IMDb RATING
4.2/10
1.2K
YOUR RATING
An ex-cop, now working as a hack novelist, is called out of retirement to help investigate a string of deaths that appear to be the work of a serial killer but soon are revealed to be the wo... Read allAn ex-cop, now working as a hack novelist, is called out of retirement to help investigate a string of deaths that appear to be the work of a serial killer but soon are revealed to be the work of the Syngenor - the synthesized genetic organism!An ex-cop, now working as a hack novelist, is called out of retirement to help investigate a string of deaths that appear to be the work of a serial killer but soon are revealed to be the work of the Syngenor - the synthesized genetic organism!
- Awards
- 2 wins
David Moses
- Detective Lou Capell
- (as Jonathan David Moses)
Mike Muscat
- Howard Tindall
- (as Michael Muscat)
David Daniels
- Michael, roller skater
- (as Joseph Daniels)
John Moskal
- Police Lab Man
- (as John Moskal Jr.)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDirector William Malone had to sell most of his possessions (including his car and mortgaging his house) in order to raise enough money to make the movie.
- Crazy credits[Before the film commences, this is placed across the screen] PROLOGUE: The events portrayed in the film, although fictional, are based on scientific fact. If they have not already happened, they soon could. Genetic engineering is real, and soon we may all have to deal with new values and definitions for life and death.
- Alternate versionsA TV print that aired on USA Network included a scene not included on Media's VHS: a group of teens searching for their lost friend in a parking garage find her body hanging upside down much like a scene in Halloween (1978).
- ConnectionsFeatured in Working with a Master: William Malone (2006)
Featured review
This film had a lot going for it, unfortunately, it has much more that doesn't.
The basis and synopsis of the story are solid. It the old story of science trying to better mankind and force our evolution by genetic manipulation. As this is a horror flick you can guess the results are far from optimistic. What science gives the audience is an a-sexual beast with a penchant for killing and kidnapping humans. The lucky ones are dead. The cop assigned to the case wants to bring his old partner in on the situation. The partner, now a writer, wants no part of the investigation... until his girlfriend becomes a victim.
Sounds good, doesn't it(?) Well, it is too good to be true. Writer and director William Malone and writer Robert Short meander all over the place. This wouldn't have been too bad if they had built up the characters is this time, but they don't. In all honesty, all of the characters are flat and unappealing. For most of the film, I wanted to slap the main character, Ted Lonergan. He is pretty obnoxious, at best.
Malone then brings his meandering ways to the direction of the film. Add to this the slow pace and you get a yawn-fest. There are a couple of decent shots but not enough to renew my attention, which was drifting all over the place.
The acting was below average. That isn't surprising though, as I stated above the characterisations are rubbish. The actors can only work with what they're given and how they are instructed.
One good thing is the monster. The super-human is nicely designed and constructed. It definitely could strike fear into somebody. I even liked the tongue, which would slither out into the throats of its victims to impregnate them. Shame I couldn't get the idea out of my head that it had been stolen from Alien. It would have been better had the tongue moved faster and snaked more. Speaking of "borrowed" ideas the ending is right out of Terminator.
I cannot recommend this to any horror fan out there. I don't want to be blamed for wasting your time, so do yourself a favour and stay away from this flick.
Feel free to come on over and see where this film charts in my Absolute Horror list. You should, at least, be able to find something more interesting and entertaining to watch.
The basis and synopsis of the story are solid. It the old story of science trying to better mankind and force our evolution by genetic manipulation. As this is a horror flick you can guess the results are far from optimistic. What science gives the audience is an a-sexual beast with a penchant for killing and kidnapping humans. The lucky ones are dead. The cop assigned to the case wants to bring his old partner in on the situation. The partner, now a writer, wants no part of the investigation... until his girlfriend becomes a victim.
Sounds good, doesn't it(?) Well, it is too good to be true. Writer and director William Malone and writer Robert Short meander all over the place. This wouldn't have been too bad if they had built up the characters is this time, but they don't. In all honesty, all of the characters are flat and unappealing. For most of the film, I wanted to slap the main character, Ted Lonergan. He is pretty obnoxious, at best.
Malone then brings his meandering ways to the direction of the film. Add to this the slow pace and you get a yawn-fest. There are a couple of decent shots but not enough to renew my attention, which was drifting all over the place.
The acting was below average. That isn't surprising though, as I stated above the characterisations are rubbish. The actors can only work with what they're given and how they are instructed.
One good thing is the monster. The super-human is nicely designed and constructed. It definitely could strike fear into somebody. I even liked the tongue, which would slither out into the throats of its victims to impregnate them. Shame I couldn't get the idea out of my head that it had been stolen from Alien. It would have been better had the tongue moved faster and snaked more. Speaking of "borrowed" ideas the ending is right out of Terminator.
I cannot recommend this to any horror fan out there. I don't want to be blamed for wasting your time, so do yourself a favour and stay away from this flick.
Feel free to come on over and see where this film charts in my Absolute Horror list. You should, at least, be able to find something more interesting and entertaining to watch.
- P3n-E-W1s3
- Mar 5, 2020
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Scared to Death: Syngenor
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $74,000 (estimated)
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