Review of The Midnight Meat Train (2008) by Tom F — 03 Jan 2010

I love Clive Barker. He's one of the most inventive and challenging horror writers working today and, surprisingly perhaps, his stories have thus far been fairly well-suited to cinematic conversion with Hellbound Heart, Candyman, Lord Of Illusions and Cabal all translating fairly wel over the yearsl. The Midnight Meat Train is an early tale from Books Of Blood, and also provides great movie fodder.

The direction is sharp and stylish, with beautiful moody photography and many original camera techniques throughout (some more successful than others, granted. Ted Raimi's eyeballs exiting his skull was an unintentional laughter point) helping create a suitably dark, sinister atmosphere. The score also is interesting, especially during these tedious times where pop-industrial/nu-metal bollocks seems de rigeur in "extreme" cinema. Best of all, the acting is solid, with even Vinnie Jones playing to his strengths (imposing physicality, terrifying Basilisk stare) and characters fkeshed out enough that you even manage to develop some sympathy for before they die gruesomely. And they do.

Best of all, the story starts off in one genre before slowly, cleverly morphing into another entirely and isn't half as predictable as many "twist" films of late.

Also interesting (to a geek like me) to see both Face and B.A. from the upcoming A-Team movie making appearances. Not as Face and B.A., obviously. Although that may have been an even better movie right there...