Vinegar Syndrome has announced its February batch of Blu-ray releases. They are:
Drop Dead Fred (1991),
Sister, Sister (1987),
Wolfpack (1987), and
Beware! Children at Play (1989).
Drop Dead Fred
Label description: Elizabeth's life is in shambles. Her husband has just dumped her for another woman, her car has been stolen which causes her to arrive late for work only to get fired, and her overbearing mother has convinced her to move back home. One night when she can't sleep, Elizabeth happens upon the small box which housed her childhood imaginary friend, Drop Dead Fred, who used to cause all kinds of mischief. But, when Elizabeth opens the box causing Fred to reappear, she is drawn into a raucous series of new, highly destructive, and hilarious adventures.
Although derided by critics upon its initial release, Ate de Jong's DROP DEAD FRED has since become a cult favorite, earning a hardy reputation as one of the strangest and most unhinged 'family' films to ever emerge from a major studio. Starring Phoebe Cates (Gremlins, Fast Times at Ridgemont High), Rik Mayall (TV's The Young Ones), Marsha Mason (The Goodbye Girl), Tim Matheson (National Lampoon's Animal House) and featuring Carrie Fisher (Star Wars), Vinegar Syndrome presents the US Blu-ray debut of DROP DEAD FRED, from a fresh 2K restoration and featuring loads of new and exclusive interviews and extras.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- BRAND NEW 2K RESTORATION from a 35mm interpositive
- Audio Commentary track with director Ate de Jong
- A conversation with director Ate de Jong and producer Paul Webster
- "Imaginary Friends" - a featurette with co-writers & executive producers Anthony Fingleton and Carlos Davis
- "The Mega Beast Speaks Out" - an interview with actress Marsha Mason
- "Drop Dead Look" - an interview with director of photography Peter Deming
- "Mischief Makers" - a featurette with vfx producer Peter Kuran, vfx supervisor Kevin Kutchaver, stop-motion animator Doug Beswick, special photographic effects artist Paul Gentry and special makeup effects artist Christopher Johnson
- "I'm Your Fella, Annabella" - an interview with actor Tim Matheson
- "Memories of Snot Face" - an interview with actress Ashley Peldon
- Deleted scenes
- Theatrical trailer
- 8-page booklet with a new text interview with actress Phoebe Cates
- Reversible cover artwork
- Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
- REGION-A "LOCKED"
STREET DATE: FEBRUARY 22.
Sister, Sister
Label description: Protective and aloof Charlotte, along with her child-like and innocent sister Lucy operate their secluded country mansion as a bed and breakfast. On a cold and rainy night, Matt, a mysterious and handsome man from the city, arrives unexpectedly to rent a room, soon after taking a fancy to Lucy. As their romance grows, mysterious acts of violence begin to plague the quiet home, threatening to unearth dark and murderous secrets buried deep in the past…
Combining heavy gothic atmosphere, touches of magical realism, and elements of violent murder mystery, Academy Award nominee Bill Condon's (Chicago, Dreamgirls) SISTER, SISTER is a suspense filled study of love and revenge. Starring Eric Stoltz (Pulp Fiction), Oscar nominee Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight), and Emmy nominee Judith Ivey (The Devil's Advocate), and featuring exquisite scope photography by Stephen Katz (Messiah of Evil), Vinegar Syndrome proudly brings SISTER, SISTER to Blu-ray for the first time in a new 2K restoration!
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- BRAND NEW 2K RESTORATION from a 35mm interpositive
- Audio Commentary track with director Bill Condon
- Audio Commentary track with author & critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
- "Being an Outsider" - an interview with actor Benjamin Mouton
- "Staying Honest" - an interview with actress Natalija Nogulich
- "Orchestrating Altered States" - an interview with composer Richard Einhorn
- "Going to War" - an interview with cinematographer Stephen Katz
- Deleted Scenes with director commentary
- Original trailer
- 12-page booklet with essay by film programmer/historian Cristina Cacioppo
- Reversible cover artwork
- Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
- REGION-FREE
STREET DATE: FEBRUARY 22.
Wolfpack
Label description: High school student Sam Adams has just moved to a new house in a sleepy, all-American town. His new school seems perfect at first and he is quickly accepted onto the football team. But something about his fellow players seems a bit off, particularly the brutish and arrogant Jack "Boot" Butkowski. As Sam soon discovers, the team have appointed themselves as dictatorial leaders of the school, openly modeling their behaviors after the SS and terrorizing anyone who doesn't fall in line, while rewarding those who pledge blind allegiance. When Sam's unwillingness to submit results in a violent attack on an elderly family friend, he decides to take matters into his own hands…
An allegorical examination on the allure of groupthink and the power of fascism, Bill Milling's (Nightmare in a Damaged Brain, The Vixens of Kung Fu) WOLFPACK is a tense 80s updating of the juvenile delinquent film. Vinegar Syndrome Archive presents the world disc debut of WOLFPACK, a movie which helped inspire the creation of VSA, and which has been newly restored from its 35mm original camera negative.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- BRAND NEW 2K RESTORATION FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE
- Leader of the Pack" - an interview with director/co-writer Bill Milling
- "Return to the Wolf's Den" - the locations of Wolfpack
- Double-sided poster
- Limited edition of 5,000
- Reversible cover artwork
- Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
- REGION-FREE
STREET DATE: FEBRUARY 22.
Beware! Children at Play
Official description: Young Glenn and his father have gone into the woods for a fun-filled camping adventure. But when dad steps into a bear trap, the pair find themselves stranded miles from civilization, with limited supplies and nothing to eat. After his dad dies, Glenn, as a matter of survival, is forced to consume his flesh. Years later, children from a nearby town begin to disappear into the woods, never to be seen again, while adults are murdered in the most savage of fashions. Could not-so-young-anymore Glenn have something to do with all the mayhem?
Shamelessly trashy and a whole lot of fun, prolific cinematographer Mik Cribben's (The Defiance of Good) sole directorial effort, BEWARE: CHILDREN AT PLAY, is a no holds barred assault on good taste, with a plethora of ultra gory and creative deaths and one of the most ridiculous endings in the history of horror cinema. Another victim of decades of poor quality VHS copies, Vinegar Syndrome is delighted to offer the world Blu-ray debut of BEWARE: CHILDREN AT PLAY, newly restored from its 35mm original camera negative.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- BRAND NEW 2K RESTORATION FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE
- Brand new aidop commentary track with director Mik Cribben
- "Why I Don't Have Children" - an extended making-of documentary featuring interviews with the cast and crew
- Brand new interview with Mik Cribben
- Archival interview with Mik Cribben
- Reversible cover artwork
- Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
- REGION-FREE
STREET DATE: FEBRUARY 22.