If you’ve ever waited for a train in one of London’s older Underground stations, you know how creepy those tunnels can feel late at night. Now imagine something lurking down there, something that isn’t just a drunk commuter. That’s the basic setup of Raw Meat (known as Death Line in the U.K.), a 1972 horror film directed by Gary Sherman. It’s a strange, scrappy little movie that mixes urban decay, cannibalism, and dry British humor. And yes, Christopher Lee shows up, but not in the way you might expect.
The film kicks off when a rich civil servant mysteriously vanishes in Russell Square station. Donald Pleasence plays Inspector Calhoun, the cranky cop assigned to figure out what happened. His investigation leads him to rumors about missing people in the Underground. The truth is straight out of a nightmare: decades earlier, workers were trapped in a tunnel collapse. Cut off from the world, they survived by eating the dead, and their descendants have been living down there ever since. Only one survivor remains, known simply as “the Man” (Hugh Armstrong). He’s diseased, filthy, and dangerous, but also strangely sympathetic, muttering “Mind the doors” like a broken record as he drags bodies back to his lair. So, the movie is basically: commuters go missing, a grumpy detective pokes around, and eventually we meet a cannibal who’s both terrifying and tragic.
Let’s clear this up early: Christopher Lee is on the poster, but he’s barely in the film. He plays a government agent who butts heads with Pleasence’s inspector for one quick scene. It’s fun, Lee brings his usual gravitas, towering over everyone else, and Pleasence snarks right back at him, but if you’re expecting a full-blown Lee performance, you’ll be disappointed. His role feels more like a marketing move. Slap his name on the bill, sell a few more tickets. That said, his cameo does add a neat little brushstroke: Lee as the establishment authority, Pleasence as the working-class copper who couldn’t care less about authority. It sums up a lot of the film’s class tension in just a couple minutes.
If Lee’s cameo is the garnish, Donald Pleasence is the main dish. His Inspector Calhoun is one of the most entertaining horror cops you’ll ever see. He’s sarcastic, always drinking tea or beer, and constantly giving his sergeant a hard time. He turns what could have been a grim trudge through police procedures into something genuinely funny. The humor is important, because Raw Meat can get really bleak. Without Pleasence cracking jokes, the whole thing might have been too heavy. He balances out the movie’s darkness perfectly.
Hugh Armstrong’s “Man” is the opposite of a typical horror monster. He’s not just a bloodthirsty killer; he’s a product of tragedy. His scenes are gross, sure, there are rotting bodies and plenty of gnarly close-ups, but Armstrong plays him with so much desperation and grief that you almost feel bad for him. There’s a heartbreaking sequence where he mourns over his dead companion, and it’s surprisingly moving for a film that was marketed like a grindhouse shocker. One standout moment is a long, continuous shot that moves slowly through his underground den, showing corpses in different stages of decay. It’s eerie and disgusting, but also strangely beautiful in its stillness. Sherman makes you sit with the horror rather than cutting away.
The London Underground is the real star of Raw Meat. Forget castles and cobwebs, the tunnels are modern, grimy, and claustrophobic. You can almost smell the damp air and feel the grime under your shoes. Sherman leans into this setting hard, making the ordinary feel sinister. This is one reason the movie still feels relevant: it’s not about supernatural curses but about the city itself, about people who get left behind. The cannibal isn’t just a monster; he’s what happens when workers are literally buried and forgotten. It’s social commentary wrapped in a horror package.
The movie isn’t perfect. The young couple (played by David Ladd and Sharon Gurney) who get mixed up in the investigation are paper-thin characters. They mostly exist so the audience has someone young and attractive to worry about, but compared to Pleasence or Armstrong, they don’t leave much of an impression. The pacing also sags in the middle. There are stretches where not much happens, and if you’re not already invested in the characters, it can feel slow. And again, if you came for Christopher Lee, his tiny role might feel like a bit of a cheat.
Still, Raw Meat is one of those films that sticks with you. It’s a horror movie, but it’s also sad and weirdly funny. It doesn’t just give you gore, it makes you think about neglect, poverty, and how society treats the people at the bottom. It’s more thoughtful than its trashy title suggests. And let’s be honest: horror fans love discovering little cult gems like this. It’s not a classic on the level of The Exorcist or The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, but it has its own unique voice. Sherman went on to make other cult favorites (Dead & Buried, Vice Squad), and you can see some of his style starting here.
The new Blue Underground release of Raw Meat comes stacked with extras that really flesh out the film’s legacy. The movie itself is presented in both Ultra HD Blu-ray (2160p) and HD Blu-ray (1080p), keeping its widescreen 1.85:1 look intact, and the audio has been given a serious boost with Dolby Atmos, 5.1 DTS-HD, and even the original mono track for purists. Subtitles are available in English, French, and Spanish.
The real treats, though, are in the bonus features: there are two commentary tracks, one with director Gary Sherman, producer Paul Maslansky, and assistant director Lewis More O’Ferrall, and another newly recorded track featuring historians Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth, who dive deep into the film’s place in horror history.
There are also a handful of new and archival interviews—Gary Sherman appears again in Tales From the Tube alongside executive producers Jay Kanter and Alan Ladd Jr., while star David Ladd and producer Maslansky share memories in From the Depths. Hugh Armstrong even gets his own spotlight in Mind the Doors, reflecting on his haunting role as the Man. Rounding things out are trailers, TV and radio spots, and a gallery of posters and stills, giving fans both context and nostalgia. It’s a packed package for a cult film that deserves a closer look.
Raw Meat is grimy, creepy, and smarter than it looks. It may have been sold as a cannibal shocker, but underneath the gore there’s a surprising amount of humanity. Donald Pleasence gives one of his most entertaining performances, Hugh Armstrong delivers a tragic monster, and Christopher Lee pops in long enough to remind you this is, technically, a British horror. If you’re a fan of ’70s cult cinema, it’s worth the ride. Just don’t expect a full Christopher Lee showcase, and maybe avoid watching it right before your next late-night Tube journey.
If you pre-order from MVD you can save 30% off the retail price!!!
Comments