10kbullets

Raw Meat (aka Death Line) – Blue Underground (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: UK/USA, 1972
Director: Gary Sherman
Writers: Ceri Jones, Gary Sherman
Cast: Donald Pleasence, Norman Rossington, David Ladd, Sharon Gurney, Clive Swift, James Cossins, Hugh Dickson, Jack Woolgar, Gerry Crampton, Terence Plummer, Christopher Lee

Release Date: September 30th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 87 Minutes 22 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: R
Sound: Dolby Atmos English, DTS-HD 5.1 English, DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD Mono French
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $49.95

"When a prominent politician and a beautiful young woman vanish inside a London subway station, Scotland Yard's Inspector Calhoun (Donald Pleasence of Halloween) investigates and makes a horrifying discovery. Not only did a group of 19th-century tunnel workers survive a cave-in, but they lived for years in a secret underground enclave by consuming the flesh of their own dead. Now the lone descendant of this grisly tribe has surfaced, prowling the streets for fresh victims... and a new mate." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD, Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "a brand-new restoration, scanned in 4K 16-bit from the original uncensored camera negative, with Dolby Vision HDR."

Raw Meat (aka Death Line) comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 60.3 GB

Feature: 60.1 GB

Although Blue Underground’s two previous releases hold up well, this new transfer is clearly the winner. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Raw Meat (aka Death Line) comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 37.7 GB

Feature: 25.4 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Audio: 5/5 (Dolby Atmos English, DTS-HD Mono English), 4.5/5 (DTS-HD 5.1 English)

This release comes with three audio options: a Dolby Atmos mix in English, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, and a DTS-HD mono mix in French. For this review I only listened to the English-language tracks. While the 5.1 track effectively expands the original mono, it falls short of the newly created Atmos track in every aspect. That said, you can’t go wrong with either the mono or the Atmos tracks. Included are removable English SDH and French and Spanish subtitles.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include radio spot # 1 (59 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), radio spot # 2 (1 minute 1 second, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), TV spot # 1 (1 minute 4 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), TV spot # 2 (34 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), TV spot # 3 (23 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Raw Meat theatrical trailer (2 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Death Line theatrical trailer (2 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival audio commentary with director Gary Sherman, producer Paul Maslansky, and assistant director Lewis More O’Ferrall, and film historians Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include radio spot # 1 (59 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), radio spot # 2 (1 minute 1 second, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), TV spot # 1 (1 minute 4 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), TV spot # 2 (34 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), TV spot # 3 (23 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Raw Meat theatrical trailer (2 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Death Line theatrical trailer (2 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a poster & still gallery (161 images - posters/stills/advertisements/lobby cards/home video art), an archival interview with actor Hugh Armstrong titled Mind the Doors (15 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview actor David Ladd and Paul Maslansky titled From the Depths (12 minutes 41 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with Gary Sherman and executive producers Jay Kanter and Alan Ladd Jr. titled Tales From the Tube (18 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival audio commentary with Gary Sherman, Paul Maslansky, and Lewis More O’Ferrall, and Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth.

Other extras include reversible cover art and a slipcover (limited to the first pressing).

Summary:

Gary Sherman directed Raw Meat. He’s most known for Dead & Buried, Vice Squad, and Lisa. Raw Meat’s original title is Death Line; it was retitled for its U.S. theatrical release.

A young couple inadvertently crosses paths with something that has been murdering and lurking in the tube tunnels beneath London.

Just when you believed the horror film genre had explored every possible angle, a film like Raw Meat emerges. Raw Meat takes an everyday place that’s usually crowded, the subway, and turns it into a deathtrap. The narrative is filled with tense moments that effectively build upon each other, and with each new revelation, the terror of what lurks in the subterranean world connected to the subway becomes all too real.

The opening setup perfectly sets the foundation for what follows. It is an unsettling moment that relies more on atmosphere than gory set pieces. That said, the onscreen carnage escalates as the narrative progresses, and the most gruesome moments are reserved for the final act. When it comes to pacing, the narrative moves at a deliberate pace that some might find too slow.

The cast features two iconic figures of horror cinema, Donald Pleasence (Halloween) and Christopher Lee (The Wicker Man); however, the film unfortunately underutilizes both. Hugh Armstrong (Girly) gives a standout performance as a character simply known as the 'man,' who resides in the tube tunnels beneath London. He delivers an exceptional performance that showcases his character's primal instincts.

The visuals play a significant role in the film, expertly crafting unsettling moments that enhance the overall mood. The moment that finally reveals what is lurking in the subterranean world connected to the subway is incredibly eerie. It is a lengthy tracking shot that gives an unfiltered view of the decay and corpses that cover the landscape. The score is another notable strength, as it effectively enhances the overall mood of the film. Ultimately, Raw Meat relies heavily on atmosphere, and it succeeds in delivering a powerful experience in that regard.

Raw Meat (aka Death Line) gets a definitive release from Blue Underground; highly recommended.

Blu-ray Screenshots.