Midnight Meat Train
Now this is something completely unexpected. I was looking for info about what happened to Versus 2 when I stumbled upon these pieces. http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/8578 http://www.twitchfilm.net/archives/008114.html Ryuhei Kitamura is going to be directing a horror movie based off of a short story by CLIVE fuckin' BARKER. I didn't think Kitamura would try to make his U.S. debut so soon. I'm also shocked that Kitamura is actually somewhat tall. (I thought he was going to be short like Miike. Speaking of Miike he's currently doing a remake of Yojimbo/Django wtih a cameo appearance by Tarrantino.) We all know how stylish Kitamura can get with his directing skills, & since Clive Barker is there to provide the substance for the film it seems like this ish has a pretty good chance being straight up ILL, Friggin Rampage Jackson is in this movie. I wonder how much ass is he going to kick before he dies. (Being a black man, they always die first.)

Wow this sure sounds sweet! Yeah I love me some Rampage Jackson, can't wait for the re-match with the Iceman. And I didn't know Miike was re-making Yojimbo, sounds good. And Midnight Meat Train sounds awesome, but I don't know if Kitamura is perfect for the director. Having just bought Ultimate Versus here in the US, ya'll know I'm a Kitamura fan, but all his work so far is primarily action based. But usually there is an eerie atmosphere thrown in, like Aragami and Alive. Still my joy to see Kitamura hit US shores will override my judgement when I go to see this movie.

And I didn't know Miike was re-making Yojimbo, sounds good. He's actually doing a remake of a spaghetti western from the 60's called Django. Which in turn was inspired by Yojimbo itself. And Midnight Meat Train sounds awesome, but I don't know if Kitamura is perfect for the director. Having just bought Ultimate Versus here in the US, ya'll know I'm a Kitamura fan, but all his work so far is primarily action based. I said the same exact thang to myself. Well actualy I was more like "WTF!!!" Kitamura is the same asshole who turned Sky High (A manga about the souls of the dead & the decisions that they make once they reach the crossroads of the afterlife) Into a shallow movie that revolved mostly around hot chicks in chambara sword fights. After I thought it over The MEAT TRAIN can't be too bad since Clive Barker himself is on board with the project. I doubt that he would let Kitamura butcher the story too much. (Although I never read it so I wouldn't know.) One things for sure Kitamura knows how to make some dope ass gory death scenes.

WOW, Midnight Meat Train is the SHit!!!! Or at least it was until it gets to the plot twist in the end. The plot twist would have worked had they been Lovecraftian demons like every other Clive Barker based story in the world, but they were nothing more than savage beasts. That Japanese model girl is fine as hell. Too bad she got her brains splattered. (She actually had the least grusome death.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PezuELkGDu4 She looks like she came straight from Japan, because Japanese Americans hardly ever look that exquisite. I looked her up, and it turns out that she's actually a music artist. http://tearbridge.com/nora/index.html (I never heard of her. I listened to the sound samples of her music, and it sucks. Damn though, she's hot. She should become a model instead.) Hah hah this is some classic Versus style gore right here. (Well sort of. They used cg in place of props.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GEyi6AyxPY SHit, his eye popped out. Hell that blonde girl had the worst death. I won't spoil it. I cracked up when she tripped over that guys eye. Rampage Jackson as a guardian angel. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39zrZlQ7HfM "Life is like a box of chocolates" SHit that was a good fight. Rampage versus Forrest Gump gone psycho. Too bad Rampage got shot in the eye by the conductor. The plot twist http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5DTt_h1wg4 Hah hah. I think it's interesting how Kitamura recycled the fight choreography from Versus. THere's a scene where a skull gets used as a weapon & they start throwing it around. It's similar to the scene where the crazy Yakuza in Versus throw the zombie head around. There's even a scene where a guy gets his tongue pulled out and then the other guy eats it. (In versus it was a heart that got eaten.) A heart does indeed get pulled out, but the conductor doesn't eat it. _______________________ Overall this movie was a lot better then I expected. It's certainly the only hollywood horror movie I've seen this year that was actually decent. (FUCK SAW!!!!!!!) It's a sad shame that this movie was denied a theatrical wide release due to internal politics from Lionsgate. I hear that Clive & Kitamura are in talks with each other for future projects. I'm anxious to see more from them, because Clive Barker & Kitamura are a surprisingly decent combination.

He's actually doing a remake of a spaghetti western from the 60's called Django. Which in turn was inspired by Yojimbo itself. I think you got it mixed there, "For a Fistfull of Dollars" was inspired by Yojimbo (almost cloned, but was worth). Its this remake that bears more resemblance to Yojimbo and Fistfull of Dollars.

My thoughts as posted somewhere else I had my doubts that Ryuhei could do a horror film but I was pleasantly surprised. He set up the plot well used good camera shots, good dialogue. Something no one seems to have noticed here is that every element of the final fight scene was action, the way the two characters were shot, the way they both took even damage till the end, no real crushing cheap comeback like you'd see in any given horror movie, very martial artish character movements with a general intense feeling of desperation. As a big fan of Versus and an action/gore junkie I appreciated this scene very much, one of my favorite fight scenes to date. But yes more supernatural elements throughout would of been nice, although the reveal at the end had it's charms. 8/10

Yeah, I have a hard time remembering names of old samurai & western movies. Mainly because I've watched most of these flicks when I was just a kid. I never really bothered with what the titles of these movies were. I just described them as that badass movie with the *Insert insanely ridiculously baddass scene here.* ANy way I recommend everybody to buy the dvd of Midnight meat train whenever it comes out. The movie would've worked far better had it been set in England, but whatever. (I'll just suspend my disbelief and act as if New York subways are empty around 2:00 a.m. At least it gives the director the excuse to cast a hot Japanese chick & Rampage for no apparent reason other then act like a slut & get slaughtered, or act like a prick & get shot. I heard that the monsters originally were intelligent lovecraftian like beings until lionsgate made them cut 9 minutes out of the theatrical release. This is the first Kitamura movie I've enjoyed from start to uh never mind the end sucked, but the rest of the movie wasn't that bad. Good compared to new school horror terms though. Something no one seems to have noticed here is that every element of the final fight scene was action, the way the two characters were shot, the way they both took even damage till the end, no real crushing cheap comeback like you'd see in any given horror movie, very martial artish character movements with a general intense feeling of desperation. As a big fan of Versus and an action/gore junkie I appreciated this scene very much, one of my favorite fight scenes to date. Actually I did. I talked about it during the plot twist spoilers. The plot twist http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5DTt_h1wg4 Hah hah. I think it's interesting how Kitamura recycled the fight choreography from Versus. THere's a scene where a skull gets used as a weapon & they start throwing it around. It's similar to the scene where the crazy Yakuza in Versus throw the zombie head around. There's even a scene where a guy gets his tongue pulled out and then the other guy eats it. (In versus it was a heart that got eaten.) A heart does indeed get pulled out, but the conductor doesn't eat it. I agree though. That scene was badass. I want more Clive Barker / Kitamura collaborations. My only real beef with the plot twist is that the monsters weren't Cliver Barker/ H.P. Lovecraft enough. Clive Barker usually has these monsters haunting you who happen to be smarter & more resourceful than the entirety of the human race. It was a let down to see that the monsters were nothing more than feral dog like beasts. The main character becoming the new butcher just doesn't make sense unless the film somehow conveyed how vastly intelligent & omnipotent they were when compared to us. I let it slide though, because the rest of the movie was that fucking awesome. I had my doubts that Ryuhei could do a horror film but I was pleasantly surprised. I had my doubts as well considering how badly he butchered Sky High. (Which was originally a horror themed manga with no martial arts scenes at all.) I was worried that Kitamura would insert a random hot Japanese babe for the hell of it like he always does. (That completely ruined sky high for me, because it was like an entire harem of hot chicks in that film. Although Kitamura actually did insert a random hot Japanese woman. (Just as I suspected.) It actually worked within the script, because they wrote a plausible reason for her to be in the movie.

You should check Sergio Leone films again; he excelled at directing his movies. I watch them more for how good the movie was created rather than whats actually going on. Not to mention they have original music that fits perfectly, even when it sounds awkards at first. Movie's soundtracks nowadays are as lame as those dragon ball z videos on youtube with linkin park music

As I said I never really bothered with what the titles of these movies were. To cite an example... I never really paid much attention to what was going on in Kurosawa films until I started re watching them this year. When I was a kid I would always tune out until some people started kicking ass or get killed. I actually did used to describe these films as "that movie where the guy got shot full of arrows & shit". When you're a kid, you simply are just not aware of anything meaningful that can be derived on screen. That's all I'll say about that. Not to mention they have original music that fits perfectly, even when it sounds awkards at first. Movie's soundtrack are as lame as those dragon ball z videos on youtube with linkin park music I agree with that for the most part. (Especially SAW, hah.) Some movies have outstanding music direction though. Check out the original Candyman movie. The soothing piano pieces in that flick kick ass.