Vinegar Syndrome Reveals New Partner Label Releases
Posted August 5, 2023 11:06 PM by Webmaster
Vinegar Syndrome has revealed a new batch of upcoming partner label releases that will be available for purchase later this month. They are: Death in Brunswick (1991), Heroic Times (1983), Bloodfeast!: The Adventures of Sgt. Lunch (1992), The Catechism Cataclysm (2011), Don't Fall in Love with Yourself (2023), Dream Life (1972), Give Me Pity! (2022), Vengeance Is Mine (1984), Tower. A Bright Day & Monument (2017-2018), Terminal Degeneration: The Films of Jon Moritsugu (1989-2013), Name Above Title and Other Tales of Woe by Carlos Conceição (2020), James Bande (1981-1984), The Tale of Tiffany Lust (1981), Getting Personal (1985), and Centerspread Girls (1982).
Description: A riotous rollercoaster of murder and mayhem set in multicultural inner Melbourne, this hit Australian comedy-thriller stars Sam Neill as Carl, a fortyish no-hoper whose takes a job as a cook in a seedy nightclub to escape his cantankerous mother. A flirtation with fetching barmaid Sophie (Zoe Carides) - who is engaged to the nightclub owner - lands Carl on the wrong side of a viscious bouncer; but when attacked by his drug-dealing Turkish kitchenhand, Carl inflicts a grievous form of self-defence that sparks a deepening gangland feud. Best mate Dave (John Clarke) is soon employed as Carl's protector - and gravedigger - as a band of cutthroats block Carl's path to his bartending sweetheart.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
NEW MIFF 2022 Q&A With Director John Ruane, Cinematographer Ellery Ryan and Production Designer Chris Kennedy
NEW Where Was It Filmed Featurette
NEW Death In Brunswick Hits The Road - Archival Publicty Tour featurette
Audio Commentary With stars Sam Neil and John Clarke
Audio Commentary With Director John Ruane and Cinematographer Ellery Ryan
Memories of Murder featurette with John Clarke, Zoe Carides, John Ruane, Boris Brkic, Chris Kennedy and many more
The Grass Is Greener - Acclaimed series detailing the lives of New Zealand artists in Australia, two fascinating documentaries on Sam Neil and John Clarke
Description: "A crime is a crime, even if committed by kings," intones the narrator of director József Gémes' animated portrait of the supposedly "heroic" age of medieval knights and kings, a sprawling and bloody tapestry of ruthless combat to rival Game Of Thrones. Based on an epic narrative poem by 19th century Hungarian writer János Arany, HEROIC TIMES has a unique visual style combining gorgeous oil paintings and 2-D animation, similar to the Japanese anime BELLADONNA OF SADNESS. Stylistically, the film is closer to sweeping medieval sagas like Aleksandr Ptushko's ILYA MUROMETS, John Boorman's EXCALIBUR and Ralph Bakshi's underrated version of THE LORD OF THE RINGS, tied together by the battle-wearied voice of the narrator: "I haunted the alien streets as a spirit of withered times." Winner of the feature film award at the 1985 Annecy Animated Film Festival, the long-unseen HEROIC TIMES has been newly restored by the NFI – National Film Institute-Film Archive in Hungary for its first-ever U.S. release by Deaf Crocodile.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
BNEW 4K RESTORATION by the NFI – National Film Institute-Film Archive in Hungary
New commentary track by film historian Samm Deighan
New essay by film historian and professor Jennifer Lynde Barker
Short film: "Koncertissimo" (1968, 3 min.) – in this scathing anti-war satire, an elegant crowd gathers at the concert hall to hear a very different kind of orchestra perform
Short film: "Parade (Díszlépés)" (1969, 5 min.) – a beautiful hand-painted short about the absurdity of military dress parades
Short film: "Funeral (Temetés)" (1970, 3 min.) – a solemn and tearful funeral is interrupted by unexpected laughter in Gémes' black comic gem
New video interview with HEROIC TIMES animator Sándor Békési, moderated by Dennis Bartok of Deaf Crocodile
New video interview with György Ráduly, Director of the National Film Institute-Film Archive on József Gémes and the history of Hungarian animation, moderated by Dennis Bartok
Description: When wrongdoers and lawbreakers are on the prowl, there's only one man for the job. Meet Sgt. Al T. Lunch; IOU1 PD's most diligent and decorated officer. With over 300 arrests under his belt, Sgt. Lunch is revered by his peers, beloved by his community, and a prominent subject of interest for local ace reporter Mary Lowdown of the Daily Tattletale. That is until Lunch's vengeful and envious twin brother Feast constructs the ultimate killing machine: a super human, Terminator-esque cyborg known as The Annihilator who marauds through the city maiming and mutilating innocent citizens. To make matters worse, Feast has disguised himself as his do-gooding twin and committed acts of robbery and murder in order to sully Lunch's good name. With his reputation tarnished and his job on the line, Lunch must do battle with The Annihilator and put an end to Feast's reign of terror once and for all.
Shot during downtime by a group of friends stationed at California's Fort Ord military base in 1991, Bloodfeast!: The Adventures of Sgt. Lunch is a SOV comedy / horror / action mashup displaying the unbridled filmmaking imagination and youthful exuberance of writer / director Dave Palamaro (Murder Made Easy, In Heaven There Is No Beer). Boasting potentially dangerous amateur stunts, innovative homespun steadycam gymnastics, and a plethora of gaudy '90s fashions, Saturn's Core is proud to issue the first ever physical media release of Sgt. Lunch, featuring a director curated collection of featurettes, rare outtakes, and early short video works.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
NEW TRANSFER from the SVHS master tape
Audio commentary with director Dave Palamaro
"One Pizza, One Donut" -New 2023 featurette with director Dave Palamaro and actor Steve Station
"A Tribute to Dean Galanis: Friend and fellow SOV filmmaker" featurette
Sgt. Lunch deleted scenes
"The Toxic Kid" -Sgt. Lunch prequel from 1991 (36 min.)
"Milton's Laundry" -Dave Palamaro's 1993 SOV feature newly scanned from the SVHS master (41 min.)
Rare outtakes from "Milton's Laundry"
Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned artwork by Nate Higley
Description: Father Billy (Steve Little), an eccentric young priest, is forced to take a sabbatical by his superiors when he is discovered telling inappropriate parables to his flock. Billy tracks down his high-school idol Robbie (Robert Longstreet), who begrudgingly agrees to a canoe trip. On the water, the two men reminisce about Billy's days as the keyboardist in a Christian band and Robbie's as a guitarist for a metal band. When night approaches, they realize they have lost their way--and that's when things get weird.
Buoyed by commanding comedic performances by Steve Little (EASTBOUND & DOWN) and Robert Longstreet (GREAT WORLD OF SOUND) and deft handling by director Todd Rohal, THE CATECHISM CATACLYSM shines a light on the power of absurd fiction. THE CATECHISM CATACLYSM is a production of Rough House Pictures (David Gordon Green, Danny McBride, Jody Hill).
Special Features and Technical Specs:
Audio commentary by director Todd Rohal
Audio Commentary with Steve Little Robert Longstreet and Todd Rohal
Outtakes
Japanese Trailer
Short Films:
"Ohio" by Andy DeYoung
"The Further Adventures of Father William Smoortser" by Todd Rohal
Music Video: "OD'd in Denver" by Bill Callahan and Bonnie Prince Billy directed by Todd Rohal
Three video essays by The Noctambulist Narratives
Xxx page booklet including: A conversation between Steve Little and Robert Longstreet; Kent Osborne's comic version of The Catechism Cataclysm; "Hand of the Almighty" song lyrics
Description: Set in Uganda, this documentary follows two men from opposite sides of the world who come together over a shared love for Chuck Norris. Isaac, a former brick maker, decides to pick up a camera and start shooting his own '80s inspired action epics, and Alan, a film nerd from New York, gives up his life in America to join forces with Isaac after seeing a trailer for one of his films online. Against all odds, the two unlikely friends have catapulted Wakaliwood to worldwide stardom with their own gonzo action movies, bringing joy to millions of people across the internet.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
Introduction by Director Cathryne Czubek
5 Deleted Scenes with Commentary
Behind the Scenes Slideshow
Behind the Scenes Footage "Zombies Vs Cat&Matt!"
Commentary Track with Cathryne Czubek and Director Of Photography Matt Porwoll
Discussion Between Director Cathryne Czubec and Producer Ark Martin Kyaligamba (KlapBlack Production)
Description: Don't Fall in Love with Yourself is a documentary that explores the life of enigmatic musician and artist, Justin Pearson. From childhood tragedy to his rise in the San Diego punk scene, Don't Fall in Love with Yourself takes an in-depth look at a career made out of blood, sweat and spit.
Much of the footage has been sourced from dozens of VHS & Mini-DV tapes recorded over the past three decades. With never-before-seen footage of one of the most interesting and unique musical movements is recent memory.
Interviews include Justin Pearson, Dave Lombardo, Eric Paul, Gabe Serbian, Jason Pettigrew, Travis Ryan, Jeremy Bolm, Jon Syverson, Molly Neuman and more.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
20+ minutes of additional interview footage
Director commentary
Live footage of The Locust
Trailers
English subtitles
REGION-FREE
FROM PARTNER LABEL CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL PICTURES:
Description: After starting a new job at a local film production company, free spirit Isabelle (Deaf to the City's Liliane Lemaître-Auger) meets animator Virginie (Jesus of Montreal's Véronique Le Flaguais) and the two become fast friends. Over the course of a freewheeling, sun-dappled Montreal summer, the pair deepen their bond through a shared exploration of art, ambition, and desire.
The first feature film directed by a woman in Quebec, Mireille Dansereau's fleet-footed and generous debut moves effortlessly between filmmaking styles and tones with the boundless energy of a young director in love with the medium. A pathbreaking portrait of female friendship and interiority, Dream Life is one of the highlights of '70s Canadian cinema and a vibrant hidden gem primed for rediscovery.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
NEW 2K RESTOREATION from the original 16mm camera negative by Éléphant - mémoire du cinéma québécois
A Feminine Point of View (2023, 22 min.) – New interview with director Mireille Dansereau
The Early Years (2023, 23 min.) – Dansereau reflects on her early shorts and documentaries
Three of Dansereau's early films: One Day (1967, 11 min.), Compromise (1968, 26 min.), and Forum (1969, 58 min.)
Markets of London (1996, 24 min.) – Dansereau short shot in 1969 and completed 27 years later
Trailer for Dansereau's Deaf to the City (1987)
Theatrical re-release trailer for Dream Life
Booklet featuring a conversation between Dansereau and film journalist A. Ibrányi-Kiss
Description: A Primetime Saturday Night Network Television Spectacular starring Sissy St. Claire! Sissy St. Claire graces the small screen for her first ever television special, an evening full of music and laughter, glamour and entertainment! But Sissy's live event quickly begins to curdle into a psychedelic nightmare of vanity, insecurity and delusional ambition, provoked by the glowering presence of a mysterious masked man.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
Costume-fitting Polaroids video gallery
Directors Commentary with Amanda Kramer & Sophie Von Haselberg
Description: Returning to her East Coast childhood home to heal old familial wounds, Jo (Brooke Adams, Days Of Heaven, Invasion Of The Body Snatchers), finds her adoptive mother withdrawn and distant, and a half-sister who has successfully escaped the cold clutches of their family. Impulsively, Jo enters into the troubled life of the neighbors, befriending a couple whose marriage is collapsing under the weight of alcoholism and mental illness.
A melodrama without the traditional indicators, Vengeance Is Mine (originally titled Haunted), is a considerably more pointed continuation of Roemer's previous insights on fraught relationships. Though completely different in tone than Nothing But A Man and The Plot Against Harry, Vengeance Is Mine forms a trinity of utterly original works confronting the inevitable complications within the American family.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
Q&A with Michael Roemer and Brooke Adams, moderated by Bilge Ebiri
Description: Mula lives with her family in the country. Just before her daughter's First Holy Communion, Mula's sister – Kaja – pays them a visit. Kaja is the biological mother of the girl, but she suddenly left without a trace 6 years before. The family believes in reconciliation, but Mula believes that Kaja has come to take the child away. Meanwhile, a series of peculiar metaphysical events take place and Kaja's presence triggers changes in people. Mula's fear grows and she wants to get rid of her sister. Yet Kaja has come for a reason.
A group of hotel interns wake up in an ice-cold van. They don't know each other yet, and have just arrived to do their internships. The strict manager of the hotel numbers the students: real names are not relevant, there is no place for individuality here. As they work through green-lit corridors and empty rooms, things become increasingly eerie. What exactly is going on here?
Special Features and Technical Specs:
BLU-RAY DISC ONE:
Tower: Introduction from Director Jagoda Szelc
Behind the Scenes Slideshow
Behind the Scenes Rehearsal
Animatic to scene: Opening Scene
3 short Films: 1- Aposiopesis
2- Punkt Wyjscia Nowa Arvi 3- Such a Landscape
BLU-RAY DISC TWO:
Monument: Introduction from Director Jagoda Szelc
Interview with Director Jagoda Szelc
Behind the Scenes Slideshow
Moodboard Slideshow
3 Story Board to scenes
ADDITIONAL INFORMAITON:
Essay by Alexandra Heller Nicholas
New Art by Midnight Marauder
English subtitles
REGION-A "LOCKED"
FROM PARTNER LABEL AMERICAN GENRE FILM ARCHIVE (AGFA):
Description: A force of nature since 1985, underground icon Jon Moritsugu—in partnership with wife Amy Davis—creates candy-colored genre riots that feel like NC-17 sitcoms from outer space. Moritsugu's fearless, protopunk deconstructions function as a giant middle finger to everything from racism to gender expectations—while also exploring themes of Asian-American identity. TERMINAL DEGENERATION: THE FILMS OF JON MORITSUGU collects these joyous, trash-art ragers for the first time on widely released home video. From MY DEGENERATION (a DIY answer to BENEATH THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS) to TERMINAL USA (an ultra-90s teen-crime berserker that was funded by PBS), AGFA is honored to present sparkling new restorations of Moritsugu's essential work.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
BLU-RAY DISC ONE: MY DEGENERATION (1989) and HIPPY PORN (1991)
Restorations from the original 16mm camera negatives
MY DEGENERATION: Archival commentary with Jon Moritsugu & Amy Davis
Short: LITTLE DEBBIE SNACKWHORE OF NEW YORK CITY (1987)
BLU-RAY DISC TWO: TERMINAL USA (1993) and MOD FUCK EXPLOSION (1994)
TERMINAL USA: Restoration from the original 16mm camera negative
Commentary with Jon Moritsugu & Amy Davis, preserved from audio cassette tape
Rough cut
Censored PBS cut
Fantastic Fest Zoom Q&A
MOD FUCK EXPLOSION: Restoration from the original 16mm camera negative with 16mm print inserts
Commentary with Jon Moritsugu & Amy Davis, preserved from audio cassette tape
Commentary with AGFA's Elizabeth Purchell
Outtakes
Short: CRACK (1999)
Disc 3: FAME WHORE (1997), SCUMROCK (2002) and PIG DEATH MACHINE (2013)
FAME WHORE: Restoration from the original 16mm camera negative
Commentary with Jon Moritsugu & Amy Davis, preserved from audio cassette tape
SCUMROCK: Preservation from BetaSP tape master
Outtakes, auditions, and camera tests
PIG DEATH MACHINE: Preservation from digital master
Description: The world of Carlos Conceição is one inhabited by handsome characters exploring the boundaries of limitless pleasure, romance, politics, and even murder. Before unleashing his breakout narrative feature Tommy Guns, Conceição experimented in the realm of short and medium-length films for many years crafting films both beautiful and transgressive alike. Collected here are six short films headlined by the medium-length (and nearly dialogue free) film Name Above Title about a handsome serial killer that unexpectedly catapults into social media fame.
Films:
Name Above Title (2020, 62 Min.)
Bad Bunny (2017, 35 Min.)
Versailles (2013, 20 Min.)
Turquoise Boy (2023, 9 Min.)
Goodnight Cinderella (2014, 32 Min.)
Hell (2011, 22 Min.)
The Flesh (2010, 22 Min.)
Special Features and Technical Specs:
A booklet featuring an introduction and individual film commentary by director Carlos Conceição
Description: Tiffany is a typical New York housewife whose life couldn't be better. The only thing is, she's sick of it and has decided that today she will break free from the shackles of mundanity and explore all of her pent up sexual desires. After leaving a parting note for her husband, Tiffany is off to see Betty, an experienced prostitute who gives her a chance to explore her sapphic side. However, it's a visit to the wild goings on of New York's favorite sex themed radio series, The Florence Nightingale Show, that really opens her eyes to the unlimited realm of sensual possibilities. But as each erotic experience becomes more outrageous than the last, Tiffany begins to wonder whether liberation truly is better than love.
A production long shrouded in authorial mystery, though ultimately revealed to have been secretly helmed by one of hardcore cinema's most luminous auteurs, Radley Metzger (The Opening of Misty Beethoven), with assistance from one of France's top makers of elegant erotic films, Gérard Kikoïne (Edge of Sanity), THE TALE OF TIFFANY LUST is a light hearted romantic comedy which stars one of France's queens of sex cinema, Dominique Saint Claire (Aphrodesia's Diary) along with America's top names in hardcore: Veronica Hart (Roommates), Desiree Costeau (Ms. Magnificent), Vanessa Del Rio (Her Name Was Lisa), Samantha Fox (Babe), and George Payne (Blonde Ambition). Mélusine proudly brings this lost link between French and American hardcore to 4K UHD, exclusively restored in 4K from its original 35mm camera negative, also including, for the very first time on disc, its alternate "soft" version, which features numerous alternate, extended, and additional sequences along with a fresh interview with co-director Kikoïne who illuminates the wild history behind this maverick production.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
4K BLU-RAY/BLU-RAY COMBO PACK
NEW 4K RESTORATION FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE
HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
Alternate feature-length soft version of THE TALE OF TIFFANY LUST
"Talking About the Tale of Tiffany Lust" - a conversation with director Gérard Kikoïne
"The Locations of Tiffany Lust" - a now & then locations featurette
Description: Wanda is a hard-edged hooker who, despite having made a decent living in her trade, cannot overcome her pervasive loneliness. Willie is an illegal immigrant seeking happiness and prosperity in his adopted country, but instead finding only hardship and despair. After the two have an unlikely meeting, they hatch a plan to marry, thus getting Willie his US citizenship and Wanda a companion. Their plan seems to work at first, as the couple at last believe they'll be able to find some contentment; that is until money runs low and both Wanda and Willie are forced back into a life of crime and wanton sex...
One of director Ron Sullivan aka Henri Pachard's (Babylon Pink) darkest and most thought provoking dramas, GETTING PERSONAL stars Colleen Brennan (Matinee Idol, Supervixens) and Herschell Savage (Lips) along with Nina Hartley (Pleasure Maze), Sharon Mitchell (Maniac, Kamikaze Hearts), and Paul Thomas (The Erotic Adventures of Candy). Quality X is proud to offer the world Blu-ray debut of this searing look at the American Dream gone terribly wrong, newly restored from its original 35mm negative and featuring a revealing new interview with its leading lady.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
NEW 4K RESTORATION FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE
A brand new feature-length audio interview with star Colleen Brennan, moderated by historian Casey Scott
Description: Sue Forbes, editor-in-chief at Panther Magazine, one of the country's hottest skin rags, finds herself the target of media outrage over publishing "obscene" materials, spearheaded by local political group, Morality Over Madness, or M.O.M. Ready to go to battle for her rights, Sue enlists the help of her biggest and most successful former centerfolds. Each one then sets their sights on a different board member of M.O.M., all in an effort to prove each and every one of them is far more perverted and debauched than anything Sue's T&A mag ever dared publish!
A cheerfully cynical satire of moral hypocrisy in American politics, Gary Graver's (Coed Fever) CENTERSPREAD GIRLS offers up a who's who of early 80s hardcore talent, among them Georgina Spelvin (Indecent Exposure), Veronica Hart (A Scent of Heather), Desiree Costeau (Pretty Peaches), Lisa De Leeuw (Dixie Ray Hollywood Star), Jessie St James (Between Lovers), Richard Bolla (Cannibal Holocaust), and character actor John Alderman (Little Miss Innocence). Fast paced and witty from beginning to end, courtesy of C. W. O'Hara's (Amanda By Night) clever screenplay, Quality X is delighted to present CENTERSPREAD GIRLS on Blu-ray for the first time, newly restored from its 35mm interpositive!
Special Features and Technical Specs:
NEW 2K RESTORATION FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE
Brand new audio commentary with actress Veronica Hart, moderated by historian Casey Scott
Description: Two sexy spy films, available for the first time in High Definition. When they are not laying siege to one another, the would's most powerful nations indulge in a different kind of "war games!" And the famed British secret Agent 007 isn't the only one enjoying pussy galore; France has its own sex obsessed super spy, but his best and biggest gadget is hidden in his pants. His name is James Bande and his number: 00Sex. Follow his torrid and comical adventures in the grand tradition of porn parodies in two films produced by Jean-François Davy, and shot entirely in Normandy. First, in James Bande 00Sex : Rien Que Pour ton Cul (1981), directed by Michel Beaudricourt, winner of the "Oscars du X" (well, if we want to believe the ad), the spy who shoots faster than his shadow, played by Guy Royer, needs to outwit and out-screw such beauties as Cathy Stewart and Helene Shirley. Then, in James Bande Contre O.S.Sex 69 (1986), by Pierre B. Reinhard, Bande returns, this time played by Gabriel Pontello, to face the formidable Doctor Gode, embodied by the sublime Marilyn Jess.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
James Bande OSex no. 2 (sourced from VHS)
Conversation between Marilyn Jess & Pierre B Reinhard (video in French w/ English Subtitles)
James Bande Radio Play (in French w/ English Subs)