Guillermo del Toro is a cinematic powerhouse whose films always reach a wide audience. But he understands not everyone can be so fortunate. Because del Toro is a considerate guy, he runs a recurring series on social media called ‘Righting a Wrong.’ Via this segment, del Toro defends a film that was unduly maligned by critics or otherwise didn’t get a fair shake.
The Oscar-winning filmmaker has championed plenty of great recommendations via ‘Righting a Wrong.’ One shining example is Raw Meat.
The Crimson Peak director offered an enthusiastic endorsement for the 1972 film, saying the following: “RIGHTING A WRONG: Raw Meat (Deathline) by Gary Sherman. Amazing, multi-layered horror story / class struggle allegory- plus cannibalism!!”
Where is Raw Meat available to stream?
If he didn’t have you at multi-layered horror story/class struggle allegory, I know your curiosity was piqued by the promise of cannibalism. Good news: The film is currently available to stream via Plex.
Unlike a lot of del Toro’s ‘Righting a Wrong’ picks, this film was actually a hit with critics. But it didn’t make a big splash at the box office and has faded into relative obscurity in the years since release. Thankfully, GdT is an outspoken supporter of the film, ensuring the picture will continue to find new fans over time.
Raw Meat was censored for its US release to skirt an X rating. The flick primarily played in grindhouse theaters as part of a double bill.
The film stars Donald Pleasence, Norman Rossington, David Ladd, Hugh Armstrong, Sharon Gurney, and Christopher Lee.
Interestingly enough, Marlon Brando was originally set to appear in the film but was eventually replaced by Hugh Armstrong. Even without Brando, that is an insane cast. Seeing Donald Pleasance and Christopher Lee under the same roof is plenty exciting.
Gary Sherman helmed Raw Meat. You may recognize him as the director of Dead and Buried (another severely underrated horror film). Ceri Jones penned the screenplay. Raw Meat marks Jones’ sole screen credit.
The setup for this Guillermo del Toro-approved chiller goes like this:
A police inspector (Pleasence) discovers that descendants of survivors of a cave-in in the early 1900s are eating London subway riders.
That’s all we have for you, for the time being. Keep an eye out for more recommendations from your favorite creators in the genre space as we unearth them. And if you’d like to chat more about overlooked and underrated films, you can find me on Threads @FunWithHorror.
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