DEATH LINE is a first class low budget British horror opus. The director, Gary Sherman, is an American and surprisingly this was his first film (he would later do the cult films DEAD & BURIED and LISA as well as helm POLTERGEIST 3). I first saw it as part of a double or triple feature at my local drive-in back in the early 1970s. It was not the movie I came to see but it is definitely the movie that I remembered. The American title was the typically unsubtle RAW MEAT and that’s the name on the DVD over here.
Considering that this film predates THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and DERANGED, it was very strong stuff with its story of generations of trapped Underground workers who were forced to resort to cannabilism in order to stay alive. Now there is only one survivor who has reached the surface and seeks not only food but a new mate. Having just watched it again after almost 40 years, I was astonished at just how remarkable it is considering the nature of the material.
A lot of British horror films in the early 1970s tend to be mostly over the top affairs like TOWER OF EVIL or HORROR HOSPITAL full of nudity and graphic violence (in keeping with their American and European counterparts) but a few like THE BEAST IN THE CELLAR, THE ASPHYX and this movie are atmospheric low key affairs anchored by strong performances and quality cinematography. There is an absolutely stunning tracking shot in the survivor’s lair from cinematographer Alex Thomson (EXCALIBUR, LEGEND) that rivals the more recent celebrated wartime shot in ATONEMENT.
Donald Pleasance gives one of his very best performances as a working class police inspector while Hugh Armstrong as the survivor is alternately pathetic and terrifying. Look quickly for Christopher Lee who drops by for an amusing cameo. Although somewhat restrained, the violence is sudden and brutal and as a result, far more memorable. Not everyone’s cup of tea to be sure (Inspector Pleasance is always drinking one) but a classic example of how to make an effective, memorable horror film in a modern setting.
The Capsule Critic 