Non prendete quel metro!

The premise for this film is brilliant. The underground setting is brilliantly used, with striking photography and visual story-telling. The film's last line is something like, "Did they really live like this?", seeing the squalor of the underground lair. Sequences are fantastically gruesome, in documentary style. Not only is the film well shot, it has some points to make about oppression. See this film if you get the chance, it deserves a much higher IMDb rating.

One of the most affecting films I have ever seen, Death Line is one of the most intelligent and bold horror films ever made. The opening scenes of a wealthy and dour civil servant stalking clip joints in Soho sets the tone for a grim and seedy, but very accurate portrayal of life in 70s London. No-one talks to each other, on or off the underground, everyone is miserable, even the young student lovers have a fairly rocky relationship, the man being totally lacking in compassion. The use of the genuine ghost stations of the London Underground is an excellent idea, and even if the storyline is ludicrous, it is handled with far more depth trhan your average slasher movie. The killer is a tragic figure, and the scene where his beloved finally dies is shocking and heartbreaking. The special effects are nothing short of repulsive, with particular attention being paid to the sound. It revels in gore and depravity, unflinching but not exploitative. It runs like a modern day legend, working on so many levels. The only thing which spoils the film is Donald Pleaseace hamming it up shamelessly in a badly characterised role which tries to offer comic relief but is simply irritating and unpleaseant. Look out for a remarkable tracking shot in the creature's lair early on, and a lovely touch with the students enquiring about a book on Poltergeists, more a mood device than anything to do with the plot. Seeing this is a cinema would certainly put you off your popcorn!

I saw this film (very likely the cut version which BBC aired) in my very early teens, and all I remember was that it was foul, dark, gritty and... rather slow. But it did leave an impression that stayed with me all these years. Couldn't even pinpoint it, really...

...up until now. After my re-watch, I can say that it's still those four things, but it's also a well-accomplished, genuine '70's shocker. And if you don't mind me saying so, Donald Pleasance does steal the show as the straight-forward, "be annoyed then if you don't like me - I don't care", obnoxiously funny, tea-devouring police inspector Calhoun. I had quite some chuckles with the way he delivered his lines. It's all rather subtle, mind you, as this movie is anything but a comedy.

If this film would have been made these days, it undoubtedly would be up there with the works of Christopher Smith, Michael J. Bassett and Neil Marshall. At least, that's how I feel about it.

For those days - and even up until this day, in my humble opinion - DEATH LINE is pretty damn good & solid. Straightforward story. Vintage shock-feel to it. Capable cast. A good ending that proves sometimes a movie doesn't even have to have a drum-rollin' climax to end it on the right note. And the most surprising thing was that the screenplay has a few moments where it takes the time to learn us a bit about the psychology and emotions of our cannibalistic brute. It tricks you into feeling sorry for him, but witnessing his brutal acts conflict severely with this emotion. A nice touch, that didn't even take up that much of the movie's running time. And the screenplay doesn't even forget that it did that (making you feel something for the villain), as near the end Sharon Gurney's character says one little thing that reminds you of all this. She understood it too.

Speaking of Ms. Gurney: For some reason I really liked her on the screen. What happened to her? As an actress, you cannot fail to notice that she's got what it takes. And then she stopped acting in 1974? Anybody have any info on that, perhaps?

I'm trying hard to look for things that I didn't like, possible big flaws or something, but I just can't find any... I agree that DEATH LINE isn't the world's greatest horror film ever made, but it sure must have hit the mark back in '72. One jump-scare still even worked on me! And the gory make-up effects were pretty darn excellent for that time. But there's only just enough of them in this movie, so don't expect a splatter-fest or anything. Christopher Lee has a fun cameo in it and Donald Pleasance just seems to love pulling his leg in that scene.

Thankfully, DEATH LINE has been restored and fully uncut released on DVD (as RAW MEAT in the US). It deserves a wider recognition, and I'm happy to see it's finally getting it.

One every so often you come across a real, unclassifiable gem - one of those low-budget cult movies you see, late at night on TV, then spend years thereafter raving about to your puzzled, disbelieving friends. "See, there's this disused Tube tunnel, with a tribe of degenerate Victorian plague cannibals down there, and they pull people off the platform and eat them, only sometimes they try to mate with them... and Donald Pleasance gives possibly the most monumentally weird performance of his LIFE... and there's this really cheesy proto-electronic score... and... and... and..." As folks wander away from you, shaking their heads sadly, you do not mind. You smile. For you have seen Death Line.