Kailansorac Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Bergorks If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

Derrick Gibbons An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Joe Stemme I finally caught up with this on MGM HD. I had heard so many good things about it over the last couple of decades. The most common mini-review boiled down to something to the effect of, "RAW MEAT is a crude title for a subtle and effective horror film." Have to say, I agree with the naysayers here. It is a very poorly paced film. It takes over 20 minutes to get to the underground lair stuff, and it just jumps right into that (admittedly brilliantly done) tracking shot the film is famous for. I'm not averse to slow build-ups, but, here, it's just drawn out police procedural stuff that the audience knows from the opening scene is NOT going to be central to the horror plot. Pleasence is amusing, but his scenes come off as a Pilot for a British police TV show.And, as superbly done as the tracking shot is, it just seems plopped into the movie because they realized that it was fast approaching the 30 minute mark and they better get on with it! All of a sudden we cut from the police and young couple story into the "horror plot". It's just too abrupt to be as effective as it could (and SHOULD) have been.As to the rest of RAW MEAT. It's OK, but there really is no forward momentum with the plotting. Although there are a couple of neat shocks (and I mean ONLY a couple), it's pretty obvious where things are heading. Christopher Lee is really good in his one 3 minute scene (but, damn, many fans must have been real angry over the years when they see how disproportionate his billing is!).Why does RAW MEAT have such a strong reputation? I can only surmise that in those Pre-Internet days, a few good reviews in mags like Cinefantastique carried a lot of weight. Combined with how hard it has been to see over the years, and those fleeting good moments such as the tracking shot grow to semi-legendary status. And, heck, it was pretty gory for a "classy" British horror film back in the day, so it had that going for it, too.Worth seeing once.

Scott LeBrun This movie's story: in the bowels of the Earth below the streets of London, there exists an area that had been buried in the late 19th century by a cave-in. One might not think it possible, but the people who were sealed off managed to survive. Now, 80 years later, their last living descendant (Hugh Armstrong) is about to make his existence known to the outside world. People start disappearing, but the ball only really gets rolling when a prominent public servant (top character actor James Cossins) vanishes. The chief police inspector on the case, Calhoun (Donald Pleasence), realizes that he has his hands full, but vows to stick it out, despite the matter now being more in the domain of MI5.This marked the debut fictional theatrical feature for the young American director Gary Sherman, who also came up with the story; he went on to direct such nifty 1980s pictures as "Dead & Buried" and "Vice Squad". He and his crew make excellent use of some *extremely* atmospheric locations. They're dark, they're filthy, and they're dripping with water. "Death Line" (a.k.a. "Raw Meat") can take credit for bringing horror to the London tubes almost a decade before "An American Werewolf in London". The makeup effects and gore are very well done, and this is additionally blessed with a highly offbeat music score composed by Wil Malone and Jeremy Rose. The camera-work is utterly fantastic - wait for the approximately 10 minute sequence from about 23 minutes in to 33 minutes in for a memorable tracking shot showcasing the monsters' lair.It's well worth noting that our hideous killer is far from being malicious. He's really more pitiable than anything else, especially as he goes into mourning at one point, and tries to make a connection with lovely young Patricia Wilson (Sharon Gurney), uttering the only English words that he's ever managed to learn. You really feel his despair and sadness when it comes to his companion, the Woman (June Turner).Donald Pleasence is an absolute delight in our lead role, playing the material with a heavy dose of humour. His Inspector Calhoun is hilariously surly, and witty. David Ladd (one of Alan Ladds' sons) does okay as American student Alex Campbell, but the character is pretty insensitive and hostile for a while, only earning our sympathy towards the end. Gurney is highly appealing as his girlfriend. Top notch supporting players include Norman Rossington, Clive Swift, Heather Stoney, Hugh Dickson, and Ron Pember. Sir Christopher Lee is great fun to watch, albeit kind of wasted in a cameo role as MI5 agent Stratton-Villiers.Horror fans need to add this one to their watch list, if they haven't seen it already. It's too good to pass up.Eight out of 10.

gulag Death Line AKA Raw Meat is quite a unique little film.Others have described the plot etc. I'd just like to say that this is a film that really should be remade. The original, while fascinating, has many contradictions in tone, awkward transitions between procedural and horror, between mythic and comedic. Yet in the hands of a director who can see the potential for this story it could be expanded upon and updated easily into a true classic. Watch the film and then imagine it being directed by a Guillermo Del Toro or even Chris Carter or perhaps Brad Anderson giving it the 'Session 9' treatment. Also a superior level of acting would have helped astoundingly. Yet there are so many interesting ideas rumbling around in here.

wes-connors American economics student David Ladd (as Alex Campbell) and his totally shagged girlfriend Sharon Gurney (as Patricia Wilson) find an unconscious body in a London underground station. When they return with an officer, the body has mysteriously disappeared. The couple don't know how to leave unwell enough alone and become more involved as police inspector Donald Pleasence (as Calhoun) and sergeant Norman Rossington (as Rogers) uncover a horrific plot… Re-titled "Raw Meat" for American consumption, "Death Line" director Gary Sherman gets off to a good feature film start, with a lot of gore and a some jumpy scenes. Horror legend Christopher Lee appears briefly.****** Death Line (1972) Gary Sherman ~ Donald Pleasence, Norman Rossington, David Ladd, Sharon Gurney