midnight train Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Bradley Cooper is the Midnight Train Rider
Filed under: Horror », Casting », Lionsgate Films », Newsstand »
We were psyched when Clive Barker announced that his production company was mounting a big-screen version of the author's Midnight Meat Train story -- and then we were bummed when director Patrick Tatopoulos had to leave the project for undisclosed reasons. But then we were psyched again when hardcore filmmaker Ryuhei Kitamura was signed as the new director -- and now we have a leading man!Set to star in Midnight Train is "familiar face" actor Bradley Cooper, a guy probably best known for his TV work (Alias, Kitchen Confidential, Jack & Bobby), but he also played the hilariously nasty bully in Wedding Crashers. He also appeared in My Little Eye and Wet Hot American Summer, a pair of underrated flicks if ever there were one. (Er, two.) And out of respect for the young actor, we'll neglect to mention that he was also in Failure to Launch, because that flick stunk on ice. On the other hand Cooper hails from Philadelphia, which means he's gotta be cool.
Midnight Train is set to begin shooting very soon, and if you'd like a brief plot synopsis, I can't really help you out. The short story is pretty brief and exceedingly simple ... but it's one I think you should read for yourself. And the rest of the book is pretty damn good too. (And yes, they removed the "meat" from the movie title. Somehow I doubt they'll excise it from the actual story.)
A New Conductor on the Meat Train?
Filed under: Horror », Lionsgate Films »
The only reason I'm reporting on news this relatively small is because, well, The Midnight Meat Train is one of my very favorite Clive Barker stories -- and I've been salivating over the prospect of a movie version since it was announced earlier this year. So here's the latest:A little while back we learned that Patrick Tatopoulous was all set to make his directorial debut on Midnight Train, but after he left the project, the pre-production just sort of stalled for a little while. But now, according to Bloody-Disgusting.com, the producers have found a new helmsman, and his name is ... Ryuhei Kitamura. Yes, the action expert who directed Versus, Alive, Azumi and Sky High.
Apparently the BD.com boys heard this info while attending the AFM festivities, so let's see if we get any corroborations any time soon. Fingers crossed, because this story and that director would make for one fascinating mix. A blood-soaked one, too.
For those who might be less than fluent in author Clive Barker's cinematic output, I can tell you that he directed Hellraiser, Nightbreed and Lord of Illusions. He also produced the very fine Candyman and has his name plastered on a whole slew of Hellraiser sequels. His most recent project was the direct-to-video release The Plague, which was half-solid and half-tiresome.
All Aboard the Gore Train!
Filed under: Horror », Deals », Lionsgate Films », Fandom », Newsstand »
Long before he got just a little bit weary of churning out nothing but high-end hardcore horror tales, a young Clive (Hellraiser) Barker wrote a handful of volumes called The Books of Blood. (Here in the U.S. they're known as Books of Blood Vol. 1 - 3, The Inhuman Condition, In the Flesh, and Cabal ... and they're all pretty darn awesome.) Anyway, one of the best stories in the very first book was called The Midnight Meat Train, and it was about a stupidly intrepid NYC photographer who travels deep into the bowels of the hellacious subway system to track down a vicious serial killer ... and discovers a whole lot of horrible gruesomeness for his trouble.So get ready for Midnight Train, the movie version. I could have sworn I'd read that Barker would be involved as a producer, and I certainly do hope that's true. (Anyone out there remember Rawhead Rex?) If so, he'll be working from an adapted screenplay by first-timer Jeff Buhler, and he's also hired himself a first-time director: Patrick Tatopoulos, a veteran production designer / FX wizard whose work you might have enjoyed in Dark City, Pitch Black, Underworld, and Silent Hill ... all flicks that are dark, dangerous, and pretty damn slick.
Midnight Train goes into production this summer, and you'll never guess who'll be releasing the flick stateside. Yep, those wonderful horror freaks over at Lionsgate. Gotta love 'em.
(OK, I'll admit it: I kinda liked Rawhead Rex ... but most of those Hellraiser sequels are just awful.)
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