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Warning Sign (1985)

Before Resident Evil, there was Warning Sign.  Complete with an impressive synth score from Craig Safan, this thriller absolutely rocks and serves as the precursor to what would come in a lot of biohazard-themed flicks a decade AFTER its initial release.

Biotek.  That’s the name of the enemy company in this science fiction thriller.  Actually, the company doesn’t exist; it is the code name for an ultra-secret military project where a unique biological weapon is being developed.  This shit is beyond toxic and, because accidents do happen, G.W. Bailey as Tom Schmidt is unaware when he accidentally steps on the finished product, releasing it into the air around the research scientists. 

"his thriller absolutely rocks and serves as the precursor to what would come in a lot of biohazard-themed flicks a decade AFTER its initial release"


Eventually, all hell breaks loose inside the facility because, thanks to the quarantine, these scientists are in for the long haul.  Some don’t believe what is happening.  Others are living it.  All in all, 85 people are trapped thank to this Blue Harvest project. 

The scientists are soon dropping like flies and then, due to everyone’s surprise, they come back to life . . . as flesh-eating chompers. And because the film takes its time with situation, still managing to move at a great clip, the fear level in this intense shocker comes across as believable and damn spooky. {googleads}

Starring an super-cool Sam Waterston as the sheriff who comes to the rescue of his pregnant wife and Kathleen Quinlan as the one responsible for locking all Biotek employees in the facility when the contaminant is detected, Warning Sign pits infected scientists against law enforcement agents as they fight to get out of the building and free of the exposures from the biohazardous material. 

Written and directed by Hal Barwood (the writer of Dragonslayer), Warning Sign received negative notes upon its initial release.  Unfortunately.  This film, competently directed and paced with a strong handle concerning the development of tension, is way before its time.  Scientists becoming zombies?  Oh, hell, yes.  The whole idea of widespread contamination and the consequences therein was a staple in late 1990s cinema and here, without a doubt, the same thoughts and ideas are presented in a very well-acted flick.Warning Sign (1985)

Co-starring Yaphet Kotto as Major Connolly and Jeffrey DeMunn as Dr. Dan Fairchild, Warning Sign, dealing mainly with one laboratory setting, is a potboiler of consequential risky technology as one broken vial becomes the basis for the zombie apocalypse.  Filmed in rural Utah, the film and its new scan has never looked better.

Normal operations will never be restored once Warning Sign takes effect.  It is now on blu-ray thanks to Scream Factory.

4 beers

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[tab title="Details"]

Warning Sign (1985)

MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime:
99 mins
Director
: Hal Barwood
Writer:
Hal Barwood, Matthew Robbins
Cast:
Sam Waterston, Kathleen Quinlan, Yaphet Kotto
Genre
: Horror
Tagline:
Modern Man. Science has given him the ultimate power to create new forms of life. But with that power comes overwhelming responsibility... and danger.
Memorable Movie Quote: "What do you think I am, a lab animal, gonna foam at the mouth? Get over here!"
Theatrical Distributor:
Twentieth Century Fox
Official Site:
Release Date:
August 23, 1985
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
March 26, 2019
Synopsis: In the rolling Utah countryside, a small town is host to a fortress-like research facility, which the townspeople believe is developing new advancements in agriculture. But deep within is a top-secret project to create a bioweapon that turns anyone exposed to it into a raging, psychotic killer. When the unthinkable happens and the facility is locked down, Sheriff Cal Morse (Sam Waterston, Serial Mom) must choose between keeping the town safe and rescuing his wife Joanie (Kathleen Quinlan, Twilight Zone: The Movie), who is trapped inside. But for Major Connolly (Yaphet Kotto, Alien), there is only one remorseless solution: contain the deadly virus … at all costs.

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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

Warning Sign (1985)

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray
- March 26, 2019
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles
: None
Audio:
English: DTS-HD Master Audio
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc set
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

Scream Factory’s brand new scan of the film’s original elements looks damn crisp!  The detail here is damned impressive.  Colors are bold, bright, and shadows are thick with lines and deep blacks.  The night scenes – and there are a lot of them – are detailed and heavy with edges, so too is the massive amount of nudity, including testicles and pubic hair.  The colors are bold enough.  Saturation levels are on point and so too is the restored audio, appearing here in a DTS-HD master audio HD track.  Presented with a widescreen 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Warning Sign has never looked as good as it does here.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • Barwood’s commentary is on point and covers a lot of ground, as he reclaims a victory here and expresses how the film was developed, filmed, and  - once released – completely misunderstood.

Special Features:

Scream Factory loads this new blu-ray release with NEW INTERVIEWS from Barwood and producer Jim Bloom.  A theatrical trailer, TV spot, and photo gallery is also included.

  • NEW Interview With Director/Co-Writer Hal Barwood
  • NEW Interview With Producer Jim Bloom
  • Audio Commentary With Hal Barwood
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Original TV Spot
  • Still Gallery

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[tab title="Trailer"]

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[tab title="Art"]

Warning Sign (1985)

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