In the end Midnight Meat Train, directed by Ryuhei Kitamura, went to a mere one hundred and two cinemas across the U.S., that meant one in Los Angeles and none in New York. It sold out in most of the places it showed and is gaining a cult audience, but Lionsgate have effectively killed it's cinema run.

The film has only made about eight four thousand U.S. dollars, not that much, and Clive Barker is pointing the finger at Joe Drake, the head of Lionsgate.

According to the story over at MTV Movies Blog, Clive Barker believes that Joe Drake is diverting attention towards the film which he receives a production credit on, The Strangers. He wants that one to do well and doesn't want any other competition.

Well I could understand that, had it not been for the initial fact that Midnight Meat Train had been moved from May 16th to August 1st, and if there really was that much competition for The Strangers why didn't they just move the date again?

However it looks like the film will still win through. The Strangers may do better in the cinema, but Midnight Meat Train looks set to do much better on DVD. Barker said that he is...

'...very proud that the movie is surviving the nonsense. People are getting to see the movie. Its sort of starting to have a cult life.'

He wasn't so complimentary of Drake though, saying:

'...the politics that are being visited upon it have nothing to do with the movie at all. This is all about ego...'

...and apparently said that he was small-minded and a nobody - well he's a somebody because he or his company have just destroyed the film and ensured that it won't get a fair airing with audiences.

Barker makes an excellent point, and it does make me wonder why films like this are trashed, films that have a high talent factor behind them, big names and hype associated, and have amassed a strong following.

'Theres room for everything...You dont have to s**t on somebody elses work to advance your own material.'

I agree, it could have had it's own release date and been given more of a chance. If it made that amount in a tiny amount of cinemas with next to no advertising and packed cinemas, what could it have done on a bigger release? I'm not talking major blockbuster, but at least something to give it a chance.

Well it's to DVD for this one, hopefully, unless Lionsgate feel like destroying more horror films, and let's leave the closing words to the writer, to a talent, not an executive balancing the sheets and maximising profits while building a career:

'...though I mourn the fact that Midnight Meat Train was never given its chance in theaters, its a beautifully stylish, scary movie, and it isnt going anywhere. People will find it, and whether they find it in midnight shows or they find it on DVD, theyll find it, and in the end the Joe Drakes of the world will disappear.'