Raw Meat (1972)

A series of missing person cases lead the police to investigate the tunnels of the London subway system. What they find is the last survivor of a cave-in who has managed to survive on human meat...Raw Meat!

This was another one of my purchases for about $4 at Second Spin, a used CD/DVD store just down the street. It was money well spent! I thoroughly enjoyed this 1972 movie, especially the performance by Donald Pleasence, who plays the inspector. He was downright hilarious!! Also, Christopher Lee has a small role, which was quite a treat. The rest of the cast did a swell job as well.

The film wasn't really scary, but it did get me quite squeamish in certain parts. The cannibal kills people on the subway platform and drags them back to his "home" to feed his ailing, pregnant "wife." Some of the scenes were pretty bloody, and of course the cannibal was pretty gross covered in sores and flesh wounds.

His wife dies after all, and the man is left all alone in the tunnels. His reaction to his wife's death is pretty gut-wrenching. I felt quite sorry for him. After all he'd been through, he was the last one left. Of course it is too bad that he only saw other humans as food or mating material. After his wife's death, he goes on a bit of a rampage, killing a few janitors and other stragglers at the tube station. He finds a new mate in Patricia, after her and her boyfriend become separated on the subway towards the end of the film. Incidentally, Patricia and her boyfriend, Alex, had jump started the police investigation as earlier they found a well-to-do civil servant passed out on the subway's staircase. When they returned with help, the man was gone, which began the official inquiry. Anywho, Mr. Cannibal is in the mood, and tries to woo Patricia in his own drool-y way. His drool, his pustular sores and indecipherable moaning don't do the trick, though, not on this modern girl!

Alex, meanwhile, has found his way underground to look for Patricia after her bloody purse was found by the police in the subway. He gets to her in the nick of time, just as the cannibal is ripping her clothes off. After a struggle, Alex beats the pus outta the guy, and he and Patricia limp off. The police arrive and all seems in order...until we hear the cannibal's indecipherable moaning after all have gone...

I thought this movie was very well done, except for some plot holes. For example, it bothered me that the cannibal had a way out of the tunnels, but didn't think to get out and get back into the world. Overall, though, it was a lot better than I expected it to be! Again, the best part was Donald Pleasence...I didn't know he could ham it up so much! Check this out, I haven't heard many people talk about it.

Order it on Amazon!