Raw Meat (1973)
"Death Line" (original title)

There's something pretty grisly going on under London in the Tube tunnels between Holborn and Russell Square. When a top civil servant becomes the latest to disappear down there Scotland ... See full summary »

Director:

Gary Sherman

Writers:

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

Stars:

Donald Pleasence, Norman Rossington, David Ladd

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Donald Pleasence	...	Inspector Calhoun
Norman Rossington	...	Detective Sergeant Rogers
David Ladd	...	Alex Campbell
Sharon Gurney	...	Patricia Wilson
Hugh Armstrong	...	The 'Man'
June Turner	...	The 'Woman'
Clive Swift	...	Inspector Richardson
James Cossins	...	James Manfred, OBE
Heather Stoney	...	W.P.C. Alice Marshall
Hugh Dickson	...	Dr. Bacon
Jack Woolgar	...	Platform Inspector
Ron Pember	...	Lift Operator
Colin McCormack	...	Police Constable 1
Gary Winkler	...	Police Constable 2
James Culliford	...	Publican

Storyline

There's something pretty grisly going on under London in the Tube tunnels between Holborn and Russell Square. When a top civil servant becomes the latest to disappear down there Scotland Yard start to take the matter seriously. Helping them are a young couple who get nearer to the horrors underground than they would wish.

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Plot Keywords:

tunnel | inspector | bookstore | rape | rat | 

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Taglines:

Beneath Modern London Lives a Tribe of Once Humans. Neither Men Nor Women...They Are the Raw Meat Of The Human Race!

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

September 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

Raw Meat

Filming Locations:

Aldwych Underground Station, Aldwych, Holborn, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Harbor Ventures, K-L Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film is set at an uncompleted London Underground station called "Museum", on a non-completed Underground line somewhere near the real Underground stations Russell Square and British Museum (the latter of which closed in 1933). No such line or station exists, but it is notable that this was partly filmed at Aldwych, which has become more famous as a film set since its closure in 1994 (and more profitable than during its life as a working tube station). Currently, Aldwych may reopen as part of the expansion of the Docklands Light Railway, which would reopen the most convenient station for the London office of High Commission of India.

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Goofs

At Russell Square Station there is a platform sign saying, "Way Out and District Line". The District line goes nowhere near Russell Square.

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Quotes

[repeated line]
The 'Man': Mind the doors!

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Connections

References The French Connection (1971)

User Reviews

Frankenstein reborn

In the early 70s, Hammer Production's star was fading fast, yet the UK was able to churn out this little gem. Based on an intriguing story concerning the underground-dwelling descendants of turn-of-the-century caved-in miners, it however starts off as a typical murder mystery. Donald Pleasance does a pretty good Eastend accent as a working-class, pug copper investigating the disapearance of a man of some importance in his district. Christopher Lee is wasted in little more than a cameo role whose character's intentions remain clouded and obtuse. The film borrows heavily from the 1931 version of Frankenstein with 'The Man', originally seen as the monster, is the most empathetic character in the movie, who does not understand the cruel world around him, whilst society as a whole, including those few 'humans' who get involved are cold, aloof, and far more monsterous. A film works better when the apparent villain is given three dimensions and isn't just a parody, as is the case here. A real sleeper.