Tough-guy actor Vinnie Jones, who most recently starred opposite superstar wrestler Steve Austin in THE CONDEMNED, got in touch with Fango to talk up his role in the Clive Barker adaptation MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN, coming from Lionsgate May 16.
Directed by VERSUS/GODZILLA: FINAL WARS’ Ryuhei Kitamura from a Jeff Buhler screenplay, the movie casts Jones as Mahogany, a mysterious, suit-wearing serial killer who slices and dices subway riders. In one particularly brutal punchup, Jones takes on UFC fighter Rampage Jackson. “That was a tough scene,” the actor tells us. “In fact, he has to be one of my toughest opponents of all time—on and off the screen. He is one of the strongest men I have ever encountered. He really grabbed hold of me during our fight scene. I can tell you that this will be a very real-looking battle—and he is a great fella.”
For Jones, the opporunity to working with Kitamura was one of the elements that attracted him to MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN. “I have seen a lot of Ryuhei’s work,” he says. “I’m a big fan. When you nail a role like this, you’re on a high, and that makes it all worthwhile.” Indeed, Jones admits that sometimes he gets scarily into character when essaying such villainous parts. “In THE CONDEMNED, I had to do a rape scene, and I stayed away from everyone,” he recalls. “When we went to lunch, everybody was freaked out, and that tells me that I did a great scene.” Perhaps the only negative about Jones’ MEAT TRAIN experience is that he didn’t receive any scenes alongside its leading lady. “I don’t get to share any screen time with Brooke Shields,” he admits. “She shot all of her stuff quite early on.”
Next up for the actor is a role in HELL RIDE, a biker thriller which reunites EASY RIDER star Dennis Hopper with a motorcycle. “It’s going to be a Quentin Tarantino presentation,” Jones says. “It has been great fun to shoot.” Look for a set report on MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN in a forthcoming Fango.
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