Total & utter trash, this moronic low budget Sci-Fi flick about a genetically engineered army robot that reproduces itself by laying eggs (!) and naturally turns against its creators before it's even properly finished. In some desperate attempts to thicken the unoriginal plot, there's the lame sub plot about a nosy journalist and his ugly girlfriend going undercover in the company and the awkward story about the Corporate Executive (David Gale from "Re-Animator" fame) who injects the veins in his neck with the same liquids as the robots need in able to function. "Syngenor" is nearly unendurable nonsense, made on a shoestring budget and featuring no redeeming elements whatsoever, apart from the over-the-top performance of David Gale. The supposedly extraordinary killer robots, meant to replace human soldiers to fight wars in the Middle East, are actually very deficient machines! They can't deal with fire or water, and they're pretty easy to kill if you just aim well or hit them over the head hard enough. On top of that, they only last 24 hours before incubating their own successors. And these faulty metal things are supposed to be the future of the US Army? He's dead now, but I'm sure Saddam Houssein wouldn't have been impressed. The first half is still remotely amusing, since the inept dialogs and cheesy massacres supply the film with a handful of chuckles, but then the whole thing gets too stupid to even smile at. The climax battles are exaggeratedly retarded, with a very Terminator-esquire sequence in which the leftover pieces of one of the robots melt together with human tissue, resulting in an ultra-hideous robot-woman creature. What the hell was that? My rating of 3 out of 10 is extremely generous, mainly just because David Gale was a cool dude who never got the good roles he deserved, apart from once in "Re-Animator".
22 Reviews
I want to suck your
spinal fluid.
lost-in-limbo28 November 2009
Not completely a direct sequel to William Malone's 1981 "Scared to Death", but "Syngenor" sees the return of Malone's alien creation (this time there's even more and a new creation to boot as well). As a low-budget, late-night b-grade offering, "Syngenor" is actually very well pulled off. I was expecting it to look much cheaper. It remains trashy fun throughout, namely due to the spontaneously intense and ham-fisted performance of David Gale. You could never tire watching this guy perform! It might be his show, but the rest the performances do shape up rather nicely. A delightful Starr Andreeff and snappy Mitchell Laurance agreeably work off each other. Riva Spier is enticingly manipulative. Also showing up is Melanie Shatner (William's Daughter) and character actor Lewis Arquette.
Carter Brown is the CEO of Norton Cyberdyne, a corporation that deals with military defence technology. His latest creation under the project name "Dark Skies" is that of some genetically made super-soldiers known as Syngenor --- Synthesized Genetic Organism. However problems start occurring when one of them is released from its basement enclosure to leave a bloody aftermath, which involves the death of their original creator Dr. Valentine. Growing increasingly paranoid that somebody (within) is trying to knock him from his perch; Brown's sanity soon begins to spin out of control. Also he has to deal with a pesky news reporter and Valentine's daughter.
Pulpy hokum, which has many dumb and unintentionally humorous qualities but in the end that's what makes it. Really it could have been more enjoyable than it was. The plot is nothing new (by starting off rather mild-mannered and then transcending into demented craziness) and the script is sub-standard, but bestowed a conceptual base of satirical barbs and tongue-in-cheek sparks. The tightly knitted execution at times was a bit shoddy (with some cheaply staged action --- like the onslaught in the basement involving an oddly dressed security squad), but the pacing keeps on the move and the optical / special effects (done by Robert and Dennis Skotak) and make-up stand up better than you would think. The Syngenor designs (a man in a suit with an amatronic head) look quite decent, as they're crafted with specific details. Although when they go after their prey, it can be rather laughable with their slow movements as they dawdle around waving their arms. Super-soldiers? Locked away in the basement? The feature was mainly filmed in the Ambassador Hotel, in Los Angeles which has an infamous history. Some moments have an atmospheric edge, while other sequences are truly devoid of it. Composers Steve Rucker and Thomas Chase provide a typically unhinged music score.
Slightly enjoyably low-end creature-feature oddity that's brought to life thanks to David Gale.
Carter Brown is the CEO of Norton Cyberdyne, a corporation that deals with military defence technology. His latest creation under the project name "Dark Skies" is that of some genetically made super-soldiers known as Syngenor --- Synthesized Genetic Organism. However problems start occurring when one of them is released from its basement enclosure to leave a bloody aftermath, which involves the death of their original creator Dr. Valentine. Growing increasingly paranoid that somebody (within) is trying to knock him from his perch; Brown's sanity soon begins to spin out of control. Also he has to deal with a pesky news reporter and Valentine's daughter.
Pulpy hokum, which has many dumb and unintentionally humorous qualities but in the end that's what makes it. Really it could have been more enjoyable than it was. The plot is nothing new (by starting off rather mild-mannered and then transcending into demented craziness) and the script is sub-standard, but bestowed a conceptual base of satirical barbs and tongue-in-cheek sparks. The tightly knitted execution at times was a bit shoddy (with some cheaply staged action --- like the onslaught in the basement involving an oddly dressed security squad), but the pacing keeps on the move and the optical / special effects (done by Robert and Dennis Skotak) and make-up stand up better than you would think. The Syngenor designs (a man in a suit with an amatronic head) look quite decent, as they're crafted with specific details. Although when they go after their prey, it can be rather laughable with their slow movements as they dawdle around waving their arms. Super-soldiers? Locked away in the basement? The feature was mainly filmed in the Ambassador Hotel, in Los Angeles which has an infamous history. Some moments have an atmospheric edge, while other sequences are truly devoid of it. Composers Steve Rucker and Thomas Chase provide a typically unhinged music score.
Slightly enjoyably low-end creature-feature oddity that's brought to life thanks to David Gale.
Movie that probably makes a better trailer
alucardvenom4 November 2015
I love cheap creature feature or monster movies. I really do, no matter how cheap they are as long as they are entertaining.
"Syngenor" wasn't. It started out OK but as the movie went on I find myself paying less and less attention to the screen. Creature design is interesting and cool looking, but that's probably the most interesting about the movie.
I wouldn't complain too much about acting, because I didn't really expect some excellent performances in these kind of movie, but David Gale really went over-the-top even more then his usual self.
What I find really funny is monster concept itself. It's suppose to be indestructible bio-engineered super-soldier that's half machine, half organic, that can reproduce itself every 24h that would replace American soldiers on the battlefield. Yet, creature seems to easily goes down by shotgun-to-the-face and water!? I find that incredibly funny, because for a super-soldier it has two major weaknesses: firearms and water.
A semi-sequel to cult movie "Scared to Death" from early '80s, but you can watch it as stand alone movie.
"Synapse" released this on DVD (along with it's mother movie), which has some bonus features. So if it's your coup of tea, go for it, but I think "Syngenor" makes a better trailer then a movie.
"Syngenor" wasn't. It started out OK but as the movie went on I find myself paying less and less attention to the screen. Creature design is interesting and cool looking, but that's probably the most interesting about the movie.
I wouldn't complain too much about acting, because I didn't really expect some excellent performances in these kind of movie, but David Gale really went over-the-top even more then his usual self.
What I find really funny is monster concept itself. It's suppose to be indestructible bio-engineered super-soldier that's half machine, half organic, that can reproduce itself every 24h that would replace American soldiers on the battlefield. Yet, creature seems to easily goes down by shotgun-to-the-face and water!? I find that incredibly funny, because for a super-soldier it has two major weaknesses: firearms and water.
A semi-sequel to cult movie "Scared to Death" from early '80s, but you can watch it as stand alone movie.
"Synapse" released this on DVD (along with it's mother movie), which has some bonus features. So if it's your coup of tea, go for it, but I think "Syngenor" makes a better trailer then a movie.
David Gale at his best!
willywants30 January 2004
scientist engineers a group of genetically engineered cyborgs for use as "supersoldiers" to fight U.S. wars in the Middle East. However, things get ugly when the cyborgs malfunction and turn on their creators, escaping from the abandoned lab and stalking the halls of the Cyberdyne (Wasn't that stolen from "The Terminator"?) building, eating people and reproducing every 24 hours A-sexually. The main Syngenor, the Lizard-like monster spends most of the time slobbering and slowly stalking his prey, while the other types of Syngenor walk around roaring like Elephants and killing the Company's army (The "Soldiers" were the goofiest-looking clothes you'll ever see) spend most of their time running threw hallsways, while the company's insane CEO, David Gale, kills his co-workers. "Syngenor" is a low-budget monster movie that, without the presence of David Gale or the nifty-looking monsters, would have failed misserably. The monsters look cool and original for their budget, and David Gale's performance is hysterical--in fact, I'd go as far as saying that this is his best roll EVER, even beating "Re-animator". Over-all, a fair attempt at horror film-making, see it if only for gale. My rating for "Syngenor"- 6/10.
Grade D-
macabro35719 April 2004
Rented the newly released DVD of this and I'm glad I didn't buy it.
Carter Brown (David Gale) is the head of a corporation who develops synthetic creatures that to be used to fight wars in the Middle East. It's a creature that's adverse to water, but no matter since the desert doesn't have very much water to begin with. It also looks very similar to the gill man in CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, so there's not a whole lot of imagination here.
Anyway, these SYNGENORS escape from the lab and invade the building killing people, but it's not very scary or gory or anything. In fact, the whole film looks like one big bore with David Gale looking like he's sleepwalking through the whole thing. He made a better ham in the RE-ANIMATOR series and the injecting of the green fluid into his neck is a silly cue from those earlier films.
Never heard of any of the rest of the cast except for Melanie Shatner as the receptionist, and that's only because she's Bill's daughter.
The Elite DVD has a short clip of David Gale visiting Japan in order to help promote this film, which I understand, was a big hit over there. Why, I don't know. Maybe they thought the creature was 'cute' or something.
It might've worked better if Roger Corman had a hand in it, but as it stands, it only gets a charitable failure.
2 out of 10
Carter Brown (David Gale) is the head of a corporation who develops synthetic creatures that to be used to fight wars in the Middle East. It's a creature that's adverse to water, but no matter since the desert doesn't have very much water to begin with. It also looks very similar to the gill man in CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, so there's not a whole lot of imagination here.
Anyway, these SYNGENORS escape from the lab and invade the building killing people, but it's not very scary or gory or anything. In fact, the whole film looks like one big bore with David Gale looking like he's sleepwalking through the whole thing. He made a better ham in the RE-ANIMATOR series and the injecting of the green fluid into his neck is a silly cue from those earlier films.
Never heard of any of the rest of the cast except for Melanie Shatner as the receptionist, and that's only because she's Bill's daughter.
The Elite DVD has a short clip of David Gale visiting Japan in order to help promote this film, which I understand, was a big hit over there. Why, I don't know. Maybe they thought the creature was 'cute' or something.
It might've worked better if Roger Corman had a hand in it, but as it stands, it only gets a charitable failure.
2 out of 10
Out of control David Gale performance
BandSAboutMovies15 May 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Remember Scared to Death? That monster suit movie may not have moved many folks, but producer Jack F. Murphy loved the creature in it so much he wanted to make another movie about it. Original director William Malone had moved on - some sources say he was making Creature, but that was in 1985 - so George Elanjian Jr. (who had had a career in reality TV before there was reality TV, directing That's Incredible!, Candid Camera and Real Stories of the Highway Patrol) came on board.
Charitably, this movie is a mess, but it's anchored by Re-Animator bad guy David Gale who absolutely takes huge bites out of the scenery every single time he shows up.
Norton Cyberdyne builds high-tech military technology and their latest superweapon is Syngenor (SYNthesized GENetic ORganism), a Giger-ish creature made for deployment in the Middle East. These scientists are so smart that they made an unkillable creature that can continually lay eggs and reproduce, making more invincible slimy monsters.
Their headquarters is really Los Angeles' Ambassador Hotel and the lab is just a kitchen with sheets all over everything. And one of the two writers of this movie, Brent V. Friedman, would go on to also create the scripts for Hollywood Hot Tubs 2: Educating Crystal and Mortal Kombat Annihilation. If you think the latter is bad, you should see where he got started.
I have no idea why Vinegar Syndrome hasn't released this yet. You haven't lived until you see Gale get on his knees to suck off a female employee's finger or kill all of his employees while wearing a bunny mask. This is his movie, so don't you ever forget it.
Charitably, this movie is a mess, but it's anchored by Re-Animator bad guy David Gale who absolutely takes huge bites out of the scenery every single time he shows up.
Norton Cyberdyne builds high-tech military technology and their latest superweapon is Syngenor (SYNthesized GENetic ORganism), a Giger-ish creature made for deployment in the Middle East. These scientists are so smart that they made an unkillable creature that can continually lay eggs and reproduce, making more invincible slimy monsters.
Their headquarters is really Los Angeles' Ambassador Hotel and the lab is just a kitchen with sheets all over everything. And one of the two writers of this movie, Brent V. Friedman, would go on to also create the scripts for Hollywood Hot Tubs 2: Educating Crystal and Mortal Kombat Annihilation. If you think the latter is bad, you should see where he got started.
I have no idea why Vinegar Syndrome hasn't released this yet. You haven't lived until you see Gale get on his knees to suck off a female employee's finger or kill all of his employees while wearing a bunny mask. This is his movie, so don't you ever forget it.
Passable remake to a cult original.
DigitalRevenantX72 December 2015
Warning: Spoilers
The military technology company Norton Cyberdyne is in a crisis. The board is inept, the CEO Carter Brown is rapidly going insane due to repeated injections of a mystery drug into his neck by his own actions & a group of executives & their call girl dates have just accidentally released from its cryogenic chamber the Syngenor (acronym for Synthesised Genetic Organism), a genetic cyborg designed to survive bullets & desert conditions & who can self-replicate every few hours. As the creatures quickly take over the building, Brown initiates a security lockdown, trapping himself & a group of people inside the building. One of the people is Susan Valentine, daughter of the late Dr. Valentine who was killed by a rogue Syngenor, & her boyfriend Nick Cary. Together they attempt to find a way out of the building but with the corporate security team's attempts to fight the Syngenors proving ineffective, they are thrust into a battle for their own survival.
SCARED TO DEATH was one of the very first ALIEN templaters, made at a time when Alien had huge success in the box office & inspired a whole heap of filmmakers to make their own homage to the film. Scared to Death was the debut of filmmaker William Malone, a former fan who turned to makeup effects & made the legendary mask for Michael Myers in the original HALLOWEEN before making Scared to Death & creating the minor cult figure of the Syngenor, a reptilian-based genetic cyborg (a being created from synthetic DNA) that fed on human spinal fluid & that could self-replicate within a certain amount of time. The film was not quite the success of Alien but slowly developed a cult following (I saw it on YouTube).
Despite the majority of people who call it a sequel, I believe that Syngenor is actually a remake of the original film. Some of the details about the mythology of the monster are changed (mainly the company that made the creature) & there is no mention of the events of the first film, which makes it a remake. I'm basing that on the technical side of things.
Anyway, Syngenor is a superior film to Scared to Death in some respects – mainly by turning the focus of the film from cheap horror to dark comedy. In that respect, it manages to entertain considerably, although it is never more than a passable sci-fi horror flick in itself. David Gale, the actor who played the infamous headless zombie Dr. Hill in the RE-ANIMATOR films, clearly has a blast as the insane CEO of the company & effortlessly steals the show. He improvised most of his performance in the film & even made the suggestion that the mysterious glowing green drug he kept injecting into his neck should be kept a mystery (I personally thought that the opposite should be made since it would clear up a few things but I'm willing to go with Gale's idea since it also makes the film share some similarities to Re-Animator & even seems like a nod to that film). This was Gale's last performance, the actor dying shortly after the film came out.
Apart from David Gale, the rest of the cast are mediocre. The lead characters are bland & reminded me of the heroines of the old 1930s mystery thrillers who make dumb moves & talk too much. The scheming executives are just a bunch of idiots who get killed in various novel ways (one executive finds himself the target of Gale's latest toy – the Death Rattle (an energy weapon that can liquefy its targets in seconds) & gets blown to bits within moments) & the security guards have the problem of wearing some ridiculous uniforms that look like a child designed them. The Syngenors look frightening but move so slowly that a snail could outrun them.
The film does make a better impression than Scared to Death ever did & whilst still a passable monster feature, it gives the Syngenor a better chance to become a cult favourite.
SCARED TO DEATH was one of the very first ALIEN templaters, made at a time when Alien had huge success in the box office & inspired a whole heap of filmmakers to make their own homage to the film. Scared to Death was the debut of filmmaker William Malone, a former fan who turned to makeup effects & made the legendary mask for Michael Myers in the original HALLOWEEN before making Scared to Death & creating the minor cult figure of the Syngenor, a reptilian-based genetic cyborg (a being created from synthetic DNA) that fed on human spinal fluid & that could self-replicate within a certain amount of time. The film was not quite the success of Alien but slowly developed a cult following (I saw it on YouTube).
Despite the majority of people who call it a sequel, I believe that Syngenor is actually a remake of the original film. Some of the details about the mythology of the monster are changed (mainly the company that made the creature) & there is no mention of the events of the first film, which makes it a remake. I'm basing that on the technical side of things.
Anyway, Syngenor is a superior film to Scared to Death in some respects – mainly by turning the focus of the film from cheap horror to dark comedy. In that respect, it manages to entertain considerably, although it is never more than a passable sci-fi horror flick in itself. David Gale, the actor who played the infamous headless zombie Dr. Hill in the RE-ANIMATOR films, clearly has a blast as the insane CEO of the company & effortlessly steals the show. He improvised most of his performance in the film & even made the suggestion that the mysterious glowing green drug he kept injecting into his neck should be kept a mystery (I personally thought that the opposite should be made since it would clear up a few things but I'm willing to go with Gale's idea since it also makes the film share some similarities to Re-Animator & even seems like a nod to that film). This was Gale's last performance, the actor dying shortly after the film came out.
Apart from David Gale, the rest of the cast are mediocre. The lead characters are bland & reminded me of the heroines of the old 1930s mystery thrillers who make dumb moves & talk too much. The scheming executives are just a bunch of idiots who get killed in various novel ways (one executive finds himself the target of Gale's latest toy – the Death Rattle (an energy weapon that can liquefy its targets in seconds) & gets blown to bits within moments) & the security guards have the problem of wearing some ridiculous uniforms that look like a child designed them. The Syngenors look frightening but move so slowly that a snail could outrun them.
The film does make a better impression than Scared to Death ever did & whilst still a passable monster feature, it gives the Syngenor a better chance to become a cult favourite.
Hilariously bad
liammurphy120 January 2004
I bought (yes! bought) this movie at my local store for the very low price of £3.99, so I wasn't expecting an oscar winner, but having seen this truly awful pile of crap, I think I deserve a refund. The acting was atrocious - among if not THE worst I have ever seen. I mean what was with the boss of the company who kept sticking green goo in his neck? he overacted something dreadfully the dialogue was apalling and the main actress Starr Andreeff (What a name!) was terrible, What action scenes there were - were lousy
I have wasted 90 minutes of my life on this awful movie - I suggest you DON'T do the same!
Rating 1/10
I have wasted 90 minutes of my life on this awful movie - I suggest you DON'T do the same!
Rating 1/10
IS IT REAL?
nogodnomasters7 June 2019
Warning: Spoilers
A weapons corporation manufactures a genetic killing machine, that looks like Predator, but is called Syngenor. Carter Brown (David Gale) is the crazed paranoid man over the project who shoots himself in the neck with the proverbial fluorescent green radiator fluid because...he can. One night he lets loose the Syngenor to test it on live subjects and was surprised for some reason he didn't immediately return to its cage and goes on to kill its creator.
The Syngenor almost kills the niece (Starr Andreeff) whose front door can't be opened from the inside. You always have easy to open doors in case of fire, aliens or Syngenor. The rest of plot wasn't this tight. It was like an Asylum/ SyFy production.
Guide: F-bomb, brief sex, nudity (Julie Kris)
The Syngenor almost kills the niece (Starr Andreeff) whose front door can't be opened from the inside. You always have easy to open doors in case of fire, aliens or Syngenor. The rest of plot wasn't this tight. It was like an Asylum/ SyFy production.
Guide: F-bomb, brief sex, nudity (Julie Kris)
Silly Mutant Horror Movie that Entertains
McBun119 March 2017
The new soldiers that's made by this sinister organisation for America are mutants so they don't feel fear but they're as dumb as they're ugly! As per the plot, they are the next best thing but in many scenes, they don't act like universal soldiers that would crush the enemies mercilessly, more like painfully slow zombies that fall in an instant from your water gun! Still it's this silliness that entertained for me, and as expected, there's bits of nudity too. The performances are above average too. Starr Andreeff and Mitchell Laurance in the lead roles are good but I would say the best performance was from David Gale as the whacko, homicidal boss.
Tbh, I love this movie and I wish I didn't.
skylarkz9 June 2021
Listen. Objectively, this film is sludge. I don't think anyone can deny that. But the colorful villains keep bringing me back to this damn film!!
David Gale's crazed performance as Carter Brown, even if it makes up just 1/10th of the screen time, is fun as all hell to watch. And his dubious little associate Paula Gorski (even if Riva's performance comes off even hammier than David's at times) is pretty fun as well.
The protagonists aren't memorable. But the wild combination of cartoonishly large laser guns, giant lizard men, unstable rabbit-masked killers, 90's vaporwave aesthetics, finger-licking, military satire, 80's power suits, and general tomfoolery just keep bringing. Me. Back. To. This. Atrocious. Film. Hell, both Carter and Paula have lines where they say "Balls". Who wrote this?? I just want to talk.
David Gale's crazed performance as Carter Brown, even if it makes up just 1/10th of the screen time, is fun as all hell to watch. And his dubious little associate Paula Gorski (even if Riva's performance comes off even hammier than David's at times) is pretty fun as well.
The protagonists aren't memorable. But the wild combination of cartoonishly large laser guns, giant lizard men, unstable rabbit-masked killers, 90's vaporwave aesthetics, finger-licking, military satire, 80's power suits, and general tomfoolery just keep bringing. Me. Back. To. This. Atrocious. Film. Hell, both Carter and Paula have lines where they say "Balls". Who wrote this?? I just want to talk.
Awesome flick!!!
brother_beavis19 July 2001
This was one of my favortie movies as a kid. It used to scare the crap outta me when I was young, and even though its not that scary now I still love it. There is a somewhat good amount of gore and violence, and the creatures look great for a low-budget flick, even though they do sound a little bit like elephants when they scream. I heard that this is actually a sequel to amovie called "Scared to death", which I haven't seen... yet. Anyway, Syngenor is out of print, but if you find it, pick it up. You won't regret it.
A vote of 7/10 needs some explanation...
Obliviax17 March 2006
As a horror/sci-fi, this film is a peerless failure. It's yet another "Alien" rip-off created in the early 1990s when rubber monster suits became more affordable. The acting, direction, and screenplay are all awful - to say nothing of the aforementioned bargain basement creature effect. "Syngenor" does, however, deserve an 8/10 for pure entertainment value. Rarely have I laughed so hard at a film. If you want to watch a real movie, avoid "Syngenor" at all costs. If, on the other hand, you want an evening of hilarity, gather up some friends, buy the spirits of your choice, and enjoy "Syngenor" in all its absurd glory. Goofy dialogue, ridiculous plot devices, monsters who jig wildly when being shot... "Syngenor" truly is a giant among B-grade sci-fi schlock.
Actually as cheesy as you would assume it to be...
paul_haakonsen18 June 2022
Sure, from the movie's cover, then I wasn't really expecting a whole lot, and the movie's title didn't really do much to sell the movie either. It was definitely something that was just oozing with early 1990s cheese. And that was exactly what I was expecting from the 1990 movie "Syngenor" as I sat down to watch it for the first time in 2022.
Writers Michael Carmody and Brent V. Friedman managed to put together a storyline that was classic early 1990s cheese, so in that account they didn't botch. However, in terms of "Syngenor" being a wholesome sci-fi horror movie, well don't go betting your last dollar on it.
The storyline in "Syngenor" was generic, so much that it was bordering on actually being laughable. The storyline was somewhat of a swing and a miss in terms of entertaining me, yet I managed to endure and sit through the entire ordeal.
The special effects in the movie were so-so. I mean, the syngenor creatures were just obviously people inside rubber suits, inarticulate rubber suits, mind you. And that just took away from the horror element of the movie, and sort of made it feel more like a spoof on the "Alien" movie.
As for the acting in the movie, well it was adequate, but you're not in for any grand theatrical experience. There are some familiar faces on the cast list, with the likes of David Gale, Mitchell Laurance and Jeff Doucette.
All in all, I hadn't been missing out on any grand sci-fi horror experience here with "Sygenor". And it is definitely not a movie that I will be returning to watch a second time. Nor is it a movie that I would recommend horror or sci-fi fans to rush out and get to watch.
My rating of "Syngenor" lands on a generous three out of ten stars.
Writers Michael Carmody and Brent V. Friedman managed to put together a storyline that was classic early 1990s cheese, so in that account they didn't botch. However, in terms of "Syngenor" being a wholesome sci-fi horror movie, well don't go betting your last dollar on it.
The storyline in "Syngenor" was generic, so much that it was bordering on actually being laughable. The storyline was somewhat of a swing and a miss in terms of entertaining me, yet I managed to endure and sit through the entire ordeal.
The special effects in the movie were so-so. I mean, the syngenor creatures were just obviously people inside rubber suits, inarticulate rubber suits, mind you. And that just took away from the horror element of the movie, and sort of made it feel more like a spoof on the "Alien" movie.
As for the acting in the movie, well it was adequate, but you're not in for any grand theatrical experience. There are some familiar faces on the cast list, with the likes of David Gale, Mitchell Laurance and Jeff Doucette.
All in all, I hadn't been missing out on any grand sci-fi horror experience here with "Sygenor". And it is definitely not a movie that I will be returning to watch a second time. Nor is it a movie that I would recommend horror or sci-fi fans to rush out and get to watch.
My rating of "Syngenor" lands on a generous three out of ten stars.
Dancin', dancin', dancin'.... he's a dancin' machine!
Mr Parker28 July 2003
At one point, they shoot one of the monsters in this so many times that he looks like he's dancing, waving his arms up and down. It almost looked like he was doing the "Robot". To add insult to injury, you could clearly see a thick root of cables coming from one of his feet that was obviously used to set off the bullet squibs. My God!
This is one of those movies that is so funny, you may not be able to watch it from lack of oxygen and blurred vision caused by tears. It is such a ripoff of Aliens that it's pretty awe inspiring. They stick a big cannon in this one poor monster's mouth and pull the trigger repeatedly, similar to when Hicks blasted an Alien to smithereens after jamming a shotgun in between it's drooling jaws and yelling, "Eat this!" There's even a scene set in airducts with the monsters chasing them. What I remember most about this was that the creatures posed almost no kind of threat. They walked around REALLY slowly and were really just there to get shot to pieces by the obligatory military hit squad. This is one bad movie that for some reason, gives me warm and fuzzy feelings. My interest was piqued by an ad I saw in Fangoria years ago for these really detailed rubber masks that they were selling. One of them was called "Syngenor" and looked really nice but it was a bit out of my price range. Then I found out that the mask was based on a character design from a movie and I decided that I had to see it! And then I did! And you know what? It was terrible! But funny also!
I sort of remember that water played a big part in this somewhere. And that in the movie, some researchers were designing these creatures to be the perfect soldiers or some other hoo-hah. It's bad alright but it's not that bad that it's unwatchable. I'm gonna go ahead and give this one big fat star and a half. Only out of sympathy and the fact that this movie has made me laugh to the point of getting internal damage do I spare it from a zero, which realistically, this chuck deserves.
RATING: * and a 1/2 out of *****
This is one of those movies that is so funny, you may not be able to watch it from lack of oxygen and blurred vision caused by tears. It is such a ripoff of Aliens that it's pretty awe inspiring. They stick a big cannon in this one poor monster's mouth and pull the trigger repeatedly, similar to when Hicks blasted an Alien to smithereens after jamming a shotgun in between it's drooling jaws and yelling, "Eat this!" There's even a scene set in airducts with the monsters chasing them. What I remember most about this was that the creatures posed almost no kind of threat. They walked around REALLY slowly and were really just there to get shot to pieces by the obligatory military hit squad. This is one bad movie that for some reason, gives me warm and fuzzy feelings. My interest was piqued by an ad I saw in Fangoria years ago for these really detailed rubber masks that they were selling. One of them was called "Syngenor" and looked really nice but it was a bit out of my price range. Then I found out that the mask was based on a character design from a movie and I decided that I had to see it! And then I did! And you know what? It was terrible! But funny also!
I sort of remember that water played a big part in this somewhere. And that in the movie, some researchers were designing these creatures to be the perfect soldiers or some other hoo-hah. It's bad alright but it's not that bad that it's unwatchable. I'm gonna go ahead and give this one big fat star and a half. Only out of sympathy and the fact that this movie has made me laugh to the point of getting internal damage do I spare it from a zero, which realistically, this chuck deserves.
RATING: * and a 1/2 out of *****
of course you remember this
godinamachine23 December 2022
HEY EVERYBODY ITS ME (4) ... and today we review ..... syngenor ...bless you ...the movie !!!!!!!!
Now keep in mind this IS in fact the sequel ? .... or at least the second film to use the name and the creature .......
however is not a direct anything other than that to the first film .......the guy said ....wow thats a cool monster but i can do WAY better ....and well .. he did lol.........
i mean the evil doctor from reanimator is all like ...hey now im an evil boss of an evil corporation trust me you remember this guy from being the evil _____ from pretty much every film in the 80s ......and he does pretty well for the roll ........ BUT here hes just crazy and his empire is crumbling and his lackies are lacking brain power enough to just leave when they can and oh yea monsters ...there are those in this film too .... you know indestructible super soldier genetic monsters that cant be stopped ...except by ... a bullet i guess ... or water sprinklers maybe ...so a light rain that day, or a misty monday morning ....and BAM your whole army of unstoppable super soldiers is poof .......wasted .BUT other than stuff like that they are never going to stop .... living in the basement of the building and k!lling people who stumble down there when the boss tells them to !!!!!!!
Other than plot holes so big you can park a car in them this film is a solid classic 80/90's styled monster flick ......good ol guy in a suite running around roaring and hitting stuff untill the good guy and hot chick/love interest side kick win the day with some just as absurd weapon developed by the same company that made the monster problem to begin with ....wow how convenient !!!
So even though there isnt alot new here in story, or over all in how it plays out ...the creature is memorable and anyone whos seen it knows exactly where its from ....no one remembers the first film .... "afraid of the dark" ....or ....scared of the night ? Maybe ? ... honestly i cant remember it lol.... but this one sticks with you .....its bad , but in the cheesy 80/90s way so you dont HATE it its fun, and is always good for a marathon of monster movies with friends ....
7/10 - in part for nostalgia .....
Now keep in mind this IS in fact the sequel ? .... or at least the second film to use the name and the creature .......
however is not a direct anything other than that to the first film .......the guy said ....wow thats a cool monster but i can do WAY better ....and well .. he did lol.........
i mean the evil doctor from reanimator is all like ...hey now im an evil boss of an evil corporation trust me you remember this guy from being the evil _____ from pretty much every film in the 80s ......and he does pretty well for the roll ........ BUT here hes just crazy and his empire is crumbling and his lackies are lacking brain power enough to just leave when they can and oh yea monsters ...there are those in this film too .... you know indestructible super soldier genetic monsters that cant be stopped ...except by ... a bullet i guess ... or water sprinklers maybe ...so a light rain that day, or a misty monday morning ....and BAM your whole army of unstoppable super soldiers is poof .......wasted .BUT other than stuff like that they are never going to stop .... living in the basement of the building and k!lling people who stumble down there when the boss tells them to !!!!!!!
Other than plot holes so big you can park a car in them this film is a solid classic 80/90's styled monster flick ......good ol guy in a suite running around roaring and hitting stuff untill the good guy and hot chick/love interest side kick win the day with some just as absurd weapon developed by the same company that made the monster problem to begin with ....wow how convenient !!!
So even though there isnt alot new here in story, or over all in how it plays out ...the creature is memorable and anyone whos seen it knows exactly where its from ....no one remembers the first film .... "afraid of the dark" ....or ....scared of the night ? Maybe ? ... honestly i cant remember it lol.... but this one sticks with you .....its bad , but in the cheesy 80/90s way so you dont HATE it its fun, and is always good for a marathon of monster movies with friends ....
7/10 - in part for nostalgia .....
funny bad movie with good effects
firstlasty18 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Text: Syngenor released in 1990 and released by synapse in 2008 was a very cool science fiction horror film it stars starr andreeif, a paul rudd clone and david gale, of re-animator and the brain fame.
it opens on idiot teenagers (or atleast i think they're teenagers) getting killed by the monster (one of them survives but is killed later)
the movie then cuts to our main character who gets attacked by the monster
the movie drags on for a while after this, with boring meetings but david gale steals the show as our villian, he is seen injecting himself with the glowstick juice from re-animator
then the movie picks up towards the end when the syngenors fight the security guards, most of them die and the main characters get away
then the guy who died earlier who was killed by the syngenor gets up and attacks the main characters but not before dying to another syngenor, a freshly mutated one i might add, this one is green like the one on the cover so maybe its the boss
the syngenors then attack, david gale ties everyone in the labatory up and the main characters save the remaining lab people
the syngenors are defeated by water
this film is a sequel to scared to death: syngenor (1980) but it was made as if it was a completely diffrent movie, kinda like the whole troll and troll 2 situation but even then both are enjoyable
syngenor is a terrible movie, terrible acting but good effects
i reccomend it but only to the cult movie fans
it opens on idiot teenagers (or atleast i think they're teenagers) getting killed by the monster (one of them survives but is killed later)
the movie then cuts to our main character who gets attacked by the monster
the movie drags on for a while after this, with boring meetings but david gale steals the show as our villian, he is seen injecting himself with the glowstick juice from re-animator
then the movie picks up towards the end when the syngenors fight the security guards, most of them die and the main characters get away
then the guy who died earlier who was killed by the syngenor gets up and attacks the main characters but not before dying to another syngenor, a freshly mutated one i might add, this one is green like the one on the cover so maybe its the boss
the syngenors then attack, david gale ties everyone in the labatory up and the main characters save the remaining lab people
the syngenors are defeated by water
this film is a sequel to scared to death: syngenor (1980) but it was made as if it was a completely diffrent movie, kinda like the whole troll and troll 2 situation but even then both are enjoyable
syngenor is a terrible movie, terrible acting but good effects
i reccomend it but only to the cult movie fans
Groom Of Re-animator...
unpop7 May 2001
For those who enjoyed David Gale in RE-ANIMATOR (and who didn't??) it would seem that SYNGENOR (that is SYNthesized GENetic ORganism) is required viewing. Hell, Gale even injects himself (IN THE NECK!!) with what appears to be a substance VERY SIMILAR to re-agent! In this sequel (?) to SCARED TO DEATH we have a corporation by the name of Norton Cyberdyne (rubbish logo by the way) who have created a series of "creatures" to act as "supersoldiers" in any upcoming conflict in "rain-free" (there's the catch...) environments, namely: The Middle East. Things go wrong (of course) resulting in a handful of Syngenors breaking free from their Cyberdyne basement confines to wreak havoc in true cheap-horror fashion. The creatures themselves (though obviously inspired by a certain Giger design) are the strong-point - I'd even go so far as to say that they're THE BEST low-bud monsters since INVASION OF THE SAUCER MEN, problem being there's too little running, blood & screaming to keep them occupied. When the "action" finally arrives we're treated - in one scene - to a selection of Cyberdyne guards - looking like they'd just fell out of an old (pre-flowerpot) DEVO promo - marching to the depths of the Cyberdyne 'scraper with such little conviction you'd swear the comedic angle was intentional. Perhaps this IS supposed to be funny: the "learned" screenwriters attempt to parody the perceived insanity of The Military Industrial Complex (TM) via both "Carter Brown" (Gale) & Cyberdyne's infommercial promo material. In the hands of an Italian director, SYNGENOR could have been a DEMONS style contender - as it stands, a reasonable stab at an SF/stalker/gore flick which attempts to recreate the intensity of a certain other film (yep, RE-ANIMATOR again) during in final minutes.
Enjoyable Grade B sci-fi/horror creature feature schlock
Woodyanders15 January 2012
Warning: Spoilers
The powerful multi-national corporation Norton Cyberdyne creates a deadly army of mutant soldiers called Syngenors that get loose and go on a murderous rampage inside the building. Director George Elanjian, Jr., working from a hilariously inane script by Brent V. Friedman, treats the silly premise with admirably misguided seriousness, relates the dippy story at a snappy pace, delivers a nice sprinkling of goopy splatter (there's a decent dab of tasty gratuitous bare distaff skin as well courtesy of one token topless blonde bimbo), and handles the action set pieces with a sidesplitting lack of competence (the monsters do these gut-busting herky-jerky robot chicken-style moves when shot!). The reptilian humanoid Syngenor beasts look pretty gnarly. Best of all, the late, great David Gale of "Re-Animator" fame positively galvanizes the proceedings with his fierce, intense, and gloriously loopy portrayal of paranoid and unhinged CEO Carter Brown, who injects glowing gunk in his neck, kills off most of his top executives when he thinks they've betrayed him, and flips his lid with deliciously unrestrained scenery-gnashing hammy panache. While Gale clearly dominates the whole show with his highly entertaining eye-rolling histrionics, the rest of the cast nonetheless acquit themselves well in their roles, with especially stand-out contributions by the ever-appealing Starr Andreeff as the spunky Susan Valentine, Mitchell Laurence as likable journalist Nick Cary, Riva Spier as the ruthlessly ambitious and treacherous Paula Gorski, and Charles Lucia as slimy yuppie Stan Armbrewster. Popping up in nifty bits are Lewis Arquette as amiable scientist Ethan Valentine and Melanie Shatner as cute underage secretary Bonnie Brown. Both James Mathers' slick cinematography and the lively hum'n'shiver score by Thomas Chase and Steve Rucker are up to par. A good deal of kitschy fun.
David Gale Unleashed, Unhinged, And Unstoppable...
azathothpwiggins25 April 2022
SYNGENOR concerns an eeevil corporation that is secretly building synthetic beings to be used as super-soldiers in the next big war. Shockingly, the deadly creatures are released to roam around the corporate building, tearing hapless victims to pieces.
This is all part of a plot to drive the corporation's head, Carter Brown (David Gale) insane. It works, causing Brown to lose his mind entirely. He proceeds to grimace, laugh hysterically, and continually ask people to hold him. As is common knowledge, Mr. Gale is a magnificent, USDA choice ham. He's also the best thing about this movie. His ultra-dynamic performance is pure platinum!
The monsters themselves, while not a total disgrace, aren't all that menacing either. The costumes are fairly cool, just not terrifying. That said, there is a cool scene toward the end involving a SYNGENOR in total meltdown mode.
Recommended for schlock lovers everywhere...
This is all part of a plot to drive the corporation's head, Carter Brown (David Gale) insane. It works, causing Brown to lose his mind entirely. He proceeds to grimace, laugh hysterically, and continually ask people to hold him. As is common knowledge, Mr. Gale is a magnificent, USDA choice ham. He's also the best thing about this movie. His ultra-dynamic performance is pure platinum!
The monsters themselves, while not a total disgrace, aren't all that menacing either. The costumes are fairly cool, just not terrifying. That said, there is a cool scene toward the end involving a SYNGENOR in total meltdown mode.
Recommended for schlock lovers everywhere...
Is this supposed to be funny?
DISC4 October 1999
I could have sworn the box said this was a horror movie. Syngenor is an utterly unimpressive piece of sci-fi trash. It has all the lousy acting, POOR continuity, and cheap special effects you've come to expect from movies like this. According to this movie, people react to fear by having sex. But what I wouldn't give to own a Deathrattle.....
Entertaining topical sci-fi thriller
lor_4 June 2023
My review was written in September 1990 after watching the movie on South Gate video cassette.
Serendipity is on the side of the horror film "Syngenor", a thriller about a robot warrior created to substitute for U. S. troops in fighting a Middle East war (how's that for topical?). VIdeo release should do well.
Though the picture is contemporary, it has the same central plot gimmick as the futuristic British film "Hardware". Syngenor (synthetic genetic organism) is the prototype cyborg created by Norton Cyberdyne Co. Because, as the firm's advertisement prophetically proclaims: "The next world war is predicted to be fought in the Middle East".
Like the metal monster in "Hardware", this shiny dude is designed to operate in a desert climate, and any '50s sci-fi fan will guess that water is the Achilles' heel of both beasties.
Starr Andreeff continues to impress as the feisty B-movie heroine, fighting to survive as her uncle's creation escapes from the lab to run amuck. The Syngenor is an interesting creation, a slimy black gill-man sort of moshntr that resembles the heavy in its creator Willaim Malone's "Alien-inspired film "Scared to Death" (1980).
Melanie Shatner (daughter of "Star Trek" Capt. Kirk) has a juicy role as the ditzy receptionist at the robot factory.
Serendipity is on the side of the horror film "Syngenor", a thriller about a robot warrior created to substitute for U. S. troops in fighting a Middle East war (how's that for topical?). VIdeo release should do well.
Though the picture is contemporary, it has the same central plot gimmick as the futuristic British film "Hardware". Syngenor (synthetic genetic organism) is the prototype cyborg created by Norton Cyberdyne Co. Because, as the firm's advertisement prophetically proclaims: "The next world war is predicted to be fought in the Middle East".
Like the metal monster in "Hardware", this shiny dude is designed to operate in a desert climate, and any '50s sci-fi fan will guess that water is the Achilles' heel of both beasties.
Starr Andreeff continues to impress as the feisty B-movie heroine, fighting to survive as her uncle's creation escapes from the lab to run amuck. The Syngenor is an interesting creation, a slimy black gill-man sort of moshntr that resembles the heavy in its creator Willaim Malone's "Alien-inspired film "Scared to Death" (1980).
Melanie Shatner (daughter of "Star Trek" Capt. Kirk) has a juicy role as the ditzy receptionist at the robot factory.
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