Alan Smithee

Debating whether to get the Vinegar Syndrome subscription since I can afford it, but may not have time to watch it or anyplace to store it!

Brian T

Considering a LOT of VS stuff doesn't really sell out too fast anymore, I'm not sure the subscription beats just waiting until newer titles reach half price during sales, maybe six months to a year down the road, and just picking titles of genuine interest. I honestly haven't done the math, though, and I realize the packages DO offer 50% off all titles. And I suppose you might miss out on slipcovers if that's important. Personally I've always preferred to pick and choose.

Paul_SD

Thanks for the heads up.

The Man Who Laughs and the upcoming Trapped are among the very few titles left I was hoping to get this year. I'd save a few buck over Amazon, but there's still a chance the price could drop a little more there on Trapped, and I would get to use gift cards. Ordering direct would be $60 out of pocket. Hmmm.

Brian T

I tried using the code on TRAPPED earlier today, with no luck. Any other titles I tried (including MAN WHO LAUGHS) allowed the code, but not that one. I'm hoping they might change that, as it's the only one I need from them now.

Paul_SD

Good grief, you're right. The discount was under $6 for the two film order meaning it was just discounting MWL.

Well, that makes it easier I guess.

SterlingBen

Vinegar Syndrome hands down won Black Friday. Next year, next year I am doing the subscription.

MooMooMooMoo

They must have changed the site's programming. I didn't bite, but yesterday it was 20% off of the sale price in my cart.

asianxcore

Put in my Vinegar Syndrome order:

Savage Dawn
Spookies (Slipcover #2)
Tammy and the T-Rex

Some updates on numbers for the newly released Vinegar Syndrome titles (as of 11/30/19 - 10:34PM PST)Th:

Spookies (Slipcover #1): SOLD OUT
Spookies (Slipcover #2): Over 500 left in stock
The Candy Snatchers (w/ Slipcover): Over 500 left in stock
Tammy and the T-Rex (4K/Slipcover): 473 left in stock
Tammy and the T-Rex (BD/Slipcover): 85 left in stock
The Angel Collection: Over 500 left in stock
Vice Academy 1-3: Over 500 left in stock
Savage Dawn (w/ Slipcover): Over 500 left in stock
Pigs (BD/Slipcover): 380 left in stock
Pigs (Slipcover only): 570 left in stock
Luther the Geek (BD/Slipcover): 458 left in stock
Luther the Geek (Slipcover only): 632 left in stock
Christmas Evil (BD/Slipcover): SOLD OUT
Christmas Evil (Slipcover only): SOLD OUT
The Telephone Book (BD/Slipcover): Over 500 left in stock
The Telephone Book (Slipcover only): Over 500 left in stock

Paff

I LOVE Vinegar Syndrome, but I'd rather pick and choose the titles instead of getting every single movie they release. Because frankly, despite the care and love they put into their releases, many of the titles simply don't interest me. Their movies are often so obscure, I've never even seen or heard of them thus they're almost always blind buys. And I've been burned several times on VS movies that don't warrant a re-watch in my opinion (Dominique, Lucifer's Women immediately come to mind). I think for half of what you'd spend on a yearly subscription, you could selectively curate a sizable VS collection that's more to your taste.

My BF haul from VS was slight (due to spending too much money at Record Store Day):
The Telephone Book
Corruption
A Climax of Blue Power
Raw Force

Brian T

Slight VS haul here, too, for similar reasons. The only saving grace for me regarding blind buys from VS is that a) the resale value up here is excellent and b) at least I get to check off movies that have been on my curiosity list since near childhood. But there's a threshold, especially as the pickings grow more obscure. Even with the advantage of option a), though, they still put out a LOT of stuff I don't really need to see, especially some of the late 80's and 90's regional crap around which they work awfully hard to construct the impression of a "cult fanbase". As mentioned by Paff (and myself a few posts back), it's much better to save the subscription package and just cherry-pick whatever you think is the good stuff, preferably after a fair amount of research.

The Vineyard - $17.49
Sudden Fury - $16.49
The Incubus - $16.49
Corruption of Chris Miller - $16.49

I really want that Angel boxed set, but I'm confident it will last until the summer sale, although I doubt it will be half-price until next year's BF, at least.

One of their pre-BF emails noted they've now got access to "major studio vaults" — without specifying which studio(s) — so I'm curious to see if they're finally able to add titles from a little further up the Hollywood food chain.

Paff

I guess the only upside of subscribing is it takes out the guesswork and research; you have every title at your disposal. You also might find a movie that doesn't look appealing, but turns out to be quite enjoyable (Sudden Fury is one of those, btw).

But it's a very expensive insurance.

Brian T

True that. I was tempted by it in their early years, but decided to just see what came out over the following year and at the end of it there was just too many titles I wouldn't have bought. Sometimes I'll add a one or two of those to a BF order and inevitably end up reselling them. I'm still glad they do what they do because there are some real unsung gems hidden amongst all those regional cheapies they exhume, but there's also a lot of chaff. And I'm also not that interested in their vintage porn releases, especially in this day and age, thought I can understand the appeal for some folks.

Agreed on Sudden Fury, too. Saw that maybe 20 years ago via a tape rental from one of the gonzo video stores up here (probably recorded off TV as I recall), and was surprised that VS had dug it up. Just had to wait for the right sale . . .

clckworang

This year was the first time I became a Vinegar Syndrome annual subscriber and decided to renew for next year. I definitely understand why someone wouldn't do it. I probably shouldn't do it, but I have a lot of fun with it. My friends have an appreciation for bad films as well so things get watched. Plus, their decision to start doing some UHD releases made me really excited to see what comes out next year.

Brian T

One of their recent email blasts (which I seem to have deleted) mentioned that the regular Blu-ray/DVD combo of Tammy & The T-Rex was heavily outselling the 4K/Blu (and to get your orders in, etc. etc.). Tammy was their first 4K venture, I believe, so I do wonder if they'll need to be extra judicious in the future regarding which titles get that treatment. Personally I can't think of a title in their existing catalogue that will benefit, visually, from the presentation over a regular Blu-ray. It's still great that they're giving it a shot, and maybe that announcement about accessing studio vaults will yield some 4K-worthy releases, although it's tough to think of 'hot' titles that wouldn't get snagged by the likes of Shout or Kino first, and even they're not doing much with 4K. Guess we'll see.

Paff

If I may, a few questions...
How often do you watch movies at home in general?
What percentage of those movies are VS titles?
How often do you RE-watch VS titles?
(Be honest here) If you had RENTED some of those movies or streamed them first, would you still purchase them?
How many unwatched VS movies do you have?

For me, it's those questions that keep me from being a VS subscriber. OK, the money is an issue too. But by my calculations, I'd have to watch a VS movie pretty much every week, no? Don't they usually put out about 4 titles a month? And that would keep me from watching new movies, since I usually can only see about 1-3 a week (I do watch sports and broadcast TV too, not to mention a schedule that has me out of the house at least 3 nights a week, often more). Even the movies I liked from VS (Snapshot was particularly enjoyable), I doubt that had I rented them instead that I'd be on the lookout to add them to my collection.

As for the vintage porn, I like those movies. SOME of them. Dracula Sucks is a lot of fun (I still wonder what the makeup guy said when told he'd have to put fang marks on John's........Holmes). But a good percentage of them are just half a dozen random sex scenes. I don't need to have a VS subscription if I wanna see that.

Adam Tyner

Liquid Sky would be even more eye-popping with HDR in the fray.

Brian T

I suppose that's true, and it might even be true of other colorful films in their collection. But since pretty much everything on their label predates HDR, I'm OK with the Blu-ray presentations, which to date at least seem pretty faithful to original intentions of the filmmakers and/or screenings prior to decades of "grindhouse" grime sometimes overinflating their cult appeal. And as mentioned, I have to think the less-than-stellar sales of the 4K Tammy will have them taking a closer look at the format. Mind you, when that release is finally included in a half-price sale, the sales figures will undoubtedly spike. I'm sure a lot of 4K buffs are simply holding off for now.

MooMooMooMoo

Liquid Sky is wonderful. The remaster we got from Vinegar (last year?) was at least a major upgrade from the original. I am not interested in gore, & generally will not pay for porn, so there's not much for me at VS.

Proglodite

I just had delivered my first two from the Zaavi Arrow BOGO sale here in the US - that's an incredible turnaround (less than a week in transit). They are showing up in individual padded envelopes. --Peter

Brian T

This just in from RoninFlix. And I thought I was done for the season :

Holiday Stocking Stuffers Collection

Stock up for the Holidays with the Ronin Flix Holiday Stocking Stuffers Sale!

Get an extra 35% OFF the current low sale price when you spend $50 or more on any of the 50+ titles in the Holiday Stocking Stuffers Collection.

Enter code FLIX35 at checkout. Sale ends Wednesday, 12.18.19 at 11:59 PM ET.

Offer valid on Blu-rays in the Holiday Stocking Stuffers collection only. Available while supplies last.

asianxcore

I recently received my Black Friday order from Vinegar Syndrome.

Already dug into Spookies (1986). Can't wait to watch the other two films I purchased.

The BDs were extremely well packaged as well

Brian T

Got these Blus from the RoninFlix 35% off sale:

Cocaine Wars
The Devil Within Her
Bucktown
The Concrete Jungle
Gas Pump Girls
Almost Human (The Death Dealer)

Wanted a couple of others but will hope they'll still be in stock for a future sale.

AMERICAN

picked up "opera" 3 disc edition and "blackout"..a great deal from roninflix

laidbacklarkin

Finally received the BF order today.

Brian T

Holiday Rewind Collection Sale

Stock up for the New Year with the Ronin Flix Holiday Rewind Sale!

Back by popular demand - Get an extra 35% OFF the current low sale price when you spend $50 or more on any of the 45+ titles in the Holiday Rewind Collection.

Enter code REPEAT at checkout. Sale ends Sunday, 01.12.20 at 11:59 PM ET.

Offer valid on Blu-rays in the Holiday Rewind collection only. Available while supplies last.

https://roninflix.com/collections/holiday-rewind