Vinegar Syndrome has announced its September batch of 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray releases. They are: Howling II: Your Sister Is a Werewolf (1985), Cruel Britannia: Three Killer Thrillers From The UK (1971-1974), Delirium (1987), An Eye for an Eye (1990), Bloodline (1979), and Go Fish (1994).
Ben is mourning the recent death of his sister, Karen, whom he believes to have been killed in a savage wolf attack. At her funeral, Ben is approached by the mysterious Stefan, who warns him that a cult of werewolves had attacked Karen and that she too will become an undead lycanthrope. Although dismissing his claim as mere superstition, Ben's girlfriend Jenny convinces him that he should take Stefan's warning more seriously, and, sure enough, Karen is soon back from the dead, covered in fur and complete with a deadly set of K9s. After being narrowly saved from a fatal bite by Stefan, Ben is persuaded that he's telling the truth and volunteers to join him on his mission to destroy the increasing hoards of beastly creatures ravaging Europe. But as their journey takes them to Transylvania, where werewolves from around the world are gathering for their ritual, Ben and Stefan fear that they might be in over their heads, mainly once werewolf queen Stirba receives news of their arrival...
Australia's king of B-movies, director Philippe Mora (Mad Dog Morgan, The Beast Within), delivers an outrageously blood-soaked sequel with HOWLING II: YOUR SISTER IS A WEREWOLF, assembling the talents of international sex symbol Sybil Danning (Reform School Girls), cult star Reb Brown (Yor: Hunter From the Future), musician and TV personality Jimmy Nail, alongside horror icons Ferdy Mayne (The Fearless Vampire Killers) and Christopher Lee (The Satanic Rites of Dracula). Loaded with memorably gruesome set pieces, delivered with tongue firmly in cheek, Vinegar Syndrome proudly presents the UHD debut of this beloved 80s horror classic in its uncut international form, newly restored in 4K from its original camera negative and bursting at the seams with new and archival bonus features.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
NEW 4K RESTORATION FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE
DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
Brand new commentary track with director Philippe Mora and author/screenwriter Kelly Goodner
Archival commentary track with director Philippe Mora
Archival commentary track with composer Steve Parsons and editor Charles Bornstein
"Lights, Camera, Werewolves?" (35 min) - a conversation with director Philippe Mora and filmmaker Michael Mohan
"A Romp Through Czechoslovakia" (15 min) - an interview with actress Annie Pressman
"Thrown to the Wolves" (11 min) - an interview with special make-up effects artist Steve Johnson
"A Life Collaboration with Philippe Mora" (11 min) - an interview with Pamela Krause, Philippe Mora's wife and artist consultant
"Freaky, Sexy, Mad" (16 min) - an interview with composer Stephen Parsons
"Lord of the Stricken Field" (25 min) - film historian Jonathan Rigby on Christopher Lee and Howling II
"Queen of the Werewolves" (17 min) - an archival interview with actress Sybil Danning
"Leading Man" (14 min) - an archival interview with actor Reb Brown
"A Monkey Phase" (15 min) - an archival featurette with special make-up effects artists Steve Johnson and Scott Wheeler
Theatrical trailer
Still gallery
Reversible sleeve artwork
20-page booklet with never-before-seen behind-the-scenes Polaroids by director Philippe Mora and an essay by Matt Serafini
British cinema has long cemented its legacy of producing creative thrillers, often infusing macabre twists with a wry sense of cynical humor. By the early 1970s, the British film industry had become more daring in subject matter while still relying on the consummate technical professionalism that helped establish it as a leading force in the medium. Presented here are a trio of rarely-seen murder thrillers and mysteries that showcase the types of independent and transgressive work coming out of Britain in the first half of the decade, all of which have been newly restored by Vinegar Syndrome for this release.
Showcasing the beautiful yet under-filmed region of Cornwall, the Giallo-esque CRUCIBLE OF TERROR (1971) by director Ted Hooker finds a group of hippyish youths staying at the seaside home of a reclusive and mysterious sculptor. Their holiday fun is short-lived as they begin falling prey to a vicious mystery killer who's determined to protect a deadly secret hidden deep in the cliffside caverns. Taking visual cues from Italian horror and displaying a surprising amount of horrible bloodshed, this long-overlooked whodunit is a precursor to the soon-to-be budding slasher genre.
When a young woman is slain by a trench coat-wearing and razor-wielding killer, there's no shortage of suspects, including her twin sister, boyfriend, and plentiful shady acquaintances. As the mystery unfolds and more people vanish or are murdered, a detective begins to suspect that the crimes might be connected to a prized stamp. A slow-burn hybrid of murder mystery and crime caper directed by acclaimed cinematographer Jack Cardiff, PENNY GOLD (1973) offers twist after twist, leading to a murder-fueled final act, sure to leave one guessing who the real killer is until the end titles.
By day, Neal Mottram operates an unassuming antique shop, while at night, he is the high priest of a small cult worshipping the idol Chuku. After accidentally killing one of his fellow worshipers, Neal offers Chuku her body as a sacrifice, shortly after which he finds himself bestowed with good fortune. Believing that the idol is responsible for his luck, Neal finds more sacrificial victims. Anchored by a memorably unhinged starring performance by Jack Palace, director Freddie Francis' blending of occult horror and police thriller CRAZE (1974) remains an overlooked gem in the oeuvre of famed producer Herman Cohen.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
TWO-DISC SET
PENNY GOLD and CRAZE scanned and restored in 4K from their 35mm original camera negatives
CRUCIBLE OF TERROR scanned and restored in 2K from a 35mm vault positive
Commentary track with writers/film critics Kim Newman and Stephen Jones for CRUCIBLE OF TERROR
Commentary track with writers/film critics Kim Newman and Barry Forshaw for PENNY GOLD
Commentary track with writers/film critics Kim Newman and Stephen Jones for CRAZE
Commentary track with filmmaker David DeCoteau and historian David Del Valle for CRAZE
Happy Gatherings (10 min) - an interview with Judy Matheson, actress in CRUCIBLE OF TERROR
In for a Pound (11 min) - an interview with Richard Heffer, actor in PENNY GOLD
Archival career-spanning interview with Michael Jayston, actor in CRAZE (50 min)
Gioia made her fortune working as a high-class call girl, but now she runs one of Italy's top erotic photo magazines for which only the most beautiful women are hired as models. When a perverted psychopath begins killing them off one by one, sending Gioia macabrely staged photos of their corpses, posed to mirror their latest centerfolds, Gioia realizes that to put an end to the horrors and unmask the murderer, she will need to come to terms with a secret in her past which has resulted in all of the bloodshed…
One of director Lamberto Bava's (A Blade in the Dark) bloodiest and most memorable gialli, DELIRIUM: PHOTO OF GIOIA offers an intricate mystery supplemented by plentiful sadistic kills punctuated by touches of unexpected, nightmarish surrealism. Starring Serena Grandi (Miranda), Daria Nicolodi (Deep Red), David Brandon (Caligula: The Untold Story), George Eastman (Anthropophagus), and genre film siren Capucine (The Exquisite Cadaver) and featuring a score by legendary composer Simon Boswell (Santa Sangre), Vinegar Syndrome is delighted to present the world UHD debut of this sleazy and slasher-influenced treasure of Italian genre cinema, newly and exclusively scanned in 4K from its original negative and including an extensive array of new and archival extras!
Special Features and Technical Specs:
TWO-DISC SET
NEW 4K RESTORATION FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE
HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
Presented in both its original Italian-language stereo soundtrack with newly translated English subtitles and an English-language dub soundtrack
Commentary track with film historians Eugenio Ercolani and Troy Howarth
Nightmare Delirium (41 min) - making-of documentary featuring interviews with director Lamberto Bava, actor Luigi Montefiori (aka George Eastman), art director Antonello Geleng and cinematographer Gianlorenzo Battaglia
Meet the Photographer (16 min) - an interview with actor David Brandon
Peeping Karl (17 min) - an interview with actor Karl Zinny
Two Meters of Fear (17 min) - an interview with actor Luigi Montefiori (aka George Eastman)
Those Who Bite and Those Who Don't (23 min) - an interview with first assistant director Roberto Palmerini
Dressing Gioia (20 min) - an interview with costume designer Nicoletta Ercole
Inside Delirium (13 min) - an archival interview with art director Antonello Geleng
Snapshots of a Murder (19 min) - an archival interview with director Lamberto Bava
Stories from the Bathtub (9 min) - an archival interview with actor Luigi Montefiori (aka George Eastman)
Murders in Red and Blue (8 min) - an archival interview with cinematographer Gianlorenzo Battaglia
Additional archival interviews with: director Lamberto Bava, actor Luigi Montefiori (aka George Eastman), and actor David Brandon (totaling 34 min)
Fung is the daughter of an aging Triad boss attempting to turn his criminal enterprise into a more legitimate business. After her father is arrested by her cop boyfriend, Fung is left in charge and continues her father's mission of ridding the organization of its criminal dealings. Meanwhile, some of the other members of the gang are not happy with Fung's leadership and plan a hostile takeover. Cheong, the second in command, wants to maintain the group's violent reign and sets out to strip Fung of her power by viciously assaulting and blackmailing her. Fung's boyfriend vows to take revenge on Cheong and the organization while simultaneously dealing with his jealous partner, who also has eyes for Fung. Tensions soon boil over, and violence erupts in the streets as warring factions attempt to maintain their power.
Heavily censored in Hong Kong upon its initial release, AN EYE FOR AN EYE received a Category III rating, partly thanks to its controversial portrayal of Triad traditions and graphic outbursts of violence. Newly restored from a director-approved studio-supplied master, Vinegar Syndrome Archive is proud to present the director's cut of this gangster opus for the first time on Blu-ray, featuring all its bloodshed intact and culminating in an epic knife fight that literally leaves blood flowing in the streets.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
NEWLY RESTORED by VS from a studio-supplied master
Brand new commentary track with Kenneth Brorsson and Phil Gillon of the Podcast on Fire Network
Brand new interview with director O Sing Pui
Brand new interview with action director Benz Kong
"Hong Kong Cinema in the Late '80s: Between Heroic Bloodshed and CAT-III Thrillers" - a brand new video essay by film historian and author Samm Deighan
After extremely wealthy pharmaceutical tycoon Sam Roffe is murdered while skiing in the Alps, his daughter Elizabeth is shocked to learn that, per her late father's will, she has been appointed to take over his drug manufacturing empire. Equally shocked are her scheming relatives, each saddled with financial burdens they hoped would be alleviated through a significant company sale. But when Elizabeth vows to do everything in her power to resurrect the ailing company, thus preventing the sale, it's not long before a mysterious, black-clad assailant begins killing anyone helping Elizabeth to achieve her goal. All the while, dead bodies of nude young women are washing up along the river banks of Europe, victims of a savage, snuff film-making serial killer...
Boasting an astonishing cast headlined by Oscar® winners Audrey Hepburn (Breakfast at Tiffany's) and Beatrice Straight (Network), Oscar® nominees James Mason (North by Northwest) and Omar Sharif (Lawrence of Arabia), plus Euro Cult actresses Irene Papas (Don't Torture a Duckling) and Romy Schneider (La Piscine), director Terence Young's (Wait Until Dark) adaptation of Sidney Sheldon's international bestseller, BLOODLINE is an epic, jet-set giallo filmed across the world which places its A-list cast at odds with a sordid sex killer. Featuring a lush score by Ennio Morricone (The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly) and all strikingly photographed by three-time Oscar winner Freddie Young (Doctor Zhivago), this unbelievable big-budget exploitation gem at last comes to Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome Labs, newly restored in 4K from its 35mm original negative and featuring the disc debut of its majorly extended alternate TV version!
Special Features and Technical Specs:
NEW 4K RESTORATION FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE
Presented in both its 117-minute Theatrical Version and its 141-minute Television Version
Commentary track with film historians Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson
Stupid German Money (53 min) - an interview with Clemens Keiffenheim, second assistant director: Germany
Off-Road (23 min) - an interview with stunt driver François Doge
Max (co-writer Guinevere Turner) a young, lesbian, college student living in Chicago is in aromantic dry spell. Her roommate Kia (T. Wendy McMillan), sets Max up with Ely (V.S. Brodie), an older woman that Max initially dismisses but ultimately falls for, until it's revealed that Ely may already be committed.
An integral film of the 90s American indie boom, and a staple of queer cinema for three decades, Rose Troche's (Bedrooms and Hallways, TV's The L-Word) refreshingly honest, romantic comedy/drama GO FISH is an admirably DIY portrait of community and connection set in the bustling metropolis of early 90s Chicago. Shot in 16mm black and white and featuring a cast of largely unprofessional actors, GO FISH feels as indebted to the style and structure of documentary as it does other American indie narratives. Cinématgoraphe is proud to present Rose Troche's now iconic portrait of queer identity in a brand new 4K restoration from its original 16mm negatives for its world blu-ray debut.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
NEW 4K RESTORATION FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE
New audio commentary with director, co-writer, and editor Rose Troche, moderated by Cinématographe's Justin LaLiberty
New audio commentary with queer film historian Elizabeth Purchell and writer Shayna Maci Warner
New video interview with Rose Troche
New video interview with actress and co-writer Guinevere Turner
New video interview with actress Anastasia Wilcox
New video interview with actress V.S. Brodie
Theatrical Trailer
New text essays by The Queer Film Guide author Kyle Turner, film critic Jourdain Searles and queer filmmaker/historian/archivist Jenni Olson