Death
Line (1973 aka Raw
Meat/MGM/Blue Underground
Blu-ray w/DVD)/Union
Furnace (2017/Metropol
Blu-ray)
Picture:
B & C+/B Sound: C+/B+ Extras: B/C Films: B+/C-
Here's
two horror genre films from two eras, the older being a highly
underrated classic, the latter not certain what it wants to be...
Death
Line
Issued
in a cut-up version in the U.S. called Raw
Meat
(via American International), Gary Sherman's Death
Line
(1973) is one of the most truly terrifying horror films ever to come
out of the U.K., even if he and the producers were actually from the
U.S., making this another winning hybrid from both countries (more or
less) in a film that eventually became a highly influential work,
more of a practical genre classic than a cult classic and too many
still have not caught up with it. Blue Underground has done it again
with a highly restored version with a bunch of great extras finally
doing justice to a film that is a must-see for all serious movie and
horror fans.
At
first, all seems normal in London 1973, with people going about their
way, the counterculture towards the end of its full swing and the
personal issues lingering as the likes of the Cold War (and Vietnam)
drags on, with the U.k. incidentally involved just the same. One
night, a seeming respectable gent (actually well dressed as he
frequents the red light district) starts looking for a hooker for
hire and thinks he finds one in the Underground subway system. That
suddenly does not work out when he turns around and is brutally
murdered.
The
shocking murder out of nowhere is investigated by an intense
inspector (Donald Pleasence) who is determined as he is cynical,
vowing to find out the truth but no expecting the ugly truth in store
for all. As the murders continue, British Intelligence even starts
to wonder what is going on and sends one of their best (Christopher
Lee) to make inquiries to the inspector. They do not hit it off, but
more immediately involved is a young man (David Ladd) who is just
trying to get on with his girlfriend (Sharon Gurney) while still
sticking to his morals and political feeling about the bad side of
England's casts system and how things need to change before they
become worse (as these murders will prove, 7 years before the arrival
of Thatcher) while people are still socially aware and to trying to
change things for the better.
The
script is not terror interrupted by polemics, but horror occasionally
punctuated by their dread and that just makes the creepiness (the
kind we saw a year before in Hitchcock's last great film, Frenzy
(made a year before, making his return to England) joining a cycle of
highly underrated, remarkable horror films that did not even have the
largest budgets, but delivered like few other films in the genre
since the silent film era. The gore in this film is not all over the
place like most horror films today, yet it still tends to be graphic,
shocking, gross, effective and one of those horror films that is
truly haunting.Alan Ladd Jr., co-produced this before moving on to
run Fox and then launch his own remarkable production company. He
always did have a knack for great filmmaking and this is yet another
prime example.
Death
Line
stands the test of time and most of its many imitators since never
came close. See it now!!!
The
1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer is a hugely
welcome upgrade from past video releases (including MGM's old
hard-to-watch DVD) in an image that rarely shows the age of the
materials used and far superior a transfer to all previous releases
of the film, even when I wished for even more detail and depth.
Originally issued in 35mm dye-transfer,
three-strip Technicolor print (now VERY valuable if you have one),
you can see in many places how good it must have looked in such
copies. Director of Photography Alex Thompson, B.S.C. (Alfred
The Great,
Alien
3,
Year
Of the Dragon)
pulls off remarkable shots all the time with incredibly palpable
atmosphere throughout, from daylight shooting, to nighttime shots to
hard-to-nail underground work. The film is creepier for his efforts,
making it all the more chilling and thanks to Blu-ray, you can see
the depth intended and despite some flaws, you can now experience the
look and feel intended pretty much throughout. My rating does not
include some stunning demo shots that I would rate higher.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image is passable for the format,
better than previous DVDs too, but no match for the Blu-ray, though I
could easily argue that it will take a 4K 2160p release to really
deliver this one fully. I cannot imagine it looking much better in
either format provided here.
The
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 2.0 Mono lossless mix on the Blu-ray is the
best the film has ever sounded, but I was a little disappointed there
was not more clarity or transparency in the recording. That is sadly
why the lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono on the DVD version is almost as
good and ties rating-wise. Dialogue is smart and sharp, while the
music score by Jeremy Rose and Wil Mallone impresses throughout, also
adding to the film's effectiveness.
Extras
include an illustrated booklet with informative text featuring
new writing by authors Michael Gingold and Christopher Gulloyet,
while the disc versions add a very enjoyable feature length audio
commentary track with Co-Writer/Director Gary Sherman, Producer Paul
Maslansky, and Assistant Director Lewis More O'Ferrall, three solid
featurettes in Tales
From The Tube
- Interview with Co-Writer/Director Gary Sherman and Executive
Producers Jay Kanter & Alan Ladd Jr., From
The Depths
- Interview with Star David Ladd and Producer Paul Maslansky and Mind
The Doors
- Interview with Star Hugh Armstrong, plus a DEATH LINE Trailer, RAW
MEAT Trailer, RAW MEAT TV Spots, RAW MEAT Radio Spots and Poster &
Still Gallery.
Union
Furnace
The
new indie thriller Union
Furnace
(2017) is no doubt inspired by films such as Rob Zombie's 31,
Saw,
The
Strangers,
and a handful of other films. It also tries to go out of its way to
make a bold statement about sadism and torture, yet never is quite as
gritty as it tries to be. A mixture of low production value, not
enough tension in scenes that should have it, really fake looking
blood, and mediocre acting, Union
Furnace
wants to be a thriller but is lacking the thrills.
Union
Furnace
stars Keith David, Mike Dwyer, Katie Keene and Seth Hammond.
Set
in a small town that seems normal, there lurks a crook named Cody
(Dwyer) who meets a mysterious stranger that offers him a unique
opportunity to play a game and win a fortune. To play his game,
however, you must wager your own life in the process. Of course,
Cody decides to give the game a go and finds himself trapped amongst
a cult of mask-wearing sadists and another player - both of which
will do anything they can to survive. The masked people find new and
inventive ways of torturing their victims as they tempt their fates.
Who will survive?
Presented
in sharp 1080p high definition with a widescreen aspect ratio of
2.40:1 and a DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) lossless 5.1 track, the film
looks surprisingly good for an indie with some interesting color
correction (it doesn't mind stealing the green color schemes of Saw)
and detail on characters. The sound mix is mixed nicely and nothing
particularly struck out as off.
Special
Features...
The
Making of Union Furnace
Theatrical
Trailer
Color
Bars
-
Nicholas Sheffo & James Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/
