Network, out now

When a philandering politician goes missing on the London Underground, the subsequent police investigation uncovers a terrifying secret kept hidden since the 1800s.

Beginning with the bright red ‘X Certificate’ card from the British Board of Film Censors (now Classification), Death Line is one of those films that has been awarded an 18 certificate where many of its contemporary shockers from the 70s have been downgraded to a 15. And that’s because it’s still a grubby, nasty little film at heart.

I remember watching this as a late-night Friday treat on the TV in the 80s, and found Gary (Poltergeist III, Dead and Buried) Sherman’s horror film somewhat unsettling. Whether it was the pitiful screams of terror from student victim Sharon Gurney or the relentless advances of the unnamed cannibalistic killer, it all felt very stark and brutal.

Network’s high definition transfer means that we get to see every drop of ooze and dribble falling from the monster’s pustulant head – a far cry from my previous black and white portable TV screening – and the vibrant 70s colours are well served. Donald Pleasance is somewhat coasting as obnoxious Inspector Calhoun and Christopher Lee has a small cameo as Stratton-Villiers from MI5, but in truth it’s the young couple and underground dwellers that get most of the focus.

In ‘Mind the Doors!’ we get a 15-minute interview with the late Hugh Armstrong, who played the cannibalistic attacker. He started in the RSC and National Theatre before taking on this single line role. He plays a tragic quasi-Quasimodo figure, but instead of ‘the bells!’ his catchphrase is ‘Mind the doors!’ (a prototype for Hodor’s ‘hold the door!’ maybe?) Unfortunately, he’s just a bit too scabrous for us to treat him like an innocent along the lines of  Frankenstein’s Monster.

Verdict: A grubby little slice of early 70s low budget horror that boasts an interesting, if somewhat gory, premise, scrubbed up well to look its putrid best. 8/10

Nick Joy

Click here to order Death Line from Amazon.co.uk