The Midnight Meat Train (2008)

A photographer, Leon's obsessive pursuit of dark subject matter leads him into the path of a serial killer, Mahogany, the subway murderer who stalks late night commuters, ultimately butchering them in the most gruesome ways imaginable.

Director:

Ryûhei Kitamura

Writers:

Jeff Buhler (screenplay), Clive Barker (short story "The Midnight Meat Train")

Stars:

Vinnie Jones, Bradley Cooper, Leslie Bibb

2 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bradley Cooper	...	Leon
Leslie Bibb	...	Maya
Brooke Shields	...	Susan Hoff
Vinnie Jones	...	Mahogany
Roger Bart	...	Jurgis
Tony Curran	...	Driver
Barbara Eve Harris	...	Detective Lynn Hadley
Peter Jacobson	...	Otto
Stephanie Mace	...	Leigh Cooper
Ted Raimi	...	Randle Cooper
Nori Satô	...	Erika Sakaki (as NorA)
Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson	...	Guardian Angel
Dan Callahan	...	Troy Taleveski
Donnie Smith	...	Station Cop
Earl Carroll	...	Jack Franks

Storyline

The photographer Leon lives with his girlfriend and waitress Maya waiting for a chance to get in the photo business. When Maya contacts their friend Jurgis, he schedules a meeting for Leon with the successful owner of arts gallery Susan Hoff; she analyzes Leon's work and asks him to improve the quality of his photos. During the night, the upset Leon decides to wander on the streets taking pictures with his camera, and he follows three punks down to the subway station; when the gang attacks a young woman, Leon defends her and the guys move on. On the next morning, Leon discovers that the woman is missing. He goes to the police station, but Detective Lynn Hadley does not give much attention to him and discredits his statement. Leon becomes obsessed to find what happened with the stranger and he watches the subway station. When he sees the elegant butcher Mahogany in the train, Leon believes he might be a murderer and stalks him everywhere, in the beginning of his journey to the darkness.

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Plot Keywords:

butcher | subway | photographer | girlfriend | mute character | 

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Taglines:

The most terrifying ride you'll ever take

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Genres:

Fantasy | Horror | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sequences of strong bloody gruesome violence, grisly images involving nudity, sexual content and language

Details

Official Sites:

Lionsgate [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 August 2008 (Russia)

Also Known As:

Clive Barker's Midnight Meat Train

Filming Locations:

Burbank, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$34,394 (USA) (1 August 2008)

Gross:

$73,548 (USA) (8 August 2008)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lakeshore Entertainment, Lions Gate Films, Midnight Picture Show

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min 103 min (unrated)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Lionsgate had recently hired exec Joe Drake when the film was completing production. Drake, for some unknown reason, greatly disliked the film and decided to give it a limited theatrical run in budget cinemas.

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Goofs

After Leon has his tongue ripped off, you can see the tongue intact in his mouth.

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Quotes

[passing by Mahogany, who is sitting in the train with his bag on his knees]
Guardian Angel: Life is like a box of chocolates!

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Connections

Featured in Out of the Furnace (2013)

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Soundtracks

Big Black Sky
Written by Jason Harsin
Performed by Chaser
Courtesy of Lakeshore Records

User Reviews

An unexpected gem of gore

I watched this movie expecting very little and I am pleased to say that I was pleasantly surprised. This is a well written film that uses tension effectively. The set is dark and atmospheric and the plot engages with unexpected angles. The characterisation is particularly good. Vinnie Jones excels as a mysterious psychopathic figure without any dialogue. Cooper is also good as the curious photographer seeking the perfect shot. You become involved with Cooper's journey and although his character is not likable, he is interesting. The film is a complete gore-fest although in a chillingly cold way. The violence lacks the passion of Hostel but this only heightens the effect. The three marks missing from my rating are purely because of the extremely poor ending. I will be disappointed at Barker if this is how he finished his story as it is much more fitting of Stephen King and his inability to write a decent finish. Definitely worth a watch though!