I'm hungry for horror. The Strangers was OK, but The Happening was a major disappointment and nothing else is scheduled until August 1. That's when Ryuhei Kitamura's Midnight Meat Train, starring Bradley Cooper, Vinnie Jones and Leslie Bibb, is now set to open, delayed from May 16. But will you get to see it?

Shock Till You Drop reported last week that Lionsgate planned only a limited, 100-screen release in major cities, followed by a quick release on DVD, thus denying many horror fans the opportunity to see the film on the big screen. Someone suggested a viral campaign to get a wider release, which has now been endorsed by the man who wrote the story on which the movie is based: Clive Barker.

As quoted at The Official Clive Barker Resource, he says: "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. ... 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."

With three wide releases already scheduled on August 1 (The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, The Rocker, Swing Vote), it's a tough sell, but I'd love to see it happen. A thread at the IMDb boards has contact information.

[ Via Bloody Good Horror ]

Adult-skewing horror thriller Midnight Meat Train has been bumped from its planned May 16 release date, according to Shock Til You Drop. Citing distributor Lionsgate as their source, Shock says no new release date has been offered. As of this writing, the official Lionsgate site does not even mention the film, and production company Lakeshore Entertainment still shows May 16 as the release date.

Midnight Meat Train promised to be one of the relatively few dark films in the summer marketplace, offering a menacing alternative to light-hearted blockbuster fare. The film is adapted from a Clive Barker tale that our own Scott Weinberg described as "one seriously nasty story." If you've seen the pulse-pounding trailer (which you can check out at Moviefone), you know that Bradley Cooper plays a photographer who catches a mysterious man (Vinnie Jones) doing hideous things to people on subway trains and then hiding the evidence in meat lockers.

We can't report on the production of every low-budget horror flick out there (mostly because it would make for some really boring stories), but Variety just tossed out a news blip on something called The Bleeding -- and this flick has too juicy a cast to ignore. According to Variety, the flick seems to be a standard enough tale of "an ex-Army Ranger searching for the killer of his parents who discovers a family of vampires in a former chemical weapons factory-turned-nightclub," which tells me it's probably based on a true story.

The first thing that struck me a little funny was the name of the production company: Indifferent Entertainment. Well, geeee. If you guys are so damn indifferent about your entertainment, why should any of US give a wet slap? Why not Apathetic Productions or Neutral Films?

That's just a little warm-up humor to get you prepared for this ensemble. Ready? Gathered together for a movie called The Bleeding will be: Vinnie Jones, Michael Madsen, DMX, Armand Assante, William McNamara, Michael Matthias, Rachelle Leah, Kat Von D, and Pittsburgh Slim. Heck, I don't even know all these people and it still sounds like The Bleeding will have one helluva wrap party.

The writer is first-timer Lance Lane. The director is veteran stuntman Charles Picerni. One of the producers is Frank Capra III. And it's called The Bleeding. Woo! Production begins in North Carolina next month.

Are you ready for Leonardo DiCaprio doing an Irish accent? He probably should have played Irish in Titanic, but now he'll really have to master the accent for a historical epic called Freedom Within the Heart. Set 1,000 years ago, the film is about Brian Boru, the High King of Ireland who united the country in battle against a Viking threat. Since Boru was at least 60 when he became King, DiCaprio seems a bit young to play the lead, but according to a story from February, the actor was indeed being sought for that very role. At the time, former soccer pro Vinnie Jones was also reportedly cast as Boru's nemesis, Ivor of Limerick. Now, confirming DiCaprio's involvement is a press release from Limerick.com, which states the two actors will be joining Irish filmmaker Mark Mahon in the village of Tuamgraney, in County Clare, provided the Irish Film Board accepts a bid for the production to shoot there. There are hopes that the movie will bring tourism to the area in the same way movies like Braveheart and Rob Roy have brought people to Scottish locales.

Despite earning an Oscar nomination for Blood Diamond, a lot of people thought he did a terrible job with the South African accent, so we'll have to see how he does with the Irish. He could be criticized enough for playing such a legendary figure and not actually being Irish, so if he gets the accent wrong, he'll only make things worse. However, plenty of similar epics have been made without great accuracy, and fans of medieval action probably won't mind.

[via Dark Horizons]

The first Clive Barker film I ever saw was Nightbreed. Scratch that. It was the first one I should have seen. I rented it as soon as it came out, because I had a thing for Craig Sheffer. I was young, and I sat in the dark, home alone, and only got through the first few minutes before I was sufficiently creeped out and sure that someone was going to break into my house and kill me. I went on with life, seeing Sheffer's Fire with Fire co-star in one of the next Barker films, Candyman, and forgot about the little flick until I found it cheap and previously-viewed. I'm now a little embarrassed with how freaked the film made me, but I like to think that it was childhood innocence.

While most of Barker's adaptations since then have dealt with Hellraiser, we're on our way towards getting something new -- The Midnight Meat Train -- as Scott Weinberg has reported. The last we heard, Bradley Cooper (Wedding Crashers) had signed on. Now Variety has added a few more names to the cast -- Vinnie Jones (Snatch), Leslie Bibb (Popular) and believe it or not, Brooke Shields. The story, which centers on a serial killer who finds his victims in the subway, will star place Jones as the creepy killer, Cooper as a stupid and struggling photographer who must think he's Spider-Man, as he decides to improve his fortune by finding and taking pictures of the murderer, Bibb as Cooper's girlfriend and the Queen of Postpartum Shields will play an art gallery owner who becomes friends with the photographer. Shooting will begin next week, and will soon see if Shield's next theme will be Scream Queen.

After gracing the world with such cinematic gems as See No Evil ($15 million domestic haul, 8% Tomatometer) and The Marine ($19 million, 22% TM), WWE Films doesn't seem to be slowing down one bit. And who knows? Perhaps their third production, The Condemned, will keep the trend going. Do I smell a $22 million payout and a 24% approval rating!?

Sticking with the action stuff for a second time, WWE presents Steve Austin and Vinnie Jones in The Condemned, and after watching this brand-new trailer, I'm wondering how many times we can be offered this concept: Ten brutal convicts are dropped on a distant island and forced to kill one another while a bunch of rich jerks enjoy the carnage via live video feeds. Actor-turned-director Scott Wiper is at the helm for The Condemned, working from a screenplay by Rob Hedden -- yes, the same Rob Hedden who directed Friday the 13th Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan.

I pretty much loathed See No Evil, but found The Marine to be a mindlessly watchable action-fest, so maybe this new flick will be more of the same. I'm certainly not expecting a good movie, but if it's at least a fun-bad movie, that's good enough for me. (We are talking about "World Wrestling Films" releases, right?) Guess we'll find out on April 27. Plus c'mon: The poster tagline is "10 people will fight. 9 will die. You get to watch." How hilarious is that?

Ah, Trainwreck Reid. Um, I mean Tara Reid. The girl had a decent start. Her portrayal of hardcore rocker Cybil was one of the better performances in the terrible Blake Nelson adaptation, Girl. And, while she didn't mean to, her stiff rendition of an orgasm in American Pie provided laughs, even if not the type that was intended. However, no matter what she does these days, she's seen as the crazy party girl who not only got one hell of a botched boob job, but also can't keep her breasts in her dress.

Now with the help of Hi Happy Films, her strangely-named production company, Reid is not only executive producing but also starring in the upcoming romantic comedy, Honestly. The script comes from the man responsible for Wesley Snipes' Unstoppable flop of an action film -- Tom Vaughn. So far, not so good ... but it gets better! The movie is about a hard-boiled detective, Monica Hennessey (Reid), who seduces husbands to test their fidelity. Of course, in the vein of films like Failure to Launch, the detective falls for her prey, shocked by his niceness. Her brother, Tommy Reid, is set to helm the feature, and she'll be joined by co-stars Vinnie Jones, Juggernaut from X3, and former football man Eddie George.

Is there any chance this can be even remotely worthwhile?

Back when I was in college, there was a brief period (about six months or so) where I suddenly found myself wrapped up in New York City's club scene. Don't ask me why (peer pressure) or how (peer pressure) this happened, but it's safe to say I managed to survive without permanently melting my brain. Since then, I've always found myself somewhat curious every time Hollywood attempts to re-create the club scene. Are they accurate? To date, I have yet to watch a film that correctly captures the essence and mood of a bumpin' (slang for really good) club, packed full of intoxicated teenagers all grooving to music as if it's taken over their every movement.

2004's It's All Gone Pete Tong came pretty close, as did 2000's Groove, however it always feels as if something is missing. Is it the acting? Is it because the filmmakers themselves have never experienced a week full of all-night clubbing? Not sure. But until a film comes along that accurately depicts the scene, most people will have to stick by their pre-conceived notions of these clubs being full of glow-sticks, ecstasy pills and not much else. With that said, Jesse Metcalfe (John Tucker Must Die) has signed on to star in Loaded, where he'll play your typical rich club kid whose life spirals out of control once he's introduced to a world full of drugs, sex and violence. Also starring in the pic are Nathalie Kelley, Monica Keena, Johnny Messner, Vinnie Jones and hip hop performer Kurupt.

Will Loaded finally get right what so many previous films got wrong? Probably not -- I mean, this is Hollywood and they're going to throw as much conflict at this sucker as possible making it so the club is the villain, and not the individual. So, this question goes out to all you former (or current) club kids: Have you ever watched a film that accurately captures the clubbing experience?

Believe it or not, I'm always down for a good boxing flick ... even though I find the sport itself to be quite boring. There, I said it! (Personally, I prefer one of them no-holds-barred kickboxing matches -- I don't know what it is, but I find them hypnotic.) In order to hold my attention, a boxing film has to have a solid story built around unique and troubled characters. Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa, Robert DeNiro as Jake La Motta or Russell Crowe as Jim Braddock -- all of them, great characters.

The most recent actor to enter the boxing ring is Michael Madsen, who will take on the character of Sean Kelleher in the contemporary boxing flick, Strength and Honor. Pic, which marks the directorial debut of Mark Mahon, will be set in the Irish county of Cork and focus on a boxer who must return to the sport, after promising his dying wife he would retire, so that he can help raise money to save his young son from the disease that claimed the life of his wife.

Starring alongside Madsen will be Vinnie Jones and Richard Chamberlain. Jones will take on the role of Madsen's arch-nemesis, Smasher O'Driscoll, while Chamblerlain will play Madsen's old school boxing coach. Filming begins in Cork next month.

In a sign that X-Men: The Last Stand may not suck after all, it appears that Brett Ratner will be returning to the franchise to helm the Wolverine spin-off. Oh joy! Vinnie Jones, who plays Juggernaut in the X-Men films, recently spoke with MTV and kind of alluded to the fact that Ratner was already on board. Not only that, but Jones may also play a big role in the film as well.

Here's the full quote from MTV:  "I said this to Brett the other day, and he was saying that they'll probably use a lot of the characters," Jones said, implying that the director will also return alongside star Hugh Jackman in Wolverine." "Hopefully [the Wolverine/ Juggernaut rivalry] will come into it. There might be something for me and him to get together." Now, I'm not sure how concrete this whole thing is, but it makes sense that the producers would definitely want someone familiar with the series to direct. And about Jones playing a role in the spin-off? Well, there were rumors that he was signed on for a 4th and 5th film. I'm thinking now, instead of possible sequels, they locked him into possible spin-offs.

With Ratner in pre-production on Rush Hour 3 and Wolverine reportedly on the front-burner, I'm not sure how the guy will fit both into his schedule. However, it's something to keep in that back of your brain for now and, as always, we'll be here to tell you as soon as there's more word.

[via Moviehole]