Warning Sign (1985) 7/10

Warning Sign is about a Midwest government chemical facility that processes and designs biological warfare viruses. An accident occurs and a virus is released causing the whole facility to be locked down. The virus kills many of the facility workers, but they come back from the dead and want to kill! Its up to a small town sheriff with a phobia of disease and his security officer wife that's still locked inside the building, along with the help of a recently laid off worker to stop and contain the virus while saving the people still alive inside.

This is a great cold war biological agent paranoia film. I love all of these cold war/nuclear holocaust/radiation mutating/biological warfare films. They're such great signs of the fear of the times as well as great warning pieces about war in general.

The film doesn't disappoint. Warning Sign moves at a very quick pace and creates a great deal of tension. The acting is great and I really wanted the plucky sheriff to rescue his trapped wife and save the day. Some have said that this is the first film with intelligent zombies as the premise suggests but the film really doesn't play as a zombie flick. The people are more like bringers of plague rather then animated corpses. They act and think just like they did in life, no eating of brains found. The carriers of the disease are filled with rage which also has been suggested as a possibly influence on 28 days later. Once again the rage is played very differently, but hey if you want to jump to that conclusion, go ahead. I'm just not ready to make that leap.

Warning Sign is an example of great 80's war paranoia and fits right along with other notable films like Return of the Living Dead and The Thing. The film is fast paced and intelligent with terrific acting. It's a wonder this also never became a cult hit but perhaps now that it's finally been released on DVD, it'll have a chance.

Gore - mild

Nudity - none
Overall - 7/10