Art Gore

I'm not a huge fan of "torture porn" horror, but I've got to say:

Horror needs blood.

I caught the surprisingly entertaining MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN on blu-ray, and it has got a remarkable amount of blood in it. At the same time, as gory as it is, I don't consider it "torture porn". People are getting killed and it is extravagantly bloody, but it serves a narrative purpose.

The story of a photographer who's trying to capture edgier portraits of his urban landscape—to further his career—and in doing so, happens upon what seems to be one grisly fucking serial killer.

It's based on an old Clive Barker short story that I vaguely remember from back in the day. Barker's very proud of this adaptation (script by Jeff Buhler, directed by Ryûhei Kitamura) and opens up a bit in a small feature on the disc where he invites the camera into his art studio.

Barker discovered his love of painting when he was 45, and a tour of his studio reveals HUNDREDS of canvases that he's painted. Including an entire section of his duds, which he freely winces over and picks through to point out the ones that may be salvageable and the ones that are goners.

What I love about Barker is that he creates arty horror. Sometimes it's so far out it can be inaccessible. But a lot of the stories he's created lend themselves to deeper, more thoughtful adaptations.

Of course, Midnight Meat Train didn't get any support and was pretty much buried. Horror being such a resilient genre, you'd think there'd be more room for some riskier entries. But this world does not like risk. Pity.