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HELLRAISER (2022) – Review

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Jamie Clayton as Pinhead in Spyglass Media Group’s HELLRAISER, exclusively on Hulu. Photo courtesy of Spyglass Media Group. © 2022 Spyglass Media Group. All Rights Reserved.

So, we’re now officially a week into October. Ready for a spooky flick? Well most hardcore “horror hounds’ are game any time of the year, but this month is…special. And what better way to get “in the mood” than revisiting some iconic and shocking characters in a big reboot, though their creator calls this a “re-imagining” (um, okay). Oh, and we’re not reaching back to the Universal icons of the 30s, 40s, and 50s. They skip a few decades to get into the scream kings (and queens) of the 70s and 80s. It just feels like all of them have gotten a nice new coat of gore. Hey, even Michael Meyers will be back in a week for his final rampage (heard that before). And much like Chucky, these horrors spring from a toy, a puzzle box specifically. As we learned 35 years ago, and over ten flicks, when you solve this puzzle you don’t get a prize because it’s a real HELLRAISER.

This “new take” begins on the streets of Serbia as a woman named Menacker (Haim Abbas) does an exchange in a dingy alley, handing over a briefcase full of cash for a nondescript box, which its former owner warns her not to open. Cut to the impressive mansion of a pleasure-seeking reclusive billionaire named Voight. There’s a party in progress, clothes optional. Menacker meets a handsome young man at the bar and invites him to a private audience with Voight, in his secret gallery. Inside a case, he spots a detailed puzzle box, the Lament Configuration. Voight appears (Goran Visnej) and instructs his guest to solve the puzzle. When he does a spring-triggered needle pops out and punctures his hand. The box seems to suck up his blood which initiates a portal to another dimension that shoots out long chains with sharp hooks that dig into his flesh before hoisting him up. From there the story shifts to a grungy bedroom as Riley (Odessa A’zion) and her new beau Trevor (Drew Starkey) enjoy each other’s company. As they leave the sprawling apartment they’re confronted by her straight-laced brother Matt (Brandon Flynn) He’s angry that she’s dating somebody she met while in rehab and thinks she’s using again. Oh, and she’s behind in her share of the rent. Back at Trevor’s place, he suggests a way to make some quick cash. He makes delivers to a warehouse owner by some “rich dude”. They could use the security code and take something in his safe. And they go through with it, acquiring, yup that deadly puzzle box. Later, when it whisks away Matt, Riley is on a mission to find out the secrets of the box and rescue her sibling. But will she along with Trevor and their friends become victims to the box and the other-worldly demons known as Cenobites?

In an interesting spin on your typical horror heroine. or scream queen, A’zion as Riley is a woman who seemingly has her hands, and mind, full battling her own inner demons, let alone some true terrors from another dimension. And she’s up to the challenge even as the script has her screeching in her opening act like a spoiled petulant pre-teen. But her missing bro forces her into detective mode and A’zion is a formidable force as she slowly uncovers the truth about the “box”. Starkey has a low-key seedy charm as the tempting “bad boy” of many fantasies. But he’s a piker compared to Voight who is given a sinister grinning snarl by Visnej, whose leading man looks mask his perverse machinations. And making a mark (in more ways than one) is Jamie Clayton as The Priest (often referred to as “pinhead” which irks its creator), her passive aggressive delivery, much like one of those home AI devices, clashes with the sadistic punishments it unleashes.

So, has director David Bruckner (THE NIGHT HOUSE) delivered a terror trek that surpassed the 1987 original? Well, there are a few new interesting spins (the attire of the Cenobites particularly), but there is little of the campy fun of that trippy late 80s flick that surprised us. And the new script from Ben Collins, Luke Piotrowski, and David S. Goyer (yup, it took a trio) doesn’t deliver new shocks, but rather tepid variations on familiar scary set pieces inspired by the Clive Barker classic. It’s amusing that Voight’s mansion itself is also a puzzle box, but its contrivances just feel…contrived, though the art direction is done well. This is something like the tenth film in this series, but it just might be time to put that nasty puzzle box in storage until someone can twist and turn it until it becomes a truly horrific HELLRAISER.


1.5 Out of 4

HELLRAISER is now streaming exclusively on Hulu

CANDYMAN (2021) – Review

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Michael Hargrove as Sherman Fields in Candyman, directed by Nia DaCosta.

Hey, is this the end of August and near the end of Summer), or is it October, around mid-Fall? Just wondering since this is the third weekend in a row with the release of a new horror flick to theatres. Hmm, maybe the studios are getting a bit of a “head start” in case our health situation goes ‘sideways” (as if that thought’s not scary enough). Last week’s release was an original idea, while the 8/13 premiere was a sequel to a flick from five years previous. Now the roots for this week’s big shocker go back nearly thirty years, but it’s not really a reboot, remake, or a “re-imagining”. The marketeers are dubbing this a “spiritual sequel” as it harkens back to that 1992 original and ignores its sequels (much as the 2018 HALLOWEEN only references the 1978 classic). And with the recent social injustice movements, today might just be primed for a return of the CANDYMAN. But only say the title once, just to be safe.

Hmmm, a chiller that begins with a puppet show? Oh yes, as paper-cut silhouettes, moved by sticks, play out the story of research student Helen Lyle’s fateful encounter with Cabrini Green’s (the notorious low-rent housing complex in the “Windy City”) avenging spirit, the Candyman. The murdered wraith from the late 1800s eviscerated lots of folks with his hook for a right hand when they repeated his name five times while staring into a reflective surface. After the “recap” (and a brief 1977 sequence at “the Green”), the story shifts to the modern-day as Troy (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) and his new boyfriend attend a dinner party at the swanky Chicago apartment of his art gallery manager sister Brianna (Teyonah Parris) and her beau, up-and-coming fine artist Anthony (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). Over drinks, Troy tells the tale of the Candyman as Brianna scoffs. However, Anthony is curious as the “urban legend” sparks his imagination (he’d gone “dry” preparing new pieces for a fast-approaching gallery showcase). Later he sneaks into the remaining row houses of Cabrini (The towers had been torn down to make space for the trendy gentrified neighborhood long ago) and runs into former resident Burke (Colman Domingo), who runs a nearby laundromat. He tells Anthony of his time there and of a different Candyman. But on his way home the artist is surprisingly stung by an errant bee. Anthony thinks nothing of the nasty welt as he hurriedly prepares his new pieces. He displays the mirrored door at the opening with a paper handout explaining it (basically challenging patrons to repeat “Candyman” five times). Of course, someone takes the dare, and…the local news is soon filled with reports of gruesome bloody killings. Has Anthony helped bring the hooked monster into the new century? Could the two be somehow connected? And why is that bee sting looking so gnarly?

The award-winning cast aids in adding to the film’s tension-filled dark “vibe”. Mateen, so good in the HBO “Watchmen” sequel, expertly balances the complex character shifts in Anthony. He shows us how the artist’s struggle for a defining work is swept away by his all-consuming need to know all about the “silly fairy tale”. And he’s not afraid to show the awful side of Anthony’s persona as too many drinks unleash his verbally abusive id (mostly directed at art rivals). We’re rooting for him, even as he changes mentally and physically while falling deeper into the supernatural “rabbit hole”. It’s a plunge that can’t be slowed by the love of Brianna, played with grit and “street smarts” by the engaging Parris (part of the superb “Wandavision”). She shows Brianna’s devotion to Anthony even as she tries in vain to halt his obsessions. Those are fueled by Burke played with a sinister zeal by Domingo (“Fear the Walking Dead”)., who seems horrified by his own past, but delighted to pass on the nightmares to Anthony. Kudos also to Stewart-Jarrett who’s having a great time as the catty Troy, and Rebecca Spence who happily spews venom as a castigating art critic (ain’t they the worst).

Director Nia DaCosta, fresh off the heart-breaking family drama LITTLE WOODS, proves her talents by entering the horror genre and mixing a familiar horror icon with the current social and political clime. Yet, the film feels a tad sluggish and very disjointed (I have expected to see the “scene missing” title card from GRINDHOUSE). The discoverer of a gory slaying is abruptly seen in bed (quite a narrative jump). Perhaps that can be traced to the screenplay DaCosta contributed to along with producer Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld (using the original characters from Clive Barker and Bernard Rose). Though I never saw the original I could pick up (after a bit of research) the notion that they were playing to the 1992 film’s rabid fans, even using actress Virginia Madsen’s vocal track (and a nice final VFX sequence), the twists are often predictable (another bullying scene in a deserted high school bathroom), and social norms and logic (beyond the usual “suspension of disbelief”) feel ignored (Brianna would certainly insist that Anthony see a doctor, as his bandages pop on and off). Some of the digs at the pretentious “modern art world” are nice, as is the use of those stick paper puppets (watch them during the end credits), but many horror fans will find that this re-visiting more sour than sweet as they consume the brightly re-packaged CANDYMAN. “Talk about your childhood wishes (and nightmares).”

2 Out of 4

CANDYMAN opens in theatres everywhere on August 27, 2021

RAWHEAD REX – The Blu Review

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Review by Roger Carpenter

Back in 1986 Clive Barker was a hot property.  His successful, six-volume collection entitled Books of Blood were major international bestsellers, as was his first full-length novel, The Damnation Game.  In fact, Barker was one of the early pioneers of the splatterpunk movement in horror fiction, helping to popularize the genre throughout the mid- to late-eighties and into the nineties.  Many of his novels and quite a few of his short stories have been adapted for the screen, including Rawhead Rex, originally a short story collected in Books of Blood, Volume 3.

Unfortunately for Barker—and perhaps very fortunate for horror film fans—the first two films made based upon Barker’s work turned out so badly that he not only disowned the films but decided he would direct the next film himself.  That film was the seminal Hellraiser (See?  Good for us!).  The two films Barker, to this day, disavows, are Underworld, perhaps better known as Transmutations (1985), and Rawhead Rex.

But in 1986, Rawhead Rex was big news for horror fans who anxiously awaited the release of a film which promised to be graphically violent and outrageous.  Fans were disappointed on both points.  Rawhead is neither terribly violent nor outrageous.  Though Barker adapted his story into a script, it seems that an extremely limited budget also limited the money available for effects.  Instead, horror fans would have to wait another year before seeing the ultimate Barker horror in Hellraiser, a film which delivered on its promises.


But there’s much more wrong with Rawhead than just a lack of gore.  Part of this might be linked to Barker’s own script, which had to be expanded from a short story to a screenplay for a full-length theatrical movie.  It might also have to do with the relative lack of expertise Barker had (at the time) for writing full-length screenplays.  The result is a story that feels more like a series of short set pieces, almost like a slasher film, designed around Rawhead’s next appearance.  There is some story at the beginning as well as the end, but the majority of the film feels segmented:  Rawhead shows up to wreak havoc; villagers mourn the latest death while the frantic police are overwhelmed; set up next set of characters to be killed; repeat. There is no real attempt at generating fear or even much mystery.  We are introduced to various characters who are meaningless except for fodder for the demon. There are also plot holes that irritate.  For instance, the verger (an assistant to the local priest) is turned into Rawhead’s vassal after touching the church altar.  But others touch the altar and experience the same types of supernatural phenomena the verger experienced but are unaffected by this.  How is that possible?  So, while Barker himself hates the film, I feel like part of the problem to begin with was Barker’s writing.

The slim budget didn’t help, either, though one must be careful to judge the film too harshly given that the producers hid the loss of a million dollars from the director until the film was well underway.  All of a sudden, a $2.5 million film became a $1.5 million dollar film. Frankly, it’s remarkable that a coherent film was able to be produced at all, and director George Pavlou should be commended for the general quality of the film he was able to create.  Generally speaking, the look of the film belies the actual budget.  That being said, along with a relative lack of blood and gore which alienated the splatterpunks who were the target audience for the film, other effects also come across as cheesy, too.  There are some special visual effects that likely looked dated even in 1986 and don’t really help the film achieve the look it needed.  But perhaps the biggest transgression is the hapless, hopeless costume for Rawhead himself.  Rawhead is an ancient demon of Irish lore who was laid to rest by some knowledgeable villagers centuries ago, a monolith marking and safeguarding the sacred spot.  Rawhead cannot escape so long as the monolith remains intact.  The villagers even went so far as to build a church over the Pagan site where the ancients worshipped Rawhead, hiding the sacred stone used to vanquish the demon inside the church alter and creating stained glass windows which could act as a guide to conquer Rawhead if ever needed in the future.  Unfortunately, the church suffered a terrible fire and much of the stained glass was ruined before being reconstructed, though not exactly, thereby obscuring the secrets contained within each panel.  And lately, the parish records have disappeared altogether, something that doesn’t concern the local priest too much, but is more important for Howard Hallenbeck (David Dukes), who has come to do research about Pagan customs for a new book he is writing.  The film opens with a local farmer working to remove the monolith from his field so he can grow his crops easier.  He is successful but it costs him his life as Rawhead is released after many centuries of slumber.

But back to the problems with the film.  The demon Rawhead looks like a proto-Cenobite, a practice run, if you will, for Barker’s main monsters in Hellraiser.  Rawhead is large, perhaps eight or nine feet in height, and wears black leather open at the chest, the better to see his bloody wounds (though these aren’t ever explained).  He also wears boots and a mohawk.  His face is primarily a long snout with huge jaws full of equally large teeth, looking a lot like the Nazi werewolf monster in An American Werewolf in London.  He also has beady red eyes which glow when he needs to communicate to his minions.  Sounds cool, right?  Nope.  The costume is essentially an unrealistic, unmoving, fiberglass head.  To be sure, the big guy in the suit moves well, but the head is essentially motionless except for close-ups which depict a hinged lower jaw that can open and shut.  The monsters in 1950’s sci-fi films don’t look any worse than this getup.  To add insult to injury, Pavlou includes several inserts which optically make Rawhead’s eyes glow and rotate in an effort to show the audience the demon can communicate psychically with his worshippers.  The entire attempt at a horrific demon falls fairly flat.


Some of the acting is suspect as well.  While several solid character actors populate the film, the acting is average at best.  The police are put-upon and unprepared, though it is explained there has never been a murder in the small village; Hallenbeck’s wife is limited to henpecking and complaining about his neglect of the family in favor of his work; and Hallenbeck himself (David Dukes) has perhaps the worst reaction in film history as he stops by a gated fence to watch as Rawhead takes his small son from the family car.  Is the old gate rusted shut?  Perhaps bent so Hallenbeck can’t squeeze through?  No, the gate works perfectly well, we discover, as Hallenbeck deftly runs through the gate after pausing long enough for Rawhead to take his son.  The film is filled with similar plot contrivances.

The script is very workmanlike and contains myriad plot holes; it substitutes the gore Barker fans wanted with poorly done visual effects and a bad monster mask; and the acting is average at best.  So is there anything good about the film?  Well…yes.  For instance, there is one scene sure to please gore fans, with plenty of arterial spray.  So one can’t blame the MPAA for the lack of overt violence—they were certainly willing to let the blood flow if the director wanted.  Fans of slasher films will likely be very comfortable with this film as it is essentially constructed as a slasher film.  And this brand new, 4K restoration from the original camera negative certainly looks clear and crisp unlike many previous cropped and faded video releases.  And the production did choose to film perhaps the best scene from the original short story, although from a distance, and that is the scene where Rawhead initiates the verger as his servant—to say more would spoil the fun for those unfamiliar with either the story or the film.

Kino-Lorber makes this the definitive release of the film with this restored Blu-Ray, and it comes with tons of extras including a very nice commentary with director Pavlou moderated by Stephen Thrower, a 21-minute interview with the actor who played Rawhead, an 11-minute interview with actor Ronan Wilmot, a 22-minute interview with various members of the effects team, and a 21-minute interview with Stephen R. Bissette, concept artist for Rawhead.  Rounding out the features are a short image gallery as well as the original theatrical trailer for the film.  Finally, a booklet featuring writing by film historian and critic Kat Ellinger is included in the package.

Rawhead Rex may not be the best horror film to be made, but it will likely be popular for fans of creature features or Clive Barker, and Kino-Lorber has put together a very nice, complete package for those fans.  The film can be purchased directly through Kino-Lorber at kinolorber.com or through Amazon.

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Tony Todd

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Horror fans may have mixed feelings about the ongoing Final Destination franchise, but with FINAL DESTINATION 5 fated to make it’s stand in theaters on Friday, August 12th, one thing we can count on is a roller coaster of death-defying thrills. Actor Tony Todd also returns as the mysterious Mr. William Bludworth, a mortician with an unusual knowledge of death and the rules of the fabled Grim Reaper. In honor of the talented character actor, I present my Top Ten list of favorite Tony Todd roles.

10. THE ROCK (1996)

“I’m not a soldier, Major. The day we took hostages, we became mercenaries. And mercenaries get paid. I want my fucking money!”

In Michael Bay’s entertaining action-thriller, Tony Todd plays Captain Darrow, a military officer now loyal to Brigadier General Francis Hummel (Ed Harris) who seizes Alcatraz and holds tourists hostage as he plans a homegrown terrorist plot for the sake of his fellow fallen soldiers. Captain Darrow and Major Tom Baxter (David Morse) are devoted to Hummel’s cause, even once he begins to show signs of remorse, but for different reasons. Todd gives Darrow a calm, cool confidence that contrasts Morse’s more traditional, rigid military persona.

09. FINAL DESTINATION (2000) / FINAL DESTINATION 2 (2003)

“In death there are no accidents, no coincidences, no mishaps, and no escapes.”

Mr. William Bludworth is a mysterious man, a mortician with an uncanny knowledge of Death and the rules of fate. This is something the “spared” victims of a devastating plane crash discover as Death creatively picks them off, one by one. Tony Todd plays Bludworth with an ambiguous creepiness. Tony Todd returned in FINAL DESTINATION 2, but was limited to portraying the voice of the “Devil” in FINAL DESTINATION 3.

08. HATCHET (2006) / HATCHET II (2010)

“I had a tour group, out in the swamp, last Halloween. It was the mist of night, and there was this kid, who looked kind of like you, he was spooked by something in the marsh. He saw two eyes staring at him from the woods, it chilled him to his very marrow. He wanted to get off the boat in a hurry, and he had his foot dangling over the edge.”

Tony Todd had merely a single scene in HATCHET as Reverend Zombie, an eccentric voodoo character sought upon by the vacationing youngsters for a haunted swamp tour. Unfortunately, Zombie’s little business was shut down due to insurance costs. Fortunately, Reverend Zombie returns with a bigger role in HATCHET 2.

07. PLATOON (1986)

Oliver Stone’s PLATOON marks one of Tony Todd’s first two feature films (both in 1986) and his first big break, appearing alongside a tremendous cast of young, yet to be acknowledged stars including Johnny Depp, Forest Whitaker, and Kevin Dillon. PLATOON also put Todd in the presence of veterans Tom Berenger, Kieth David, and Willem Dafoe. Todd plays Sergeant Warren, the Bravo squad leader, wounded in battle during the “church ambush” scene.

06. BIRD (1988)

Tony Todd plays Frog, a musician and friend to Charlie Parker in Clint Eastwood’s biopic. Todd based his performance on Coleman Hawkins, a real-life friend to Parker, who was played by Forest Whitaker in BIRD. Todd loves music, and went through saxophone training for the film, despite not being a musician. Todd appeared in two scenes, but any screen time in such a significant film from such a great filmmaker is a testament to one’s talent.

05. HEART OF THE BEHOLDER (2005)

Writer/director Ken Tipton’s indie film HEART OF THE BEHOLDER is an under-appreciated drama-thriller shot in my hometown, based on a true story about a family that opens the first video cassette rental stores in St. Louis in 1980. The story is wrought with controversy, included but not limited to the fundamental “VHS versus BETA” question. While Tony Todd performance as the iconic Chuck Berry is only a cameo, his few minutes on screen is not just enjoyable, but also adds a quality touch to a scene thick with racial tension.

04. THE MAN FROM EARTH (2007)

“There’s absolutely no way in the whole world for John to prove his story. Just like there’s no way for us to disprove it. No matter how outrageous we think it is, no matter how highly trained some of us think we are, there’s absolutely no way to disprove it! My friend is either a caveman, a liar, or a nut. So while we’re thinking about that, why don’t we just go with it.”

Jerome Bixby had a long and fruitful career in science-fiction writing and with Star Trek, which probably had some influence over Tony Todd in his decision to take the role of Dan, a college professor and friend to the mysterious John Oldman. This dialogue-driven film is a heavily philosophical but enjoyable experience, a smart but accessible inquiry into the nature of faith and knowledge. Todd is wonderful as the level-headed and open-minded voice of reason amidst Oldman’s friends, as the group come to terms with the shocking revelation laid at their feet by the enigmatic John Oldman.

03. THE CROW (1994)

“So, kill the crow… and destroy the man.”

Alex Proyas brought James O’Barr’s fascinating graphic novel to life in THE CROW, having the incredibly bittersweet experience of directing Brandon lee in his final film. The perfectly cast film packs a gritty atmosphere, enhanced by gritty performances. Amongst these is Tony Todd’s performance as Grange, a cold and calculating, well-dressed and intelligent right-hand man to Michael Wincott’s frighteningly psychotic crime boss Top Dollar. Todd enjoys a pivotal moment in the film, which spells the unfortunate end to Eric Draven’s vengeful spree of criminal cleansing.

02. NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1990)

“This is something no one’s ever heard about, and no one’s ever seen before. This is hell on earth.”

In my opinion, Tony Todd was sort of a given choice for the role of Ben in Tom Savini’s remake of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. His first starring role, Todd gives a commanding performance as the African-American man who helped define horror as social commentary in George A. Romero’s 1968 original. Shot in color and with the added detail of Savini’s special effects skill, NOTLD ’90 is an enjoyable film that brought a classic story to a new generation of genre fans.

01. CANDYMAN (1992)

“They will say that I have shed innocent blood. What’s blood for, if not for shedding?”

Based on Clive Barker’s short story The Forbidden, director Bernard Rose’s CANDYMAN was the film that truly made Tony Todd a household name. Todd portrays Daniel Robitaille, a slave who is brutally murdered for having a relationship with a white woman. As a result of his agonizing death, Robitaille evolves into the supernatural spirit of vengeance known in legend as “The Candyman” by those who would use his story as a cautionary tale. As the story goes, if his name is spoken five time into a mirror, he will appear. This is something Virginia Madsen learns the hard way, starring as the woman who would become The Candyman’s horrifying love obsession. Todd clearly delved deep into this role, a rich character that became a genre icon, steeped with texture and an essence of classical folk lore.

Where’s the love for ‘Nightbreed’?

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nightbreedmovie

Back in 1990, a little horror film called ‘Nightbreed’ slipped under the radar of most, but still managed to become a cult favorite of genre fans. Directed by horror master and author Clive Barker, the film isn’t “perfect” but it’s still a great movie with tons of reasons to love it, including a cameo role by director David Cronenberg.

If you follow Clive, online or otherwise, you’ll realize there are always lots of questions thrown his way… about his books, about his movies and about the status of both, new and old. One of the most commonly asked questions regards this 1990 movie and whether we’ll ever see the DVD get re-released, preferably as a Director’s Cut (it’s known that much material was cut) and, maybe even Blu-Ray?

As it turns out, Fox currently still owns the rights to this film and thanks to a loyal fan named Mark Millar with an excess of free time, two key pieces of information have been revealed: the additional cut footage (long thought to have been lost) does still exist and is merely buried in some warehouse awaiting it’s resurrection and that any resurrection of ‘Nightbreed’ in any form is being blocked simply by some studio executive’s misguided notion that there isn’t a big enough fan base to warrant spending the money on a Director’s Cut, let alone an upgrade to Blu-Ray.

Here’s where the film stands currently: there’s only a single, bare-bones paper-case Region 1 DVD release that’s sorely outdated, there’s NO Region 2 DVD, and with 25 minutes of unused footage along with a very real possibility for a commentary and lots of bonus material, a Director’s Cut DVD/Blu-Ray release is certainly worth the fight. Below is the information from CliveBarker.info regarding the grass roots push for this to happen…

If you’re interested in showing the size of audience or demand for an extended version of Nightbreed, please either e-mail us by clicking on this link or send us a Tweet to @philandsarah (find us at our Twitter page here).

Just your name or screen name is fine but please feel free to add your country of residence and / or a sentence or two on why this would be a great idea. We’ll collate responses at the bottom of this page and build a picture of support for Nightbreed here!

[source: CliveBarker.info]

Review: ‘Midnight Meat Train’

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Travis:

Bradley Cooper (Alias) plays Leon, a freelance photographer who makes a living taking crime photos for the newspaper while dreaming of becoming a successful art photographer, capturing images of the true “heart” of the city in the middle of the night. After meeting with a well-known art promoter named Susan Hoff (Brooke Shields), Leon determines he needs to really dig deep into the city to find the images he needs to succeed. During his scouring of the dark, miserable streets of New York after hours, Leon stumbles upon his first powerful image in a subway terminal. What Leon doesn’t realize is that he’s just stumbled upon a secret so dark and sinister that he’ll never escape it’s inevitable outcome. At the moment he first meets Mahogany (Vinnie Jones), his fate is sealed. Leon comes to believe Mahogany is a brutal murderer who butchers his victims like cattle on the subway late at night. The truth of the situation is far more horrible that Leon and his girlfriend Maya (Leslie Bibb) could have ever imagined.

From the very beginning, ‘Midnight Meat Train’ is a film that will distinguish it’s fans from it’s naysayers. In the opening sequence, the man we believe is Mahogany slaughters an innocent man on the train, chopping him up like a butcher cleaving steaks. Throughout the first half of the film, Mahogany’s body count rises in a style suitable for Joe Bob Briggs’ tally system… one groin impaled with a giant meat hook, one blonde who gets her block knocked off with a huge meat tenderizer and one celebrity cameo (Ted Raimi) that’s clobbered in the back of his skull causing his eyeball to projectile from his head on camera. This all reminds me of the good ole days of Italian Horror. The rest of the film also has plenty of gloriously gruesome gore, but begins to take a seat to the side as the story picks up and the mystery begins to unfold. One scene, which marks a sort of turning point for Mahogany, features a curious character played by MMA star Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, resulting in an all-out brawl between him and Mahogany while on the train.

Vinnie Jones is awesome in ‘Midnight Meat Train’. To get a beginner’s feel for the movie, imagine ‘American Psycho’ except replace the 80’s with the 90’s, take away Patrick Bateman’s unique personality and stick him full of crazy steroids. Keep him in his nice suit, but trade out his designer business cards for a leather bag full of butcher utensils. The meat tenderizer is his favorite. The film itself is eye-popping [no pun intended] and director Ryuhei Kitamura (Versus) proves he has the flair and the ability to make incredibly engaging films with a keen sense of pacing, editing and successfully stylistic cinematography. Equally as significant as the visual acuity of ‘MMT’ is the use of sound design and audio elements to create an even more impressive thriller for a new age of horror hounds. I simply cannot wait to see Kitamura’s next American film… assuming he’s not been completely insulted by Lionsgate essentially saying his movie is only good enough for direct-to-DVD.

Believe it or not, the film just keeps getting better as it moves closer to it’s intensely spine-tingling end. ‘Midnight Meat Train’ does an excellent job of maintaining the atmosphere and appeal of the original short story, written by Clive Barker, who apparently worked closely with Kitamura. If you have any experience with Barker’s unconventionally graphic and descriptive literature, you’ll appreciate ‘Midnight Meat Train’. I am looking forward to catching this when it releases on DVD, hoping for some great special features.

[rating:4/5]

‘Midnight Meat Train’ for a buck …

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We have all been patiently waiting the release of ‘Midnight Meat Train’, and we are going to have to keep waiting unless you are in or around one of these lucky theaters:

Temeku Discount Cinema (Temecula,CA)
Cinemark Movies 10 (Cathedral City,CA)
La Mirada Dollar Movie 7 (La Mirada,CA)
Cinemark Movies 12 Lancaster (Lancaster,CA)
Bell Canyon Pavilions 8 (Phoenix,AZ)
Superstition Mall (Mesa,AZ)
Cinemark Movies 8 (Provo,UT)
Cinemark Valley Fair 9 (West Valley City,UT)
Cinemark Movies West 8 Cinema (Albuquerque,NM)
Cinemark Sugar House 10 (Salt Lake City,UT)
Cinemark Movies 8 Theatre (Albuquerque,NM)
East Pointe Movies 12 (El Paso,TX)
Cinemark Movies 12 (Springfield,OR)
Westgate Mall Cinema 6 (Amarillo,TX)
Gateway Movies 8 (Federal Way,WA)
Cinemark Movies 12 (Laredo,TX)
Cinemark Movies 16 (San Antonio,TX)
Northpark 7 (Oklahoma City,OK)
Robinson Crossing 8 (Norman,OK)
Crossroads Movies 8 (Oklahoma City,OK)
Cinemark Round Rock-Discount Movies 8 (Round Rock,TX)
Cinemark Movies 8 (North Richland Hills,TX)
Palace Theatre West (Wichita,KS)
Starplex Irving Cinema 10 (Irving,TX)
Movies 8 (Lewisville,TX)

And in that case you will get to see the movie for a buck tomorrow! After this short run it is apparently going immediately to DVD. So good luck to you guys, and if you live close to one of these places let me know… I will pay for you to go see it so you can write a review for us.

Clive Barker Asking You to Save ‘Midnight Meat Train’

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The horror film “Midnight Meat Train” is currently scheduled to appear on 100 screens on August 1st, before going immediately to DVD. Clive Barker, the writer of the short story the film is based on, is not happy with this news and would much rather have the movie get a wide release.

The official Clive Barker website is asking fans to contact Lionsgate in order to change the studio’s mind. While, Lionsgate may stick to their plan, this is the best chance horror fans have of seeing “Midnight Meat Train” in theaters. And Barker is completely behind this.

“I am very excited about this possibility and I would passionately encourage everybody who cares about my work to use this chance to change the minds of the folks at Lionsgate,” he said. “This is exciting! I really think, this late in the day, that grassroots support for our movie could significantly improve our chances of reaching a much bigger audience theatrically. The picture is worth the effort, I believe.”

“Midnight Meat Train” revolves around Leon Kauffman (Bradley Cooper), an inquisitive photographer who comes across Mahogany (Vinnie Jones), a butcher who uses the subway system as his killing floor.

This better get a wide release and screen over here in Saint Louis, Movie looks Wicked!