Without Warning (1980) **1/2

Without Warning (1980) has a very solid first two thirds but falls apart in the last one when it becomes a snooze fest. The ending almost saves it but not quite. It's a by-the-books horror/sci-fi film in a lot of ways (there's even a Halloween (1978) rip-off (homage?) at the end, but Dean Cundey did shoot both films). But there is still a lot to appreciate (i.e. laugh at)—a Marty McFly prototype (another Dean Cundey connection), some gooey, goofy f/x, some pretty cool "electronic music realization" by Dan Wyman, a striking theatrical poster, and, most importantly, Jack Palance and Martin Landau out crazy-old-man-who-knows-something-the-other-characters-don't-but-should-they-trust-either-one-of-them?ing each other.

Greydon Clark Films Ranked