SYNGENOR (1990)
It only took nine months, but I'm finally getting around to this quasi-sequel. Let me catch you up to speed. 1980's Scared to Death was a mediocre feature with an outstanding creature. Producers liked the creature design so much, in fact, that they wanted to use it in a separate movie. You could call this a "follow-up," but it's not a true sequel. Here, our monsters (yes, there is more than one now) are weaponized for the battlefield. The scientist spearheading the project? Carter Brown, as portrayed by David Gale of Re-Animator fame. So here's the thing. I saw Syngenor twenty-five, maybe thirty years ago. My memories are bleary, and if you had asked me for my opinion last week, I would have told you that it was forgettable. Because I had forgotten it. Good Lord, I'm glad you didn't ask me last week. Gale's performance is...I'm combing through my grey matter for the right word...it doesn't exist. The dude is positively unhinged. Most fans would probably describe his turn in Re-Animator as over-the-top. Syngenor clears that hurdle without breaking a sweat.
Gale nearly upstages the monsters, which is saying something. These are nasty-looking varmints, and under the right lighting, they strike a balance between creepy and plain ol' awesome. Speaking as a freak for practical special effects, seeing the titular bio-mutants bombard soldiers and secretaries lit me up like a Christmas tree. I'm talking about pure joy, ladies and gentlemen. There is a caveat. Outside of David Gale and the SYNthetic GENetic ORGanisms, Syngenor is standard fare. It's lunchbox horror, but I don't think I need to tell you that I collect lunchboxes. Okay, I only own three. It matters none. You should go out of your way to watch David Gale go out of his mind. Frankly, the first-class creature suits are the gratuity. That makes director George Elanjian Jr. a gracious tipper. Thank your waiter. Wait, how did I get stuck with the bill???
Recommended to fans of The Guyver (why not?) and Scared to Death, I guess.
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