No Bad Movie

"No good movie is too long and no bad movie is short enough." -Roger Ebert

Vinegar Syndrome: January 2025

Christopher Haskell
48–73 minutes

Virtuosity

⍟ Vinegar Syndrome Ultra ⍟

VSU-011 BOX

Paramount | 1995 | 106 min | 1.85:1 | English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Directed by Brett Leonard
Starring: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Kelly Lynch, Stephen Spinella, William Forsythe, Kevin J. O’Connor, Traci Lords

This special limited edition deluxe magnet box + slipcover set (designed by Lucas Peverill), includes a 40-page perfect bound book and is limited to 8,000 units. It is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.

The near future: A virtual reality company is completing the development of a highly sophisticated training simulator designed to give police a taste of how to handle the dangers they might encounter in the field while tracking and apprehending criminals. In order to perfect this state-of-the-art technology, prisoners are selected based on their skills and toughness and forced to serve as test subjects. Amongst the chosen inmates is Parker Barnes, an ex-cop serving time for circumventing the law and taking justice into his own hands. When one of the software’s most lethal virtual criminals, SID 6.7 – an amalgamation of vicious sadists and serial killers throughout history – figures out how to jump from the computer world into the real world through the use of nanotechnology, the company behind the program quickly attempts to cover up their malfeasance. As SID 6.7 runs amok on the streets of L.A., leaving a trail of bloody violence in his wake, the police reluctantly admit that they are powerless to stop him. Their final hope is to enlist the help of Barnes, the only man to defeat SID 6.7 in the virtual world, in order to put an end to his flesh-and-blood reign of terror before any more innocent lives are taken.

Produced during the height of tech-themed sci-fi and action films, VIRTUOSITY remains one of the subgenre’s most creative and thrill-packed examples. Elevated by director Brett Leonard’s (Lawnmower Man) highly stylized action and stunt sequences, this powerhouse blockbuster stars Oscar® winners Denzel Washington (Training Day) and Russell Crowe (Gladiator) in one of his first – and most unhinged – American roles as the deranged SID 6.7. Further distinguished by Leonard’s then-groundbreaking integration of live-action film photography and cutting-edge digital effects, VIRTUOSITY remains a cornerstone of 90s cyberpunk cinema and at last comes to 4K UHD from Vinegar Syndrome Ultra, newly restored from its original camera negative and featuring revealing interviews with its cast and crew.

Additional info:

  • 2-disc Set: 4K Ultra HD (High Bitrate UHD100) / Region A Blu-ray
  • 4K UHD presented in Dolby Vision High-Dynamic-Range
  • Newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative
  • Commentary track with director Brett Leonard and Jim Branscome from Cinematic Void
  • Commentary track with writer and film historian Walter Chaw
  • “Democratizing Virtual Reality” (13 min) – an interview with director Brett Leonard on the making of Virtuosity 
  • “Ahead of its Time” (14 min) – an interview with producer Gary Lucchesi on the development and legacy of Virtuosity 
  • “A Virtual Reunion” (38 min) – a featurette with Brett Leonard, Kelly Durkin, and Georg Berger – the pioneers behind the interactive screens of Virtuosity 
  • “God Complex” (18 min) – an interview with author Eric Bernt on writing Virtuosity
  • “Character First” (18 min) – a featurette on assembling the cast of Virtuosity, featuring interviews with casting director Deborah Aquila, and supporting actors Stephen Spinella, and Mari Morrow
  • Image gallery
  • Reversible sleeve artwork
  • English SDH subtitles

Deranged

⍟ Vinegar Syndrome ⍟

VS-490 SLIP

MGM | 1974 | 83 min | 1.85:1 | English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
Directed by Jeff Gillen & Alan Ormsby
Starring: Roberts Blossom, Cosette Lee, Leslie Carlson, Marian Waldman, Brian Smegal

This special limited edition spot gloss slipcover (designed by Jacob Phillips) is limited to 6,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.

Ezra Cobb leads a simple life on an isolated family farm with his overbearing, god-fearing mother, who spends her days ranting about the evils of women and the sins of the flesh. When Ma Cobb suddenly and violently expires, Ezra is plunged into a deep despair, and his already troubled mind crosses over into full-blown psychopathy. Wracked with loneliness, Ezra begins plundering the local graveyard to obtain companions to bring home with him, starting with his dear mother, whom he props up in her bed and holds conversations with. But soon, even this collection of cadavers isn’t company enough for old Ez’, and he decides to turn his attention to fresher subjects… 

Based on the real-life case of the “Plainfield Ghoul” Ed Gein – the infamous Wisconsin murderer and graverobber whose exploits similarly inspired the likes of Psycho, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Silence of the Lambs – 1974’s DERANGED offers up one of the most faithful cinematic retellings of this true-crime story, with Roberts Blossom (Home Alone) delivering a chilling and highly credible central performance as Ezra Cobb. Co-directed by Jeff Gillen and Alan Ormsby (who also penned Bob Clark’s Deathdream), and with early special effects work from a young Tom Savini (Dawn of the Dead) – some of which proved so gruesomely effective that they had to be excised to secure the film a theatrical release – Vinegar Syndrome is delighted to disinter the fully unexpurgated version of DERANGED for its world UHD premiere, newly restored in 4K from its original camera negative and loaded with a ghoulish array of new and archival extras.

Additional info:

  • 2-disc Set: 4K Ultra HD / Region A Blu-ray
  • 4K UHD presented in Dolby Vision High-Dynamic-Range
  • Newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative
  • Commentary track with writer and co-director Alan Ormsby
  • Commentary track with special effects artist Tom Savini
  • Commentary track with film historian Richard Harland Smith
  • “Very Unnatural Deaths” (12 min) – an interview with special effects artist Tom Savini
  • “It Was a Fun Time!” (12 min) – an interview with actor Brian Smegal
  • “Disturbed, Demented, Deranged” (24 min) – an interview with Nightmare USA author Stephen Thrower
  • “The Making of Deranged” (13 min) – an archival documentary
  • Interview with producer Tom Karr (17 min)
  • Introduction to the film by Tom Savini
  • Original trailers
  • TV spot
  • Image gallery
  • Reversible sleeve artwork
  • English SDH subtitles

Curse of the Devil / The Vampires Night Orgy / Demon Witch Child

⍟ Vinegar Syndrome ⍟

VS-491 CASE

Lotus Films | 1973, 1975 | 256 min (combined) | 1.85:1, 2.35:1 | Spanish, English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
Directed by Carlos Aured, León Klimovsky, & Amando de Ossorio
Starring: Paul Naschy, María Silva, Jack Taylor, Helga Liné, Daniel Martín, Fernando Sancho

This special limited edition 3-disc Blu-ray set comes with a spot gloss hard slipcase + slipcover combo (designed by Robert Sammelin) and is limited to 6,000 units. It is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.

From bloodier and sexier reimaginings of gothic tropes to shameless homespun ripoffs of international hits, 70s Spanish horror films offered wild and unforgettable delights for audiences domestically and abroad. Three key names working in the genre, Carlos Aured, León Klimovsky, and Amando de Ossorio, helped define and refine what genre films in Spain became most infamous for. Presented here is one key work by each auteur, all of which have been newly and exclusively restored by Vinegar Syndrome for this release.

In CURSE OF THE DEVIL (El Retorno de Walpurgis), director Carlos Aured’s (Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll) second collaboration with star Paul Naschy (Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror), lycanthrope Waldemar Daninsky is back; doomed to become a bloodthirsty werewolf as punishment for his family’s involvement in centuries-old witch trials. Co-written by Naschy and focusing on his familiar blend of carefully constructed characters juxtaposed with gruesome gore, CURSE OF THE DEVIL has been newly restored in 4K. It is presented in its uncensored original version, which features extended nudity and bloodier violence as compared to the more commonly seen international cut.

In THE VAMPIRES NIGHT ORGY (La Orgía Nocturna de los Vampiros), director León Klimovsky (The Werewolf Versus the Vampire Woman) skillfully integrates a suspenseful vampire film with a tense survival thriller as a busload of travelers become stranded in an eerie village where, each night after dark, the townspeople transform into ravenous bloodsuckers. Featuring a cast of Spanish genre-cinema luminaries, including Jack Taylor (Female Vampire) and Helga Liné (Horror Express), this atmosphere-drenched drive-in hit comes newly restored in 4K and presented in its nude export version.

In DEMON WITCH CHILD (La endemoniada), one of the first and most shameless European “re-imaginings” of The Exorcist, director Amando de Ossorio (Tombs of the Blind Dead) revels in over-the-top trashiness as innocent tween Susan Barnes becomes possessed by demonic forces after a vengeful witch gives her a strange, cursed doll. From low-fi spinning torsos to late-night human sacrifices, career horror filmmaker Ossorio keeps the entertainment value high, enhanced by a cast of veteran Spanish character actors, including Daniel Martín (A Fistful of Dollars) and Fernando Sancho (Voodoo Black Exorcist), while the film looks better than ever, having been newly scanned and restored in 4K.

Additional info:

  • 3-disc Region Free Blu-ray Set
  • All films were scanned and restored in 4K from their 35mm original camera negatives
  • Newly translated English subtitles for both films
  • Presented in both their original Spanish language soundtracks with newly translated English subtitles, along with their English language dub soundtracks
  • Reversible sleeve artwork

CURSE OF THE DEVIL extras:

  • An interview with Sergio Molina, son of actor / co-writer Paul Naschy (13 min)
  • An interview with Sitges Film Festival director Ángel Sala (15 min)
  • “Paul Naschy: Interview with the Werewolf” (15 min) – an archival interview with Paul Naschy
  • Original Spanish and English language trailers
  • Alternate ‘clothed scenes’ from the international version
  • Alternate English language main title sequence

THE VAMPIRES NIGHT ORGY extras:

  • An interview with actor Jack Taylor (9 min)
  • An interview with Sitges Film Festival director Ángel Sala (13 min)
  • An interview with filmmaker Victor Matellano (12 min)

DEMON WITCH CHILD extras:

  • An interview with actress Marian Salgado (22 min)
  • Marian Salgado at Fancine de Lemos film festival (6 min)
  • Introduction by Ángel Sala, Carlos Benítez and Xavi Sánchez Pons (10 min)
  • Featurette with Ángel Sala and Xavi Sánchez Pons (23 min)
  • English language trailer as The Possessed
  • English SDH subtitles

The Seventh Curse / Witch From Nepal

⍟ Vinegar Syndrome ⍟

VS-489 CASE

Fortune Star Media | 1986 | 174 min (combined) | 1.85:1 | Cantonese, Mandarin, English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
Directed by Ngai Choi Lam & Siu-Tung Ching
Starring: Chow Yun-Fat, Maggie Cheung, Siu-Ho Chin, Emily Chu, Kit Ying Lam, Dick Wei

This special limited edition Blu-ray set comes with a hard slipcase + slipcover combo (designed by JJ Harrison), includes a 40-page perfect bound book and is limited to 6,000 units. It is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.

Golden Harvest was one of Hong Kong’s biggest and most prolific producers of big-budget genre films, with titles ranging from martial arts adventures to grisly horror and thrillers. Presented here are a set of genre-defying and genre-blending classics that skillfully intertwine horror, action, fantasy, and generally jaw-dropping weirdness.

Dr. Yuan is a world-famous adventurer whose exploits have found him playing everything from hostage negotiator to exploring the most offbeat corners of the globe. While in the jungles of Thailand, Dr. Yuan rescues a young woman from a bloodthirsty supernatural sect named the “Worm Tribe,” as they attempt to sacrifice her to their ancient evil deity. After a Worm Tribe elder forces the doctor to swallow a handful of bullets, Dr. Yuan becomes afflicted by the “seven blood curses,” which cause the bullets to burst from his body. Determined to find a cure before the seventh and final curse takes his life, Dr. Yuan returns to the jungle, where he must defeat the Worm Tribe and other unexpected supernatural obstacles.

An off-the-wall blending of action, adventure, and insane supernatural horror, Lam Ngai Kai’s (Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky) THE SEVENTH CURSE offers enough mind-boggling mayhem to satisfy even the most jaded genre film fan’s appetite, from thrilling action sequences, plentiful practical creature effects, and all the over-the-top blood and violence perfected by Cat III cinema. Featuring memorable performances by Hong Kong film legends Chin Siu-Ho (Fist of Legend), Chow Yun-fat (Hard Boiled), and Maggie Cheung (Hero), THE SEVENTH CURSE makes its US Blu-ray debut newly restored and fully uncut.

Joe and his girlfriend travel to Nepal to escape their busy lives. However, their vacation takes an unwelcome turn when Joe is injured while on safari and goes missing. Once found, he is brought to a hospital where a mysterious woman tells him that he’s been chosen to be the leader of a mystical tribe in order to fight against an evil sorcerer. Upon returning to Hong Kong, Joe tries to forget about his ordeal. However, the mysterious woman tracks him down, and the two soon fall madly in love. Unfortunately, the sorcerer is also in Hong Kong searching for the mysterious woman, and Joe soon finds himself embroiled in a savage fight between good and evil.

Starring international superstar Chow Yun-fat (The Killer), WITCH FROM NEPAL is a thrilling Hong Kong actioner fused with fantasy and supernatural horror. Directed by action choreographer Ching Siu-Tang (A Chinese Ghost Story) and culminating with an impressive final showdown that defies both time and space, this genre-bending oddity finally comes to US Blu-ray, newly restored and completely uncut.

Additional info:

  • 2-disc Region A Blu-ray Set
  • Newly color-graded and restored by VS from studio-supplied masters
  • Newly translated English subtitles for both films
  • Brand new commentary track with martial arts film expert Frank Djeng for the Hong Kong Version of The Seventh Curse
  • Brand new commentary track with film historian & author Samm Deighan and author & podcaster Mike White for the Hong Kong Version of The Seventh Curse
  • Brand new commentary track with martial arts film expert Frank Djeng for Witch From Nepal
  • “Lam Ngai Kai: Hong Kong’s Master of Fantasy” (17 min) – a video essay by film historian and author Samm Deighan
  • Cantonese trailer for The Seventh Curse
  • English trailer for The Seventh Curse
  • Cantonese trailer for Witch From Nepal
  • Reversible sleeve artwork
  • English SDH subtitles

Bang the Drum Slowly

⍟ Cinématographe ⍟

CIN-012 CASE

Paramount | 1973 | 96 min | 1.85:1 | English DTS-HD MA 1.0
Directed by John D. Hancock
Starring: Robert De Niro, Michael Moriarty, Vincent Gardenia, Phil Foster, Ann Wedgeworth

Taking its name from the Lumière Brothers invention of the same name, Cinématographe is a new sub-label from Vinegar Syndrome that seeks to fill gaps in the canon of American cinema. Offering a mix of auteur driven studio films produced during the New Hollywood era of the late 1960s and 70s all the way through the indie boom of the 1980s and 90s, Cinématographe will explore the wide breadth of American moviemaking, spanning numerous genres and scales of production. Curated and produced by Vinegar Syndrome’s Justin LaLiberty, each limited edition release will be housed in a specially designed, cloth-bound, media book with embossed foil titles and custom molded disc trays accompanied by a slipcase featuring newly commissioned art and an individually numbered J-card.

This special limited edition J-card MediaBook slipcase (designed by Robert Hunt) is limited to 5,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.

Bruce Pearson (Robert De Niro, Taxi Driver) and Henry Wiggen (Michael Moriarty, The Last Detail) are friends and teammates, playing on The New York Mammoths as catcher and pitcher, respectively. Henry is pulling double duty as an insurance salesman on the side, selling policies to other baseball players, while engaged in a contract dispute with the baseball team’s ownership. When Bruce is diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease, realizing he is terminally ill, Henry wavers from his ongoing negotiations to make sure Bruce can be his catcher for one last season.

Based on the acclaimed novel by Mark Harris, who adapted it into a screenplay for this film, BANG THE DRUM SLOWLY is often cited as one of the great sports films of all time. Featuring a talented ensemble cast, including an Oscar nominated turn from veteran character actor Vincent Gardenia (Moonstruck), and deft direction from stage and screen director John Hancock (Let’s Scare Jessica to Death), Cinématographe is proud to bring this iconic baseball film to UHD and blu-ray, both world debuts, in a new 4K restoration of its original 35mm camera negative, supervised by director John Hancock.

Additional info:

  • 2-Disc Set: 4K Ultra HD + Region A Blu-ray
  • New audio commentary with director John Hancock moderated by Cinématographe’s Justin LaLiberty
  • New audio commentary with film critic Jim Hemphill
  • Death at the Box Office – a new video interview with director John Hancock 
  • New video essay by film historian Chris O’Neill
  • New text essays by film critic Noah Gittel, author of Baseball: The Movie; film critic Glenn Kenny, author of Anatomy of an Actor: Robert De Niro; and writer and filmmaker Dan Mecca, editor of The Film Stage
  • English SDH subtitles

Crack House

⍟ Vinegar Syndrome ARCHIVE ⍟

VSA-052

MGM | 1989 | 95 min | 1.85:1 | English DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo
Directed by Michael Fischa
Starring: Richard Roundtree, Jim Brown, Gregg Thomsen, Anthony Geary, Angel Tompkins, Cher Butler

The Vinegar Syndrome Archive sub-label celebrates forgotten cinematic oddities from the video store era. This collection was inspired by our own brick & mortar video stores, with locations in Bridgeport, CT; Aurora, CO and Toronto, ON!

These releases will ONLY be available on our website and at participating indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them. This spot gloss slipcase edition (designed by Robert Sammelin) is strictly limited to 4,000 units and may (but probably not) be followed by a standard edition in the future.

Teenage sweethearts Melissa and Rick are looking forward to graduating high school so they can at last escape the violent inner city neighborhood in which they grew up. Despite trying to distance himself from his past gang affiliations, Rick ends up being thrown into prison after seeking violent vengeance on the rival gang that murdered his cousin. Now alone and left to fend for herself, Melissa is targeted by a charming low-level drug dealer named B.T., who manipulates her into joining his world of sex and drugs. As Melissa’s life begins spiraling out of control, Rick offers to help the police take down a notorious drug kingpin named Steadman in exchange for immunity, but will he be able to save Melissa before she is pulled deeper into a deadly lifestyle from which few can escape?

A violent thriller from lauded genre film director Michael Fischa (Death Spa), CRACK HOUSE presents a gripping examination of life during the height of the crack epidemic in the late 1980s. Featuring compelling performances from first-time actors Cher Butler and Gregg Thomsen in the leading roles of Melissa and Rick, along with supporting performances from acclaimed genre veterans Richard Roundtree (Shaft) and athlete-turned-actor Jim Brown (Slaughter), who offers a memorably sadistic portrayal of brutal drug kingpin Steadman. Vinegar Syndrome Archive is proud to present this tough-as-nails urban action rarity for the first time on Blu-ray, newly restored and graded under the supervision of cinematographer Arledge Armenaki and presented in its never-on-video original version, featuring extended sequences of violence and nudity.

Additional info:

  • Region A Blu-ray
  • Scanned and restored in 2K from its 35mm interpositive
  • “Shooting Crack House” (13 min) – an interview with cinematographer Arledge Armenaki
  • “Gang Territory” (10 min) – an interview with actor Gregg Thomsen
  • “Hitting the Streets” (4 min) – the locations of Crack House
  • Reversible sleeve artwork
  • English SDH subtitles

Street Trash

⍟ Vinegar Syndrome PICTURES ⍟

VSP-009 CASE

2024 | 85 min | 2.35:1 | English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Directed by Ryan Kruger
Starring: Sean Cameron Michael, Donna Cormack-Thomson, Joe Vaz, Lloyd Martinez Newkirk, Shuraigh Meyer, Gary Green

In the year 2050, global economic turmoil has destroyed the middle class in Cape Town, South Africa, which is now divided between the ultra-rich and the extremely poor, whose squalid existences are relegated to filthy encampments besieged by ongoing turf wars. Newcomer Alex, who’s on the run from local crime boss the Rat King, is rescued by long-time street-dweller Ronald and given refuge at his compound, inhabited by a ragtag group of colorful characters. However, her sense of security is short-lived as soon after her arrival, various members of the community begin to vanish. Determined to find out what’s going on, Ronald, Alex, and their friends discover that evil Mayor Mostert is eliminating all homeless people using an experimental chemical known only as “Viper” – a substance that melts through flesh and turns human bone into puddles of goo…

The second feature film by multi-award winning director Ryan Kruger (Fried Barry) and from the co-creators and producers of The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs, STREET TRASH is a spiritual sequel to the 80’s cult classic, shot in 35mm Techniscope and filmed entirely on location in South Africa. Executive produced by Roy Frumkes and Jim Muro, creators of the original Street Trash, and featuring impressive and explosive meltdown effects sequences designed by Kevin Bitters (Mad Max: Fury Road) and Adrian Smith (Resident Evil: The Final Chapter), Vinegar Syndrome Pictures presents the world Blu-ray debut of this gory and slimy action-comedy.

Additional info:

  • Region Free Blu-ray
  • Shot entirely on 35mm motion picture film and finished in 4K
  • Commentary track with director Ryan Kruger, producer David Franciscus, and actors Sean Cameron Michael & Joe Vaz
  • “Trash Talk” – an interview with Street Trash (1987) screenwriter and Street Trash (2024) executive producer Roy Frumkes
  • “The New Trash” – producer Justin Martell on reimagining the cult classic
  • Behind-the-scenes featurette
  • Street Trash music video by Joe Vaz / ten Athlone
  • Deleted & extended scenes
  • Still gallery
  • Theatrical red band trailer
  • Reversible sleeve artwork
  • English SDH subtitles

The Last Drive-In With Joe Bob Briggs – Street Trash

⍟ Vinegar Syndrome LABS ⍟

VHS-STREET-TRASH

1972 | 96 min | 1.85:1 | English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
Directed by Fred Burnley
Starring: Susan Hampshire, Frank Finlay, Michael Petrovitch, Jack Lambert, Michael Craze, Anthony Booth, Betty Duncan, David Garth

Prepare for a molten hobo holocaust!

Ship to Shore PhonoCo. is proud to present the long out-of-print first volume in the Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs VHS cassette series Street Trash, now returned in a new edition!

What do you get when you mix a case of tainted booze, unscrupulous business men, immoral cops, rampaging hobos and enough multi-coloured goop to fill an entire toilet? You get Street Trash, the infamous mid-80s melt movie that became a staple of any self-respecting video store!

SEE! The lives & loves of the poor & destitute!
WITNESS! The necrophiliac acts of a junkyard boss!
WATCH! As people melt, faces dissolve and bodies explode!
OBSERVE! The Plot!

Guiding you through the grime is Last Drive-In host Joe Bob Briggs, bespattering your brain with trivia tidbits and off-the-wall observations, supported by the ever elegant Darcy the Mail Girl and featuring a special phone call to “mangled dick expert” Felissa Rose!

“I’d like to know what you’re doing with all that chicken in your pants.”

Never forgotten once seen, Street Trash is an insanely creative balance of splatter FX and sophomoric humor, supported by an on-screen energy that just doesn’t get old. Now back in stock featuring brand new cover artwork from Cody Schibi and available on limited purple VHS cassette shells with ultra limited green VHS cassette shells randomly inserted into orders!

Joe Bob says: “Check it out!”

The Terrornauts

⍟ Vinegar Syndrome LABS ⍟

VSL-014 SLIP

Studiocanal | 1967 | 77 min | 1.85:1 | English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
Directed by Montgomery Tully
Starring: Simon Oates, Zena Marshall, Charles Hawtrey, Patricia Hayes, Stanley Meadows

Welcome Vinegar Syndrome Labs (VSL) to the VS Sub-Label family! As with each of our sub-labels we are hoping to expand and defy expectations with the diversity of films we restore and release. As the name implies, VSL will serve as a kind of testing area for releasing genres and eras of film that one might not immediately expect to come from VS. The ultimate objective of VSL will be to see if these types of films will find an audience, and if so, pursue and release more of them…and even if not, still serve as a means of restoring more of the weird, rare, and unusual movies you might not expect from Vinegar Syndrome.

Scientist Joe Burke is determined to prove the existence of alien life and has set up a powerful radio telescope to look for signs. One night, after months of failure, he detects a clear but faint communication emerging from the deepest reaches of space. Excited by his findings, he rushes to his nearby research quarters. No sooner than arriving, the entire building, including its occupants, is lifted into space by a mysterious extraterrestrial force. After docking on a spacecraft, the frightened abductees realize that they have been selected to participate in a dangerous mission, the success of which will determine the fate and survival of Earth…

One of the strangest films to emerge from legendary British horror-focused company Amicus Productions, prolific quota-quickie director Montgomery Tully’s (Fog for a Killer) penultimate film, THE TERRORNAUTS, is a delirious sci-fi fever dream of plywood spaceships and rubber & foam robots, which becomes increasingly hallucinogenic as it goes on. Featuring a cast of veteran stage and TV players, including Simon Oates (Doomwatch), Zena Marshall (Dr. No), Frank Forsyth (Tales from the Crypt), and Max Adrian (Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors), Vinegar Syndrome Labs proudly brings this forgotten slice of 60s British B-movie making to Blu-ray for the first time, newly restored in 4K from its long-lost original 35mm camera negative and presented in the longest version ever featured on home video.

Additional info:

  • Region A Blu-ray
  • Newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative
  • Commentary track with author and film historian Brian Hannan
  • “Subotsky the Trailblazer” (22 min) – an interview with writer/film critic Kim Newman
  • Archival interview with editor Peter Musgrave (8 min)
  • Archival interview with production manager Ted Wallis (7 min)
  • Reversible sleeve artwork
  • English SDH subtitles

Child’s Play

⍟ Cinématographe ⍟

CIN-013 CASE

Paramount | 1972 | 100 min | 1.85:1 | English DTS-HD MA 1.0
Directed by Sidney Lumet
Starring: James Mason, Robert Preston, Beau Bridges

Taking its name from the Lumière Brothers invention of the same name, Cinématographe is a new sub-label from Vinegar Syndrome that seeks to fill gaps in the canon of American cinema. Offering a mix of auteur driven studio films produced during the New Hollywood era of the late 1960s and 70s all the way through the indie boom of the 1980s and 90s, Cinématographe will explore the wide breadth of American moviemaking, spanning numerous genres and scales of production. Curated and produced by Vinegar Syndrome’s Justin LaLiberty, each limited edition release will be housed in a specially designed, cloth-bound, media book with embossed foil titles and custom molded disc trays accompanied by a slipcase featuring newly commissioned art and an individually numbered J-card.

This special limited edition J-card MediaBook slipcase (designed by Vlad Rodriguez) is limited to 3,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.

Paul Reis (Beau Bridges, The Landlord) returns to his almamatter, St. Charles, an exclusive Catholic boarding school for male adolescents, as the new physical education teacher. When he arrives, he finds two of his new colleagues, English teacher Joseph Dobbs (Robert Preston, Victor/Victoria) and Latin teacher Jerome Malley (James Mason, Lolita), engaged in a bitter rivalry. As tensions rise, and anonymous threatening phone calls disrupt the usually tranquil environs of St. Charles, Reis finds himself embroiled in an unpredictable cycle of violence which begins to reflect in the increasingly aggressive behavior of the students.

Sidney Lumet’s (Serpico, Network) often overlooked marriage of coming-of-age angst and subtle thriller dynamics is a deft adaptation of Robert Marasco’s (Burnt Offerings) play of the same name. Featuring claustrophobic photography by Gerald Hirschfeld (Fail-Safe) accompanied by a paranoia-inducing score from Michael Small (Klute, The Stepford Wives), CHILD’S PLAY is vintage Lumet. Cinématographe is proud to present this beguiling entry in the career of America’s most treasured auteurs in a brand new 2K restoration from its original camera negative.

Additional info:

  • Region A Blu-ray
  • New Audio Commentary by film historian Adrian Martin 
  • Play to Strengths: Sidney Lumet, Stagecraft and Cinemacraft – a new video essay by film historian Daniel Kremer 
  • Designing Lumet – an interview with production designer Philip Rosenberg
  • One Stop on the Road to Serpico – a new documentary short by Daniel Griffith
  • Sidney Lumet on Charlie Rose – a full, 42 minute interview between director Sidney Lumet and journalist Charlie Rose, recorded in 2006
  • One Step Further: Becoming Lumet – An hour long documentary chronicling the first half of Sidney Lumet’s career
  • New text essays by film critic Mitchell Beaupre, and culture writers Patrick Dahl and Madelyn Sutton
  • English SDH subtitles

Iced

⍟ Degausser Video ⍟

DV-015 SLIP

1988 | 87 min | 1.33:1 | English DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo
Directed by Jeff Kwitny
Starring: Joseph Alan Johnson, Lisa Loring, Debra De Liso, Doug Stevenson, Ron Kologie, Elizabeth Gorcey, John C. Cooke

Welcome Vinegar Syndrome Labs (VSL) to the VS Sub-Label family! As with each of our sub-labels we are hoping to expand and defy expectations with the diversity of films we restore and release. As the name implies, VSL will serve as a kind of testing area for releasing genres and eras of film that one might not immediately expect to come from VS. The ultimate objective of VSL will be to see if these types of films will find an audience, and if so, pursue and release more of them…and even if not, still serve as a means of restoring more of the weird, rare, and unusual movies you might not expect from Vinegar Syndrome.

This special limited edition spot gloss slipcover (designed by Robert Sammelin) is limited to 4,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.

A group of friends head off for a fun-filled getaway in the snowy mountains, where they’ve unexpectedly been offered a free stay at a luxury ski resort. Once they arrive at their cabin, however, the high spirits are soon dampened when they discover a newspaper clipping concerning the tragic death of their friend Jeff during a ski trip four years earlier – it’s clear that someone holds the group responsible for the accident. Sure enough, as the friends settle in for a cozy winter vacation full of skiing, sexual intrigue, and naked cocaine binges, a mysterious figure in ski gear and cracked goggles stalks the surroundings, intent on picking them off one by one in a variety of gruesome ways.

The directorial debut of Jeff Kwitny, who would go on to helm 1989’s Beyond the Door III, ICED – which began life under the title “Blizzard of Blood” – is a deliriously entertaining snowbound slasher penned by and starring Berserker (1987) star Joseph Alan Johnson, alongside a scene-stealing performance from Lisa Loring, the original Wednesday Addams. Featuring an astonishing amount of bare skin and a host of fun kills – including death by jacuzzi, icicle, and a glacially-paced snow plow – ICED is at long last thawed out by Degausser Video for its Blu-ray world premiere, newly restored from the best available tape master and loaded with a wealth of brand new bonus features.

Additional info:

  • Region Free Blu-ray
  • Newly transferred and restored from the best surviving tape master
  • Commentary track with director Jeff Kwitny and special features producer Ewan Cant
  • Commentary track with The Hysteria Continues! and author / film historian Amanda Reyes
  • Introduction to the film by director Jeff Kwitny
  • “Jeff Was Here” (22 min) – an interview with director Jeff Kwitny
  • “The Best Part of It” (20 min) – an interview with actor Ron Kologie
  • “On Camera Film School” (13 min) – an interview with second assistant director Rodney Montague
  • Image gallery
  • Inside sleeve artwork
  • English SDH subtitles

The Canyons

⍟ IFC FILMS ⍟

IFC-006 SLIP

2013 | 99 min | 2.35:1 | English DTS-HD MA 5.1
Directed by Paul Schrader
Starring: Lindsay Lohan, James Deen, Nolan Gerard Funk, Amanda Brooks, Gus Van Sant

Established in 2000 and based in New York City, IFC Films is a leading U.S. distributor of independent film. Its unique distribution model makes independent films available to a national audience by releasing them in theaters as well as on VOD. Partnered with OCN Distribution, IFC will release new titles on home video and revisit past favorites in brand new editions, with many making their HD physical media debuts. 

This special limited edition spot gloss and embossed slipcover (designed by Steak Mtn) is limited to 2,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.

Director Paul Schrader (writer of Raging Bull and Taxi Driver) and screenwriter Bret Easton Ellis (author of American Psycho) team up for THE CANYONS, a searing indictment of Hollywood culture and the year’s most controversial film. Young trust-fund baby Christian (James Deen) is working on financing a horror film simply to keep his dad off his back. His girlfriend-turned-plaything Tara (Lindsay Lohan) is helping him with casting, and his producer, Gina, is trying to get her boyfriend Ryan the lead role. But unbeknownst to Christian and Gina, Ryan and Tara were once a couple, and as soon as the two meet again at an audition, their romance is rekindled. When Christian discovers that Tara has been having an affair, he begins to play a series of cruelly escalating mind games with both Ryan and Tara, leading to an act of violence from which there can be no redemption. Featuring fearless and unprecedented performances from it’s young cast, THE CANYONS is a thought-provoking examination of privilege run amok. Presented in its unrated director’s cut.

Additional info:

  • Region A Blu-ray
  • New audio commentary by film historian Adrian Martin 
  • New video interview with director Paul Schrader
  • Creating The Canyons featurette 
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Booklet with an essay by film critic Mitchell Beaupre
  • English subtitles

Disembodied

⍟ BLEEDING SKULL ⍟

BS-005 SLIP

1998 | 78 min | 1.33:1 | English DTS-HD MA 2.0
Directed by William Kersten
Starring: Anastasia Woolverton, Hannah Nease

Since 2004, Bleeding Skull has explored otherworldly cinema through reviews, books, and home video releases. We shine a light on independent genre films that have flown under the radar but deserve to be seen by all. Fangoria has called Bleeding Skull “The go-to encyclopedia for trash, bizarre, and shot-on-video cinema,” while Vice referred to it as “like a fever dream glimpse into parallel worlds”. Visit us at BLEEDINGSKULL.COM.

This special limited edition spot gloss slipcover is limited to 2,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.

Indebted to David Lynch’s ERASERHEAD, Ed Wood’s PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE, and Frank Henenlotter’s BRAIN DAMAGE, DISEMBODIED is a cinematic acid trip that blurs the line between horror and experimental art. The story follows Connie Sproutz, a gothed-out scientist who checks into the decrepit Grand Hotel to continue her experiments . . . and turn people into slime before eating them. Shot in Reno by director Willam Kersten on gritty 16mm film, this D.I.Y. passion project is filled with stop motion effects, gory body horror, and surrealist visuals. Bleeding Skull is honored to present a new 4K restoration of the original, uncut version of DISEMBODIED on disc for the first time ever—complete with a science lab full of extras and multiple versions of the film.

Additional info:

  • 4K Ultra HD / Region Free Blu-ray Set
  • Disc 1: UHD
    • 4K UHD presented in High-Dynamic-Range
    • 4K restoration from the original 16mm camera negative
    • Commentary with director William Kersten, moderated by Lance Schibi from Unsung Horrors
  • Disc 2: BLU-RAY
    • 4K restoration from the original 16mm camera negative
    • Commentary with director William Kersten, moderated by Lance Schibi from Unsung Horrors
    • Interview with stars Anastasia Woolverton and Hannah Neace
    • Japanese VHS introduction
    • Japanese VHS trailer
    • VHS trailer
    • VHS version
    • 2016 Director’s Cut
    • Booklet with behind-the-scenes photos and essay by Bleeding Skull’s Annie Choi
  • English SDH subtitles

Dream Team

⍟ Yellow veil pictures ⍟

YVP-033 SLIP

2024 | 92 min | 1.85:1 | English DTS-HD MA 5.1
Directed by Whitney Horn & Lev Kalman
Starring: Isabelle Barbier, Esther Garrel, Avalon Greenberg Call, Alex Zhang Hungtai, Minh T Mia, Fariha Roisin, John Fell Ryan

Yellow Veil Pictures is a New York City and Los Angeles-based film sales and distribution company focusing exclusively on boundary pushing genre cinema, seeking to highlight filmmakers who exist on the cusp of commercial and arthouse cinema.

This special limited edition slipcover (designed by Stephanie Monohan) is limited to 1,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.

In this absurdist homage to 90’s basic cable TV thrillers, two hot INTERPOL agents uncover an international, interspecies mystery. A post-modern, soft-core fever dream.

Additional info:

  • Region A Blu-ray
  • Commentary Track with Filmmakers Whitney Horn and Lev Kalman, and Minh T Mia (Dr. Veronica Beef), Fariha Róisín (K) and Isabelle Barbier (Venice)
  • Interview with VFX Artist Sam Wohl
  • Interview with Composers John Atkinson, and John Fell Ryan and Lala Ryan (Excepter)
  • Interview with Executive Producer Jane Schoenbrun
  • Episode Introductions by Professor Dr. Sir Roger Peniris (John Fell Ryan)
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Essay by Film Critic Mark Asch
  • New Slip Cover by Stephanie Monohan
  • English SDH subtitles

Hukkle

⍟ Dekanalog ⍟

DKA-023 SLIP

2002 | 75 min | 1.85:1 | Hungarian DTS-HD MA 5.1
Directed by György Pálfi
Starring: Ferenc Bandi, Józsefné Rácz, József Farkas, Ferenc Nagy

Dekanalog is a film and soundtrack distribution company dedicated to the release of the most unique filmmaking voices and musical scores from around the world. Vinegar Syndrome’s sister company, OCN Distribution, is thrilled to be representing this diverse and unique home video line!

This special limited edition slipcover is limited to 1,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.

An old man hiccups. He shuffles slowly about his morning ritual and then takes his place on a bench outside his cottage, beside the road, still hiccuping. A goose goes about its business. Flies buzz. A cat earns its living. A runaway cart causes a stir in the village. The old man hiccups. A lovingly photographed natural history, these opening shots announce György Pálfi’s Hukkle as a film that will proceed in its own way to its own destination, without regard to convention. The film is told almost entirely without dialogue, but is alive to sound; we spend observant, introspective hours in a Hungarian hamlet where nothing much seems to happen — oh, except that there’s a suspicious death… A mesmerizing pastoral symphony. Finely attuned to the sensual possibilities, both in nature and in cinema.

The 4K digital restoration using the original image negative and the original digital sound master was carried out by the National Film Institute Hungary – Film Archive in 2023, in the frame of the “Long-term restoration programme of the Hungarian film heritage.”

Grading supervised by Gergely Pohárnok DP. Sound remastering by Tamás Zányi sound engineer. Hungarian submission to the 2002 Academy Awards.

Additional info:

  • Region A Blu-ray
  • Village Secrets: Making Hukkle – Interview with filmmaker György Pálfi and co-writer Zsófia Ruttkay
  • A hal (short film)
  • Shaman vs Icarus (short film)
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Booklet with an essay by Josh Hurtado
  • Complete Hukkle script
  • Slipcover art by Aleksander Walijewski
  • English subtitles

Influencer

⍟ SHUDDER ⍟

SHU-010 SLIP

2022 | 92 min | 2.39:1 | English DTS-HD MA 5.1
Directed by Kurtis David Harder
Starring: Emily Tennant, Rory J Saper, Cassandra Naud, Justin Sams, Paul Spurrier

Called “one of the best streaming services in the world” by RogerEbert.com and described by Thrillist as “pretty much everything a horror fan could want,” Shudder is a premium streaming service offering the best selection of horror, thriller and supernatural movies, series and specials.

This special limited edition spot gloss slipcover (designed by Luke Insect) is limited to 2,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.

While struggling on a solo backpacking trip, social media influencer Madison meets CW, who shows her a more uninhibited way of living. But CW’s interest in Madison takes a darker turn.

Additional info:

  • Region A Blu-ray
  • Audio Commentary with Director Kurtis Harder and Cinematographer David Schurrman
  • Audio Commentary with Director Kurtis Harder and Actresses Emily Tennant and Cassandra Naud
  • Deleted and Extended Scenes
  • Behind the Scenes Footage
  • Proof of Concept Footage
  • Original Teaser
  • Original Trailer
  • Booklet with new writing by film critic Molly Henry
  • English SDH subtitles

Jacker / Jacker 2: Descent to Hell

⍟ saturns core ⍟

SC-043 SLIP

1993, 1996 | 194 min (combined) | 1.33:1 | English DTS-HD MA 2.0
Directed by Ben Stanski & Barry Gaines
Starring: Phil Herman, Barry Gaines, Debbie D., Marilyn Ghigliotti, Ben Stanski, Patrice Jackson, Joel D. Wynkoop

Saturn’s Core Audio & Video is a New Jersey based home video label devoted to releasing underground oddities and shot on video cinema on VHS, and now, blu-ray discs! In partnership with OCN Distribution, Saturn’s Core will exhume forgotten or under-seen genre cinema from the 80s and 90s, with an emphasis on SOV horror features. Vinegar Syndrome’s sister company, OCN Distribution, is thrilled to be representing this diverse and unique home video line!

This special limited edition slipcover is limited to 1,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.

Shot during a lull in production during their seminal SOV epic Burglar From Hell, New York based writer / director Phil Herman and his Falcon Video collective concocted Jacker; unleashing another notable fanzine favorite during the ‘90s mail order horror boom that was keenly inspired by the real life rash of carjackings that proliferated in the Tri-State area during the era. Its notoriety inspired the elaborate sequel Jacker 2: Descent to Hell three years later and helped cement Phil Herman’s status as a distinctive and eccentric voice in the analog underground. 

In Jacker (1993), Mike Rivers is a man on the edge. After killing his nagging wife, he embarks on a non-stop spree of violence; executing unsuspecting motorists for sport. The tenacious Detective Jackson harbors an unquenchable thirst for vengeance after Rivers murders his sister in cold blood. With Jackson hot on the trail and Rivers’ crime spree escalating, the two inevitably collide in a savage fight to the death. Featuring another early and revealing performance from future W.A.V.E. starlet Debbie D. (Eaten Alive: A Tasteful Revenge), Jacker combines thick Queens accents, a skateboard vs. car chase, and bowls of blood-soaked mini wheats for an unforgettable, mind-razing cult movie experience.

The pychotic car jacker Mike Rivers awakes and continues his reign of terror in Jacker 2: Descent to Hell (1996). But this time, Rivers returns as a supernatural entity who can inhabit the bodies of his murdered victims. Focusing his ire on his loan disfigured survivor James, Rivers plunges him into a surreal, psychological hellscape that resembles a solarized verision of Harmony Korine’s Trash Humpers. A New York lensed, analog grimefest with a dollop of prophetic social commentary which boasts a stellar cast including Joel D. Wynkoop (Creep, Lost Faith), Nancy Feliciano (Sickened), and Marilyn Ghigliotti (Clerks, Clerks III)!

Additional info:

  • Region Free Blu-ray
  • New transfers of both features from the original analog master tapes
  • Audio commentary on both features with writer / producer / actor Phil Herman
  • Optional introductions by writer / actor Phil Herman and actor Joel D. Wynkoop
  • “Jack of all Trades” -an interview with writer / producer / actor Phil Herman
  • “Finding the Essence” -an interview with actress Marilyn Ghigliotti
  • “To Hell and Back” -an interview with actor / director Barry Gaines
  • “Two’s Company, Three’s a Crowd” -an interview with actor Joel D. Wynkoop
  • “Descent to Jersey” -an interview with editor Dave Castiglione
  • Archival Debbie D. modeling tape from 1992
  • Behind the scenes stills gallery
  • Reversible sleeve
  • English SDH subtitles

Keanu & Co.

⍟ Canadian International Pictures ⍟

CIP-032 SLIP

1985-1986 | 85 min | 1.33:1 | English DTS-HD MA 2.0
Directed by Robert Fortier
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Dan Lett, Dan MacDonald, Diana Belshaw, Stephen Mendel, Wanda Cannon

From arthouse to Canuxploitation, Canadian International Pictures (CIP) is devoted to resurrecting vital, distinctive, and overlooked triumphs of Canadian cinema. This label is focused on the country’s original cinematic boom years – spanning the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s – occasionally venturing past that period (and the country’s borders) to highlight the films of Canada’s most inspired actors and filmmakers. Vinegar Syndrome’s sister company, OCN Distribution, is thrilled to be representing CIP’s brand new line of home video releases!

This special limited edition slipcover (designed by Robert Sammelin) is limited to 1,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.

Before Johnny Utah, before Neo, before John Wick, there was… Ron.

Keanu Reeves gave his first lead performance in 1985’s One Step Away, establishing the charm and vulnerability of his beloved screen persona while exploring the pitfalls of juvenile delinquency. The film was directed by Robert Fortier, a seasoned documentarian venturing deeper into fiction filmmaking following the success of his daredevil stunt-driving doc The Devil at Your Heels. Keanu & Co. collects three of the films he directed for the NFB’s Family Crisis Series – including Keanu’s essential debut – vividly evoking the spirit of the After School Special and its ’80s heyday.

In Out of a Job, Dan Lett (The Shape of Water) plays a young engineer who returns to the home of his parents and computer whiz brother after his promising career abruptly falls apart. In One Step Away, Keanu Reeves plays Ron, a troubled teen struggling to overcome peer pressure and his own criminal impulses when his latest arrest derails the life of his single mother (Diana Belshaw). Finally, in the shocking thriller Running Scared, Stephen Mandel (Jack Frost) plays an intensely jealous boyfriend whose spying and scolding ways rapidly escalate to full blown stalking.

Additional info:

  • Region Free Blu-ray
  • Scanned and restored in 2K from the 16mm interpositives by the National Film Board of Canada
  • New audio commentary featuring Paul Corupe of Canuxploitation.com and film historian Jason Pichonsky
  • An Excellent Adventure (2024, 15 min.) – New interview with One Step Away star Diana Belshaw
  • Unsettled on the Set (2024, 11 min.) – New interview with Running Scared star Stephen Mendel
  • An Actor Remembers (2024, 13 min.) – Mendel reflects on his body of work
  • Job Well Done (2024, 14 min.) – New interview with Out of a Job star Dan Lett
  • On the Job (2024, 18 min.) – Lett reflects on his body of work
  • A Single Regret (1983, 22 min.) – Another Family Crisis Series short directed by Fortier
  • A Gift for Kate (1986, 28 min.) – Family Crisis Series short directed by John N. Smith (Dangerous Minds)
  • The Painted Door (1984, 24 min.) – Short written by One Step Away screenwriter Joe Wiesenfeld and directed by Bruce Pittman (Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II)
  • Going to War (1985, 24 min.) – Short written by Wiesenfeld based on a short story by Timothy Findley (Don’t Let the Angels Fall)
  • End of a Summer Day (1971, 9 min.) – Fortier’s directorial debut
  • One Step Away in SD (1985, 29 min.) – Reeves’s debut as seen in the VHS era
  • Booklet featuring a reproduction of the Family Crisis Series viewer’s guide, outlining “suggestions for film use” and other activities
  • Reversible cover artwork
  • English SDH subtitles

The Last Circus

⍟ Magnolia Pictures ⍟

MAG-002 SLIP

2010 | 107 min | 2.35:1 | Spanish DTS-HD MA 5.1
Directed by Álex de la Iglesia
Starring: Carlos Areces, Antonio de la Torre, Carolina Bang, Manuel Tallafé

A leading independent film studio for 20 years, Magnolia Pictures is the theatrical and home entertainment distribution arm of the Wagner/Cuban Companies, boasting a library of over 500 titles. Vinegar Syndrome’s sister company, OCN Distribution, is thrilled to be representing this diverse and unique home video line!

This special limited edition spot gloss and embossed slipcover (designed by Black Coffiend) is limited to 2,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.

1937, Spain is in the midst of the brutal Spanish Civil War. A Happy circus clown is interrupted mid-performance and forcibly recruited by a militia. Still in his costume, he is handed a machete and led into battle against National soldiers, where he single handedly massacres an entire platoon. Fast forward to 1973, the tail end of the Franco regime. Javier, the son of the clown, dreams of following in his father’s career footsteps, but has seen too much tragedy in his life – he’s simply not funny and is only equipped to play the role of the Sad Clown. He finds work in a circus where he befriends an outlandish cast of characters, but as the Sad Clown he must take the abuse of the brutish Happy Clown Sergio, who humiliates Javier daily in the name of entertainment. It is here that he meets Natalia, a gorgeous acrobat, and abused wife of Sergio. Javier falls deeply in love with Natalia and tries to rescue her from her cruel and violent husband, unleashing Sergio’s jealousy. But Natalia is torn between her affection towards Javier and her lust for Sergio. With neither man willing to back down, this twisted love triangle evolves into a ferocious battle between Sad Clown and Happy Clown, escalating to unbelievable heights in this absurd, shocking, irreverent and unforgettable film.

Additional info:

  • Region A Blu-ray
  • New transfer from the original HDCAM source
  • New audio commentary by Shelagh Rowan-Legg, author of The Spanish Fantastic: Contemporary Filmmaking in Horror, Fantasy and Sci Fi, and podcaster/writer Joe Lipsett
  • New video essay by film historian and academic Alexandra Heller-Nicolas 
  • Making of The Last Circus
  • Behind the Scenes Footage
  • Visual Effects Footage
  • US and International Trailers
  • English subtitles

New Life

⍟ Brainstorm Media ⍟

BST-002 SLIP

2023 | 85 min | 2.39:1 | English DTS-HD MA 5.1
Directed by John Rosman
Starring: Sonya Walger, Hayley Erin, Tony Amendola

Since Brainstorm Media’s inception in 1995, the company has had a forward-thinking approach to a growing indie marketplace. With an ethos of adaptability, Brainstorm continues to expand its network of partners and explore unique models of distribution. Brainstorm’s mission is to realize focused and creative distribution strategies for its content partners.

This special limited edition slipcover (designed by Adam Juresko) is limited to 1,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.

A mysterious woman on the run, and the resourceful fixer assigned to bring her in. Their two unique stories inextricably link, as the stakes of the pursuit rise to apocalyptic proportions.

Additional info:

  • Region A Blu-ray
  • Audio Commentary with Director John Rosman and actresses Hayley Erin and Sonya Walger
  • Audio Commentary with Director John Rosman and Director of Photography Mark Evans 
  • Interview with actress Hayley Erin
  • Interview with writer / director John Rosman
  • Interview with actress Sonya Walger
  • Behind the Scenes featurette
  • Trailer
  • English SDH subtitles

Once Were Warriors

⍟ Film Movement Classics ⍟

FMC_020b SLIP

1994 | 102 min | 1.85:1 | English DTS-HD MA 5.1, 2.0
Directed by Lee Tamahori
Starring: Rena Owen, Temuera Morrison, Cliff Curtis

Founded in 2002 as one of the first-ever subscription film services with its DVD-of-the-Month Film Club, Film Movement is now a North American distributor of award-winning independent and foreign films based in New York City. In 2015, Film Movement launched the reissue label Film Movement Classics featuring new restorations released theatrically as well as on home video, with an emphasis on films by auteur directors such as Eric Rohmer, Peter Greenaway and Takeshi Kitano.

This special limited edition debossed and satin finish slipcover (designed by Time Tomorrow) is limited to 2,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.

Amidst the mean streets of Auckland, Beth Heke (Rena Owen) lives with her husband Jake (Temuera Morrison) and their three children in a tenement house for native Maori. Jake’s battle with alcoholism frequently results in terrifyingly violent outbursts, but Beth’s unwavering devotion prevents her from seeing how much his rage is destroying their family until it is nearly too late.

Winner of nine New Zealand Film Awards, this groundbreaking adaptation of Alan Duff’s hard-hitting novel set local box office records and launched the international career of director Lee Tamahori.

Additional info:

  • Region A Blu-ray
  • Commentary with Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson
  • Video essay by Elizabeth Purchell
  • Behind-the-Scenes Featurette
  • Essay by New Zealand film critic Peter Calder
  • English subtitles

The Sales Girl

⍟ Film Movement ⍟

FM-008 SLIP

2022 | 124 min | 2.00:1 | Mongolian DTS-HD MA 2.0
Directed by Janchivdorj Sengedorj
Starring: Bayarjargal Bayartsetseg, Oidovjamts Enkhtuul

Founded in 2002 as one of the first-ever subscription film services with its DVD-of-the-Month Film Club, Film Movement is now a North American distributor of award-winning independent and foreign films based in New York City. In 2015, Film Movement launched the reissue label Film Movement Classics featuring new restorations released theatrically as well as on home video, with an emphasis on films by auteur directors such as Eric Rohmer, Peter Greenaway and Takeshi Kitano.

This special limited edition slipcover (designed by Beth Morris) is limited to 1,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.

When college coed Saruul takes a temporary job as a clerk in an adult store, her poker-faced indifference makes her the perfect foil for the clientele, who range from slightly sheepish and cautiously curious to downright perverse. But it is Katya, the shop’s flamboyant, eccentric female owner who initiates Saruul’s journey into adulthood – taking her under her wing, teaching her the art of living, and gently guiding her on the path to self-discovery. 

This joyfully quirky, “candid big-city coming-of-age story” (Variety) from Sengedorj Janchivdorj, “one of the best voices of contemporary cinema in Mongolia” (Asian Movie Pulse), is fueled by a splendidly original script, utterly unique characters and unexpected encounters.

Additional info:

  • Region A Blu-ray
  • Making of The Sales Girl featurette
  • Trailer
  • English subtitles

Satan War

⍟ American Genre Film Archive ⍟

AGFA-063 SLIP

1979 | 64, 77, 92 min | 1.33:1 | English DTS-HD MA 1.0
Directed by Bart La Rue
Starring: Various

The American Genre Film Archive (AGFA) represents the world’s largest theatrical catalog of exploitation cinema. Their home video line presents a diverse selection of movies, ranging from new preservations of classics from the vast library of Something Weird to the wildest in shot-on-video (SOV) titles. Vinegar Syndrome’s sister company, OCN Distribution, is thrilled to be representing this diverse and unique home video line!

This special limited edition spot gloss and debossed slipcover is limited to 2,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.

A D.I.Y. answer to THE AMITYVILLE HORROR from Texas actor Bart La Rue, SATAN WAR is an unforgettable Satanic panic artifact. When newlyweds Louise and Bill Foster move into a new house, they’re confronted by a supernatural entity. And things only get worse from there. Never legitimately released until now, SATAN WAR floats across the screen in a black cloud of pummeling synthesizers, hallucinogenic visuals, and unsettling themes.

Additional info:

  • Region Free Blu-ray
  • Preserved from the 16mm answer print
  • Three versions of the film: the original 64-minute cut, and the 77 and 92-minute cuts
  • Commentary with Kristin La Rue and AGFA’s Joe Ziemba
  • Interview with NIGHTMARE USA author Stephen Thrower
  • English SDH subtitles

Smiley Face

⍟ Dark Star ⍟

DS-026 SLIP

2007 | 85 min | 1.78:1 | English DTS-HD MA 5.1
Directed by Gregg Araki
Starring: Anna Farris, John Krasinski, Adam Brody, Ben Falcone, Brian Posehn

Dark Star Pictures is a new-age North American distribution company, focused on bringing unique and targeted content to audiences across the country and is committed to releasing auteur-driven, original cinema in the theatrical, digital and home video space. In partnership with OCN Distribution, new Dark Star titles – along with celebrated features in their back catalog – will receive features packed blu-ray editions that will maintain the OCN standard of quality and Dark Star’s deft curation.

This special limited edition spot gloss and embossed slipcover (designed by Michael Deforge) is limited to 2,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.

Slacker actress Jane (Anna Faris), is having a bad day that is getting more outrageous by the minute. Jane’s misadventures begin when she treats herself to a batch of cupcakes left unattended by her psycho roommate that prove not as innocent as they appear. She then bums a ride from her roommate’s friend (John Krasinski) and attempts to cross town so she can repay an unforgiving drug dealer, attend an audition, and somehow replace the precious cupcakes. Enjoy the wild journey as Jane’s efforts to get through her day prove an arduous task of epic proportions.

Additional info:

  • Region A Blu-ray
  • Audio commentary with film historian Elizabeth Purchell
  • Booklet featuring an essay by film critic Mia Lee Vicino
  • English SDH subtitles

The Special People

⍟ Art Label ⍟

AL-007 SLIP

2021 | 120 min | 1.33:1 | English DTS-HD MA 2.0
Directed by Erica Schreiner
Starring:Erica Schreiner, Johnny Dydo, Pan Ferguson, Stephanie Beattie, Matthew Silver

Art Label is the new outlet for envelope-pushing arthouse and experimental cinema. Growing from previous work under the Verboden Video and Culture Shock Releasing banners, Art Label is focusing on films that challenge traditional rules of form and content. Art Label is broadening its roots in horror and exploitation, reaching into other dimensions of expression to give new kicks to a well-versed audience of cinematic thrill seekers. Even the most hardened moviegoers will find stimulation in Art Label’s releases.

This special limited edition slipcover is limited to 1,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.

The citizens of The Pink Forest stare into iridescent cubes and cannot look away. Apple, Bird, and Violet manage to break their trance. They experience the sensuality of fruit and each other in The Forest, but soon realize it is not enough. The Special People embark on a journey to bring the other citizens of The Forest back to consciousness by destroying the master cube, guarded by the formidable Overlords. Along the way, Apple gets separated from Bird and Violent, and must continue the journey alone. She encounters many obstacles, and learns that if she is to free the citizens of The Forest, she may have to sacrifice her own life.

Mostly recorded in a single room in Brooklyn, The Special People is the culmination of 15 years of creating video art that ranges from delightfully playful to daringly vulerable. Director Erica Schreiner built a sparkling, fantastical melange of sets and backdrops to create a stunningly rich world populated with wonderfully strange characters. The soft, ethereal visuals are underscored by an original score from co-star Johnny Dydo of the garage-tropicalia band The Johns.

Additional info:

  • Region Free Blu-ray Feature length commentary by Erica Schreiner, moderated by Art Label
  • Interview with co-star Stephanie Beattie
  • Interview with co-star Matthew Silver
  • Director Q&A from 2022 screening at the Clinton Street Theater in Portland
  • Three music videos directed by Erica Schreiner:
  • “Blood Run Free” by The Johns
  • “Tara” by Toby Goodshank
  • “Stargate” by Lloyd Daylight
  • Two trailers for The Special People
  • Two Skye Project films, with introduction by Erica Schreiner English SDH subtitles

Videoman

⍟ ETR Media ⍟

ETRM-031 SLIP

2018 | 93 min | 1.85:1 | Swedish DTS-HD MA 5.1
Directed by Kristian A. Söderström
Starring: Stefan Sauk, Lena Nilsson, Morgan Alling, Amanda Ooms, Martin Wallström, Kim Theodoridou Bergqvist, Carolin Stoltz, Victor Von Schirac, Anna Wallander, Sven Wollter, Ove Wolf

ETR Media is the brand new film distribution arm of Enjoy the Ride Records, a Long Island based record label, specializing in cult following reissues through a variety of genres. ETR Media releases will adhere to the same quality standards as fans have come to associate with their lavish LP reissues. Vinegar Syndrome’s sister company, OCN Distribution, is thrilled to be representing this new and unique home video line!

This special limited edition slipcover is limited to 1,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.

Ennio (Stefan Sauk), a giallo-obsessed VHS collector with a drinking problem finds a highly collectable video tape that could solve his money problems and save him from eviction. He makes a deal with a shady, anonymous collector before realising the video has been stolen.

So begins Ennio’s desperate hunt for the black-gloved perpetrator while, along the way, he meets Simone (Lena Nilsson), an alcoholic woman obsessed with the 80s. His and Simone’s mutual love of nostalgia draws them together. As the search for the tape goes on, Ennio’s life turns into one of the giallo movies he likes to watch…

Alan Jones of FrightFest called it ”Dario Argento meets Mike Leigh”. Kristian A. Söderström’s feature film debut is a darkly comic, creepy and incredibly moving celebration of both gialli and social realism. Fans of genre cinema, art cinema, and collectors will find Videoman an absolute blast.

Additional info:

  • Region Free Blu-ray
  • Alan Jones interviews writer/director Kristian A. Söderström at Frightfest 2018
  • 2024 interview with actor Stefan Sauk (Videoman)
  • 2024 interview with actress Lena Nilsson (Simone)
  • 2024 interview with writer/director Kristian A. Söderström
  • Videoman origin story featurette
  • Deleted scenes
  • Samantha Fox music video ”Hot Boy”
  • 2 shorts by Kristian A. Söderström (Smink aka Make-up and Susan’s Longing)
  • Trailer
  • English SDH subtitles

Wonderful Paradise

⍟ Kani ⍟

KANI-024 SLIP

2020 | 95 min | 1.85:1 | Japanese DTS-HD MA 7.1
Directed by Masashi Yamamoto
Starring: Kaho Minami, Seiko Ito, Soran Tamoto, Miyu Ogawa, Hyunri, Jun Murakami, Arata Furuta

Named after Yasujiro Ozu’s custom-made, tatami-level, crab-like tripod, Kani is a new home video label dedicated to leveling the gaze and furthering the understanding of Asian cinema in North America. Focused on genre-defying films, Kani aims to expand the canon, bolster up-and-coming filmmakers and reintroduce repertory classics in context. Vinegar Syndrome’s sister company, OCN Distribution, is thrilled to be representing this diverse and unique home video line!

This special limited edition spot gloss slipcover is limited to 1,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.

In this demented spin on the “unwanted guest” scenario from iconoclast Masashi Yamamoto, the debt-ridden Sasayas must move out of their suburban Tokyo house. In the midst of packing, the family’s rebellious daughter posts an open invitation online: “Let’s have a party!” Soon, guest after guest pours in: from estranged relatives, to jilted lovers; from drug dealers and yakuza to supernatural delights of the kaiju variety…_x000D_

With the unflinching logic of an ever-escalating matsuri, Yamamoto offers a demented spin on Teorema that pinballs until all notions of cinematic realism and common sense are well thrown out the window. Here, he casts his eye on the upper middle classes yet continues to build a version of his onscreen punk utopia (as begun in Robinson’s Garden, What’s Up Connection and the earlier, nihilistic Carnival in the Night): finding the fault lines in yet another set of zany characters that allow for the upending of Japanese propriety and decorum by way of an unexpected, joyful cinematic mayhem.

Additional info:

  • Region A Blu-ray
  • High definition presentation
  • Interview with director Masashi Yamamoto (12 mins, 2024)
  • Original Theatrical Trailer
  • Booklet with behind-the-scene photographs and new writing by Ariel Esteban Cayer
  • Optional English subtitles

The Image

⍟ Mélusine ⍟

MEL-004 CASE

1973 | 92 min | 1.85:1 | English DTS-HD MA 1.0
Directed by Radley Metzger
Starring: Rebecca Brooke, Marilyn Roberts, Valerie Marron, Carl Parker

This special limited edition gold foil magnet clasp slipcase + slipcover set (designed by Rich Long) is limited to 4,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.

While attending a dull, bourgeois party in the heart of Paris, Jean is transfixed by the shy, yet strikingly beautiful Anne. Although barely able to interact, Jean remains preoccupied by her mysterious and on-edge demeanor. After a chance encounter with Anne’s housemate-cum-lover, the stern and older Claire, Jean is delighted by an invitation to join them for an afternoon at the park. However, as the day progresses, he is shocked to discover that Anne is engaged in a strange, sadomasochistic relationship with Claire, in which she must adhere to Claire’s every whim, no matter how grotesque. Sensing his enthusiasm, Claire decides to invite Jean to their home and slowly begins ingratiating him into her and Anne’s unusual lifestyle.

One of director Radley Metzger’s (Camille 2000) most memorable and unsettling films, THE IMAGE, adapted from the controversial novel of the same name written by Catherine Robbe-Grillet, is an equally artful and sadistic study of bondage, submission, and psychological manipulation. Starring Rebecca Brooke (aka Mary Mendum; The 1001 Perversions of Felicia), Carl Parker (Score), Marilyn Roberts (Futz), and Valerie Marron (Wet Rainbow), and featuring some of the most striking visuals of Metzger’s career, courtesy of cinematographer Robert Lefebvre (One Step to Eternity), this stylish French-American co-production remained barely seen for decades, while still developing a growing cult following. Newly restored in 4K from its original 35mm camera negative, this perversely beautiful and hypnotic erotic masterpiece at last comes to 4K UHD from Mélusine.

Additional info:

  • 2-Disc Set: 4K Ultra HD + Region Free Blu-ray
  • 52 page liner note booklet written by film historian Ashley West of The Rialto Report
  • Reversible cover artwork
  • English SDH subtitles

Neon Nights

⍟ Command Cinema ⍟

COM-007 SLIP

1981 | 87 min | 1.37:1 | English DTS-HD MA 1.0
Directed by Cecil Howard
Starring: Kandi Barbour, Lisa Thatcher, Jamie Gillis, Eric Edwards, Linda Vale, Jody Maxwell, Veronica Hart, Jake Teahue, Arcadia Lake, Ashley Moore

The crown jewel of sophisticated erotica, filmmaker Cecil Howard’s COMMAND CINEMA presents lavish Blu-ray and 4K UHD editions of Howard’s own masterworks, alongside those he produced with other hardcore auteurs such as Chuck Vincent, Roberta Findlay, and Armand Weston.

This special limited edition spot gloss and embossed slipcover (designed by Brianna Miller) is limited to 2,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.

Sandy lives in a large suburban estate with her sexually voracious single mother and her mother’s lecherous boyfriend, Robert. After Robert tries to molest her, Sandy decides to run away to the city, hoping to move in with her twin sister. Hitting the road, Sandy is quickly picked up by a strange magician couple whose mastery of spells makes for an otherworldly experience. But upon arriving at her sister’s home, Sandy realizes that she’s unwittingly stumbled into a far far darker and more dangerous situation than she could have ever imagined…

Integrating suspense and the supernatural into a story of a girl on the run, Cecil Howard’s award winning NEON NIGHTS ranks as one of its director’s most unusual and memorable films. Working from an expertly crafted screenplay from regular collaborator Anne Randall (Firestorm) and tackling unsettling themes both in storytelling and visuals, Howard assembles a remarkable cast headlined by Lisa Thatcher (American Desire), Veronica Hart (Roommates, Boogie Nights), Eric Edwards (Sexcapades), Kandi Barbour (Budding of Brie), Jody Maxwell (Expose Me Lovely), and, of course, Jamie Gillis (Seduction of Lyn Carter). Command Cinema proudly brings this memorably unhinged hardcore classic to Blu-ray, newly restored in 4K from its original 35mm camera negatives and supplemented by an astonishing selection of interviews with cast and crew.

Additional info:

  • Region Free Blu ray
  • 4k scan and restoration from the original camera negative
  • Original mono audio
  • Feature length audio commentary with director Cecil Howard moderated by film historian Casey Scott
  • Video interview with actress Veronica Hart
  • Video interview with actor Jamie Gillis
  • Video interview with actor Eric Edwards
  • Video interview with cinematographer C. Davis Smith
  • Original theatrical trailer
  • Film outtakes with director commentary
  • Archival image gallery
  • Reversible cover artwork
  • English SDH subtitles

Ribald Tales Of Canterbury + Tasty

⍟ Peekarama ⍟

PEEK-026 SLIP

1985 | 168 min (combined) | 1.85:1 | English DTS-HD MA 1.0
Directed by Bud Lee
Starring: Kristara Barrington, Stacey Donovan, Karen Summer, Mike Horner, Gail Force, Ashley Welles, Peter North

PEEKARAMA presents the wildest, rarest, and most scandalous theatrical hardcore double features. Taking its name from one of the earliest “all action” sex theatre chains, each PEEKARAMA release presents two themed, full length feature films, both meticulously restored, thus giving you the opportunity to enjoy an old fashioned dirty movie double feature at home!

This special limited edition spot gloss slipcover (designed by Rich Long) is limited to 2,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.

Hyapatia Lee was one of the biggest names during the twilight years of theatrical hardcore. As she began to take more creative control over her film appearances, including helping to author their screenplays, she also brought her husband, Bud, into the mix to serve as her director; a decision which would help launch his own lengthy filmmaking career. Presented here are two of Hyapatia’s final theatrical features, and Bud’s directing debut, both scanned and restored in 2K by Peekarama. Making their way through the English countryside on their way to Canterbury, a group of travelers rest each night and conclude their evenings by sharing the sultriest of erotic fables in this delightful hardcore adaptation of Chaucer’s classic tome. A big budget comedy-costume epic, THE RIBALD TALES OF CANTERBURY mixes bawdy humor and elegant eroticism and co-stars Colleen Brennan (Sharon Kelly), Mike Horner, Buffy Davis, Beverly Bliss, Peter North, and more. Radio station KNUT has been struggling to sustain their listenership, and when their top sponsor threatens to pull out for good, bossman Gary threatens to fire the entire staff unless they can get ratings way up. DJ Tasty Tastums knows just what to do and switches the programming to a much sexier selection of lister call-ins. Featuring supporting performances from Kristara Barrington, Stacey Donovan, Karen Summer, Mike Horner, Gail Force, Ashley Welles, and more, this cheeky and well paced comedy combines now-nostalgic 80s pop culture references with smoldering sex.

Additional info:

  • Region Free Blu-ray
  • Newly scanned & restored in 2k from their 35mm original camera negatives
  • Audio commentary with director Bud Lee
  • Video interview with director Bud Lee
  • Original theatrical trailers
  • Reversible cover artwork
  • English SDH subtitles

Leave a Reply

Trending

Discover more from No Bad Movie

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading