Raw Meat (AKA Death Line) - Blue Underground 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

“MIND THE DOORS!”

One of the grand things about films is that we have over a hundred years of releases to enjoy. While it’s unfortunate we can’t see everything that gets made, it is a blessing when we get to discover a new favorite. Thanks to home video, in particular the DVD revolution, we got to discover a number of older gems with ease. I didn’t see Gary Sherman’s Raw Meat in theaters (I wasn't born for about 10 more years). I didn’t rent it on tape. Thanks to the good old days when Circuit City had its horror movie sales every October, a cheap $6 blind buy became a new favorite. 

In the depths of the old London tube tunnels, death lurks in the dark, and it's hungry! When a toff old bloke by the name of Manfred (James Cossins) is found "passed out" by an American student, Alex (David Ladd), and his girlfriend Patricia (Sharon Gurney) on the steps of a train platform, they do the right thing by calling in the police. But when they return, the dapper jent is gone. But a missing man of Manfred’s status ends up in Inspector Calhoun’s (Donald Pleasence) court. The files are full of missing persons at that particular tube station, and as Calhoun starts picking at the threads, a deep, dark secret from London’s old history emerges, hungry for human flesh and a new mate. 

Having a Circuit City so close to my college dorm wasn’t good for a near-broke kid with a very limited income from a campus convenience store. Food? Who needs it? DVDs on sale? More of those, please! The benefits of being nearly broke in college were that I lost a lot of weight and expanded my movie collection - both very rapidly! Of the many blind buys I picked up, Raw Meat or Death Line, as it's more appropriately titled, remains a highlight find. I continue to enjoy the almost Frankenstein-like theme of a monster of society’s creation rising to terrorize us. Hugh Armstrong delivers a devastatingly horrifying turn as the pestilent “Man.” We fear the bloody violence he’s capable of. We’re horrified by what he does to his victims and his living conditions. But we’re also disturbingly empathetic to his reasons for hunting modern men and women in London’s tunnels. 

Not letting the film slip into becoming a run-of-the-mill monster flick, Gary Sherman anchors the feature as a police procedural with a delightfully wicked performance from Donald Pleasence. Pleasence’s Inspector Calhoun seems like a jaded, aged officer, but behind that coy cynicism is a shrewd mind working all of the angles. David Ladd and Sharon Gurney are fine in their respective roles as our hapless young lovers; Gurney gets more material to work with. Christopher Lee is billed high in the credits, and while he only has one scene, it’s at least a meaty bit all its own. Deep down, I’ve always wondered if his MI5 agent wasn’t fully aware of what was happening in the tube tunnels, but the Home Office policy was to ignore it rather than admit to something that happened nearly 100 years earlier. 

At any rate, Raw Meat is a bit of an unconventional creeper that delivers more than enough disturbing imagery and haunting ideas. At 87 minutes, the film moves fast with little downtime, but it doesn’t shortchange plot or character development. As we ease into the spooky season, this was a great flick to reconnect with on a cold, dark night. And remember as you snuggle in for this disturbing feature - mind the doors! 

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray?
Blue Underground buys another ticket for Raw Meat AKA Death Line with a new two-disc 4K UHD + Blu-ray release. The 4K is pressed on a BD66 with a BD50 serving up the 1080p and the bulk of the extras. The discs are housed in a two-disc Scanovo case with reversible insert art revealing the film’s original title, with a slick slipcover with raised features and creepy metallic features on the character’s eyes. The disc loads to an animated main menu with standard navigation options.

From a new 4K scan of the original uncensored camera negative, the grimy, sleezy visuals of Raw Meat comes to life in 1.85:1 2160p Dolby Vision. Blue Underground once again gives fans a great reason to upgrade from an already very good Blu-ray release. Immediately, the improvement in life-like facial features, set design, and costuming is noticeable. Film grain is apparent but nicely resolved. This is one of those gritty-looking films that you can practically smell the visuals - and it’s especially grim when you get into the gnarly subterranean tunnels. While a grim, gory flick, the primaries offer plenty of pop. Makeup and gore effects are a nice highlight, giving plenty of room for the red stuff to shine. Image depth is often striking, especially for daylight and interior scenes. Black levels are appropriately deep and inky, with excellent shadows - given the locations, that’s a key visual element greatly improved with this transfer. I love the feeling that this blistered, disease-riddled monster could be lurking in any of those shadows.

On the audio side, we have a trio of options. We pick up a new Dolby Atmos mix, a DTS-HD MA 5.1 track, and a DTS-HD MA Mono mix. Right out of the gate, I’ll say I like the mono best, but the other two tracks deliver plenty of heft and impact. That Dolby Atmos mix is impressively effective considering all of the audio elements in play. What I enjoy about a number of the Atmos tracks that Blue Underground upgrades for is that they don’t sound over-processed or filled with inauthentic filler effects. It’s a very good mix; I just like the mono better. That feels more authentic to me for this particular fight flick. In between is a great 5.1 track, so if you’re not a fan of the mono or equipped for Atmos, you’re not left out of the surround sound fun. Dialog is clear for all options, the Man's terrifying call in the darkness sounds appropriately echoing and terrifying in all audio options. 

On the extra features front, Blue Underground again stuffs the discs with a range of excellent extras, both old and new. At the top of the pack are a pair of great commentaries. Returning to the discs is the Gary Sherman, Paul Maslansky, and Lewis More O’Ferrall track that delivers a range of excellent details and info about the production. New to the slate is another great commentary from Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson. After that, the previous interviews, trailers, TV spots return with newly expanded poster and still gallery. 

4K UHD

• Audio Commentary featuring Gary Sherman, Paul Maslansky, and Lewis More O’Ferrall
• NEW Audio Commentary featuring Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth
• Trailers
• TV Spots
• Radio Spots

Blu-ray

• Audio Commentary featuring Gary Sherman, Paul Maslansky, and Lewis More O’Ferrall
• NEW Audio Commentary featuring Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth
• Tales from the Tube - Interview with Gary Sherman, Jay Kanter, and Alan Ladd Jr. (HD 18:51)
• From the Depths - Interview with Savid Ladd and Paul Maslansky (HD 12:41)
• Mind the Doors - Interview with Hugh Armstrong (HD 15:35)
• Trailers
• TV Spots
• Radio Spots

Raw Meat is a damned unsettling, creepy little film. On the surface, it might not seem like much, but then after watching it, it starts to needle into your brain, making you think about the grim, gnarly circumstances. Haunting and horrifying, Gary Sherman’s little chiller delivers the frights and ghastly bits with a pitch black sense of humor. I loved this film immediately after finding it on DVD, and I’m thrilled with this new 4K disc. Blue Underground delivers another fantastic restoration with an often stunning Dolby Vision transfer. On the audio front, we’re treated to an impressive new Atmos track along with legacy tracks, including a great mono mix for purists. Adding to the value of the ride, the great legacy extras return with a new commentary and updated galleries. If you’re looking for a great creepy flick to keep you company this Halloween season, Raw Meat is Highly Recommended