Bradley Cooper's Hidden Horror Gem: A Look Back at The Midnight Meat Train
The Midnight Meat Train: A Bloody Good Time (According to Peter Jacobson!)
Before Bradley Cooper became a household name thanks to The Hangover (2009), he starred in a seriously underrated horror flick: The Midnight Meat Train (2008). Directed by the legendary Ryûhei Kitamura, it's a seriously gory and intense ride; showing Cooper in a much different kind of leading role before reaching the level of immense popularity! It featured a chilling premise that involved a photographer obsessed with capturing the darkness within humanity, then ending up chasing after a totally insane serial killer who leaves victims along a late-night subway line. The film got surprisingly good reviews and features several stars, but you won't believe what happened when we caught up with one of them to talk about their experience working in that production.
We recently spoke with actor Peter Jacobson (promoting his new horror film, Smile 2); he spilled some really interesting behind-the-scenes info about working with Cooper on The Midnight Meat Train. Jacobson (who played Otto) had only positive memories of the entire shoot—even if he wasn’t exactly in all the gruesome bits! According to him, Cooper was fantastic!
Here's what Jacobson had to say:
"It's funny, I hadn't spoken or thought about that movie for a while, and the other day, somebody said, "Have you done other horror films?" And I was like, "Well, I've stabbed a lot of zombies, and I've been in medically horrific situations, doing a medical show for five years." But no, I thought this was my first real horror film, and then I was like, "Wait, whoa, hold on, Midnight Meat Train!" Again, I was not in the gore and the terror of that film, but that was a blast. That was Bradley Cooper before he was Bradley Cooper, and he was also really great to work with. I had a fun time, and yeah, it's been I don't know how many years. It's great to be back into it, I'd love to dive into the actual horror next time, if I get a chance to do it again."
The Midnight Meat Train: Before Cooper Became a Superstar
Before The Midnight Meat Train, Cooper's most known roles were probably in Alias and Wedding Crashers (2005). However, he wasn’t the lead, as was the case in his many earlier works. This role gave him that serious step-up; despite the film’s commercial failure, he played that prominent role which launched him towards that fame and higher roles in larger productions.
Critics weren’t exactly united regarding their initial opinion. Rotten Tomatoes shows a somewhat lukewarm 71% score from critics (but only 50% from audiences). Its limited release hurt that initial box office performance – grossing only around $3.5 million against an estimated $15 million budget. This however ultimately impacted its fate in several different, surprising ways which would only later help increase its popularity.
Our Thoughts on Cooper’s Underappreciated Horror Flick
The Midnight Meat Train is way more than a simple footnote in Cooper's career! It’s a wild horror ride – and now, a really interesting historical item and artifact; considering Cooper's immense fame today and also regarding how different some aspects of this film's aesthetic and sensibilities differed greatly from other mainstream Hollywood releases that followed! That wild plot, combined with those amazingly shocking scenes and really wild ending made for something unexpectedly creative; and even some viewers today have considered this thing a serious cult favorite, and not for nothing either!
Conclusion: A Cult Horror Classic with a Pre-Superstar Bradley Cooper!
While The Midnight Meat Train isn't necessarily one of Cooper's most recognizable works, it holds that amazing charm as this underappreciated horror film that gave us that awesome sneak peek into that amazing talent long before he blew up and established himself into a well-known mainstream movie star! Its legacy may involve a relatively small box office return and is something mostly easily remembered amongst certain fans. But those elements like the story and amazing practical effects combined with Jacobson's own sentiments provide plenty of reasons to still enjoy The Midnight Meat Train – even today! For certain horror fans, this specific kind of title stands out above those newer and equally mediocre Hollywood productions, despite lacking the similar budget.
