Death Line – 1972
aka Raw Meat
Director
Gary Sherman

Writers
Ceri Jones (screenplay)
Gary Sherman (original story)

Cast
Donald Pleasence
Norman Rossington
David Ladd
Christopher Lee

Review by Wayne Malin

Forgotten horror film,

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!