For some reasons, I always had reservations about this one, despite having two amazing talents, Clive Barker (Hellraiser) and Ryuhei Kitamura (Versus), attached to it. The trailers looked okay but never appealed to me. There just didn't seem to be anything special about it. Anyway, everyone has one of those nights where there's nothing better to do so I decided to check it out.

The story centers on a freelance photographer/artist, Leon, played by Bradley Cooper (The Hangover) who's latest work apparently isn't all that great. So he takes to the streets looking for his latest muse and finds it in Mahogany, played by Guy Ritchie alumnis Vinnie Jones. Mahogany is a professional butcher by day but at night, he butchers humans on the late subway train with a wide array of weaponry, primary a massive meat tenderizer. Despite his horror at Mahogany's late night excursions, Leon soon becomes obsessed with the man, sending his life spiraling out of control.

Standard slasher, right? Wrong. The slasher elements are totally there and Kitamura makes sure they live up to modern standards but this is Clive Barker. There's more to Mahogany than what appears on the surface. I won't spoil anything but it certainly adds a new dimension to the genre.

Midnight Meat Train is a terrific horror movie, mainly due to the pairing of old and new. Clive Barker serves as producer but also wrote the original story in the eighties so the script is just as good and nasty as anything else from the era and showcases Barker at his prime. However the style and direction of the film is totally cutting edge. I've never been a big fan of CGI in horror movies but Kitamura does wonders with it. Ted Raimi makes a cameo in one of the first kill scenes, which in my opinion is one of the greatest kills in any horror movie ever. Sounds like a stretch, right? Check it out! Rather than using CGI to make the scene more stylized, Kitamura opts to make it even more insanely gory. Eyeballs, anyone? The atmosphere he creates it also terrific but not overblown. Everything he does just seems to enhance Barker's style. These guys make a great team.

For something straight to video, the performances are also exceptionally good. Cooper makes for a solid protagonist and Roger Bart (Sex In The City, Hostel II) makes a decent side kick but the star is, of course, Vinnie Jones. I always thought this casting was strange but it works. Jones leaves Snatch and Lock, Stock at the door for something more horror oriented but his English gangster sensibilities add something new to the character. He makes a solid adversary for Cooper who isn't exactly a pushover when the film reaches its climax.

All in all, one of the better horror movies to come out in the past ten years or so and one of the only ones that really adds anything to the genre while still staying true to the stuff that makes these sorta movies good. It's sort of a small film in some ways but everyone involved is top notch and gives it there all (Barker is a horror legend, of course). Definitely worth checking out.

James,
Have got to agree with you about this one, I had heard fairly mixed things about it but put it on the old Netflix que to see what it was really about and was pleasantly surprised. I can see why it took the straight to video route, although it's not groundbreaking in anyway it's completely unique in that it progresses Bradley Coopers character to an anti hero through some unpredictable ways.
  ...at first I thought it was headed for the routine slasher movie, but it's smarter than the average slasher movie, even though it may have been too ambitious for its own good.
Cooper's scenes in the middle of the film were almost laughable as it tried to progress the plot and his relationship issues with his girlfriend, but the story regained its momentum despite him. It was definitely one of the strangest mainstream films I've seen in a while, and by no means perfect, but it was definitely interesting and worth a rental.
Nate

"I've never been a big fan of CGI in horror movies but Kitamura does wonders with it."

Is that some kind of joke? The CGI in the film was atrocious. It ruined all of the kills. I have no clue how anyone could consider it good. Difference of opinion, I know. But seriously, I've seen second-generation videogames that look better.

Other than that, I enjoyed the movie.

--Julio

I've gotta disagree on this one.  

I thoroughly disliked just about everything in regards to this film.  I thought it was going to be exploring some interesting elements, related to complacency in art (particularly because that's what the trailer suggested), but instead it was all thrown away in a mess of bad CGI and a horrible twist at the end.

Lionsgate shelved this film for a really long time and then gave it a very limited release, and I can definitely see why.

I was glad to see Vinnie Jones get a "leading" role, because he's the man, but other than that, I don't really have many positive things to say about this.

I also didn't like this. The CGI was so bad it was actually kinda distracting. I was just never able to get into this.

SPOILERS

Roger Bart's death scene was pretty wicked though. Almost made the movie worth watching. Almost.

~Zack~

I had heard such great things about this film, and was also aware of what happened with it getting a tiny release, and being dumped to DTV, basically.  So, once it came out on blu-ray, I was all over it.

I was not too impressed when it was all said and done.  The CGI was awful...no clue why they would let the film go out this way.  As others have said, it ruined every single death scene.  I also didn't like the coloring that whatever that director's name is went for.  It was an odd look, and it didn't work for me.  Story-wise, it was OK, but that's about it.  I mean how long would this go on before some police decided to stake out the last train?  Seems pretty obvious, but for some reason it just kept happening, night after night.  The only thing I did really like was the end.  For me, it was totally cool and quite a surprise.

So, I defintely didn't hate this, but I am pissed at how much better it should have been.

Quoted Text So, I defintely didn't hate this, but I am pissed at how much better it should have been.

I agree completely.

--Julio

I'm not talking about the actual quality of the CGI. I agree, it wasn't great. I mean, it looked like CGI. I've seen way worse though (Primeval). I've more tolerance for bad effects than big multi million dollar ones anyway. I guess that's just something to do with my taste. I don't know. I just loved watching Ted Raimi's eyeballs getting knocked out and the P.O.V. decapitation was pretty rad as well, even though it wasn't really neccesary. The scene where the guy sees his reflection in his own blood could've been better but the idea was kinda cool.

That's all the CGI I can remember. It was about the same as in Drag Me To Hell which I loved but that one also got a lotta flack for its effects. I guess this one will appeal to the same people who liked that one, unless they had a problem with the humor in which case, they'd probably like this one more.

Anyway, just my thoughts.

Quoted from James McClung I'm not talking about the actual quality of the CGI. I agree, it wasn't great. I mean, it looked like CGI.

I had the same problem with the latest I am Legend. The zombies were awful

I liked Drag Me To Hell, and Primeval (Ow! Stop it.), but just couldn't get into this film. Not the worst film I've ever seen though.

~Zack~

I'm back after watching another horror film.

The only thing I liked about this was the DVD commentary between Clive Barker and The Director where they pretty much shit on the company and Producers who they blame for the original release or problems with the cut.

I was surprised they didn't beep out names when they called them out unless I missed something and they were praising these people. Clive even asks if this experience has put him off making American films... WOW!

The graphics enhancing the movie should do just that but not be noticed. Lots of movies use Cg to enhance scenes but you'd never know.

They also talked about this being a franchise about how this little conspiracy works.

The special features were good so the DVD has some bright spots.