 gets a brand-new 4K Ultra HD release from Blue Underground, and it's a must-own for fans.){kind=link}
There’s a special kind of joy in seeing an underappreciated cult horror film finally get the respect it deserves. Gary Sherman’s Raw Meat (also known as Death Line) has been circulating for years in less-than-stellar versions, primarily known to hardcore horror fans and British genre buffs. Now, with a brand-new 4K Ultra HD release from Blue Underground, this grimy, weird, and surprisingly emotional slice of 1970s horror finally gets to shine.
When a well-to-do government official goes missing in the London Underground, Inspector Calhoun (Donald Pleasence) gets called in to investigate. What seems like a standard case quickly takes a sinister turn when it’s discovered that a community of tunnel workers, trapped during construction decades earlier, has somehow survived in the darkness. Starving, feral, and cut off from the world, the lone survivor has surfaced, and he’s hungry for blood.
Raw Meat is one of those horror movies that sneaks up on you. On the surface, it’s a simple “monster in the tunnels” story, but Sherman brings an atmosphere of decay and tragedy that elevates it above its exploitation roots. Donald Pleasance chews the scenery with his dry, sarcastic humor, making Calhoun one of the more memorable characters of his career.
Beneath the eccentric performances and grindhouse veneer lies a surprisingly poignant story about the inhuman consequences of neglect and its impact on people. It’s a slow-burn horror, but when it hits, it hits hard, and it lingers long after the credits roll.
This new 4K restoration is a revelation. The streets of London and the Underground tunnels are gritty, raw, and rich in detail. Grain is intact and natural, and the shadows, crucial for a movie set mostly in pitch-black tunnels, are deep without crushing. Audio gets a clean-up too, with dialogue sharper and the echoing subway ambience more immersive than ever.
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The multi-disc set also packs in some really nice extras, including two commentary tracks, trailers, TV spots, radio spots, and multiple interviews. It’s the kind of package that feels like a celebration of a film that has long been stuck in cult obscurity.
Raw Meat isn’t for everyone; it’s grim, slow, and unapologetically weird, but for horror fans with a taste for the offbeat, it’s a gem. This 4K release finally gives the film the proper showcase it’s always deserved.
Between the excellent transfer and the chance to see Donald Pleasance at his most wonderfully eccentric, this is an easy recommendation. For cult cinema collectors, this one’s a must-own.
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