Without Warning is a little known SF classic that deserves better recognition. It
proves that it is possible to produce high quality science fiction that doesn't rely on
special effects. The low budget of a TV movie is normally a problem: in the case of
Without Warning it turns out to be a great advantage. By concentrating on the writing and
on telling a good story the film also avoids ageing rapidly the way much SF does. It was
effective in 1994, it's effective now.
The concept is simple and certainly not original. In fact it's even less original than it
first seems. There are several references back to the main source of inspiration - even
the film's title has been very carefully chosen.
As the film begins, a tacky murder mystery is interrupted by a newsflash. A huge meteor
has borken up and fragments have crashed at various locations around the planet. There are
casualties and, miraculously, a few survivors. The story that evolves from this premise
isn't unusual but the device used to tell it is.
Without Warning can be seen as an early form of reality TV. But it's "written
reality"
rather than "real reality" and such is far more interesting.
The story is told as a live news report being covered by "Evening World News". The whole
film consists of the two studio anchors reporting on unfolding events interspersed with
special guests (including Arthur C Clarke) and location pieces from on site reporters.
It's done perfectly and is totally convincing - the fact that a number of members of the
cast (eg Sander Vanocur and Bree Walker Lampley) are genuine TV news reporters clearly helps the verisimilitude.
It might sound like the recipe for a dry, boring and unemotional film. Maybe it would be
to someone uninterested in current affairs. As a news junkie I quickly became caught up in
it. We're so used to seeing world events played out on the small screen that it feels very
real.
The first half hour or so is, it has to be said, lacking in excitement. But persevere.
Once the story gets going it become a compelling piece of emotional drama that won't let
you go.
Many recent recent movies could learn a lot from Without Warning. It's a lesson in how
to take a simple idea and turn it into a compelling piece of cinema. It's a film that
relies not on special effects but on quality writing. It's that all too rare thing:
intelligent science fiction.
