Having been a fan of Clive Barker's short stories for many years, I was curious to see how this adaptation played out. "Midnight Meat Train" was a disastrous theatrical failure, but don't let that discourage you. This film, directed by highly-regarded Japanese director Kitamura, is a starkly original, highly visual horror gem that deserved so much better.
Using creative camera work and plenty of gooey (digital) gore effects, Kitamura envisions a dark, monochromatic underground subway for his principle setting. Bradley Cooper stars as a struggling photographer who gets himself accidentally involved in a subway assault, and subsequently with a strange subway serial killer with a shocking secret.
There's all kinds of splatter here, a little sexuality courtesy of the lovely Leslie Bibb, and a storyline that keeps you guessing. Vinnie Jones effectively plays the bloodthirsty subway butcher with a calm and cold narrow-mindedness. Why audiences sit through second-rate rehashed horror is beyond me, especially when there's wondrous films like this. Don't ignore "Midnight Meat Train", as it's one of the better horror films I've seen in recent months. (Lions Gate)
