger picture. That and the fact the ending is predictable make the film fall just short of being what it really wants to be – a classic. While I certainly enjoyed the film (especially for $1.50), I fear it will be known more for the film that got the shaft on its release than a film that known for its own merits.
6 out of 10
With this week’s extremely limited release of Midnight Meat Train comes some controversy with the idea that serious mainstream horror is getting ignored by the distributors. As more and more horror films are being released with PG-13 ratings, the R rated American Horror film is getting the shaft. On the internet and in the press, Midnight Meat Train has recently been getting the spotlight for a film falling into this absent-minded mindset.
So, imagine how shocked I was when I found out that this flick was playing in a local (Raleigh, NC) theater and at $1.50 no less. What? Were my eyes deceiving me? No, there it was at the local second run theater on its opening night. While I thought I was going to have to decide whether or not I was going to pluck down the bucks to see the third Mummy movie or not, I found myself scrambling to get to the theater to see Midnight Meat Train.
So going into this movie, I knew very little about it. I knew it was based on a Clive Barker book of blood and that Vinnie (Juggernaut) Jones starred as the butcher. I discovered I’d been caught up in the ‘press’ of it all instead of the movie itself. How fascinating. I was going to go see a horror film, in the theater, with little to no expectation of the movie itself – besides the bare basics on the plot and stars.
I sat in the theater around 4:30 in the afternoon with about a dozen or so fellow North Carolinians. I wondered if it was going to be subpar or just gross or just silly. Why wouldn’t they wide release the film I was about to see. I hadn’t seen the first ad on television, only the online trailer – and that was some time ago.
The film itself is shot, directed and photographed very professionally. The actors are fine, better than usual in fact. Hey, is that Brook Shields and is that the guy from Desperate Housewives? Hey, there’s Sam Raimi’s brother – again. Bradley Cooper stars as Leon a photographer who stumbles onto the mystery of missing persons cases after he shoots a Model the night she goes missing. Later he pieces together that a mysterious Butcher (Vinnie Jones) was with the Model (on the train) that night as well. From there, things go downhill for Leon as he delves deeper into solving the puzzle. His girlfriend Maya (Leslie Gibb) and best friend Jurgis (Roger Bart) get drawn in as well trying to save Leon from his self-destructive obsession. Then it gets weird – in a good way.
Vinnie Jones makes a striking figure giving this film a much needed center; he’s quiet and imposing. The director, Ryuhei Kitamura (Versus, The Messenger, Godzilla: Final Wars), guides the movie with a steady and focused pace very unlike his other films. Only a few times during the film would I recognize his trademark kinetic style such as the climatic fight scenes on the train and some of the more graphic killings – watch out Ted! For the most part the film is a surprising success.
The film is not without its flaws however. To its credit it takes it time setting up the story, giving us some glimpses into the horror we’re bound for – sometimes these glimpses are too jarring for the narrative and upset the balance. The tension that should be surrounding the Butcher isn’t quite all there either. As we’re aware he kills on the train, he is not as imposing when the film spends time following him around when he’s not on the train. Also, the last act of the film builds to what should be a fantastic reveal to the mystery of the Butcher and his train, but it stutters and only gives us a brief unrewarding look into the bigger picture. That and the fact the ending is predictable make the film fall just short of being what it really wants to be – a classic. While I certainly enjoyed the film (especially for $1.50), I fear it will be known more for the film that got the shaft on its release than a film that known for its own merits.
6 out of 10
1 comment:
I have to say that this is one movie that I can watch over and over again. The first time I watched it, I was blown away! I only wish I had heard about it when I could have caught it in the theater. Great post!
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