Vinegar Syndrome and Their Partner Labels

[dwk]

VS said they couldn't locate any usable elements for Coonskin

[Calvin]

VS said they couldn't locate any usable elements for Coonskin

Huh, how strange.

Looking back on the original press release, they also said that Story of a Three-Day Pass and Don't Play Us Cheap would be coming in 2016 and they've never materialised either. Story of a Three-Day Pass would have played Cannes Classics this year in a new 4K restoration from IndieCollect, so I wonder if that's going to come from Kino at some point.

[L.A.]

***NEW TITLE ANNOUNCEMENT***
Coming soon to Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome Armando Crispino’s “Autopsy” (1975)

The new header on the Vinegar Syndrome page seems to indicate “Autopsy” as being a part of February Giallo boxset!

Synopsis: A pathology med student and a priest team up to investigate a wave of suicides blamed on sun spots and discover a number of them to be actual murders.

Trailer: https://youtu.be/VS3HPofqgbs

[L.A.]

The Curious Dr. Humpp @ Mondo Digital

[smokes]

VS said they couldn't locate any usable elements for Coonskin

this is really sad to hear. coonskin is probably my favorite animated film and a real classic

[beamish14]

VS said they couldn't locate any usable elements for Coonskin

this is really sad to hear. coonskin is probably my favorite animated film and a real classic

I call bullshit on Coonskin not having good materials. I saw a straight-from-the-lab new 35mm print that was presumably struck from the original camera
negative a number of years ago, and it looked flawless. Kino Lorber gave the same "no good materials" like for Smile, which Fun City is now releasing on Blu.

[dwk]

Key phrase there is "a number of years ago." Just because usuable elements existed then doesn't mean they exist now.

[MichaelB]

Another key phrase is “couldn’t locate”, which may be entirely true, and so a far more constructive response than a sneeringly superior “I call bullshit” would surely be to reach out to VS directly with as many details of this screening as can be recalled.

[dwk]

Vinegar Syndrome's Valentine's Day sale mystery release is SexWorld on UHD.

[L.A.]

Cthulhu Mansion @ Mondo Digital

[smokes]

does anyone know what happened to the release of Intrepidos Punks? it had been announced back in march of last year, but i haven't seen an update since.

[Adam X]

From memory, it was the only thing announced for 2020 other than the Spanish horror boxset that never materialised. It’s possible, like the latter, that it’s a COVID-related delay, though I’ve not seen anything mentioned.

[smokes]

that's a shame, especially with the lack of anything being mentioned. can't remember another release i was as excited for since liquid sky or malabimba

[agnamaracs]

VS has a new partner label! It is called ETR Media and is an offshoot of nostalgia-focused record label Enjoy the Ride.

Their first release is called either "Green Jello Suxx Live" (on the website) or "Green Jelly Suxx Live" (on the box art).

[Never Cursed]

Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song: America's Soleil Ô, a scrappy and scathing examination of the noxious racism making up everyday life for Black Americans, with the New Wave stylizations traded in for proto-exploitation aesthetics (employed in part to make an otherwise abrasive film more palatable for commercial audiences, a successful effort given the movie's colossal gross). As with its Mauritanian-French counterpart, there are a lot of basic problems with the film, from some pretty rough and formless structural editing to tonal problems caused by, say, the director's shoehorning in of three or four unsimulated sex scenes into an otherwise serious movie (and surely the film's prurient sexual politics would draw outrage today), but who cares when those "errors" give the film its unique sense of nauseating persecution? The power of what the film is doing, and how it is pretty consciously synthesizing radicality with more popular elements, ultimately transcends the (accurate) critiques of the film as being a literally inaccurate depiction of its milieu of choice. The score (performed by Earth, Wind, and Fire and written by the film's musically illiterate writer-director-star) is also worth a look as a bizarre curio that somehow managed mainstream crossover and influence.

[agnamaracs]

Flash preorder for this year's Halfway to Black Friday sale is this weekend (12:01a Friday to 11:59p Sunday, EST) (which is probably a typo)...

So on Friday the following will be revealed:

• the second VSU title
• two box sets
• one standard title

And of course the two secret titles... you won't find out what they are until May 28th, but you can buy them on Friday!

[dwk]

Halfway to Black Friday pre-order package

This is the package you’ve been waiting for; our biggest and wildest Halfway to Black Friday lineup ever...and it’s finally time to reveal some (but not all) of its secrets!

Quick note: Halfway to Black Friday flash pre-orders will be first to ship (after our subscribers) following our Halfway to Black Friday sale: May 28th - May 31st at VinegarSyndrome.com. Another note: by purchasing this full package, you will be saving $25 versus the Halfway to Black Friday sale prices.

You’ve hopefully already explored the listing for our second VSU release, Lance Mungia's late 90s iconic midnight movie/video store classic, SIX-STRING SAMURAI on 4k UHD & Blu-ray, but that’s only a sixth of this 'Everything' package!

Next up, the first in a three part, and in a world-first expanding box set design (trust us, it will blow your mind!), we are pleased to present The Cardona Collection: Volume 1, highlighting the diverse and incredible filmography of one of Mexico's most prolific and notorious exploitation auteurs, Rene Cardona Jr.! This initial volume collects a trio of his gruesome 'adventure' films, headlined by the ultra gory TREASURE OF THE AMAZON, which rides neck and neck alongside some of the more grisly 80s Italian cannibal films.

And our second Halfway box set is a three film collection of made-for-TV murder thrillers, which brings together a trio of late night treats spanning three decades of Televised Terror featuring the suspense filled ARE YOU IN THE HOUSE ALONE? (1978) with Blythe Danner and Dennis Quaid, the giallo-esque CALENDAR GIRL MURDERS (1984) with Tom Skeritt and Sharon Stone, and the twist filled whodunit, CHILD IN THE NIGHT (1991) starring a young Elijah Wood!

And lastly of the announceable sort, one of the craziest comedies of the early 80s, Randall Badat's basically unclassifiable gem, SURF 2, makes its long overdue disc debut featuring both its familiar theatrical cut as well as its unreleased, unseen, and much longer original director's cut! This one of a kind, would-be midnight movie masterpiece feature zombies, Buzz Cola, sex changes, an evil genius, Eric Stoltz, Eddie Deezen and...surfing.

But that’s not even close to being all as there’s two more titles which we’re not gonna tell you about…perhaps even the best two…the surprise titles (hint: they encompass a gory 4k UHD/BD set and cable TV mainstay). We can basically guarantee that you're not gonna be disappointed…

This package includes:
• SIX-STRING SAMURAI (VSU) - 4k UHD/BD
• THE CARDONA COLLECTION: VOLUME 1 - BD Set
• TELEVISED TERROR: VOLUME 1 - BD Box Set
• SURF 2 - BD
• And the two secret surprise releases - a 4k UHD/BD Set and a Blu-ray release

And don’t forget! By pre-ordering these now, your package will be first to ship (after our subscribers) following our Halfway to Black Friday sale: May 28th - May 31st!

The other titles in the Rene Cardona Jr set are Triangle the Bermuda Mystery and Ciclon.

[beamish14]

OH, god, Surf II. I *think* that director's cut actually screened in L.A. a long time ago. One film I never thought could get a DVD release, let alone a Blu.

[PfR73]

Six-String Samurai AND Surf II, this just made my week!!

[domino harvey]

OH, god, Surf II. I *think* that director's cut actually screened in L.A. a long time ago. One film I never thought could get a DVD release, let alone a Blu.

Looking at the film's Wikipedia, I see Ron Palillo plays "Inspector Underwear," so yep, this looks like exactly the kind of movie VS would release in a deluxe Blu-ray edition

[The Elegant Dandy Fop]

I remember renting Six-String Samurai as a teen thinking the concept sounded cool and being let down. Maybe my brain wasn't properly programmed to handle that type of film back then.

[Boosmahn]

How is Forgotten Gialli: Volume Two? I'm trying to decide if I should continue with this series. The first volume was... interesting. Trauma and The Killer is One of Thirteen were both okay, but The Police Are Blundering in the Dark was, frankly, terrible.

[Adam X]

I've not got around to watching any of volume one yet, so this doesn't give me much comparison for your taste in gialli, but I recall enjoying The Girl in Room 2A & The French Sex Murders quite a bit, My Dear Killer less so - though it seems a lot of people feel the opposite about these three so maybe not too much help there. I can't do much more for you unfortunately, as I watched a fair number of gialli including these 3 about 6 years ago and they've all kind of blended together. All three had UK/US DVD releases so you should be able to find reviews of the films fairly easily.

If you're looking for more like Argento's (or Fulci & Martino), then you may as well stop looking, as no one really made them quite as deliriously stylish (with some exceptions), despite some trying. If you're simply interested in seeing more gialli, then I'd say give it a go - Vinegar Syndrome have their 'Halfway to Black Friday' sale at the end of May, so you should get a decent discount on it if you wait til then.

[Gerald Christie]

How is Forgotten Gialli: Volume Two? I'm trying to decide if I should continue with this series. The first volume was... interesting. Trauma and The Killer is One of Thirteen were both okay, but The Police Are Blundering in the Dark was, frankly, terrible.

There's a reason why these are called "forgotten gialli" as they're definitely not top tier gialli or classics. There's plenty of gialli that are at least entertaining or stylish, but these are just dull or average at best. If you didn't enjoy or like the first volume, unfortunately the second one is more the same. It does include My Dear Killer, which is the best of the bunch and that many consider an above average effort. I'd give these films a rental first before purchasing or as Adam X posted wait till the end of May to get a discount before buying. That being said, if I were you I would skip altogether the second volume and would consider buying the third volume. Now, that's a good one as it includes a legitimately good and stylish (a lot of strange visuals) giallo (Autopsy) and a fun/interesting gothic Scooby Doo-esque murder mystery (Murder Mystery). The weaker one of the set is Crazy Desires of a Murderer, which is just all over the place with multiple storylines and is kind of goofy.
Hope this helps!

[EddieLarkin]

Not only will the box sets be availabe on sale at points in the future, but when they sell out they are repacked into standard 3 disc amarys, which have a much lower RRP, and thus will be available even more cheaply during a sale than the box sets will.