Midnight Slaughter Train

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midnight_front.jpg
Faneditor Name:
Original Movie Title:
Fanedit Type:
Original Release Date:
2008
Original Running Time:
104
Fanedit Release Date:
Fanedit Running Time:
90
Time Cut:
14
Available in HD?
Brief Synopsis:
'Midnight Meat Train' was a solid horror film starring Bradley Cooper and Vinnie Jones that had a novel premise and some terrifying moments along with an entertaining story that avoided the many cliches and pitfalls of many run-of-the-mill horror films today. It was original, fresh and very bloody. However, some fans were not satisfied with the overly occult ending and wonder what it would have been like if Meat Train was a straight-up slasher. With this edit, the film is recut into a solid slasher/splatter/psychological thriller with an alternate ending.
Intention:
This is Ryuhei Kitamura and Clive Barker's excellent 'Midnight Meat Train' with Bradley Cooper and 'Bullet Tooth' Vinnie Jones recut as a slasher. I focused on creating the most effective and interesting movie possible while avoiding the occult horror elements of the original. I'm quite happy with the final product! Midnight Slaughter Train is now a straight up slasher/splatter/psychological thriller with a new ending. It would be great to see what someone who had not seen the original think if he/she watches this before the original!
Special Thanks:
JJE-187, for the original idea to make this a slasher, as well as the excellent cover art.
Release Information:
Digital
Editing Details:
Adobe Premiere Pro

- Removed the conductor character from the film
- Mr Mahogany has no dialogue at all in this version
- Removed all references to the 100 year old cult and butcher
- Removed the whole police conspiracy
- Removed the subway creatures
- Created new alternate ending more in line with the tone of the movie
Cuts and Additions:
- Replaced opening title cards to appear grittier and with gate weave
- Resynced off-sync slashing noises during prologue murder sequence
- Retitled film Midnight Slaughter Train, overlaid new 'bashing' and splatter sounds, added gate weave and grindhouse-like effect to main title
- Ted Raimi's death re-edited to make it more realistic (the slow motion eye-pop timing adjusted)
- Shortened sequence of Bradley Cooper stalking Mahogany (Vinnie Jones), trimmed for pacing
- Slight trim to Mahogany seeing the midnight meat train arrive (as this footage would be used in its entirety again later on)
- New ending to the Mahogany-Afro ninja fight as the conductor character is completely removed in this cut. Mahogany does not require assistance in this version, no "I'm disappointed in you" line.
- Removed the '1895' year from the newspaper Cooper is examining by blurring and cropping
- By using pans and rotation, recreated the overhead zoom-out shot of Cooper on the floor with the newspaper clippings, again to remove the visible '1895' year in the original
- Recut and reordered dialogue in scene when Cooper talks to his wife (Maya) to remove all references to "murders over a century ago" etc, so that it is now referring to abductions only several years prior
- Cut scene of Cooper reconciling with Maya in the diner and Mahogany stalking Cooper (for pacing)
- Cut scene of creature frightening bound Cooper. In this version, Cooper wakes up in the meat factory after Mahogany knocks him out in the train, implying that Mahogany himself had carved the occult symbol on Cooper's chest
- Cut Maya asking Jurgis to wait outside at Mahogany's apartment
- Cut Jurgis jump scare
- Cut Cooper in bathtub (rearranged to occur later)
- Cut Maya digging through Mahogany's bag to find century-old train schedules
- Cut Cooper at art gallery (for pacing)
- Cut two shots of conductor while Maya on train
- Cut the conductor meeting Cooper and Maya at the underground station
- Cut the creatures
- Cut Mahogany's line "Welcome"
- Cut the conductor's confrontation with Cooper
- Added Cooper's bathtub scene here, after the Mahogany fight
- Created alternate ending which fits the psychological horror/obsesssive tone of the original and utilizes the original build-up.
- Added acknowledgement card after credits
Cover art by JJE-187 (DOWNLOAD HERE) image



Alternate Cover art by JJE-187 (DOWNLOAD HERE) image

User reviews

2 reviews
Overall rating
 
9.6
Audio/Video Quality
 
9.5(2)
Audio Editing
 
9.0(2)
Visual Editing
 
10.0(2)
Narrative
 
9.5(2)
Enjoyment
 
10.0(2)
(Updated: August 26, 2020)
Overall rating
 
9.6
Audio/Video Quality
 
9.0
Audio Editing
 
9.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
10.0
Enjoyment
 
10.0
I love what's been done here. I've always abhorred when movies try to "explain" away their horrifying elements, trying to answer the questions we ask when the answers we try to come up with by ourselves are far scarier. This edit does just that, turning the Butcher into a mystery, another part of the heart of the city. The new narrative is very clear-cut here, the constant mirror imagery serve it well. There are no points where something is "missing", if I hadn't seen the original, it would be very difficult where a cut was made. Though, the strange growths on the Butcher's chest, as well as the symbol carved into Leon's chest are a complete mystery in this cut, those are elements that don't necessarily need straight answers. The viewer is free to ponder on what they could mean, perhaps symbols of Leon's obsession with the violent heart of the city taking over and destroying his mind and body.

There are certain points where the noise in the scene drowns out the dialogue, hence only a near perfect rating for the audio.

All of the bleak violence and imagery, with none of the occult elements to distract. Ranger did an excellent job.

User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched?
Digital
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
(Updated: December 11, 2014)
Overall rating
 
9.6
Audio/Video Quality
 
10.0
Audio Editing
 
9.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
9.0
Enjoyment
 
10.0
Overview - One of the better Clive Barker adaptations. This concerns an ambitious, artsy shutterbug trailing a possible homicidal killer (Exceptional use of Vinnie Jones, by the way.). Ranger’s edit removes all references to occult and conspiracy elements, and thrusts this smack into splatter spree territory.

Video - Excellent editing, as expected from this editor. New opening credits, well chosen and well done. Story spends considerable time in subway trains, drenched in darkness and flickering light. Blacks solid throughout.

Audio - Dynamic 2.0 sound mix. Dialogue generally clear, bit murky at noisy junctions. No subtitles. Quite a bit was removed for this version, but no audio giveaways. Nice job.

Narrative - Some odd things persist. The butcher is still cutting those “chest scabs” during one scene. No explanation whatsoever. Which is OK. In Ranger’s version, the butcher is an inexplicable force of Nature, compelled to murder, though patient enough to wait for the lonely opportunity. The randomness of the attacks is particularly chilling.

Enjoyment - Take the A-Train, baby. I enjoyed this slasher ride a lot. In the original, and I know others will regard this as blasphemy, I considered the demonic angle distracting, if not silly. Here, the butcher is a twisted soul. Because we cannot tell what formed him or what compels him, he becomes a rogue cancer cell in the community.

As much as the butcher is a slave to his impulses, the photographer is equally troubled. His narrative is one of obsession becoming compulsion. He is increasingly drawn to darkness, forsaking the light.

Despite the gore and violence (squeamish souls, take note), this film is bleak, cold, despairing at times. Perfect, nonetheless, for urban dwellers who walk the half-lit 2:00 AM streets and try not to glance over their shoulders.

User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched?
Digital
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0