A Big Helping of RAW MEAT (aka Death Line) in 4K

RAW MEAT aka Death Line (4K UHD)

1972 / 87 min

Blue Underground

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Back in the mid-70s, my friends and I snuck into auditorium #4 of the old Southgate Quad for a double feature consisting of Squirm and Raw Meat (both titles released in the U.S. by American-International Pictures). Killer worms and flesh eating zombies? Sounded like an afternoon well spent. 

At least Squirm delivered as promised. As for Raw Meat…man, talk about false advertising! Sure, there were a few gross bits, but for a thrill-seeking 13-year-old, watching an old, bald, Chatty Cathy cop berate suspects was decidedly less entertaining than the pinball machines in the theater lobby. Which is precisely where we headed after about 30 minutes.

Wisdom may not always come with age, but I eventually wised up to the unscrupulous practice of rebranding movies with gonzo new titles to snooker folks who judge books by their covers (which the likes of AIP and Roger Corman’s New World Pictures often did with films they acquired for the grindhouse crowd). Case in point, Raw Meat was originally called Death Line (still the onscreen title) and was never intended to compete with ravenous worms for a middle schooler’s attention.

While flesh eating is inferred, there are no zombies in Death Line. It’s got a pretty cool premise, though. While the London subway system was being constructed in the late 19th Century, a cave-in trapped several workers who resorted to cannibalism to stay alive. A century later, one of their descendants has been snatching commuters to feed himself and his dying mate. When a prominent MBE member goes missing, Inspector Calhoun (Donald Pleasence) investigates, but spends a lot of his time grilling Alex (David Ladd), the guy who brought it to his attention in the first place. It also turns out a lot of folks have gone missing in the subway lately. 

"I thought I paid this."

Part horror film, part police procedural, Death Line is atmospheric and well made on a low budget, with good direction by Gary Sherman (who’d later go on to helm Dead & Buried, one of the best underseen movies of the ‘80s). But it's Pleasance who steals this one. His amusing performance suggests he had great fun playing his character, which I didn’t fully appreciate as a kid, but now think he’s the best part of the entire movie. And while not nearly as gory as it’s reputed to be (or as we were expecting back in the day), some of the violence is pretty potent.

Blue Underground has given the film an impressive 4K facelift with a nice video restoration. There are also four audio options to choose from, including a new Dolby Atmos track. With the exception of a new audio commentary, the bonus features (mostly interviews) are all carried over from the original Blu-ray release, and they provide a revealing look back at the production. 

But, alas, the deceptive advertising continues even today. While Christopher Lee is featured along with Pleasance above the title on the cover, he appears in only one scene…for about two minutes. Other than that bit of deception, Raw Meat/Death Line is an entertaining slice of ‘70s British horror that has certainly aged better than Squirm.

EXTRA KIBBLES

4K & BLU-RAY COPIES

FEATURETTES - Tales from the Tube is an entertaining conversation between director Gary Sherman and executive producers Jay Katner & Alan Ladd Jr.; From the Depths is an interview with actor David Ladd and producer Paul Maslansky; Mind the Doors is an interview with actor Hugh Armstrong.

2 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1) By director Gary Sherman, producer Paul Maslansky and AD Lewis More O’Ferrall; 2) By historians Nathaniel Thompson and Troyhowarth.

TRAILERS, TV & RADIO SPOTS

POSTER & STILL GALLERY

REVERSIBLE COVER - With the original title, Death Line.