The Official Vinegar Syndrome Thread
07-11-25 | 07:11 PM
#1151
DVD Talk Hero
Re: The Official Vinegar Syndrome Thread
Started up a Substack to write up reviews for stuff I don't already review on other sites. I just reviewed The Dark Half and it's a great set! Fidelity in Motion also did the Dolby Vision for it, so that's even better.
https://open.substack.com/pub/limite...eOnShare=false
https://open.substack.com/pub/limite...eOnShare=false
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07-12-25 | 11:19 AM
#1152
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The Official Vinegar Syndrome Thread
That's a really well written review. I've never seen The Dark Half but will try and check it out. Has anyone here watched Let's Scare Jessica to Death? I'm starting to think about some new horror movies I'd like to watch in October and it looks like a really cool atmospheric kind of horror movie.
Last edited by Bluelitespecial; 07-12-25 at 11:26 AM.
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Why So Blu? (07-12-25)
07-12-25 | 12:49 PM
#1153
DVD Talk Hero
Re: The Official Vinegar Syndrome Thread
That's a really well written review. I've never seen The Dark Half but will try and check it out. Has anyone here watched Let's Scare Jessica to Death? I'm starting to think about some new horror movies I'd like to watch in October and it looks like a really cool atmospheric kind of horror movie.
If it's still around for the next sale I'll probably get it then.
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Bluelitespecial (07-12-25)
07-13-25 | 10:06 PM
#1154
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: The Official Vinegar Syndrome Thread
For decades I was under the impression this was a TV movie, albeit a respected one – no idea why – so I largely ignored it. Last year, the guy who runs the Vinegar Syndrome store here asked me if I’d ever seen it, and then recommended the Shout edition which was newly added to his ‘used’ section. So I added it to my stack. Having never really read up on it, I had long made assumptions about the plot based purely on the title, and I was pleased to discover that I was off by a mile. I don’t think it’s “one of the scariest films ever made” as it’s often called, but taken in the context of 1971 (and not comparing it to stuff that came after), I thought it was effectively moody and creepy – Zohra Lampert’s performance as Jessica definitely deserves all the praise it has received over the decades – and it certainly kept me guessing even though there seemed to be some built-in ambiguity and incoherence to it. I rated it a 7/10 on IMDb, but still opted to flip the Blu-ray on Amazon marketplace. Once was fine. So it’s definitely worth a look, at least, although I’m very confident that VS’s 4K fancy box was really unnecessary, and it’s supplements are reasonably balanced by those on the Shout edition which mostly weren’t ported over. As far as I can tell the Shout edition is still in print; quantities are low at their site, but it’s still available at Amazon and other retailers. Or, if you really just want to tick it off the ‘seen it’ list, the Paramount and Warner Archive DVDs can be found quite cheaply.
07-14-25 | 05:43 PM
#1155
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The Official Vinegar Syndrome Thread
Maybe I'll try and find the Shout Factory release or give it a rental first.
07-14-25 | 06:48 PM
#1156
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The Official Vinegar Syndrome Thread
Maybe I need to watch it again, because I too was underwhelmed the first time through. Obviously the "one of the scariest films ever made" will be a little bluster on the part of the distributor so that you'll buy the product. But I've often found they make comments like that aimed at a more general audience and not as much as the hardened fans like ourselves, who need a bit more to scare us.
Let me give an example, hope this makes sense. For years I'd heard about the "shocking brutal rape/revenge" of Pekinpah's Straw Dogs. I watched it and got a total "meh" feeling from it. But I'm a guy who was watching I Spit on Your Grave, Thriller: A Cruel Picture, Ms. 45, and Last House on the Left. Straw Dogs doesn't hold a candle to those films if you're talking "brutal". But I gave the Criterion Blu another go recently, with a more tempered level of expectation, and found it to be very enjoyable. Just not as hard-edged as other films I've seen in the sub-genre.
Sometimes ya gotta give a movie a second chance, if it wasn't what you were expecting the first time around.
Let me give an example, hope this makes sense. For years I'd heard about the "shocking brutal rape/revenge" of Pekinpah's Straw Dogs. I watched it and got a total "meh" feeling from it. But I'm a guy who was watching I Spit on Your Grave, Thriller: A Cruel Picture, Ms. 45, and Last House on the Left. Straw Dogs doesn't hold a candle to those films if you're talking "brutal". But I gave the Criterion Blu another go recently, with a more tempered level of expectation, and found it to be very enjoyable. Just not as hard-edged as other films I've seen in the sub-genre.
Sometimes ya gotta give a movie a second chance, if it wasn't what you were expecting the first time around.
07-15-25 | 04:54 PM
#1157
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: The Official Vinegar Syndrome Thread
^ True enough. Also, Vinegar Syndrome’s copy writers in particular are probably the most prone to hyperbole about the ‘status’ of nearly everything they dig up, which definitely needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Nearly everything is the “scariest” or “craziest” or most “critically overlooked” treasure of the ages! 
Their passion for cult films obviously runs deep so it all comes from a good place, but I often find the films don’t quite measure up, even though I’m happy to stock up on just about anything during their sales. I’ve rarely bought anything from them that wasn’t worth watching at least once and plowing through the supplements (which are sometimes better than the films!), even if I don’t keep them. Then again, my own heart has wallowed in those B- to Z-movie trenches since the earliest days of home video, so I learned long ago to keep my expectations level and find whatever moments of bliss that I can. In fact, I suspect most of us here are well conditioned by now to take a few risks during the VS sales and blowouts, especially as so much of their stuff does ultimately go out of print, so it’s easy to brush off some of the hucksterism they engage in and just take a chance if the price is low enough.
STRAW DOGS is a good example. I suspect because it was a ‘studio’ film (well, sorta), a lot of mainstream critics of the era went all-in on the “shocking/brutal” pearl-clutching (giving distributors all sorts of pull quotes to work with for decades afterward) without realizing just how many more transgressive works were being exhibited prior to and during its run, especially in, say, the ‘grindhouse’ circuit (or whatever it was termed at the time). When I was watching JESSICA, I was skimming through the contemporary (circa 1971) reviews and found most were mixed but praiseful of the eerie atmosphere and lead performance, so I suspect the “scariest movie” label probably got attached later on, maybe in the internet era when online users could rave about a personal experience they had with it without having much context about what was also being made at the time. JESSICA is a Paramount Picture, but only on the surface. It was finished wholly independently, and was very much in league with other low-budget ‘rural/cult/ritual’ films being made at the time. Then it was bought by Paramount for wide release, which I suppose provided the pedigree that gave it a leg-up over its indie contemporaries, many of which are about as good (flaws and all).
Their passion for cult films obviously runs deep so it all comes from a good place, but I often find the films don’t quite measure up, even though I’m happy to stock up on just about anything during their sales. I’ve rarely bought anything from them that wasn’t worth watching at least once and plowing through the supplements (which are sometimes better than the films!), even if I don’t keep them. Then again, my own heart has wallowed in those B- to Z-movie trenches since the earliest days of home video, so I learned long ago to keep my expectations level and find whatever moments of bliss that I can. In fact, I suspect most of us here are well conditioned by now to take a few risks during the VS sales and blowouts, especially as so much of their stuff does ultimately go out of print, so it’s easy to brush off some of the hucksterism they engage in and just take a chance if the price is low enough.STRAW DOGS is a good example. I suspect because it was a ‘studio’ film (well, sorta), a lot of mainstream critics of the era went all-in on the “shocking/brutal” pearl-clutching (giving distributors all sorts of pull quotes to work with for decades afterward) without realizing just how many more transgressive works were being exhibited prior to and during its run, especially in, say, the ‘grindhouse’ circuit (or whatever it was termed at the time). When I was watching JESSICA, I was skimming through the contemporary (circa 1971) reviews and found most were mixed but praiseful of the eerie atmosphere and lead performance, so I suspect the “scariest movie” label probably got attached later on, maybe in the internet era when online users could rave about a personal experience they had with it without having much context about what was also being made at the time. JESSICA is a Paramount Picture, but only on the surface. It was finished wholly independently, and was very much in league with other low-budget ‘rural/cult/ritual’ films being made at the time. Then it was bought by Paramount for wide release, which I suppose provided the pedigree that gave it a leg-up over its indie contemporaries, many of which are about as good (flaws and all).
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Spiderbite (07-16-25)
07-16-25 | 04:41 PM
#1158
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: The Official Vinegar Syndrome Thread
This is a brief side tangent – and not official news in any way – that could probably just as easily go in the Eureka or Arrow threads, but I noticed that Johnnie To’s stylish post-handover Hong Kong crime thrillers EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED and A HERO NEVER DIES (both 1998) have finally been issued recently on Blu-ray in Hong Kong. I want to think that this hasn’t gone unnoticed by some western boutiques known for acquiring Hong Kong films. As always with HK Blu-rays, though, it’s hard to tell if these are restorations, what the sources were, etc., and EXPECT has at least one story element that might set off Hong Kong’s oppressive landlords, making me wonder if the HK Blu might be tweaked the way others have been in recent years. I’m hopeful that decent materials were stored somewhere so that VS or another company could take a crack at them, ideally along with the equally ‘dark’ THE LONGEST NITE from the same year, assuming that one comes out of seclusion anytime soon. Obviously, for all I know these are years away from western physical media, if ever, but one can hope! 
(worth noting that Patrick Yau is credited as the director of EXPECT, but it’s well known that To directed a sizeable portion of it, and possibly most of it).
(worth noting that Patrick Yau is credited as the director of EXPECT, but it’s well known that To directed a sizeable portion of it, and possibly most of it).
Spoiler:
07-28-25 | 11:43 PM
#1159
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: The Official Vinegar Syndrome Thread
VS posted this interesting look inside the Distribpix archives at VS HQ, wherein resides pretty much all of the Something Weird vintage softcore sexploitation movies and early-ish hardcore porn, among other stuff. I’ve always been intrigued (though not always impressed) by the works in the former category because those (softcore) films often displayed a decent range of actual production value considering their ultra-low budgets, but I’m not really a fan of that ancient porn (as seen, interminably, in the Storefront DVD sets), but I’ll give all of these companies due credit for preserving all of it however they can. Lisa Petrucci does point out some interesting sexploitation titles as being worthy of Blu-ray, but judging by the size of this archive, I’m not sure how much of this stuff will ever make it to disc instead of streaming. 
08-01-25 | 01:51 PM
#1160
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Reviewer/ Admin
Joined: Sep 1999
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From: Greenville, South Cackalack
Re: The Official Vinegar Syndrome Thread
August!
It’s August at Vinegar Syndrome and the heat keeps rising with 12 explosive new releases.
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s SGT. KABUKIMAN N.Y.P.D. on 4K UHD, newly restored from its original 35mm camera negative and presented in both its uncensored director’s cut + its alternate PG-13 theatrical version! This Troma classic from directors Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz has never looked better, and our ultimate home video presentation comes crammed with extras, including a selection of all-new interviews, plus a ton of rare and archival material.
Next up, from one of the most acclaimed and celebrated figures in independent horror cinema of the past 30 years, director Larry Fessenden’s first two features, HABIT + NO TELLING, finally come to 4K UHD, both newly and exclusively restored under director supervision from their decades-long untouched original camera negatives! Plus, our stunning new edition offers plentiful exclusive extras, including fresh commentaries with Fessenden for both films, and much more.
Going in a much different direction, one of the wackier deep-cut creature features of the late 80s, from the producers of Blood Tracks, comes PLAYROOM (aka Schizo) from director Manny Coto, newly restored and on Blu-ray for the first time! This demented, subterranean nightmare (with a truly unique monster) looks better than ever and is loaded with plentiful new cast and crew interviews.
Next up, from Cinématographe, we offer two very different examples of independent filmmaking at its finest…
From unrivaled underground master Paul Morrissey (Flesh For Frankenstein) comes MIXED BLOOD, one of the wildest and most off-the-wall action-packed thrillers of the 80s, stunningly restored from its 35mm original camera negative and featuring an impressive assortment of extras, making both its 4K UHD + BD debut!
Plus, from Robinson Devor (director of Zoo) comes the Hollywood fantasy, THE WOMAN CHASER, on Blu-ray for the first time and presented in its long-unseen black and white director’s cut plus its international color version. To learn more about the unusual circumstances under which movies intended to be viewed in black and white were photographed in color, check out the latest video from VS Archivist Oscar:
From VS Labs, 60s gothic meets spook show antics, in a devilishly fun drive-in whodunit: CASTLE OF EVIL from director Francis D. Lyon. With a cast of beloved Hollywood B-players including Virginia Mayo and Scott Brady, this clever and colorful chiller has been exclusively restored in 4K from its original negative and includes a set of info-packed commentaries which explore every conceivable element of this creepy delight.
From VS Archive, an inexplicably unseen action treasure from mid-90s Australia with director Ian Barry’s ROBO WARRIORS! Offering some eye-popping animatronics along with expertly choreographed action, this sci-fi rarity is making its belated Blu-ray debut and is presented in a brand new 2K restoration along with fresh director and crew interviews, including an extensive look at its impressive effects work.
And finally, from Distribpix + Something Weird, a genuine double dose of horror-infused Times Sq. Sleaze with the Blu-ray debuts of the 60s shockers, CONFESSIONS OF A PSYCHO CAT + THE FAT BLACK PUSSYCAT! Both of these incredible trash spectaculars offer grisly kills and scandalous surprises and have been newly restored from their original 35mm camera negatives! In addition to a mind-blowing new commentary with actress Arleen Lorrance, we’ve included an extensively researched liner notes booklet and…the long unseen original version of THE FAT BLACK PUSSYCAT, also newly restored!
Meanwhile, head over to our sister site Mélusine for two more explorations of bizarre carnality with a Cecil Howard classic starring Vanessa del Rio and a triple feature of Bob Chinn favorites, collectively starring Seka and Lisa De Leeuw!
We are thrilled to announce our first Coffee Table Book from VS Press, THE BASEMENT TAPES, a lavishly printed, photo filled tome of VHS related ephemera curated by San Francisco collective Basement VHS (@BasementVHS on Instagram).
And of course, what VS Press is historically known for, shirts! Expertly screen-printed in-house at the VS Headquarters in Connecticut.
Denver friends, after months of hard work, our new retail location in Denver has officially opened in the Lamar Station Plaza, the home of Casa Bonita! Come for the Mexican food and cliff diving, stay for the Blu-rays and 4Ks! Click through to the store's Instagram for hours and information.
Vinegar Syndrome Denver (Instagram)
Eibon Press is back with ZOMBIE II: FULCI'S INFERNO in its freshly printed Graphic Novel Trade Paperback Edition, and available in three different Limited Edition packages. Exclusively available at VinegarSyndrome.com!
And finally, we’ve got 18 new Partner Label releases this month, including the first from new partner Hope Runs High: WE MIGHT AS WELL BE DEAD, a pitch-black comedy garnering Yorgos Lanthimos comparisons—as well as DRUG-O-RAMA VIDEO PARTY from AGFA, the chilling festival favorite RAGING GRACE from Brainstorm, landmark 60s indie WINTER KEPT US WARM from Canadian International, and REVEALER from Shudder!
Shop Partner Labels
It’s August at Vinegar Syndrome and the heat keeps rising with 12 explosive new releases.
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s SGT. KABUKIMAN N.Y.P.D. on 4K UHD, newly restored from its original 35mm camera negative and presented in both its uncensored director’s cut + its alternate PG-13 theatrical version! This Troma classic from directors Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz has never looked better, and our ultimate home video presentation comes crammed with extras, including a selection of all-new interviews, plus a ton of rare and archival material.
Next up, from one of the most acclaimed and celebrated figures in independent horror cinema of the past 30 years, director Larry Fessenden’s first two features, HABIT + NO TELLING, finally come to 4K UHD, both newly and exclusively restored under director supervision from their decades-long untouched original camera negatives! Plus, our stunning new edition offers plentiful exclusive extras, including fresh commentaries with Fessenden for both films, and much more.
Going in a much different direction, one of the wackier deep-cut creature features of the late 80s, from the producers of Blood Tracks, comes PLAYROOM (aka Schizo) from director Manny Coto, newly restored and on Blu-ray for the first time! This demented, subterranean nightmare (with a truly unique monster) looks better than ever and is loaded with plentiful new cast and crew interviews.
Next up, from Cinématographe, we offer two very different examples of independent filmmaking at its finest…
From unrivaled underground master Paul Morrissey (Flesh For Frankenstein) comes MIXED BLOOD, one of the wildest and most off-the-wall action-packed thrillers of the 80s, stunningly restored from its 35mm original camera negative and featuring an impressive assortment of extras, making both its 4K UHD + BD debut!
Plus, from Robinson Devor (director of Zoo) comes the Hollywood fantasy, THE WOMAN CHASER, on Blu-ray for the first time and presented in its long-unseen black and white director’s cut plus its international color version. To learn more about the unusual circumstances under which movies intended to be viewed in black and white were photographed in color, check out the latest video from VS Archivist Oscar:
From VS Labs, 60s gothic meets spook show antics, in a devilishly fun drive-in whodunit: CASTLE OF EVIL from director Francis D. Lyon. With a cast of beloved Hollywood B-players including Virginia Mayo and Scott Brady, this clever and colorful chiller has been exclusively restored in 4K from its original negative and includes a set of info-packed commentaries which explore every conceivable element of this creepy delight.
From VS Archive, an inexplicably unseen action treasure from mid-90s Australia with director Ian Barry’s ROBO WARRIORS! Offering some eye-popping animatronics along with expertly choreographed action, this sci-fi rarity is making its belated Blu-ray debut and is presented in a brand new 2K restoration along with fresh director and crew interviews, including an extensive look at its impressive effects work.
And finally, from Distribpix + Something Weird, a genuine double dose of horror-infused Times Sq. Sleaze with the Blu-ray debuts of the 60s shockers, CONFESSIONS OF A PSYCHO CAT + THE FAT BLACK PUSSYCAT! Both of these incredible trash spectaculars offer grisly kills and scandalous surprises and have been newly restored from their original 35mm camera negatives! In addition to a mind-blowing new commentary with actress Arleen Lorrance, we’ve included an extensively researched liner notes booklet and…the long unseen original version of THE FAT BLACK PUSSYCAT, also newly restored!
Meanwhile, head over to our sister site Mélusine for two more explorations of bizarre carnality with a Cecil Howard classic starring Vanessa del Rio and a triple feature of Bob Chinn favorites, collectively starring Seka and Lisa De Leeuw!
We are thrilled to announce our first Coffee Table Book from VS Press, THE BASEMENT TAPES, a lavishly printed, photo filled tome of VHS related ephemera curated by San Francisco collective Basement VHS (@BasementVHS on Instagram).
And of course, what VS Press is historically known for, shirts! Expertly screen-printed in-house at the VS Headquarters in Connecticut.
Denver friends, after months of hard work, our new retail location in Denver has officially opened in the Lamar Station Plaza, the home of Casa Bonita! Come for the Mexican food and cliff diving, stay for the Blu-rays and 4Ks! Click through to the store's Instagram for hours and information.
Vinegar Syndrome Denver (Instagram)
Eibon Press is back with ZOMBIE II: FULCI'S INFERNO in its freshly printed Graphic Novel Trade Paperback Edition, and available in three different Limited Edition packages. Exclusively available at VinegarSyndrome.com!
And finally, we’ve got 18 new Partner Label releases this month, including the first from new partner Hope Runs High: WE MIGHT AS WELL BE DEAD, a pitch-black comedy garnering Yorgos Lanthimos comparisons—as well as DRUG-O-RAMA VIDEO PARTY from AGFA, the chilling festival favorite RAGING GRACE from Brainstorm, landmark 60s indie WINTER KEPT US WARM from Canadian International, and REVEALER from Shudder!
Shop Partner Labels
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Spiderbite (08-01-25)
08-02-25 | 06:55 PM
#1161
DVD Talk Hero
Re: The Official Vinegar Syndrome Thread
I ordered 4 partner titles from yesterday's drop:
Breaking the Girls
Fright Night Documentary
Redlands - limited edition with the signed and numbered zine
Revealer
I'll probably go back in next week and order Babylon Pink and the triple feature BD set from Melusine.
Breaking the Girls
Fright Night Documentary
Redlands - limited edition with the signed and numbered zine
Revealer
I'll probably go back in next week and order Babylon Pink and the triple feature BD set from Melusine.
08-02-25 | 07:49 PM
#1162
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The Official Vinegar Syndrome Thread
I'm waiting to see if they have the warehouse sale on labor day weekend before making my next VS website purchase. For August releases id like to get the AGFA Drug O Rama party release and the latest peekarama triple feature (Prisoners of Paradise, Sadie, and The Seductress).
Last edited by Bluelitespecial; 08-03-25 at 07:09 AM.
08-05-25 | 07:25 AM
#1163
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: The Official Vinegar Syndrome Thread
I'm waiting to see if they have the warehouse sale on labor day weekend before making my next VS website purchase. For August releases id like to get the AGFA Drug O Rama party release and the latest peekarama triple feature (Prisoners of Paradise, Sadie, and The Seductress).
I also have a few ‘new-ish’ holdovers from the last while waiting in the cart, and I check the quantities regularly (glad to see DRUG-O-RAMA isn’t selling out as fast as other AGFA titles . . . for now, anyway), but I should likewise be able to hold off until the labor day or BF sales, and/or into 2026 for some of them if necessary.
By the way, for anyone who missed the IRON ANGELS Hong Kong trilogy boxed set, its fast sellout apparently convinced them to issue a standard edition after all. Seems to be 2000 copies, already down to 1800, but I’d imagine they can at least reprint this set as needed:
https://vinegarsyndrome.com/products/iron-angels-1-3
Last edited by Brian T; 08-05-25 at 04:16 PM.
08-19-25 | 07:28 AM
#1164
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Reviewer/ Admin
Joined: Sep 1999
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From: Greenville, South Cackalack
Re: The Official Vinegar Syndrome Thread
It would seem that one of the titles in next month’s Italian horror collection is The Bloodstained Lawn.
08-28-25 | 05:01 PM
#1165
DVD Talk Hero
Re: The Official Vinegar Syndrome Thread
Tonight is your night, brooooo!!
09-01-25 | 11:20 AM
#1166
Thread Starter
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Joined: Sep 1999
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From: Greenville, South Cackalack
Re: The Official Vinegar Syndrome Thread
New for September:
On the partner label tip, I can see Brian T being excited about AGFA's The Black Panther of Shaolin + The Black Six double feature.
- The Films of Larry Fessenden, Vol. 2: Wendigo / The Last Winter
- Bloodstained Italy: Obscene Desire / The Bloodstained Lawn / Death Falls Lightly
- The Resurrected (UHD)
- The Strange Affair (VSL)
- Vice Academy 1-6 (VSA)
- Gang Related (Cinématographe)
- The Films of Hisayasu Satō: Volume #1 - Re-Wind / Lustmord / Love Letter In the Sand (Pink Line)
On the partner label tip, I can see Brian T being excited about AGFA's The Black Panther of Shaolin + The Black Six double feature.
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Brian T (09-01-25)
09-01-25 | 02:05 PM
#1167
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: The Official Vinegar Syndrome Thread
You are correct sir!BPOS (< oof - that looks weird) is super rare and I’ve never seen it, even in what I assume are bootlegs/uploads they reference in the description. Zero reviews on IMDb. I don’t expect a whole lot from it as Filipino martial arts movies in my experience are pretty clunky compared to their HK counterparts. Still, great that they found it. I’ve had BLACK SIX in various black-themed PD ‘collections’ over the years. It’s passable, barely (and on Tubi for free, if anyone’s curious). What’s really got me itching to grab it is that second disc with the Something Weird trailer compilations. I have one of the old VHS tapes here that I picked up with a handful of other SW junk when a hipster video store closed down here years back. SW always found a lot of rare goodies on all their trailer and short film comps.
And whenever AGFA / VS includes stuff like that on their release, the value-for-money shoots up substantially. As the details show, there’s almost eight hours of vintage content on this. The slip version’s nearly half gone, so decisions, decisions . . .
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Adam Tyner (09-01-25)
09-01-25 | 02:54 PM
#1168
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: The Official Vinegar Syndrome Thread
For fellow Canadians, and maybe our southern neighbours (since they had a similar system to the one at the heart of this film), I’d also recommend COLD JOURNEY, perhaps on sale down the road. I saw it years ago on the National Film Board’s site, where it still resides for free, as do most of the director’s shorts on the Canadian International Pictures Blu-ray (not sure if these are accessible to Americans but could be worth a try).
Whenever a certain overseas authoritarian country responds to Canadian criticism of its long history of complete denial about its decades of human rights abuses, that country often responds by pointing out the shameful human rights abuses of Canada’s residential school system. I roll my eyes every time because there’s one massive difference: Canada doesn’t deny this happened. It’s taught in schools. It’s in our history books. Our government set up a Truth & Reconciliation Commission to encourage public discourse and restitution, and named September 30 as a national day of commemoration (presumably why the Blu-ray is a September release). It destroyed lives and families because of colonialist hubris, and the effects are ongoing. It’s freely reported by our press, even today (as ground scans around the school sites have revealed the graves of children who were very likely abused). It’s also been the subject of documentaries and films, including the excellent COLD JOURNEY fifty years ago. As a country we should never be allowed to live it down. Think we’ll ever see truthful domestic documentaries and narrative films about, say, Xinjiang or the cultural revolution from the country wherein they’ve taken place? Fat chance.
Not entirely sold on the new slip/sleeve art, but it is by a Canadian indigenous artist, so they got that right.
https://vinegarsyndrome.com/products...43314726469674
Whenever a certain overseas authoritarian country responds to Canadian criticism of its long history of complete denial about its decades of human rights abuses, that country often responds by pointing out the shameful human rights abuses of Canada’s residential school system. I roll my eyes every time because there’s one massive difference: Canada doesn’t deny this happened. It’s taught in schools. It’s in our history books. Our government set up a Truth & Reconciliation Commission to encourage public discourse and restitution, and named September 30 as a national day of commemoration (presumably why the Blu-ray is a September release). It destroyed lives and families because of colonialist hubris, and the effects are ongoing. It’s freely reported by our press, even today (as ground scans around the school sites have revealed the graves of children who were very likely abused). It’s also been the subject of documentaries and films, including the excellent COLD JOURNEY fifty years ago. As a country we should never be allowed to live it down. Think we’ll ever see truthful domestic documentaries and narrative films about, say, Xinjiang or the cultural revolution from the country wherein they’ve taken place? Fat chance.
Not entirely sold on the new slip/sleeve art, but it is by a Canadian indigenous artist, so they got that right.
https://vinegarsyndrome.com/products...43314726469674
Last edited by Brian T; 09-01-25 at 03:02 PM.
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Adam Tyner (09-01-25)
09-01-25 | 02:56 PM
#1169
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The Official Vinegar Syndrome Thread
I like The Resurrected, good Lovecraft adaptation, but I don't know if I need to upgrade my Scream Factory blu (I'm not 4K).
09-01-25 | 03:37 PM
#1170
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The Official Vinegar Syndrome Thread
Picking up Vice Academy 1-6. I sold 1-3 for like $200 back in 2022.
09-26-25 | 06:14 AM
#1171
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The Official Vinegar Syndrome Thread
I like this video Vinegar Syndrome just did explaining how the Melusine website came to be and the different labels. It's pronounced Mel - U- Zeen. It's nice to see and a way to help promote the website.
10-01-25 | 12:56 PM
#1172
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Reviewer/ Admin
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 31,704
Received 2,802 Likes
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From: Greenville, South Cackalack
Re: The Official Vinegar Syndrome Thread
October:
Definitely in for Sleepless; maybe Tromeo and Juliet (which I loved once upon a time but haven’t watched in decades). I feel an itch to grab Ruby and The Man Who Could Cheat Death, but neither is really compelling to me to click ‘add to cart’ right now. I’m into Shaw-sploitation as a concept but would rather see the SB logo on the cover instead.
I’ll probably hold off until the Halfway thing next month before ordering anything, though.
Definitely in for Sleepless; maybe Tromeo and Juliet (which I loved once upon a time but haven’t watched in decades). I feel an itch to grab Ruby and The Man Who Could Cheat Death, but neither is really compelling to me to click ‘add to cart’ right now. I’m into Shaw-sploitation as a concept but would rather see the SB logo on the cover instead.
I’ll probably hold off until the Halfway thing next month before ordering anything, though.
Supernatural possession and murder-by-soda machine; mystery killers and Max Von Sydow; deformed ghouls in Victorian era Paris; mutant cows and genitals in homage of Shakespeare…It can only be October at Vinegar Syndrome!
What a lineup we have this month! But before we get into the goodies, a brief reminder that our similarly sensational September slate, featuring the 4K UHD debut of THE RESURRECTED (1991) with hours of extras, our second Larry Fessenden double feature of WENDIGO (2001) + THE LAST WINTER (2006) on 4K UHD, and latest Italian horror box set, aptly named BLOODSTAINED ITALY, featuring English friendly home video debuts of OBSCENE DESIRE (1978), DEATH FALLS LIGHTLY (1972), and THE BLOODSTAINED LAWN (1973) are all in stock and shipping, along with our September Cinématographe of GANG RELATED (1996) latest VS Labs of the British rarity THE STRANGE AFFAIR (1968), plus the return of VICE ACADEMY, this time with all six films from the scandalous franchise, from VS Archive!
Now on to October…
Starting off this staggering lineup is our first foray into Britain’s legendary Hammer Films, with the 4K UHD premiere of Terence Fisher’s fiendish favorite, THE MAN WHO COULD CHEAT DEATH (1959), starring Christopher Lee. After long being the stuff of legend, we are proud to present both the pre-censor original version, including some violence trimmed before its theatrical release, as well as its even more scandalous and decades-unseen Continental Version, and all stunningly restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative and packed with bonus materials.
From the master of Italian horror, Dario Argento, his late-period giallo, SLEEPLESS (2002) comes to 4K UHD, in a brand-new and exclusive restoration of its original camera negative! Starring the Academy Award-winning thespian Max Von Sydow on the trail of a decades-long series of grisly murders, Argento is in top form with all the over-the-top kills, eye-popping style, and ridiculous twists you could want. We’ve gone as far as possible with the extras, including loads of both new and archival interviews, to ensure that everything you ever wanted to know about this twisted treat is fully revealed.
Speaking of twisted, director Lloyd Kaufman and co-writer James Gunn's (yes, that James Gunn) first Shakespeare adaptation, TROMEO & JULIET (1996) finally makes the leap to 4K UHD from a stunning new restoration of its original negative, and is presented in its proper theatrical aspect ratio! Packed with heart, love, and gratuitous splatter-kills, this is a love story for the ages done in the Troma tradition. Not only does the film look better than ever before, but we’ve heaped on hours worth of new and archival interviews and other assorted bonus mayhem, including extensive BTS and promotional materials, multiple commentaries, and much more.
Finally, from a true maverick of the early arthouse-horror world, director Curtis Harrington’s bloody and beautiful homage to mid century America, RUBY (1977) finally comes to 4K UHD, stunningly restored from its interpositive and complete with a vast array of archival materials featuring Harrington as well as a fresh set of first-ever interviews, plus a presentation of its notorious and controversial alternate TV version. With its clever and original take on the “possession” film craze, this remains the goriest film of Harrington’s career, featuring an array of surprisingly nasty deaths, alongside a ghoulishly romantic performance from the great Piper Laurie.
But that’s not all! This month, we’re delighted to debut a new series from VSA: Shaw-Sploitation, which will feature rare and wild action and thriller features from Hong Kong’s unrivaled purveyors of some of the wildest Asian genre cinema ever produced: the Shaw Brothers! Kicking off the line is our gorgeous new restoration of director Ngai Choi Lam's (Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky) gritty and violent cop thriller MEN FROM THE GUTTER (1983), which offers nearly non-stop action, jaw-dropping stunt work, and bloody shootouts. Stay tuned for much more Shaw-Sploitation to come!
And from Cinématographe, we present the world 4K UHD debut of another kind of gritty crime drama with director Frank Pierce’s KING OF THE GYPSIES (1978), featuring a star-making performance from Eric Roberts along with supporting roles for Susan Sarandon, Sterling Hayden, Judd Hirsch, Shelly Winters, and Brooke Shields. We’ve newly and exclusively restored it from its original negative and have packaged it in our custom limited Cinématographe media book.
But that’s still not all! Our sister-site, Mélusine, has a whopping three releases of its own, encompassing the disc (and 100% uncut) debut of an early feature by Wes Craven, the Blu-ray debut of the first two films directed by Bill Lustig, and the Blu-ray debut of a late 70s blockbuster secretly directed by Joe Sarno. Head on over to the Mélusine website to find out everything you could ever want to know about this tantalizing trio of releases.
Plus, in case you missed the news, we are immensely proud to announce the acquisition of the legendary Mitchell Bros Film Group catalog, including everything from their most famous to most obscure works. Much more info to come…
The 31 Days of Syntober is back! Following last year’s success, we’re at it again with another round of daily discounted deals, as each day in October, we spotlight a different horror (and horror adjacent) title from our catalog, all accompanied by a personal write-up by a VS staff member explaining what makes the film so special and important. Click the button below daily to see how many you have in your collection.
Shop 31 Days of Syntobner
Fresh VHS releases are in from Degausser Video, with the triumphant return to VHS of VS Home Grown Horror classic, HAUNTEDWEEN, as well as the oddball indie from AGFA, THE LAST SLUMBER PARTY! Pick up both while you still can.
VS Press is in the holiday spirit with the latest assortment of shirts, including several with a Halloween theme. Get all your favorite new fall fashions right here, and while you’re at it, how ‘bout new stickers, a fresh koozie, and even a fanny pack. Check out all of this month’s merch right here:
And finally, OCN’s Partner Labels are breaking records with a whopping 26 titles this month, along with the debuts of two new labels, Wild Eye Selects with the crazy SOV horror comedy THE DISCO EXORCIST, and from Eli Roth’s The Horror Section, director Joe Begos’ insane, years-in-the-making, 16mm-shot epic JIMMY & STIGGS. Fans of Begos’ earlier films like VFW and Bliss won’t want to mix this neon-drenched bad-acid-trip-on-steroids, alien-paranoia brain melter, which comes to 4K UHD + Blu-ray, complete with 3 commentaries, a 2+ hour making-of, and so much more.
Also new this month, Japanese horror master Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s CREEPY comes to Blu from Kimstim, Shudder offers a double dose of terror with ALL THE MOONS and MOLOCH, IFC brings Peter Strickland’s chilling BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO to Blu, while AGFA offers a set of regional ripped-from-the-headlines thrillers with TRUE CRIME TRIPLE RIPPER! Check out all of the new Partner Label releases right here:
Shop All Partner Labels
What a lineup we have this month! But before we get into the goodies, a brief reminder that our similarly sensational September slate, featuring the 4K UHD debut of THE RESURRECTED (1991) with hours of extras, our second Larry Fessenden double feature of WENDIGO (2001) + THE LAST WINTER (2006) on 4K UHD, and latest Italian horror box set, aptly named BLOODSTAINED ITALY, featuring English friendly home video debuts of OBSCENE DESIRE (1978), DEATH FALLS LIGHTLY (1972), and THE BLOODSTAINED LAWN (1973) are all in stock and shipping, along with our September Cinématographe of GANG RELATED (1996) latest VS Labs of the British rarity THE STRANGE AFFAIR (1968), plus the return of VICE ACADEMY, this time with all six films from the scandalous franchise, from VS Archive!
Now on to October…
Starting off this staggering lineup is our first foray into Britain’s legendary Hammer Films, with the 4K UHD premiere of Terence Fisher’s fiendish favorite, THE MAN WHO COULD CHEAT DEATH (1959), starring Christopher Lee. After long being the stuff of legend, we are proud to present both the pre-censor original version, including some violence trimmed before its theatrical release, as well as its even more scandalous and decades-unseen Continental Version, and all stunningly restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative and packed with bonus materials.
From the master of Italian horror, Dario Argento, his late-period giallo, SLEEPLESS (2002) comes to 4K UHD, in a brand-new and exclusive restoration of its original camera negative! Starring the Academy Award-winning thespian Max Von Sydow on the trail of a decades-long series of grisly murders, Argento is in top form with all the over-the-top kills, eye-popping style, and ridiculous twists you could want. We’ve gone as far as possible with the extras, including loads of both new and archival interviews, to ensure that everything you ever wanted to know about this twisted treat is fully revealed.
Speaking of twisted, director Lloyd Kaufman and co-writer James Gunn's (yes, that James Gunn) first Shakespeare adaptation, TROMEO & JULIET (1996) finally makes the leap to 4K UHD from a stunning new restoration of its original negative, and is presented in its proper theatrical aspect ratio! Packed with heart, love, and gratuitous splatter-kills, this is a love story for the ages done in the Troma tradition. Not only does the film look better than ever before, but we’ve heaped on hours worth of new and archival interviews and other assorted bonus mayhem, including extensive BTS and promotional materials, multiple commentaries, and much more.
Finally, from a true maverick of the early arthouse-horror world, director Curtis Harrington’s bloody and beautiful homage to mid century America, RUBY (1977) finally comes to 4K UHD, stunningly restored from its interpositive and complete with a vast array of archival materials featuring Harrington as well as a fresh set of first-ever interviews, plus a presentation of its notorious and controversial alternate TV version. With its clever and original take on the “possession” film craze, this remains the goriest film of Harrington’s career, featuring an array of surprisingly nasty deaths, alongside a ghoulishly romantic performance from the great Piper Laurie.
But that’s not all! This month, we’re delighted to debut a new series from VSA: Shaw-Sploitation, which will feature rare and wild action and thriller features from Hong Kong’s unrivaled purveyors of some of the wildest Asian genre cinema ever produced: the Shaw Brothers! Kicking off the line is our gorgeous new restoration of director Ngai Choi Lam's (Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky) gritty and violent cop thriller MEN FROM THE GUTTER (1983), which offers nearly non-stop action, jaw-dropping stunt work, and bloody shootouts. Stay tuned for much more Shaw-Sploitation to come!
And from Cinématographe, we present the world 4K UHD debut of another kind of gritty crime drama with director Frank Pierce’s KING OF THE GYPSIES (1978), featuring a star-making performance from Eric Roberts along with supporting roles for Susan Sarandon, Sterling Hayden, Judd Hirsch, Shelly Winters, and Brooke Shields. We’ve newly and exclusively restored it from its original negative and have packaged it in our custom limited Cinématographe media book.
But that’s still not all! Our sister-site, Mélusine, has a whopping three releases of its own, encompassing the disc (and 100% uncut) debut of an early feature by Wes Craven, the Blu-ray debut of the first two films directed by Bill Lustig, and the Blu-ray debut of a late 70s blockbuster secretly directed by Joe Sarno. Head on over to the Mélusine website to find out everything you could ever want to know about this tantalizing trio of releases.
Plus, in case you missed the news, we are immensely proud to announce the acquisition of the legendary Mitchell Bros Film Group catalog, including everything from their most famous to most obscure works. Much more info to come…
The 31 Days of Syntober is back! Following last year’s success, we’re at it again with another round of daily discounted deals, as each day in October, we spotlight a different horror (and horror adjacent) title from our catalog, all accompanied by a personal write-up by a VS staff member explaining what makes the film so special and important. Click the button below daily to see how many you have in your collection.
Shop 31 Days of Syntobner
Fresh VHS releases are in from Degausser Video, with the triumphant return to VHS of VS Home Grown Horror classic, HAUNTEDWEEN, as well as the oddball indie from AGFA, THE LAST SLUMBER PARTY! Pick up both while you still can.
VS Press is in the holiday spirit with the latest assortment of shirts, including several with a Halloween theme. Get all your favorite new fall fashions right here, and while you’re at it, how ‘bout new stickers, a fresh koozie, and even a fanny pack. Check out all of this month’s merch right here:
And finally, OCN’s Partner Labels are breaking records with a whopping 26 titles this month, along with the debuts of two new labels, Wild Eye Selects with the crazy SOV horror comedy THE DISCO EXORCIST, and from Eli Roth’s The Horror Section, director Joe Begos’ insane, years-in-the-making, 16mm-shot epic JIMMY & STIGGS. Fans of Begos’ earlier films like VFW and Bliss won’t want to mix this neon-drenched bad-acid-trip-on-steroids, alien-paranoia brain melter, which comes to 4K UHD + Blu-ray, complete with 3 commentaries, a 2+ hour making-of, and so much more.
Also new this month, Japanese horror master Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s CREEPY comes to Blu from Kimstim, Shudder offers a double dose of terror with ALL THE MOONS and MOLOCH, IFC brings Peter Strickland’s chilling BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO to Blu, while AGFA offers a set of regional ripped-from-the-headlines thrillers with TRUE CRIME TRIPLE RIPPER! Check out all of the new Partner Label releases right here:
Shop All Partner Labels
10-01-25 | 07:39 PM
#1173
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: The Official Vinegar Syndrome Thread
Nothing that can’t wait in my case. A while back I came across my Kino Blu-ray of MAN WHO COULD CHEAT DEATH (itself replacing the earlier Legend films double feature Blu with THE SKULL) and thought it would make a decent title for Hammer’s deluxe line of packed box sets, perhaps as one of the smaller boxes, especially if the cut footage was ever found, which apparently it now has been. Very tempted to wait and see if Hammer does anything with that one down the road.
Mixed feelings on MEN FROM THE GUTTER. It’s a damned good picture – in a Shaw genre that has never gotten much attention in North America thanks to the endless reissuing of their martial arts films – but as someone who’s been (yes, tiresomely ) vocal about the non-MA films being overlooked for so long, it would’ve been cool to see that one in a ‘Shaw Crime’ boxed set of some sort as there are quite a few others in their catalog that are just as good. I guess that’s a no-go now unless Arrow goes that route in a future Shawscope set (yeah, right!) or maybe a set like their recently-announced HK NEW WAVE triple feature. Or something from Eureka, as they’ve dabbled outside the martial arts segment a couple of times. There’s just so little need to string us along one title at a time with these. Oh well, I’ll get it on sale eventually as the extras look decent (original participants!) and it’s another old import IVL DVD I can unload.
- - - - - -
I posted this in the Blu-Ray bargains forum, but in case anyone didn’t see it, VS is offering their 4K combo of the Shaw Brothers film CORPSE MANIA is 50% off with 4x the bonus points today only (Oct. 1), presumably tied to that release of MEN FROM THE GUTTER. I already have it, but I also have this feeling that it was cheaper in a recent sale, but I’m not certain, and maybe the points would make up for that.
https://vinegarsyndrome.com/pages/31-days-of-syntober
Mixed feelings on MEN FROM THE GUTTER. It’s a damned good picture – in a Shaw genre that has never gotten much attention in North America thanks to the endless reissuing of their martial arts films – but as someone who’s been (yes, tiresomely
) vocal about the non-MA films being overlooked for so long, it would’ve been cool to see that one in a ‘Shaw Crime’ boxed set of some sort as there are quite a few others in their catalog that are just as good. I guess that’s a no-go now unless Arrow goes that route in a future Shawscope set (yeah, right!) or maybe a set like their recently-announced HK NEW WAVE triple feature. Or something from Eureka, as they’ve dabbled outside the martial arts segment a couple of times. There’s just so little need to string us along one title at a time with these. Oh well, I’ll get it on sale eventually as the extras look decent (original participants!) and it’s another old import IVL DVD I can unload.- - - - - -
I posted this in the Blu-Ray bargains forum, but in case anyone didn’t see it, VS is offering their 4K combo of the Shaw Brothers film CORPSE MANIA is 50% off with 4x the bonus points today only (Oct. 1), presumably tied to that release of MEN FROM THE GUTTER. I already have it, but I also have this feeling that it was cheaper in a recent sale, but I’m not certain, and maybe the points would make up for that.
https://vinegarsyndrome.com/pages/31-days-of-syntober
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Adam Tyner (10-01-25)
10-02-25 | 04:40 PM
#1174
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The Official Vinegar Syndrome Thread
Unless they changed things up, I'd strongly urge everyone here to AVOID the "31 days of Syntober" items.
Because they're all one-offs. If you bought Corpse Mania yesterday, it's already getting shipped. Buy tomorrow's on-sale title and you can expect to pay for shipping again. No stacked orders. Any discounts on price will be negated by separate shipping costs.
Because they're all one-offs. If you bought Corpse Mania yesterday, it's already getting shipped. Buy tomorrow's on-sale title and you can expect to pay for shipping again. No stacked orders. Any discounts on price will be negated by separate shipping costs.
10-02-25 | 08:16 PM
#1175
DVD Talk Hero
Re: The Official Vinegar Syndrome Thread
Unless they changed things up, I'd strongly urge everyone here to AVOID the "31 days of Syntober" items.
Because they're all one-offs. If you bought Corpse Mania yesterday, it's already getting shipped. Buy tomorrow's on-sale title and you can expect to pay for shipping again. No stacked orders. Any discounts on price will be negated by separate shipping costs.
Because they're all one-offs. If you bought Corpse Mania yesterday, it's already getting shipped. Buy tomorrow's on-sale title and you can expect to pay for shipping again. No stacked orders. Any discounts on price will be negated by separate shipping costs.
How disappointing.