View Full Version : Midnight Meat Train
James Whale
07-15-2008, 10:24 PM
What's the word on this film? Who has any inside information about the quality. We need a balls to the wall horror film this summer! The Strangers just doesn't cut it.:eek:
neverending
07-15-2008, 10:46 PM
http://www.horror.com/forum/showthread.php?t=34401
James Whale
07-16-2008, 07:27 PM
I had no idea that all of you made such a difference concerning the release of MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN. I hope it doesn't suck! I'll know we're in trouble if there's any hint of torture porn in it. Torture is very boring. Stay positve. This has been a great summer for movies.
Burning in Hell
07-22-2008, 04:32 AM
Seing it tonight at the Fantasia fest!!
Roderick Usher
07-22-2008, 08:04 AM
I had no idea that all of you made such a difference concerning the release of MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN. I hope it doesn't suck! I'll know we're in trouble if there's any hint of torture porn in it. Torture is very boring. Stay positve. This has been a great summer for movies.
Torture can be a fantastic way to expose character. No single element of any art should be summarily dismissed. A good film is a good film regardless of wether there is torture present.
Casino Royale was a good film with a great torture scene in it.Marathon Man was an amazing film that hinged upon a sequence of horrific torture.
Torture or not, a good film is a good film... let's just hope for more good films and not be so narrow-minded and quick to swallow what the knee-jerk media says.
I consider any Adam Sandler movie a "torture film".
:D
La Chat Noire
07-22-2008, 08:22 AM
Torture can be a fantastic way to expose character. No single element of any art should be summarily dismissed. A good film is a good film regardless of wether there is torture present.
Casino Royale was a good film with a great torture scene in it.Marathon Man was an amazing film that hinged upon a sequence of horrific torture.
Torture or not, a good film is a good film... let's just hope for more good films and not be so narrow-minded and quick to swallow what the knee-jerk media says.
This is true, but I don't think anyone would characterize the movies you mentioned as 'torture porn.' I assume James was referring to movies like Hostel, which in my opinion use torture only to shock audiences rather than do anything that has meaning. Using torture scenes for the sake of having torture scenes is, like James said, boring. But you're right about good films being good films, and if torture is in a good movie it will no doubt be displayed in an effective way.
Roderick Usher
07-22-2008, 08:33 AM
I believe Hostel used torture very effectively to create a morality play about the high price of "Ugly Americanism." That fact that the message is so lost on most of the population only underscores the films importance. I enjoyed the film tremendously. I even enjoyed Hostel II.
Sure, Captivity was a crap film, but it wasn't a crap film because of the torture, it simply wasn't written, directed or acted well.
The Girl Next Door is a solid and disturbing film that is all about torture. Texas Chainsaw Massacre was brilliant, and that dinner sequence was prolonged psychological and emotional torture.
Torture isn't the issue and "Torture-Porn" is a stupid media-created term that has no relevence or creeedence coming from the the same pundits who defend our actions in Guantanamo Bay and Abu Grhaib, but think a trashy scary movie is somehow going to undermine the morality of our society.
La Chat Noire
07-22-2008, 08:52 AM
I have to disagree with you about Hostel, at least with the second one. (I actually didn't mind the first one so much). The fact that message of 'ugly Americans' was so lost on people means that the scenes weren't constructed effectively enough to portray that message. I think that message needed to be drawn out more through dialogue and character so it didn't come across as such a torture/gore fest. But I can understand where you're coming from and why you interpreted the film differently. I know there's plenty of people who completely agree with you.
I will agree about Captivity. The poor acting and writing were definitely the major flaws of the film, more so than any of the torture scenes could have been.
I haven't seen The Girl Next Door but I plan on watching soon because I've read nothing but good reviews that say although it's torture is disturbing and graphic, it has something meaningful to say.
James Whale
07-22-2008, 09:21 AM
:rolleyes: Roger Ebert is as left wing as you can get and he often uses "torture porn" to decribe films that use scenes of torture the same way that porn uses sexuality, in a shallow and exploitative manner. Gloria Steinem-another right wing zealot,ha!- decries the "torture porn" genre. "Tortue porn" refers to torture being used just to disgust with no creativity or imagination. "Torture porn" was coined by very left-wing ,mainstream critics. The Bush connection is far fetched. I understand that you don't like the term. Sorry. It's an accurate way to desribe badly made films that are shallow and hollow. Mostly, they are boring. Maybe some young teens will think it's cool because people say they shouldn't see it. You are right ,THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE is one of the best films ever made. Only the first one. It's a work of art from a true auteur, TOBE HOOPER. Back to this film, CLive Barker has a fantastic imagination and a take on stuff that is creative and original. He was"The future of horror" according to Stephen King in the 80's. That did not come to pass; I don't know why. Maybe ,I hope , he can redeem himself. I think it's sad ,however, if the only way to get a Clive Barker penned film released is to market it as boring "torture porn." Here hoping this film is a true Clive Barker vision not some shallow excuse to gross people out. The topic here shouldn't be "torture porn." The topic is my hope that Clive Barker can make a huge comeback; let's get back to it.
Roderick Usher
07-22-2008, 01:17 PM
I rather like hijacking a thread;)
I never said anything about Bush - I was getting on Bill O'Reily's case (and otehr media pundits). Liberal intellectuals have just as shitty a track record as Conservatives in the field of telling us what's good for us and trying to define quality.
It is smug intellectualism that breeds the kind of thought process that say "these films are bad for society." Inherent in the comment is that "it won't affect me, but other people of weaker will and lower education might see something like this and copy the actions."
I hope Midnight Meat Train kicks ass, but Clive Barker is certainly no stranger to "torture porn." His own greatest creation, Hellraiser is a flat-out celebration of the limits of human pain endurance.
La Chat Noire
07-22-2008, 02:57 PM
A couple of his short stories were done on Masters of Horror. I just picked them up and hopefully they've done justice to his work :)
James Whale
07-22-2008, 09:10 PM
I would love for this film to be a surprise smash.:eek:
James Whale
07-22-2008, 10:40 PM
I rather like hijacking a thread;)
I never said anything about Bush - I was getting on Bill O'Reily's case (and otehr media pundits). Liberal intellectuals have just as shitty a track record as Conservatives in the field of telling us what's good for us and trying to define quality.
It is smug intellectualism that breeds the kind of thought process that say "these films are bad for society." Inherent in the comment is that "it won't affect me, but other people of weaker will and lower education might see something like this and copy the actions."
I hope Midnight Meat Train kicks ass, but Clive Barker is certainly no stranger to "torture porn." His own greatest creation, Hellraiser is a flat-out celebration of the limits of human pain endurance.
Torture is fine if it's done in a crea:eek: tive, imaginative way that freaks me out.
Burning in Hell
07-23-2008, 11:20 AM
Well, I got to see it yesterday, great movie!
Had that epic vibe I love about good movies based on Barker's stories or directed by him. Very brutal as well, but I would not say it ventures into "torture porn" land.
And VERY artsy, some shots were very impressive and original, especially **** MINOR SPOILERS **** one involving a dismembered head. One downpoint though : CGI blood!!! I mean come on, I can understand for some gory moments, but even blood flowing from some rather "mundane wounds", that could easily have beeen done the old-fashioned way, were CGI and it showed.
But all in all, that was the only downside I can think of. All other things in the movie are great, so if you can ignore this mildly annoying "faux-pas", you're in for a treat.
The Mothman
07-23-2008, 02:47 PM
:rolleyes: Roger Ebert is as left wing as you can get and he often uses "torture porn" to decribe films that use scenes of torture the same way that porn uses sexuality, in a shallow and exploitative manner. Gloria Steinem-another right wing zealot,ha!- decries the "torture porn" genre. "Tortue porn" refers to torture being used just to disgust with no creativity or imagination. "Torture porn" was coined by very left-wing ,mainstream critics. The Bush connection is far fetched. I understand that you don't like the term. Sorry. It's an accurate way to desribe badly made films that are shallow and hollow. Mostly, they are boring. Maybe some young teens will think it's cool because people say they shouldn't see it. You are right ,THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE is one of the best films ever made. Only the first one. It's a work of art from a true auteur, TOBE HOOPER. Back to this film, CLive Barker has a fantastic imagination and a take on stuff that is creative and original. He was"The future of horror" according to Stephen King in the 80's. That did not come to pass; I don't know why. Maybe ,I hope , he can redeem himself. I think it's sad ,however, if the only way to get a Clive Barker penned film released is to market it as boring "torture porn." Here hoping this film is a true Clive Barker vision not some shallow excuse to gross people out. The topic here shouldn't be "torture porn." The topic is my hope that Clive Barker can make a huge comeback; let's get back to it.
Horror and Politics dont mix.
James Whale
07-23-2008, 07:55 PM
Well, I got to see it yesterday, great movie!
Had that epic vibe I love about good movies based on Barker's stories or directed by him. Very brutal as well, but I would not say it ventures into "torture porn" land.
And VERY artsy, some shots were very impressive and original, especially **** MINOR SPOILERS **** one involving a dismembered head. One downpoint though : CGI blood!!! I mean come on, I can understand for some gory moments, but even blood flowing from some rather "mundane wounds", that could easily have beeen done the old-fashioned way, were CGI and it showed.
But all in all, that was the only downside I can think of. All other things in the movie are great, so if you can ignore this mildly annoying "faux-pas", you're in for a treat.
I hate all CGI; I hope the fim can transcend the CGI as well as Brook Shields. My biiggest hope rests on the fact that Clive Barker wrote it. Please ,horror gods ,let this be a kick ass horror film!
Burning in Hell
07-24-2008, 04:54 AM
I hate all CGI; I hope the fim can transcend the CGI as well as Brook Shields. My biiggest hope rests on the fact that Clive Barker wrote it. Please ,horror gods ,let this be a kick ass horror film!
To me it did transcend the CGI Blood (even though I was very frustrated when I first saw it), since it was cleverly written, very well paced and the atmosphere was great. And you don't get to see Brooke Shields that often, she has a minor role, my guess would be that we see her about 6-7 minutes in the whole movie...