Official Synopsis:
“A group of teenagers head out to the lake for a relaxing camping trip in the mountains. They ignore the warnings of the local truck stop owner and head to their destination. Things go terribly wrong when they run into an extraterrestrial who throws deadly discs that suck the blood of their victims. The group heads back to the truck stop for help from the eclectic residents, including a crazy war veteran and a determined hunter.”
Believe it or not, the thing that makes the least amount of sense in this film is the title. The teenagers do in fact get a warning not to go to the lake, so to say that this came ‘Without Warning’ is just false.
The evolution of alien creatures in film has always fascinated me. Largely based on the increased state of technology, the concept and the execution of an alien can be very different dependant on that state. I have conflicting opinions on the creature in this film. The alien itself is genuinely unsettling at times. The first glimpse you get of it is at the beginning of the film as it stands in some tall grass, easy to miss, but startles you once you see it. Despite it baring a striking resemblance to the alien in the Star Trek episode The Corbomite Maneuver, this thing ranks pretty high on my creepiness meter, I think largely in part due to the performance of Kevin Peter Hall who went on to play Predator.
The discs the alien throws are really hokey, the wire clearly visible thanks to high definition. This thing looks like it was taken directly from another Star Trek episode:
However, once it attaches to its victim, there are some great, gory moments complete with classic, campy special effects. These creatures lose their appeal quickly, however, as they are all we see for the longest time. I myself was wanting to see more from the alien. He’s supposed to be a Predator-like creature who hunts humans, but unfortunately we don’t see him do a lot.
Without a doubt the best parts of this film are those which include Jack Palance and Martin Landau. Both actors bring a unique, intense presence that is way over the top and just a lot of fun to watch. The teenagers are a bit annoying, but that’s to be expected. Jack Palance and Martin Landau stole each of the scenes they were in, and I found myself wanting a separate movie with these two as the leads, not a bunch of whiny teenagers.
Video
Without Warning is presented in 1080p 1.85:1. Don’t let the credit scene fool you as to what to expect for the rest of the film. Despite its incredible graininess and overall terrible look, the rest of the film holds up surprisingly well.
Audio
The Audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono mix. The sound holds up well here also, especially the very annoying bat squeaking sounds the discs make that seem to be prevalent throughout the entire film.
Extras
Per usual, Scream Factory does this film justice as it brings brand new extras with this release. You’re going to get:
Audio Commentary with Producer/Director Greydon Clark
New Interviews with Cinematographer Dead Cundey, Co-Writer/Co-Producer Daniel Grodnik, Special Make-Up Effects Creator Greg Cannom and Actor Chris Nelson
Theatrical Trailer
Without Warning is the definition of a campy horror classic. It’s fun to watch, complete with over-the-top performances and gore. It has its flaws, but if you are looking for a fun, Sci-Fi Horror/Creature type film then this is a must have.