Death Line

In London, after a prominent civil servant goes missing, a police inspector (Donald Pleasence) investigates a series of disappearances caused by the cannibalistic descendents of a group of cave-in survivors.

Pleasence is a lot of fun, and the cinematography and production values are far first-rate, but Death Line (Raw Meat in the USA) makes the fatal mistake of taking itself far too seriously. Instead of being a simple monster movie, director Gary Sherman tries to elevate the film to serious drama, spending an inordinate amount of time following his grunting, howling cannibal as he mopes around following the loss of his only companion. It’s a noble idea, but the film’s tone up to this point doesn’t support it.

Neither do the special effects. Hugh Armstrong does a good job with his movements and posture, but his eyes are far too lucid and penetrating to pass for the feral, devolved man he’s trying to depict.

Ultimately, it’s all a nice try, but one that falls short in both the horror and drama departments making Death Line one to avoid.

Should you watch it, you may be left with questions. I offer the following FAQ:

Q: Why does the tube caveman have super strength?
A: The seemingly impossible strength exhibited by the tube caveman is a result of his high-protein diet. You too could drive a spade through a man’s skull if your diet consisted solely of human flesh.

Q: Why does the tube caveman, who’s incapable of coherent speech, wear clothes, including shoes and a blazer?
A: Though he is a primitive, devolved, man living in a cave, he’s still a Londoner, and thus, like all Londoners, very dapper.

Q: What was Christopher Lee doing in this movie?
A: Apparently, during this time, Christopher Lee was contractually bound to appear in all British horror films. His two-minute cameo here fulfilled that obligation.