Death Line

One of the most affecting films I have ever seen, Death Line is one of the most intelligent and bold horror films ever made. The opening scenes of a wealthy and dour civil servant stalking clip joints in Soho sets the tone for a grim and seedy, but very accurate portrayal of life in 70s London. No-one talks to each other, on or off the underground, everyone is miserable, even the young student lovers have a fairly rocky relationship, the man being totally lacking in compassion. The use of the genuine ghost stations of the London Underground is an excellent idea, and even if the storyline is ludicrous, it is handled with far more depth trhan your average slasher movie. The killer is a tragic figure, and the scene where his beloved finally dies is shocking and heartbreaking. The special effects are nothing short of repulsive, with particular attention being paid to the sound. It revels in gore and depravity, unflinching but not exploitative. It runs like a modern day legend, working on so many levels. The only thing which spoils the film is Donald Pleaseace hamming it up shamelessly in a badly characterised role which tries to offer comic relief but is simply irritating and unpleaseant. Look out for a remarkable tracking shot in the creature's lair early on, and a lovely touch with the students enquiring about a book on Poltergeists, more a mood device than anything to do with the plot. Seeing this is a cinema would certainly put you off your popcorn!

A cannibal (Hugh Armstrong) is roaming the London subway system in 1973. Police inspector Donald Pleasence (having a LOT of fun with his role) wants to catch him--a young Britsh couple (Sharon Gunrey, David Ladd) try to help until she gets kidnapped by the cannibal...

Very low budget, rarely shown horror film. The low budget hurts, but the script is good, the idea original and there are some truly creepy scenes (such as the looooonngg tracking shot from the cannibals' lair). The movie is also quite gruesome at times--there's very little violence, but there are long shots of decaying or half-eaten bodies (and body parts). Look for the sequence where a supposedly dead body can be seen blinking his eyes quite a bit! Also there's a very disturbing near rape scene.

The most amazing thing about the film is that the cannibal comes across as a sympathetic character! He only kills for survival--not for evil purposes.

As for the acting--Pleasance is just great here--he attacks the role full force and is having a grand old time doing it--he really brings the film to life. Gurney is very good as the English girl but Ladd is truly horrible as her boyfriend. And those 70s hair and clothes! Armstrong is (as I said) very sympathetic and also vicious as the cannibal. Also Christopher Lee has an amusing short sequence in this.

So, it's gruesome but worth catching, but it's shown very rarely on cable so good luck!

Raw Meat also titled Subhumans is a classic horror movie about terrible happenings occur at London underground. As a top civil servant disappears in the Tube tunnels , then Scotland Yard goes into action . As Police Inspector Donald Pleasence and his helper investigate the bizarre deeds. A young couple, witnesses of the weird events , David Ladd and Sharon Gudney, give some clues about the twisted case. But other murders and kidnapping take place and things go wrong.

This yarn is one of the highest earning horror movies of the seventies .Original terror movie, nowsadays considered to be a cult movie . There is primitive gore , suspense , thrills , chills and creepy scenes.The subhumans appearances are the highest points of the movie , the ghastly characters deliver the goods full of screams , shocks and tension. Interpretations are pretty well , particularly by Donald Pleasence as a sarcastically cynical Inspector, he is supported by a botcher sub-inspector and righ-hand well played Norman Rossington. Along with David Ladd, Alan Ladd's son who as a little boy performed some films with his daddy. David Ladd has made a decent career as a film producer. And , of course, a brief intervention by the great Christopher Lee in a suspect role as a meddlesome MI5 agent .The movie has an acceptable production design plenty of decrepit lairs, dark tunnels , eerie skeletons and excellent make-up with crusted , bruised faces . Adequate and evocative cinematograpjy filled with shades and lights by Alex Thomson. Thrilling and terrifyng musical score by Malone and Jeremy Rose.

The motion picture was well directed by Gary Sherman and it was reedited for American audiencies and released under the title Raw Meat. Gary Sherman is an expert on action genre as he proved in Wanted : dead or alive with Rutger Hauer , Vice Squad with Wing Hauser and being specialist on Terror films as Death Line , Poltergeist III , and "Dead and buried" that is deemed to be his best one . Rating 6.5/10 . Good ,acceptable and decent terror movie

One every so often you come across a real, unclassifiable gem - one of those low-budget cult movies you see, late at night on TV, then spend years thereafter raving about to your puzzled, disbelieving friends. "See, there's this disused Tube tunnel, with a tribe of degenerate Victorian plague cannibals down there, and they pull people off the platform and eat them, only sometimes they try to mate with them... and Donald Pleasance gives possibly the most monumentally weird performance of his LIFE... and there's this really cheesy proto-electronic score... and... and... and..." As folks wander away from you, shaking their heads sadly, you do not mind. You smile. For you have seen Death Line.