*Hey, what should I cover next?! ... Let me know in the comments! ... Next week, we're looking at a Nicholas Cage film! 0.0* The first 1,000 people to use this link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/ryanhollinger08211
I can't wait to see what Nick Cage movie you'll be looking at. I'm betting it's either gonna be the Wicker Man remake or one of his more serious films like Leaving Las Vegas. Oh yeah, and here's yet another obligatory request for Night in the Woods and Pink Floyd's The Wall.
For a moment she can feel the knife Screams go on and on and on and on! Killing Strangers Up and down the subway cars Demons eat somewhere in the ni-e-ight 🎸
I always thought that the "fungus" were actually tumors. I believe its said in the film that working for the City Fathers grants you with "gifts", such as an extended period of life. However, over time, everything breaks down. Mahogany's body is no exception to this simple fact.
Idk why I got all giddy about the fungus on the chest.... Maybe I've been playing and watching too much Darkwood lately. "Ever since the accident a week ago I do not feel a need for food or sleep. But I feel a peculiar craving for these red, pullsating mushrooms"
@@stefanforrer2573 Maybe he considers his bodily changes a semi-divine gift, making the tumors quasi-relics. Or, there is power in the flesh, and he doesn't want to carelessly spread it into the world.
I remember the hype on Syfy (Sci Fi at the time lol) leading up to this movie, and I watched it and thought it was pretty good. Pretty underrated too since I've never heard anyone mention it since then.
@@RyanHollinger My guess is Barker may have been influenced by the 1969 film "Medium Cool". It recieved an X rating for language and nudity but since the movie was filmed in and around the 1968 Democratic National Convention and the riots and National Guard intervention that took place at the time, the director alleged it was a "political" X rating.
I remember those ads! Was never a fan of gory horror flicks so the title alone made me steer clear of it, but I was surprised to learn later that it was a) based on a Clive Barker story and b) starred Bradley Cooper.
Oh so the UA-cam grammar dictators will be pissed if I keep using sci-fi,then I’ll keep using it. WTF does scfy even stand for!?! Last time I looked there wasn’t any Y in science fiction 🙄😂
This was the film I watched with my gf on our first date. Definitely gave some good talking points afterwards with the ending. I agree with panda out of your realm but it has a great final act!!
Two things: I really like this movie I think its well done in story telling and keeping the twist hidden. Also don't ever dial it back. The fact that you analyze these movies the way you do is why Im subbed to you. Your insight is intriguing.
Can we have a round of applause for Ryuhei Kitamura, the director, the one guy who can direct a movie about yakuzas fighting zombies in the woods, the most insane Godzilla movie and a Clive Barker adaptation?
Kitamura is so so good. Really hope more people start to pay attention to him. Starting to see a few things pop up about his work. There was a pretty good long form review of Versus I saw a few months ago on film alchemist channel. That caused me to notice that Kitamura has his own channel with a lot LOT of very interesting stuff on it.
When I was a teenager a little over 20 years ago, I paid an astronomical amount of money for the Books Of Blood collection. Sadly, someone borrowed a volume or two and I no longer have the full set. Clive Barker was a large influence in my literary interests, his blending of horror, dark fantasy, and magic has stood out to me over the years. I've always loved his ability to write stories with very different genre styles while able to keep the plot interesting. Unfortunately, I've not watched this film. I now have a goal for this weekend. Thanks for that.
I really like the setting. There's so many abandoned tunnels and hidden sections down there that most people never know about. I'd love to see more movies take advantage of that.
Yeah, it's one of the reasons why I love the Metro series, both games and books. The feeling of paranoia you get from the setting alone is just insane.
I watched this movie when I was visiting my sister in a different city. Neither of us like horror movies that much but I was intrigued enough by the title to give it a go. She fell asleep almost as soon as the movie started, so I was left alone, watching this bizarre movie in an unfamiliar location. It was a surreal experience. For a while, no one I talked to about it had ever heard of it so I began to almost suspect that I'd dreamed it or something.
The street photography just brought back a really old but fond memory. Years and years ago, my family was driving through a city. I don't remember where we were going or why, but I do remember my younger sister was in the backseat with our shih tzu, Ollie. He loved to rest his front paws on the open window and look out, and while we were stuck in traffic, a man walking passed suddenly stopped and quickly set up a tripod to take a couple of photos. Ollie has been gone a long time now, but it makes me teary-happy to think that somewhere, a street photographer has an artsy black and white photo of him happily looking out of a car window.
I’m gonna be completely honest, I misread the title of the movie as “meat rain” and thought it was a horror movie based off that one town who had meat fall from the sky.
@@Pusher97 Hysterical History has a podcast episode on it. It's never been officially explained, far as I know, but this mystery meat just fell from the sky on a town in Kentucky in 1876.
I always just chalked the contrasted ending as the filmmakers focusing more on the human element. That is to say the psychological journey of Leon. It just seemed like they wanted to focus on that part of the story, which admittedly made the creature reveal seem more like a letdown than a shock. But I just think they worked with what they had and had to choose which parts to focus more on. Leon and Mahogany were the focus and that part of the movie really shined. That's my thoughts, anyway.
The many times I've seen this movie in the bargain bin at my local electronics store always made me believe this was just one of the thousands cheap horror slashers from around the time. And honestly, the DVD box didn't make it look any better. I am extremely surprised to now hear that the movie actually isn't just that.
11:38 This reminded me of the scene in Extras where Vinnie Jones, still playing the big ass dude you don't want to fk with, confronts a action flick actor pretending to be retired SAS, and forces him to say that Vinnie would kick his ass in a fight.
I remember watching this years back with a group of friends for the title, we had first joked around with the film and by the end of it were genuinely interested and engaged in it. I will never forget you Mr. Holes.
I'd love to see you cover Possession (1981). It doesn't have an unexpected final act, but takes a turn from what feels like a drama about a failing marriage to a surreal nightmare maybe halfway? Really caught me off guard and it's one of my favorite films.
I am so happy to see you cover this one. I've always loved this and thought it was a hidden gem. Obviously it's not perfect but it did some cool stuff.
I remember watching this when I was younger (and less into horror history) and thinking it was awful. BUT now being much more appreciative of different types of horror and also knowing it comes out of Clive Barker's bag of tricks it makes way more sense and I definitely want to give it another watch in the near future.
I remember when this movie came out, I was living with 2x of my buddies and one of them rented it on a weekend,. Bradley Coopers career was JUST starting to take off and a few weeks the guys and I had binged Guy Ritchie movies and were on a Vinnie Jones kick ("The fact that you have 'replica' written down the side of your gun, and the fact that i have 'Desert Eagle, .50 ' written on the side of mine , should precipitate your balls into shrinking along with your presence. Now, fuck off.") we watched MMT and when it got to the end we were just blown away and I think all I could say was "I didn't see it going there..." Needless to say, we loved it.
This is one of those movies that I watched and liked more because it wasn't just a random serial murderer who enjoyed slicing and dicing. It felt it had more purpose to it (even with it being as weak as it ended up being). I like when things are more left to the imagination. As a suggestion, check out The Empty Man.
The film was such a good adaptation that when I re-read the short story I was surprised how different it actually was. It nailed the original's horror while building on it, in the best way.
Since we’re on the topic of Clive Barker stories, how about talking about Rawhead Rex? The movie adaptation is pretty bad, but I think Rawhead is a unique monster and what he’s meant to represent could make for an interesting video.
I remember watching this with my wife. We both really enjoyed it until the end. After the final twist I loved it and she thought it was a waste of time.
I only watched it because it kept popping up in UA-cam "gory movie deaths" compilations and I was intrigued by its weirdness and how stylised and over the top it looked. I was pleasantly surprised by how deep and interesting it turned out to be.
I watched this film fairly recently and really enjoyed it. I like when the protagonist has this slow descent into darkness; especially when it's due to taking their curiosities too far and hesitantly crossing a line (knowing its a point of no return). Leon's literal and psychological descent was just as compelling to me as the mystery of the butcher and the horrors of his world. I personally didn't hate the ending and I feel there was enough there for it to not feel completely out of nowhere. I mean, the whole butcher/train mystery alluded to something clearly going on in the city underbelly and the body horror, overt violence, and atmosphere of the train ride itself didn't make the existence of monsters feel head scratching.
It reminds me of Nietzsche's quote "And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you". The more Leon gazes at Mahogany the more he becomes like him till he becomes him.
I too expected the reveal of the "founding fathers" to be a bit more cosmic but on reflection without an exposition dump it would be difficult to get such a concept over.
The only reason I saw this movie was because our very immature friend group found phallic comedy in the title. The movie itself though was really good, and actually threw me at the end. I was pleasantly surprised by this one and will probably re-watch it soon.
This and Film Comics explained doing Identity posted within 30 minutes of each other! I must've been a good girl!!! Already learning, did NOT know this was released theatrically. Explains even 2008 Bradley Cooper appearance though. And yeah did hope for more elder creatures who had been there since the beginning and could swallow NY whole if not fed. But still worked.
@@themondoshow you clearly didn’t understand what I meant. He explains some information, never with any depth and the majority of his videos are just wholesale clips with zero commentary. Every single video I’ve ever seen is more the actual content then his explanation of the content.
I remember watching this movie by myself when I was younger and just being so confused, yet intrigued. I had no idea what I just watched and what it meant, but a part of me liked it. lol
I'm happy you covered this! It's one of my favorite movies. And I personally really enjoyed the 'cosmic' twist at the end. There were enough things that felt 'off' that were slowly introduced throughout the movie that it didn't feel like it was completely out of nowhere, while still being something you couldn't fully know was coming.
1st comment on this channel...when you mentioned the term "cosmic SLASHER" my mind went haywire. Being a "writer" (a rare thing these days...uh for me anyways in that I'm your typical underachieving procrastinating yank) I LOVED those two words together and the possibilities that go along with such a phrase so thanks for that brother.
The director of this also directed one of my guiltiest pleasures--'No One Lives'. It stars Luke Evans and while it's nothing new or groundbreaking, I really enjoyed it as a fun, mindless movie. Evans is great in it too!
So glad you covered this film! I was going to suggest it after watching it the other day and thinking it would be something you would really enjoy. Great video as always!
As long as you keep covering horror, I’m staying subscribed! On the real, Ryan, I’d love to see you do 1922 (ANOTHER short story/novella turned into a film-this time written by Stephen King).
It's interesting that the main character is a photographer who wants to capture the reality of the city he's in. For those who aren't pretentious art nerds like myself, there was a art movement shortly after cameras became commercially available were the goal was to capture the world as it really is, in fact Beksinski was heavily criticized by the art community because he wasn't doing just that.
I haven't watched yet and Im already so hype. I forgot this movie, because well, ADHD, and the moment I saw my favorite movie video-essayist covering it, I shouted.
I remember a couple years ago I had a “Clive Barker Halloween” watching this for the first time right after Candyman and Hellraiser. It was a great time.
I really appreciate this review, specifically because I couldn't bring up the movie with my friends who just laugh at the name. I like seeing the decent of the Mc and thought the butcher literally unable to tell his story
Hey Ryan - thanks for the thoughtful analysis of Midnight Meat Train. This movie keeps finding new life, fans and audiences. It’s themes are as timeless as the Fathers themselves! Keep up the good work, buddy!
The ending to a story is almost just as important as the story itself. So yes, having learned how the original Clive Barker story ended... yeah, the movie has dropped the ball on that one. Cosmic elders are just far more interesting. I lost interest in the film as soon as the generic Descent-esque mutants showed up. I'm a fan of cosmic horror myself specifically because their antagonists/monsters are just so out of the norm and ordinary that makes them unique and refreshing; removing that cosmic element from the equation also removes what makes the story appealing in the first place. Ergo, I'm gonna have to give this film a big "No" and a thumbs down.
The Castle Freak remake had some good ideas within it, while just not having the quality of a good movie. It actually ends in a very cosmic horror way, with some wild shit. It’s just a bore of a movie for the first hour. If you enjoy Lovecraft, I’d say the ending is worth sitting through it.
I haven't read the story, but I really disliked the ending as it didn't redeem the rest of the film for me. It's good to hear that the original had a more satisfying ending/premise, at least.
I’m due for a rewatch on this one-I forgot Ted Raimi was even in it! I can’t remember if I read the story or saw the movie first-and if I knew the twist going in regardless-but I didn’t mind the final reveal in any event; I dig horror stories where everything feels increasingly “off” until some totally bizarre unveiling at the last moment
I’ve never gotten around to watching this despite it coming out while I was working in a movie theater, and I swear probably every time I see a clip of this movie, I think “Wait, Bradley Cooper’s in this?” I REALLY need to see it one of these days lol EDIT: 5:00 I finally watched it and I was convinced it had to have been a 3D movie when it came out because it is filled with classic “3D moments” of things coming right at the camera lol. I’m shocked it wasn’t!
They made good use of Vinnie Jones here. He's maybe not that much of an actor, but he works as long as he can play a stone-cold hardass without much dialogue.
I think I said this before in a video but I'm not really knowledgeable on Clive Barker's entire body of work so excuse me if I end up comparing him to Lovecraft!
@@RyanHollinger Oh, it wasn't a criticism of your take as much as i find Barker's opinion on Lovecraft a little weird considering what, to me at least, seem to be obvious influences.
I want you to cover The Tall Man, the film Pascal Laugier made after Martyrs. I guess it’s more suspense thriller than horror, but still...it twists and turns and goes where you don’t expect, and I love it. :)
this movie is one i saw before i heard anyone do a review of, and it honestly baffled me when i started seeing people degrade and mock it. It was always labelled as too silly, over the top, and mindless, yet the actors did a great job, the pacing is pretty good, and while the ending is a bit silly the sequences leading up to the reveal are handled really well, as well as give a sort of sympathetic light on the butcher. It doesn't even really show the guys helping him as "evil" either. it is explained it is a necissary thing that has to happen, and it basically makes it clear everyone involved has their hands tied and are just doing what needs to be done.
Hi Ryan, I would love to see your take on a horror anthology called The Theatre Bizarre. I've never seen any deep dive analysis and I think you might enjoy it.
I don’t know what genre you listen to mainly Ryan but I’m not much into horror but ice nine kills is a really good metal band that is horror themed. At least there album the silver scream is. And even though I’m not much into horror. I love your videos. It’s funny I don’t like watching horror but I really like horror themed videos. Anyways sorry about the paragraph. Though you’ve probably already been told about ice nine kills. I should also probably mention that all I listen to is metal and anime music. And I know metal isn’t for everyone. Love your accent dude. Again sorry for the novel.
Ice nine kills is a pretty good horror rock band. If you prefer rap however, most of the people that work with the record label "Strange Music" are somewhat horror focused. Especially Brotha Lynch Hung's "coat hanger strangla" trilogy.
*Hey, what should I cover next?! ... Let me know in the comments! ... Next week, we're looking at a Nicholas Cage film! 0.0*
The first 1,000 people to use this link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/ryanhollinger08211
I LOVE YOU DADDY
Shrug. Session 9? ;) Mwahahaha
RYAAAN TALK ABOUT HELLRAISER
I can't wait to see what Nick Cage movie you'll be looking at. I'm betting it's either gonna be the Wicker Man remake or one of his more serious films like Leaving Las Vegas.
Oh yeah, and here's yet another obligatory request for Night in the Woods and Pink Floyd's The Wall.
Possession (1981) is a must 🤞 so much to dissect. Will keep recommending til my dying breath 💀 hope you’re doing well, Ryan!
"She took the midnight meat train going anywhere."-Journey
It wasn’t to Georgia?
@@CorbCorbin plot twist. she died.
That sounds like she had more than one hotdog.
For a moment she can feel the knife
Screams go on and on and on and on!
Killing
Strangers
Up and down the subway cars
Demons eat somewhere in the ni-e-ight
🎸
Vinny Jones killed Tony Soprano
This movie is about a train made of meat that only moves at night.
I want that movie to exist please.
Sounds like a much better film than this.
@@dosboss7589 ooh, salty
@@dosboss7589 just watched it. Good time
Sounds like my honeymoon
It’s amazing that there’s a movie called THE MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN and it’s somehow not a sleazy porno. Keep up the good work Ryan!
Exactly what I was thinking.
lol
Oh thank god. I wasn't the only person who thought that.
Its actually a short story created by Clive Barker. The guy who made Hellraiser. Its a decent short story as well
Just because it's pornography doesn't automatically make it "sleazy". Far from it....
I always thought that the "fungus" were actually tumors. I believe its said in the film that working for the City Fathers grants you with "gifts", such as an extended period of life. However, over time, everything breaks down. Mahogany's body is no exception to this simple fact.
I know that the City Fathers explain the butchers job in greater detail in the Barker short story.
*hoy-ever
Idk why I got all giddy about the fungus on the chest.... Maybe I've been playing and watching too much Darkwood lately.
"Ever since the accident a week ago I do not feel a need for food or sleep. But I feel a peculiar craving for these red, pullsating mushrooms"
yeah i always thought them to be tumors aswell... why he kept them after cutting them off is still a mystery to me though
@@stefanforrer2573 Maybe he considers his bodily changes a semi-divine gift, making the tumors quasi-relics. Or, there is power in the flesh, and he doesn't want to carelessly spread it into the world.
I remember the hype on Syfy (Sci Fi at the time lol) leading up to this movie, and I watched it and thought it was pretty good. Pretty underrated too since I've never heard anyone mention it since then.
I started to appreciate it the more I got into horror history. It surprised me how clever and imaginative it was.
@@RyanHollinger My guess is Barker may have been influenced by the 1969 film "Medium Cool". It recieved an X rating for language and nudity but since the movie was filmed in and around the 1968 Democratic National Convention and the riots and National Guard intervention that took place at the time, the director alleged it was a "political" X rating.
I remember those ads! Was never a fan of gory horror flicks so the title alone made me steer clear of it, but I was surprised to learn later that it was a) based on a Clive Barker story and b) starred Bradley Cooper.
I actually heard it mentioned once by a film reviewer but I have no idea who it was.
Oh so the UA-cam grammar dictators will be pissed if I keep using sci-fi,then I’ll keep using it. WTF does scfy even stand for!?! Last time I looked there wasn’t any Y in science fiction 🙄😂
This is pretty far out of your realm but if you want a film with a crazy final act Sorry to Bother You is a great pick.
This was the film I watched with my gf on our first date. Definitely gave some good talking points afterwards with the ending. I agree with panda out of your realm but it has a great final act!!
I'm degenerating by watching so much YT, I read your comment and thought you are trying to insult the channel owner by calling him "prick" 😖
@@ivyg6178 😁😁
What an odd place to find you of all people here
The real question isn't why he kills, It's how he does it without getting blood on his suit.
Mad skills?
and wtf is with the fungus???
Well, he _is_ magic.
His Jason Statham powers emerge.
Two things: I really like this movie I think its well done in story telling and keeping the twist hidden. Also don't ever dial it back. The fact that you analyze these movies the way you do is why Im subbed to you. Your insight is intriguing.
Can we have a round of applause for Ryuhei Kitamura, the director, the one guy who can direct a movie about yakuzas fighting zombies in the woods, the most insane Godzilla movie and a Clive Barker adaptation?
Kitamura is so so good. Really hope more people start to pay attention to him. Starting to see a few things pop up about his work. There was a pretty good long form review of Versus I saw a few months ago on film alchemist channel. That caused me to notice that Kitamura has his own channel with a lot LOT of very interesting stuff on it.
Ultimate Versus, love it!
I wonder if the Meat Train man learned his meat carving skills on SKILLSHARE?
When I was a teenager a little over 20 years ago, I paid an astronomical amount of money for the Books Of Blood collection. Sadly, someone borrowed a volume or two and I no longer have the full set. Clive Barker was a large influence in my literary interests, his blending of horror, dark fantasy, and magic has stood out to me over the years. I've always loved his ability to write stories with very different genre styles while able to keep the plot interesting. Unfortunately, I've not watched this film. I now have a goal for this weekend. Thanks for that.
Argh. I hate when it happens. That’s why I don’t let people borrow my books or movies
You will not be disappointed
Update us on how you like it!
Same here, I lost Cabal l that way too. Would love the third book of the art. Think we will ever get it?
I love those type of stories and that type of vibe is what resonates in my soul. Horror is the best genre. Great comment.
I watched 'Midnight Meat Train', 'Creep', and 'End of the Line' all close to each other, having no idea they all took place in subways.
I really like the setting. There's so many abandoned tunnels and hidden sections down there that most people never know about. I'd love to see more movies take advantage of that.
Yeah, it's one of the reasons why I love the Metro series, both games and books. The feeling of paranoia you get from the setting alone is just insane.
Creep took place in a subway? Did I watch a different Creep then the one you're talking about?
@@rickc2102 There was a different movie in the early 2000s called Creep. Ryan actually covered it already: ua-cam.com/video/CLeqCYIMiJY/v-deo.html
@@PainCausingSamurai ok thanks!
We took THE MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN to the new Hollinger video
Midnight Meat Train to Georgia:
Are You Brave Enough to Brisket?
I watched this movie when I was visiting my sister in a different city. Neither of us like horror movies that much but I was intrigued enough by the title to give it a go. She fell asleep almost as soon as the movie started, so I was left alone, watching this bizarre movie in an unfamiliar location. It was a surreal experience. For a while, no one I talked to about it had ever heard of it so I began to almost suspect that I'd dreamed it or something.
Vinnie Jones is terrifying in this movie, despite being mute and dressed in a fine suit.
The street photography just brought back a really old but fond memory. Years and years ago, my family was driving through a city. I don't remember where we were going or why, but I do remember my younger sister was in the backseat with our shih tzu, Ollie. He loved to rest his front paws on the open window and look out, and while we were stuck in traffic, a man walking passed suddenly stopped and quickly set up a tripod to take a couple of photos. Ollie has been gone a long time now, but it makes me teary-happy to think that somewhere, a street photographer has an artsy black and white photo of him happily looking out of a car window.
_LOVED_ the Barker short story. I was always steered clear of the movie, given the track record of his stories to movies. Maybe I’ll check it out.
It's absolutely worth a watch.
I love the short story but hated the movie. That's just me though, you might enjoy it.
@@dosboss7589 yeah I really enjoy the movie but haven't read the short story.
It's definitely one to avoid, in my opinion, especially if you love the original story.
It's a good movie that suffers in the adaptation department, so unless you're a big fan of the short story, it's worth a watch
I’m gonna be completely honest, I misread the title of the movie as “meat rain” and thought it was a horror movie based off that one town who had meat fall from the sky.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs?
Well, there's a few stories from the 1800's about a small town, that would just randomly have fish, frogs or snakes rain down from the sky.
I’m sorry, the what now?
@@Pusher97 Lluvia de Peces
@@Pusher97 Hysterical History has a podcast episode on it. It's never been officially explained, far as I know, but this mystery meat just fell from the sky on a town in Kentucky in 1876.
I first caught this movie on tv late at night, I knew nothing about it going on. It is surprisingly good. Tonally it kinda reminds me of Mimic.
One of the best adaptation's of Clive Barker's short stories.
Agreed, I feel the movie is often overlooked.
"He's leavin' on the midnight meat train to Georgia..."-Gladys Knight
I always just chalked the contrasted ending as the filmmakers focusing more on the human element. That is to say the psychological journey of Leon. It just seemed like they wanted to focus on that part of the story, which admittedly made the creature reveal seem more like a letdown than a shock. But I just think they worked with what they had and had to choose which parts to focus more on. Leon and Mahogany were the focus and that part of the movie really shined. That's my thoughts, anyway.
The many times I've seen this movie in the bargain bin at my local electronics store always made me believe this was just one of the thousands cheap horror slashers from around the time. And honestly, the DVD box didn't make it look any better. I am extremely surprised to now hear that the movie actually isn't just that.
A coworker and I drove 2 hrs across the state to the only theater that was showing this. Roadtrip well worth it.
AWESOME!👍🙏💯💯
You're knocking it out of the park, you've been covering some of my personal favourite underrated flicks for a while now.
11:38 This reminded me of the scene in Extras where Vinnie Jones, still playing the big ass dude you don't want to fk with, confronts a action flick actor pretending to be retired SAS, and forces him to say that Vinnie would kick his ass in a fight.
Perfect timing! Seen this got uploaded as I was getting out of work.
One of the best underrated if even known Horror movies. You are the first of the more known channels talking about it.
Would love to see you cover Benson & Moorehead’s “Resolution” and “The Endless”
Haven't seen 'Resolution,' what about 'Spring'? Or did he already do that one?
I remember watching this years back with a group of friends for the title, we had first joked around with the film and by the end of it were genuinely interested and engaged in it. I will never forget you Mr. Holes.
I'd love to see you cover Possession (1981). It doesn't have an unexpected final act, but takes a turn from what feels like a drama about a failing marriage to a surreal nightmare maybe halfway? Really caught me off guard and it's one of my favorite films.
I bloody love this movie. Your essay said exactly why that's so.
Absolutely underrated movie from an underrated era. Midnight Meat Train is fantastic.
The way this man Ryan explains film is fucking crazy.
I am so happy to see you cover this one. I've always loved this and thought it was a hidden gem. Obviously it's not perfect but it did some cool stuff.
Insane that Rampage is in this film!
I remember watching this when I was younger (and less into horror history) and thinking it was awful. BUT now being much more appreciative of different types of horror and also knowing it comes out of Clive Barker's bag of tricks it makes way more sense and I definitely want to give it another watch in the near future.
What the hell?! That twist is a real 180.
"You who see but does not understand."
My TMA-infested brain immediately thinks of The Beholding, just for the thematic similarities.
I remember when this movie came out, I was living with 2x of my buddies and one of them rented it on a weekend,. Bradley Coopers career was JUST starting to take off and a few weeks the guys and I had binged Guy Ritchie movies and were on a Vinnie Jones kick ("The fact that you have 'replica' written down the side of your gun, and the fact that i have 'Desert Eagle, .50 ' written on the side of mine , should precipitate your balls into shrinking along with your presence. Now, fuck off.") we watched MMT and when it got to the end we were just blown away and I think all I could say was "I didn't see it going there..." Needless to say, we loved it.
This is one of those movies that I watched and liked more because it wasn't just a random serial murderer who enjoyed slicing and dicing. It felt it had more purpose to it (even with it being as weak as it ended up being). I like when things are more left to the imagination.
As a suggestion, check out The Empty Man.
Empty Man was good.
"So... do I call you Mahogany, or just the Butcher, or what?
"You can call me Susan if it makes you happy."
The twist where it turns out that the audience is the train itself is pure cinematography.
Funny enough, all the week I’ve been recommended this film itself’s recap... and now Ryan reviews this, man I’m impressed
The void is a good cosmic horror and was largely improv
The best lovecraftian, non-Lovecraft movie ever made.
2:20 Love the way he says the word shape
The film was such a good adaptation that when I re-read the short story I was surprised how different it actually was. It nailed the original's horror while building on it, in the best way.
I watched this solely for the fact that it was directed by Ryuhei Kitamura ("Versus"), and had Vinnie Jones. Everything else was just a bonus
Same!!
I did not know that; now knowing that, I feel as though I might quite enjoy it.
Since we’re on the topic of Clive Barker stories, how about talking about Rawhead Rex? The movie adaptation is pretty bad, but I think Rawhead is a unique monster and what he’s meant to represent could make for an interesting video.
If any movie ever deserved a better remake it would be Rawhead Rex.
That short story still kinda weirds me out
@@AirQuotes Yeah. Super violent and unnerving.
I remember watching this with my wife. We both really enjoyed it until the end. After the final twist I loved it and she thought it was a waste of time.
I only watched it because it kept popping up in UA-cam "gory movie deaths" compilations and I was intrigued by its weirdness and how stylised and over the top it looked. I was pleasantly surprised by how deep and interesting it turned out to be.
I love that somewhere in my life Brooke Sheilds stars in a movie called THE MIDNIGHT MEATRAIN. I will love her forever.
I watched this film fairly recently and really enjoyed it. I like when the protagonist has this slow descent into darkness; especially when it's due to taking their curiosities too far and hesitantly crossing a line (knowing its a point of no return). Leon's literal and psychological descent was just as compelling to me as the mystery of the butcher and the horrors of his world.
I personally didn't hate the ending and I feel there was enough there for it to not feel completely out of nowhere. I mean, the whole butcher/train mystery alluded to something clearly going on in the city underbelly and the body horror, overt violence, and atmosphere of the train ride itself didn't make the existence of monsters feel head scratching.
Literally only just watched this film and I loved it. Leaving so many questions but I loved that, so much to talk about with friends 😂
You already did that great breakdown of how Hollywood ruined the Slenderman mythos, but I'd love to get a vid about the Marble Hornets source material
It reminds me of Nietzsche's quote "And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you". The more Leon gazes at Mahogany the more he becomes like him till he becomes him.
I really enjoyed this film, I just got into photography and I was obsessed with the psychology of killers
"Before we jump aboard..."
Because Trains..
Nice segway to Skillshare Ryan...
Heart ya and your content!
I too expected the reveal of the "founding fathers" to be a bit more cosmic but on reflection without an exposition dump it would be difficult to get such a concept over.
I owe the Sci-Fi Channel for alerting me to the existence of this movie. Really wish they’d still show films like this.
I really don't know how this didn't become a modern horror classic. It is so great.
10:47 hey, 2 of Clive’s paintings. Never noticed that before 😎
The only reason I saw this movie was because our very immature friend group found phallic comedy in the title. The movie itself though was really good, and actually threw me at the end. I was pleasantly surprised by this one and will probably re-watch it soon.
midnight meat train is an AMAZING story held back with really weird direction and some really strange vfx shots
This and Film Comics explained doing Identity posted within 30 minutes of each other! I must've been a good girl!!! Already learning, did NOT know this was released theatrically. Explains even 2008 Bradley Cooper appearance though. And yeah did hope for more elder creatures who had been there since the beginning and could swallow NY whole if not fed. But still worked.
I’m happy we follow the same channels
Film comics explained sucks. 95% of the videos are just clips of the movie with no actual explanation.
@@Diogenes-totes nah. He explains a lot. Tell me one video where he doesn’t explain ?
@@themondoshow you clearly didn’t understand what I meant.
He explains some information, never with any depth and the majority of his videos are just wholesale clips with zero commentary. Every single video I’ve ever seen is more the actual content then his explanation of the content.
@@Diogenes-totes example
I remember watching this movie by myself when I was younger and just being so confused, yet intrigued. I had no idea what I just watched and what it meant, but a part of me liked it. lol
Way underrated flick. This is gonna be good
I'm happy you covered this! It's one of my favorite movies. And I personally really enjoyed the 'cosmic' twist at the end. There were enough things that felt 'off' that were slowly introduced throughout the movie that it didn't feel like it was completely out of nowhere, while still being something you couldn't fully know was coming.
You've reviewed over 100 horror films. Have you ever considered writing your own horror film? And if so what sub genre would you write?
Just spit-balling, I imagine it would be something between a slasher and psychological horror.
1st comment on this channel...when you mentioned the term "cosmic SLASHER" my mind went haywire. Being a "writer" (a rare thing these days...uh for me anyways in that I'm your typical underachieving procrastinating yank) I LOVED those two words together and the possibilities that go along with such a phrase so thanks for that brother.
The director of this also directed one of my guiltiest pleasures--'No One Lives'. It stars Luke Evans and while it's nothing new or groundbreaking, I really enjoyed it as a fun, mindless movie. Evans is great in it too!
So glad you covered this film! I was going to suggest it after watching it the other day and thinking it would be something you would really enjoy. Great video as always!
As long as you keep covering horror, I’m staying subscribed!
On the real, Ryan, I’d love to see you do 1922 (ANOTHER short story/novella turned into a film-this time written by Stephen King).
It's interesting that the main character is a photographer who wants to capture the reality of the city he's in. For those who aren't pretentious art nerds like myself, there was a art movement shortly after cameras became commercially available were the goal was to capture the world as it really is, in fact Beksinski was heavily criticized by the art community because he wasn't doing just that.
I haven't watched yet and Im already so hype.
I forgot this movie, because well, ADHD, and the moment I saw my favorite movie video-essayist covering it, I shouted.
LEON THE BUTCHER SCORE AT THE END CREDITS SLAPS LIKE HELL. DANaa DAnana DAnana.
I've actually been waiting for you to review this one
If ANYONE was to write a Cosmic Slasher, it would be the inimitable Clive Barker lol
I remember a couple years ago I had a “Clive Barker Halloween” watching this for the first time right after Candyman and Hellraiser. It was a great time.
I really appreciate this review, specifically because I couldn't bring up the movie with my friends who just laugh at the name. I like seeing the decent of the Mc and thought the butcher literally unable to tell his story
Hey Ryan - thanks for the thoughtful analysis of Midnight Meat Train. This movie keeps finding new life, fans and audiences. It’s themes are as timeless as the Fathers themselves! Keep up the good work, buddy!
The ending to a story is almost just as important as the story itself. So yes, having learned how the original Clive Barker story ended... yeah, the movie has dropped the ball on that one. Cosmic elders are just far more interesting. I lost interest in the film as soon as the generic Descent-esque mutants showed up. I'm a fan of cosmic horror myself specifically because their antagonists/monsters are just so out of the norm and ordinary that makes them unique and refreshing; removing that cosmic element from the equation also removes what makes the story appealing in the first place. Ergo, I'm gonna have to give this film a big "No" and a thumbs down.
I agree, it's like making a movie of Shadow Over Innsmouth and replacing Dagon cultists with zombies or something.
The Castle Freak remake had some good ideas within it, while just not having the quality of a good movie.
It actually ends in a very cosmic horror way, with some wild shit. It’s just a bore of a movie for the first hour.
If you enjoy Lovecraft, I’d say the ending is worth sitting through it.
@@dosboss7589 that was kinda done in Messiah of Evil and the movie is actually quite good.
Cosmic horror is little more than lazy spectacle at this point.
I haven't read the story, but I really disliked the ending as it didn't redeem the rest of the film for me. It's good to hear that the original had a more satisfying ending/premise, at least.
Ryan coining the term 'Cosmic Slasher' is going to get so many new films made I swear it
Woah, you the man
I remember watching this one time really late at night on either Syfy or AMC and for years I never knew what it was until this video.
NEW VID LETS GOOOOOOO
I’m due for a rewatch on this one-I forgot Ted Raimi was even in it! I can’t remember if I read the story or saw the movie first-and if I knew the twist going in regardless-but I didn’t mind the final reveal in any event; I dig horror stories where everything feels increasingly “off” until some totally bizarre unveiling at the last moment
I’ve never gotten around to watching this despite it coming out while I was working in a movie theater, and I swear probably every time I see a clip of this movie, I think “Wait, Bradley Cooper’s in this?” I REALLY need to see it one of these days lol
EDIT: 5:00 I finally watched it and I was convinced it had to have been a 3D movie when it came out because it is filled with classic “3D moments” of things coming right at the camera lol. I’m shocked it wasn’t!
They made good use of Vinnie Jones here. He's maybe not that much of an actor, but he works as long as he can play a stone-cold hardass without much dialogue.
Great job as always sir thank you
And Clive Barker says he wasn't influenced by Lovecraft.
I think I said this before in a video but I'm not really knowledgeable on Clive Barker's entire body of work so excuse me if I end up comparing him to Lovecraft!
@@RyanHollinger Oh, it wasn't a criticism of your take as much as i find Barker's opinion on Lovecraft a little weird considering what, to me at least, seem to be obvious influences.
"So that was a fucking lie."
If he was exposed to it any way, then he was influenced by it. Whether he wants to admit it or not
This was the first thing I ever saw Bradley Cooper in, so to me he’s always just “the meat train guy”
I want you to cover The Tall Man, the film Pascal Laugier made after Martyrs. I guess it’s more suspense thriller than horror, but still...it twists and turns and goes where you don’t expect, and I love it. :)
I also think the extreme CGI-kills are there to show, that this is a Story with a phantasy element. I think the ending is great
I was just telling my brother Aryn about this one the other day. Nice.
That's an awesome name.
@@alexa.english174 It's his middle name technically. He doesn't care for his first name because he says it sounds like a duck noise.
Tell Aryn I said hi
@@hernehaugen6878 First off, tell him it's not true.
Second, what's his name ?(If I'm allowed to know)
@@alexa.english174 It's Zack. He says it sounds like a duck noise because it rhymes with quack.
this movie is one i saw before i heard anyone do a review of, and it honestly baffled me when i started seeing people degrade and mock it. It was always labelled as too silly, over the top, and mindless, yet the actors did a great job, the pacing is pretty good, and while the ending is a bit silly the sequences leading up to the reveal are handled really well, as well as give a sort of sympathetic light on the butcher. It doesn't even really show the guys helping him as "evil" either. it is explained it is a necissary thing that has to happen, and it basically makes it clear everyone involved has their hands tied and are just doing what needs to be done.
Hi Ryan, I would love to see your take on a horror anthology called The Theatre Bizarre. I've never seen any deep dive analysis and I think you might enjoy it.
I'm so stoked for this vid!!
I don’t know what genre you listen to mainly Ryan but I’m not much into horror but ice nine kills is a really good metal band that is horror themed. At least there album the silver scream is. And even though I’m not much into horror. I love your videos. It’s funny I don’t like watching horror but I really like horror themed videos. Anyways sorry about the paragraph. Though you’ve probably already been told about ice nine kills. I should also probably mention that all I listen to is metal and anime music. And I know metal isn’t for everyone. Love your accent dude. Again sorry for the novel.
Ice nine kills is a pretty good horror rock band. If you prefer rap however, most of the people that work with the record label "Strange Music" are somewhat horror focused. Especially Brotha Lynch Hung's "coat hanger strangla" trilogy.