Over the years, Bradley Cooper has established himself as the epitome of A-List talent in an ever-expanding industry of gifted performers. Challenging the likes of Brad Pitt and Matthew McConaughey before him, Cooper’s work in blockbuster franchises like The Hangover and Guardians of the Galaxy has cemented him as an unstoppable force of equal charm and humor. It almost seems as if any project Cooper attaches himself to these days is destined to be a critical and commercial hit, including his most recent Netflix success, Maestro. Of course, as is usually the case, this colossal level of success was not instantaneous, forcing the future star to take part in some pretty questionable projects before he could truly earn his wings.
The Midnight Meat Train
- Release Date
- October 31, 2008
- Rating
- R
- Runtime
- 1hr 40min
Enter The Midnight Meat Train, director Ryuhei Kitamura’s adaptation of Clive Barker‘s gratuitously appalling short story of the same name. Before the film’s inception, Cooper had already begun to garner a reputation as a comedic actor with supporting roles in Wet Hot American Summer and Wedding Crashers, before The Midnight Meat Train would give the budding performer the chance to finally put his dramatic chops on full display. Despite a limited theatrical release and admittedly dated special effects, The Midnight Meat Train has a certain allure not regularly found in horror movies of the time, or, to some extent, even horror movies of today.
Books of Blood
The Midnight Meat Train initially made its way to readers as one of the short stories collected in the first of six volumes of Clive Barker’s Books of Blood series. This collection of grotesque tales would see the writer quickly rise to prominence within the horror community, leading to a prolific career as a novelist. Much of Barker’s work has been adapted for the big screen (the most notable of which being the Hellraiser and Candyman franchises), but bringing The Midnight Meat Train to fruition would prove to be a difficult feat.
The project took certain liberties with Barker’s source material, in some cases expanding on the overall story. One noteworthy change was Leon Kaufman’s occupation from a lowly office worker who had just moved to the city amidst a series of subway murders to a photographer tasked with taking more risks with his work. This juxtaposition added a unique layer to the story, as Bradley Cooper’s portrayal displays Kaufman’s transition from a wide-eyed optimist focusing on the beauty in the streets of New York to only being able to see the darkness within. Another distinct difference from Barker’s short story is the addition of supporting characters observing Kaufman’s descent into madness.
Casting Before the Carnage
The Midnight Meat Train has many strengths, the most obvious being the film’s stellar cast. There are plenty of appearances from horror movie veterans, including a small cameo from Evil Dead mainstay Ted Raimi. The real strength, however, lies within the main supporting cast. Leslie Bibb portrays Maya Jones, Leon Kaufman’s long-term love interest in the movie. Roger Bart also makes an appearance in the film as Jurgis, a friend and colleague of Kaufman. While these characters were never featured in Barker’s Books of Blood, their presence proved to be an integral part of the overall story, showing just how much Kaufman’s erratic behavior affected those around him.
Vinnie Jones portrays the film’s antagonist, Mahogany the “Subway Butcher”, to horrifying results. Known for his work with English director Guy Ritchie, Jones was no stranger to villainous roles before landing this project. His role in The Midnight Meat Train, however, was far different from the performances he was typically typecast for. Jones instills a sense of fear in the audience with little to no dialogue and a menacing stare as he simultaneously leaves them in utter disbelief at his heinous actions until the final confrontation.
Finding an Audience
The Midnight Meat Train experienced significant creative overhauls throughout its lengthy production. The film’s initial director, Patrick Tatopoulos, stepped away from the project in 2006, leaving Ryuhei Kitamura at the helm. Eventually, plans to film The Midnight Meat Train in New York were scrapped when budgetary constraints led to production being moved to Los Angeles instead. Lionsgate began to lose faith in the viability of the project, reducing it to the secondary market with an almost instantaneous DVD release.
As news broke to various entertainment news outlets about the unfortunate fate of the movie, horror enthusiasts united to campaign for a wider theatrical release of the film, to no avail. Once The Midnight Meat Train made its way to audiences by way of physical media, critics praised the project for Ryuhei Kitamura’s direction and the film’s over-the-top gore factor. Despite a strong, fleshed-out adaptation and compelling performances from the main cast, the film eventually fell into relative obscurity.
Plans for a Sequel
Over the years since its release, The Midnight Meat Train has accumulated a bit of a cult following among fans of Clive Barker’s work, as well as those who have been following Bradley Cooper’s more critically acclaimed projects as the actor continues to rise through the ranks in the Hollywood food chain. Barker has expressed some interest in a sequel to The Midnight Meat Train, even coming up with the title “Butcher’s Boy” for the project, so it seems safe to assume the sequel would pick up after the events of the first installment.
While there’s no confirmation of a follow-up to The Midnight Meat Train (or even any source material to take inspiration from), there are still many questions left unanswered about the history of The City Fathers, as well as Leon Kaufman’s role within the organization. It could be a long shot considering how unsuccessful the initial film was for those involved, but screenwriter Jeff Buhler and director Ryuhei Kitamura’s continued fascination in the universe surrounding these characters opens up a world of possibilities for what could potentially be the next major horror franchise.
