Without Warning (1980)

"Aliens ain't human, you know." - Sarge

An alien creature has begun hunting humans in the countryside.
Starring: Jack Palance, Tarah Nutter, Martin Landau, Christoper S. Nelson

Link to IMDB

Greg and Sandy

Two men are hunting in the woods, but it's not long before a few little flying creatures attack them. They look like sloppy jellyfish-omelettes with teeth, but they are deadly as they attach themselves to the men and kill them! Elsewhere in the forest, a group of four teens are traveling to a lake for some swimming, but when they stop at a gas station they meet old Joe (Palance) who warns them to stay away from the lake. Of course, they go to the lake anyways. A nearby boy scout troop is out exploring and they get attacked by the flying critters, too! These things are vicious little beasts, with each scene building suspense but also providing laughs at their silly appearance. Two of the teens are Greg and Sandy, separated from their friends they search the area for them. What they find is an old shed stuffed with the bodies of the dead hunters, scout leader, and their friends! Terrified, they hide from the flying creatures in their van, deciding that they need to find help.

As darkness falls they arrive at a tavern where the locals gather. None of them believe Greg's story at first, except one man named Sarge (Landau.) He's a war veteran with a few loose screws, but he also knows about the creatures that attacked Greg and Sandy. Joe arrives and believes the story too, but soon the bar loses electricity. The tension rises as Sarge rants about aliens invading, his paranoia spreading to the bar patrons as they huddle in the darkness. Joe seems fearless, and the teens agree to show him where the shed is because he wants answers.

Sarge

Joe

"A hunter always comes back for his prey." - Joe

Joe starts tracking the creatures to find who or what controls them, while Greg and Sandy find an old house to hide in. Sarge is descending into madness, convinced that anyone could be an alien and he must go to war! The actual alien that was hinted at a few times is finally revealed, and it won't stop until everyone is dead. Will Sarge's madness ruin their chances of survival, or will Joe's battle plans be successful as he confronts the alien?!

Killer omelettes are no joke.

Without Warning is well made and the fine actors make it compelling, and despite the gloomy atmosphere there's often a hint of cheesiness to add some laughs. The tension is great, and instead of someone just dying every five minutes there's a focus on how people handle their fear of the unknown. The pace can get slow at times, but it stays on track and kept me glued to my seat. And hey, it never gets old watching the jellyfish-omelettes zip around.

Be sure not to miss:
- Was the hunter actually going to shoot his son for being a wimp? What the hell?
- Yes, that's David Caruso. And there's Cameron Mitchell at the start, he was in a lot of B-movies at the end of his career, usually angry and yelling.
- Schwarzenegger has cited this as inspiring Predator, and the same actor plays the alien in both, Kevin Peter Hall.
- Rats enough!

Internet review:
"This movie RULEZ." - Squonkamatic

Should I watch it?
Highly recommended.

Where can I find it?
Here on Dailymotion.

Without Warning gets...