re: The Official Vinegar Syndrome Thread
 

Back in the 90s, these low budget martial arts action movies would come out like crazy in video store shelves. Merhi produced and starred in lots of them, Blanks and Cynthia Rothrock were also stars. They were barely watchable. Definitely not worth owning, let alone paying $30.

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A bunch. Some more shitty ones with Merhi.

Some of the bigger ones were Showdown, Bloodfist, Back in Action, The King of the Kickboxers.

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I bought the Tiger Claws set for Rothrock and because there were 3 films in the set for the price.

That is how I feel about most of the films that are released from VS. But hey...plenty of people love them.

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Showdown, which I re-watched recently on Prime video, was a blatant Karate Kid rip-off.

He made most of his money in the 1990s doing his Tae Bo videos.

But I would not pay good money to own these Blanks and Merhi movies even on BD with lots of extras

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I've never bought a VS release yet

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You have to include his Tae Bo training videos for the full Billy Blanks experience. I felt really old when I did a little digging on Google and found out he's 66 now.

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I remember Bobby Phillips being in TC 2000.

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I guess this will get a release through VS since this distributor is a partner label.

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Wow, so VS gets it for the U.S. and Arrow got it for the UK.

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Yea, apparently this US distributor asked Diabolik not to stock the UK version.

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Biopic of The Cramps?

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I am a subscriber and have most of the VSA films, I after watching TC-2000 I will be skipping all the Merhi movies from here on out. They're bad and not in a fun way, just bad.

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I held off till they released their "5 Years 5 Films" series and bought one just as a sampler, and have been hooked ever since. If you're into B-movies and exploitation cinema, they're the kings.

ETA: Scrolling back through the thread, you mentioned being interested in The Candy Snatchers. Never, um, snatched that one up? You should.

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Never got it. I think the site was down one time. I came back, tried to search but nothing came up. I just tried again and nothing comes up. I don't know if I'm doing something wrong or if Search doesn't work.

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https://vinegarsyndrome.com/products...andy-snatchers
or on Amazon

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Thanks! I figured out why search wasn't working for me. Operator error. d'oh.

Didn't think about checking Amazon, which will save a few bucks in shipping ($6 vs free) and it would arrive Saturday.

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Well, thanks to the Amazon link and Prime 1-day shipping, I'm now holding Candy Snatchers in my grubby hands. Did my customary disc checkout. Looks good...so 70s. Can't wait until my next day off to really checkout the movie and extras. Thanks, Paff and Dex.

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Other than their um....snuggle films, Vinegar Syndrome doesn't have a lot of good 70s content. If you're into that kind of sleazy cinema though (I know I am), I'd also recommend Malibu High, Pigs, and any of the blaxploitation films they released. Sadly, The Candy Tangerine Man is no longer available, but they still have the Rudy Ray Moore films and I recently watched and enjoyed Welcome Home Brother Charles.

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Looks like Thriller is coming in their May sale, probably announcing it now to stop people from buying Synapse's unauthorized version. Also Cloak & Dagger probably their next VSU, Iloved that movie as a kid so will definitely pick that up.

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I don't normally pre-order but will definitely be pre-ordering that film this coming Friday!

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This is standard practice for Vinegar Syndrome: having their Halfway to Black Friday flash preorders open near the end of March. They first announced Thriller back in November, but this'll be the first opportunity to actually place an order.

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Thriller: A Cruel Picture? The release I just got a dud?

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yes.

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Pre-ordered both Thriller: A Cruel Picture (1973) & Miami Connection (1987)

Can't wait to see these in 4K! :)

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Miami Connection is nice but I'm satisfied with the Drafthouse bluray.

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I can't believe no one is mentioning the Cloak & Dagger release! It never hit Blu-ray and for it to just show up at VS and in 4K totally shocked me!

I have the Drafthouse release of Miami Connection and have been meaning to revisit it lately. This will make me watch it and decide if I want to upgrade to 4K. Honestly though, if they had included a CD of the awesome soundtrack for MC, I wouldn't even hesitate.

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Ditto! If VS were just putting out a standard Blu-ray release, I don't know that I'd be interested in double-dipping, but including 2 different cuts is pretty irresistible, and that they'd be in UHD is just icing on the cake.

Unfortunately, I don't think we're going to be able to sell the old Drafthouse release on eBay for $100-$150 anymore. :p

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Glad I did awhile back then but I’m definitely not looking forward to this new release, movie was a bit of a coherent mess. Not a fan.

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This limited edition of Thriller is already halfway sold out. VS also confirmed that the 'They Call Her One Eye' cut will only be available in UHD in this specific edition.

I went ahead and preordered that and Miami Connection. I thought about just grabbing the whole kit and kaboodle, but I've gotten burned more often than not doing that partially-blind entire-month-of-titles-at-a-time thing, and that's especially unappealing at these price points.

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I have to admit I'm getting a little exhausted the endless creation by these boutiques of seemingly "covet-worthy" collector's editions in 4K combos with all sorts of cuts and books and cards and new artwork (which runs the gamut, creatively) at increasingly insane prices – even on sale! – for films that really don't warrant the treatment, and the serious FOMO that seems to accompany each new arrival (not to mention all the YouTube unboxings and invariably glowing "reviews"). I'm mostly a standard-edition kind of guy – easier on the bank account – but I must admit to buying more of these fancy boxes than I should, although it's getting easier to resist. It's also starting to feel like, when it comes of largely forgotten and/or forgettable exploitation movies, 4K is just another sparkly enticement in the box for suckers who just gotta have it and will pay whatever for it! MIAMI CONNECTION is a shining example. I likewise have the Drafthouse blu and it's beyond good enough, even though I understand that it's out of print and the VS edition(s) will at least keep it in circulation . . . at a premium, of course. Gotta admit I felt a little hoodwinked after I bought VS's NEW YORK NINJA box a while back. The film as it stands is a fascinating artifact and worthy of some kind of release, but come on, even if John Liu had finished it in the 1980's, it would've been ridiculous and largely forgettable, which it kind of is even in its current form. Kudos for the team for trying to salvage something out of it, but the results just kind of sit there, looking more a bit silly and feeling like a make-work project for the v/o actors and some increasingly ubiquitous packaging artistes. A standard-edition would've sufficed.

I'm also driven to wonder just how many people who are springing for the uber-deluxe edition of THRILLER have actually seen it before as opposed to just scooping it up because it's a limited edition of a film with a reputation largely created in the internet era. It's an ok little exploitation picture but in fairness, it's kind of a bore when weighed against other such fare from the same era. "But hey, look, both (largely similar) versions on shiny 4K discs – you neeeed these!" I'll admit a curiosity to see the pre-release cut of MIAMI CONNECTION, but surely even at that low-budget production level there are reasons why it never actually got released. :)​​​​​​​

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Hard Target 4K + 2 Kino on sale title of your choice >>> Miami Connection 4K

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I have!

https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/imag...48252711_1.jpg

Which isn't to take away from your greater point. Nearly all of the audience for physical home media has vanished, and those of us that are still sticking around are a small but fiercely loyal audience, generally with money to burn. So, they'll soak those few of us that are left for all we're worth. Prey on the FOMO, especially with physical bells and whistles that will largely go unseen or unappreciated (I've never done anything with a folded poster in nearly a quarter-century of special editions, and I can't really see anything beyond the spines of any limited edition slipcovers or vaguely normal-sized boxes). Lead with an expensive limited edition, and however many months later follow through with a less lavish, less expensive standard release for the more patient and/or price-sensitive among us.

I don't mind splurging every once in a while on a movie that means something to me (and I would say that Thriller and Miami Connection both fit that bill for me, even if these aren't movies I've returned to time and again), but especially in recent months, I've been starting to feel exploited rather than served. I mean, $38 -- and that's a Flash preorder discount! -- for Miami Connection? I walked away from comic books for much the same reason, and it might get to a point where I shy away from Vinegar Syndrome, Severin, etc. outside of their semi-annual sales or maybe even altogether. F the FOMO!

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To echo Adam Tyner's comment, I have seen the film as well.

I've had Synapse Films' Limited Edition DVD on my shelves for about 18-years now and didn't pre-order this release for the reason you mentioned. I hope in the 18-years since, I made enough money to afford a $50 upgrade from my DVD :)

I've skipped a LOT of Vinegar Syndrome releases because I hadn't seen the film or (as you mentioned) saw it once and didn't care to own it.

There are other forums filled with the folks holding onto buying habits that you pointed out. Having so many buyers like that definitely influences the prices these boutique labels set for their products, outside whatever deals they set to acquire the films in the first place.

The only reason I haven't mentioned that film is that I actually haven't seen it :(

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I haven't seen it, but my wife said she enjoyed it as a kid.
I have a feeling it doesn't really hold up, but I'm willing to take the risk on it. Just not sure which other 4K title to grab in order to get free shipping. The last one I got was Dead Heat, so other than C&D, I have five to pick from. Any recommendations?

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Ugh! I just pre-ordered 3 titles and grabbed one that is already released at a miniscule amount of 165 bucks. My time with VS and these other boutique labels might be winding down.

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Couldn't check this thread over the weekend, but good to know I'm not alone in these thoughts! :)

I likewise purchased the Synapse LE of THRILLER back in the day – oh shit, FOMO! – and held on to it for a few years before realizing I probably wasn't going to revisit it and selling it off (undoubtedly for a profit by then). Obviously, that's not to diss the film itself, because it's definitely worth seeing, but I just can't see how $53 US is in any way justifiable for the privilege. Fifty. Three. Dollars! On sale!! People, really.

A good comparison illustrating how these boutiques operate on wildly different planes of reality crossed my mind over the weekend, and that's Shout's ALLIGATOR 4K set. No fancy magnetic-clasp box, no perfect-bound book that's mostly pictures, no folded poster, art cards, stickers, enamel pins or other baubles you don't need. Just a slipcover (albeit with new artwork that erases the quiet menace of the original, superior poster design) and three discs with strong AV and excellent bonus features including still galleries on the disc where they belong, for about $30 (and a $40 SRP). Tight little package. And according the "We're Number 2" thread here, it's actually performing quite well. Granted, it's always been a higher-profile production than, say, THRILLER or MIAMI CONNECTION, with an obviously strong nostalgic attraction for many buyers, and yet those two are more expensive by far. And then you have to ask yourself what makes Vinegar Syndrome's equally nostalgia-driven CLOAK & DAGGER – a film from the same era and one which its own studio has had available as two basic, bargain-bin-residing DVDs for well over a decade – worth $43 US (with a $65 SRP) -eek-. I'm sure Shout having deeper pockets than Vinegar Syndrome is a factor, but all of that extra packaging ("patented by VS" dontcha know) on C&D still smells like an excuse to play that "fiercely loyal audience" Adam mentioned above for suckers.

And yet I grumble about this stuff as someone who's bought probably a few too many of the 88 Films deluxe-box editions of classic Hong Kong movies (YOUNG MASTER, ROBOTRIX, STORY OF RICKY) Hard boxes! Perfect-bound books! Art cards! Limited-run discs in the box! But then again, even with those I've always been able to purchase them in the $30 - $35 US range, often from US Amazon Marketplace sellers who beat 88's prices. And even 88's pricing on these supplement-stuffed sets doesn't reach the heights of recent VS pricing. Again, fifty . . . three . . . dollars for THRILLER and forty-three for CLOAK & DAGGER. The mind boggles.

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Heaven forbid that you pre-order some of these movies while complaining about the high prices. I've never seen so much condescending posts over at that other website in regards to me mentioning having pre-ordered a few movies while not being happy with the prices they are now asking for them. It's as if every single person that piled on me has never bought something they wanted and at the same time felt a bit ripped off for what they paid for it. At least here you can make an argument either way and not feel like you are getting railed on by people who seemingly sit around all day and wait to bash someone online.

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do these releases get to Amazon at all?

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By and large, yeah, although it takes a few months.

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I think VSA’s are exclusive to the site though.