The Midnight Meat Train
Clive Barker's short story gets rewritten for a film. Based on a short story that appears in his collection "Books of Blood". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Books_of_Blood
Well the short story was pretty awesome. The movie adds characters including a girlfriend and a change of job for our Leon who becomes an artistic photographer in the movie from desk-nerd in the short story (The Subway Butcher had addressed him as an accountant with being meat as the most useful thing he could ever be - LOL).
Well - the movie is gripping - but not because of the storyline - which has changed considerably.
Leon is in the movie stalking Mahogany (Subway Butcher) because he has strange notions about him and Leon's dreams seem to suggest either ESP or just mental imbalance.
Okay, I don't want to be cruel - the short story as it was would be a poor tiny movie-let - so the change to the storyline was the rational thing to do to make a movie out of it. The short story solely existed with the 2 characters - Leon and Mahogany.
Gripping movie? Well because its "bloody" shocking at the gruesome crime and gore shown in this movie.
I MEAN WOW!!! I didn't know such graphic explicit violence was even legally allowed to be shown.
Well, okay, it is all relevant - since we are dealing with a professional butcher who now for some reason is hanging midnight train passengers, naked, upside down - like a line of fresh cows for slurping by..... ? ? ?
Well, that's the other major change from the short story into the movie version - the motives, purpose, confrontation, etc.
Watch it - I would say it is much better than the regular horror franchises I have been reviewing recently.
I had an afternoon nap and did have a brief nightmare - the actors are great - unknown but good talented actors - the Subway Butcher indeed looks his role and acts like one - as if this movie was being shot without the knowledge of a psychopath who is billed as Mahogany. He is that good and convincing as a dedicated butchering killer.
Brooke Shields in a small but very visible role in this movie. Love that gal.
Please try and find and read the short story before watching the movie - you will appreciate both the story and the movie more that way.
Just goes to show that Clive Barker's short stories are so intensely good horror pieces that they are even relevantly adapted into modern movies so many years later - and it works.
http://www.clivebarker.info/
I hope some decent director does something well - a decent modern adaptation of - H P Lovecraft fiction.
Will I see the day that happens? I will haunt Hollywood in wait baby !
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Midnight_Meat_Train
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