Synanon (1965) – Imprint Collection #347 Blu-ray Review

Synanon, a film from 1965, is a drama based on the real-life drug rehab facility of the same name that started life in California under the name “Tender Loving Care,” eventually morphing into a violent religious cult that eventually disbanded in 1991 facing several federal charges. The crux of the rehab program were confrontational truth telling sessions known as the “Synanon Game,” which are depicted in this film.

The film, co-written by Synanon founder Charles “Chuck” Dederich Sr., Ian Bernard, and Barry Oringer, centers around recovering alcoholic Chuck Dederich (played here by Edmond O’Brien) who runs a live-in rehabilitation center for addicts in California. The balance of the Synanon House is upset when heroin addict Zankie Albo (Alex Cord) wanders in off the street looking for help, but refuses to play by the rules, and begins to romance longtime resident Joaney Adamic (Stella Stevens) a recovering heroin addict who abandoned her husband and son and turned to prostitution to support her habit. Zankie butts heads with parolee Ben (Chuck Connors), also a recovering addict whose wife died from an overdose.

The film is frank about drug addiction, alcohol abuse, and prostitution, although being wedded to its era, it has all its female characters as former prostitutes and none of the male characters. We know that men on the streets also resort to prostitution. The film also never escapes its preachy attitude, and the finale of the film, where, after showing people shooting heroin on screen, which must have been rather shocking for 1965, it falls back into feel good mode to ensure its viewers that everything will be alright in the end.

Director Richard Quine and cinematographer Harry Stradling manage to provide a visual feast for Synanon, falling back on classic, high contrast film noir techniques that work very well with the gritty material. On the negative side, the film tragically underuses Eartha Kitt, who starts things off with a magnificent monologue and is then relegated to hardly any lines at all.  There are better films out there that deal with this subject and given the insane history of this group, it may be hard for some viewers to separate the two, but the film is not a complete waste of time given the performances and production.

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The Video

Imprint brings Synanon to Blu-ray in an AVC 1080p HD transfer framed at 1.78:1, a worldwide debut on Blu-ray for the film. There does not appear to have been a major restoration undertaken, only a light cleanup done. There are still places where some minor scratches, sparkle, and dirt can be seen, but overall, the image looks satisfying. There is a nice layer of grain that gives the picture a crunchy look, but the grain does waver at times and look a little noisy. The strength of the monochromatic dynamic range gives Synanon a three-dimensional look in many places, such as one scene where the characters Joaney and Zankie run onto the beach at night with the inky black sky and bright white streetlamps behind them. Shadows are often very deep, but can sometimes lapse into crush.

The Audio

The original mono audio mix for Synanon is presented in LPCM 2.0 on this Blu-ray release from Imprint. While sometimes the dialogue can be a little muddled, more as a result of the initial recording, the sound is rather good for a mono track, with excellent dynamics in the jazz score and no issues with noise.

The Supplements

Synanon only comes with the theatrical trailer (1080i; 00:02:58) and the disc is housed in a limited edition slipcase.

The Final Assessment

A forgotten film that vacillates wildly between drugsploitation and self-righteousness, this one looks and sounds satisfying on this worldwide Blu-ray debut from Imprint, but will not be for everyone.

Synanon (1965) – Imprint Collection #347 is out on Blu-ray 28 August 2024 from Imprint Films

Purchase Synanon (1965) – Imprint Collection #347 on Amazon.com

• Rating Certificate: AU: R
• Studios & Distributors: Columbia Pictures | Via Vision Entertainment | Imprint Films
• Director: Richard Quine
• Written By: Ian Bernard | Charles Dederich Sr. | Barry Oringer
• Run Time: 104 Mins.
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Video Format: AVC 1080p
• Primary Audio: English LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Subtitles: English HOH