From Greydon Clark, the legendary cult director of Satan’s Cheerleaders, Angels Brigade, The Return, Wacko, Joysticks, Final Justice and Uninvited, comes the ultimate in extraterrestrial terror—Without Warning. It’s an alien. It preys on human fear. It feeds on human flesh. It comes with flying, bloodsucking jellyfish. And it’s here! A group of teenagers, a grizzled hunter and a crazy war veteran wage a life-and-death battle against the insidious invader. Be warned, there can be only one survivor. The alien—or Earth. Humanity depends on Jack Palance (Sudden Fear), Martin Landau (The Being), Tarah Nutter (Chilly Scenes of Winter), Christopher S. Nelson (Roller Boogie), Cameron Mitchell (Silent Scream), Neville Brand (Eaten Alive), Sue Ane Langdon (The Evictors), Ralph Meeker (Kiss Me Deadly), Larry Storch (Sweet Sixteen), Lynn Theel (Humanoids from the Deep), Darby Hinton (Hi-Riders) and David Caruso (King of New York) to defeat the evil E.T. (Kevin Peter Hall, the predator in Predator). Ace cinematographer Dean Cundey (The Thing) lensed this classic creepfest and effects whiz Greg Cannom (Bram Stoker’s Dracula) created the freaky fiends from outer space. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!
For thoughts on Without Warning, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Kino Classics presents Without Warning with a stellar upgrade in the form of a new 1080p master transfer in 1.85:1 sourced from a 2K master that looks really great. While I do not have direct access to the Scream Factory release, this new presentation by all accounts blows that one out of the water. The film is in great shape with no noticeable instances of damage or dirt detected here. Skin tones look natural, and the presentation offers up pretty deep black levels. There is also a noticeable clarity when it comes to fine detail that should thrill fans of the film. The transfer provides nice, natural film grain absent of any compression artifacts or other such damage. The film features some deep colors within the costumes and production design that really make an impression. Subtle details in the production design and makeup stand out more than ever before. This presentation is another instance of Kino Classics rescuing a film from a dated master.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a strong DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that serves this film very well. Thankfully, despite the low-budget nature of this picture, this track shows no discernible age related wear and tear such as hissing or popping. Dialogue and background noises are represented in perfect harmony with all competing elements. This disc maintains an impeccable sense of fidelity when it comes to music being utilized. All of the sound effects and music appear to be faithful to the intent of the creative team. Despite the strength of this element, nothing ever overpowers the dialogue or other important information. There are also optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. Kino Classic has delivered a really great audio experience.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Producer/Director Greydon Clark provides a pretty decent commentary track in which he discusses the origins of this film, how they went about getting it made on such a small budget, various details about the production including the shooting locations, securing the cast, how certain distributors edited the film without his consent, and much more. Clark is not the most lively subject, but he has a great memory and dishes out a lot of information throughout.
- Greg & Sandy’s Alien Adventure – Interviews with Actors Tarah Nutter and Christopher S. Nelson: A 21-minute interview with two of the lead performers as they discuss their early careers, getting involved with this picture, distinct qualities about their characters, the experience of working with director Greydon Clark, memorable moments between David Caruso and Jack Palance, last-minute plot changes and more.
- Independents Day – Interview with Cinematographer Dean Cundey: A 15-minute interview with Cundey in which he talks about working fast and on a small budget, his affection and pride for his low-budget films and how he used them as a learning tool, working with the legendary performers, the challenges of shooting at night, the film’s legacy and more.
- Producers vs. Aliens – Interview with Co-Writer/Co-Producer Daniel Grodnik: A nearly 12-minute interview with Grodnik in which he discusses his experiences as a young writer and producer, his entry into film, rewriting the initial script, the direction of Greydon Clark, trying to raise funds and more.
- Hunter’s Blood – Interview with Special Make-Up Effects Creator Greg Cannom: A six-minute interview with Cannom in which he discusses the work of Rick Baker, working fast and cheap with head plaster, memorable collaborations on this project and more.
- Trailers From Hell with Mike Mendez: A two-minute piece with Director Mike Mendez in which he gives you the rundown on the movie, the performers, its overall quality and more.
- Trailers: The two-minute trailer for Without Warning is provided here. There are also trailers provided for New Year’s Evil, The Pit, Parasite, Link and Rawhead Rex.
Final Thoughts
Without Warning is not the best movie from an objective standpoint, but it has a cheesy DIY quality that makes you appreciate it a bit more. The way it teases out the extraterrestrial presence helps build up a steady tension that is supplemented with some fun practical effects. What really saves this movie is the go-for-broke performances from the likes of legends such as Jack Palance and Martin Landau. The remainder of the ensemble do little more than a passable job of bringing the film to life, and the screenplay is likewise a bit rickety. Kino Classics has provided a new Blu-Ray featuring an amazing A/V presentation and an array of great supplemental features. If you are a fan of the film, do not miss your chance to see it in the best quality yet.
Without Warning (Special Edition) is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.