Vinegar Syndrome has announced its December batch of 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray releases. They are: Looking For Mr. Goodbar (1977), Congo (1995), Blood Tracks (1985), Black Eyed Susan (2024), and Cannibal! The Musical (1993). The releases are set to arrive on the market this December.
Description: Theresa Dunn's mild demeanor and job as an inner-city school teacher for deaf children masks her rebellious nightlife of frequenting dance clubs and dive bars, searching for easy men and one-night stands. At odds with her older sister Katherine, whose seemingly idyllic life is itself a cover for infidelity and heartbreak, Theresa finds joy in her self-styled form of liberation, in part to overcompensate for the trauma of a disfiguring scar from childhood scoliosis and her repressive Catholic upbringing. When two wildly different men, the square but grounded James and fun but unhinged Tony, enter her life, Theresa is forced to confront her demons as never before, forcing her on a path of increased self-destruction.
Adapted from Judith Rossner's best-selling true crime novel of the same name, director and screenwriter Richard Brooks' haunting drama LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR stars Diane Keaton (Annie Hall) in an unforgettable and Golden Globe-nominated leading performance alongside an Oscar® nominated supporting performance from Tuesday Weld (Play It As It Lays) in addition to supporting performances from William Atherton (Day of the Locust) and Richard Gere (American Gigolo) in his breakthrough role. An unsettling exploration of mid-70s urban America at the intersecting decline of the sexual revolution and the height of the disco age, filmed with grit and elegance by five-time Oscar® nominee William Fraker (Exorcist II: The Heretic) and featuring an iconic soundtrack of disco and Motown hits, Vinegar Syndrome at last presents the long overdue 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray debut of this remarkable studio masterpiece, which has been exclusively restored for this release from its original camera negative.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
NEW 4K RESTORATION FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE
DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
Commentary track with filmmaker/film scholar Gillian Wallace Horvat
First Comes the Word: Richard Brooks and the making of Looking for Mr. Goodbar (23 min) - an interview with Douglass K. Daniel, author of Tough as Nails: The Life and Films of Richard Brooks
Studs Terkel interview from 1976 with Looking for Mr. Goodbar author Judith Rossner (13 min)
Defining Autonomy: The Trial of Looking for Mr. Goodbar (30 min) - a visual essay by Brent Cowley on the obscenity trial following the film's theatrical release in Utah
Original trailer
Radio spots
40-page perfect bound book with essays by Marya E. Gates, Marc Edward Heuck, Elizabeth Purchell, and Jourdain Searles (exclusive to the limited deluxe case edition)
Description: TraviCom owner, and multimillionaire, R.B. Travis (Joe Don Baker, Walking Tall) sends his son Charles (Bruce Campbell, The Evil Dead) and his friend Jeffrey (Taylor Nichols, Metropolitan) to the Congo to search for rare blue diamonds that can work as powerful conduits for telecommunications lasers. When Charles and Jeffrey are ambushed, his ex-fiance Dr. Karen Ross (Laura Linney, The Truman Show), who observes the attack via remote video feed, is sent by R.B. Travis to follow in his son's footsteps back to the Congo to finish what was started and, hopefully, find Charles alive. Upon embarking, Karen encounters Dr. Peter Elliot (Dylan Walsh, Nobody's Fool), his assistant (Grant Helsov, True Lies) and a gorilla named Amy, who can communicate with humans via a sign language-controlled glove that translates her movements into audible dialogue (voiced by Shayna Fox, Reggie Rocket on Nickelodeon's Rocket Power). Dr. Elliot is on a poorly-funded expedition to bring Amy back to the Congo, which ends up being made financially viable by a Romanian philanthropist (Tim Curry, Clue) and Karen, who opts to tag along. Once in Africa, they meet up with their guide (Ernie Hudson, Ghostbusters) and find themselves targets of various local militaries, tribes, and a race of gray, killer apes along the way to find the Lost City of Zinj.
Based on a long-gestating 1980 novel by Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park, Disclosure), CONGO started its adventure to movie screens well over a decade before it hit theaters in the summer of 1995. A similar mash-up of tech-heavy sci-fi and roaring adventure to blockbuster juggernaut Jurassic Park two years prior, Frank Marshall's (Arachnophobia) screen adaptation of Crichton's unclassifiable genre amalgam comes to vivid life with a script by noted playwright and screenwriter John Patrick Shanley (Moonstruck, Joe Versus the Volcano), lush cinematography by Spielberg collaborator Allen Daviau (E.T., The Color Purple) and a suitably bombastic score by Jerry Goldsmith (Alien, Poltergeist). Vinegar Syndrome Ultra is proud to present this undeniable staple of mid-90s blockbuster filmmaking in its world UHD debut with a brand new 4K restoration from its original 35mm camera negative alongside a robust assortment of new extras.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
NEW 4K RESTORATION FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE
DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
Commentary track with author/screenwriter Kelly Goodner and film historian Jim Hemphill
"A Crash Course in Ape School. Looking Back at the Creation of Congo's Gorillas" (50 min) - a new making-of documentary featuring interviews with Stan Winston Studio crew: Christian Colquhoun, Richard Landon, J. Alan Scott, and gorilla suit performers Misty Rosas and Nicholas Kadi
"Withstand the Test of Time: A Conversation with Congo's Make-up FX Team" (13 min) - a featurette with artists Matthew Mungle and Michael McCracken
"Journey into the Unknown" (25 min) - an archival making-of featurette
Extensive behind-the-scenes photo gallery (7 min)
Original teaser trailer
Original theatrical trailer
40-page perfect bound book with essay by Simon Abrams, Matt Singer, and Justin LaLiberty (exclusive to the limited deluxe case edition)
Description: Heavy metal band Solid Gold are heading up into the snowy mountains to shoot their latest music video, accompanied by their crew and a host of scantily-clad dancers. However, it's not long before a huge avalanche rocks the area, trapping the rockers and their glamorous entourage on the mountain. The group attempts to radio for help, unaware that its troubles have only just begun - for nearby, a feral, disfigured family has been hiding out in an abandoned factory for decades, and it doesn't take kindly to strangers. As, one by one, the members of the group wander off to explore the factory, the carnage begins as the crazed family resorts to every possible bloodthirsty measure in an attempt to protect its territory.
Helmed by the enigmatic and extremely prolific Swedish director Mats Helge Olsson (The Ninja Mission), with additional directorial duties being handled by notorious British sexploiter Derek Ford (whose horror writing credits include Don't Open Till Christmas and The House That Vanished), and starring the then-members of real-life Swedish glam metal band Easy Action, BLOOD TRACKS is a satisfyingly gruesome slasher outing offering up a surprising variety of gory thrills - including impalements, bisections and burnings - plus plentiful bare skin. Now newly restored in 4K from its original 35mm film elements and presented in stunning scope for the very first time, Vinegar Syndrome is delighted to crank up BLOOD TRACKS for its world Blu-ray debut, accompanied by a rocking selection of both new and archival extras!
Special Features and Technical Specs:
NEW 4K RESTORATION FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE
Commentary track with author and film historian Amanda Reyes, film historian Rickard Gramfors and special features producer Ewan Cant
"Playing It Straight" (16 min) - an interview with actor Jeff Harding
"I'm with the Band" (20 min) - an interview with actress Naomi Kaneda
"Bang for Your Buck" (21 min) - an interview with actress Harriet Robinson
"This Is Going Too Far!" (21 min) - an interview with actor Frederick Offrein
Audio interview with actress Tina Shaw (28 min)
Archival featurette with Easy Action band members Peo Thyrén and Bo Stagman (aka Zinny Zan) (27 min)
Description: Derek's life has taken a turn for the worse. Barely surviving off of ride-share income and living in his car, a chance encounter with childhood friend Gil offers new hope in the form of an unusual job offer: serving as a live tester for a highly sophisticated and unsettlingly realistic AI-powered sex doll named Susan; one specifically designed to handle extreme physical abuse. Initially concerned about how working on such a project might affect his already fragile mental health, the allure of a regular salary is too hard to resist, and Derek agrees. As their sessions become increasingly intense and personal, Derek begins feeling an unexpected emotional attachment towards Susan, which forces him to confront more of his submerged inner demons…
From acclaimed underground writer/director Scooter McCrae (Shatter Dead) comes BLACK EYED SUSAN. Starring Damian Maffei (The Strangers: Prey At Night) and newcomer Yvonne Emilie Thälker in their captivating screen debut as Susan, this unsettling exploration of contemporary sexuality and moral posturing, set against a science-fiction backdrop, offers a stark glimpse at a future that is likely just around the corner. Scored by renowned Italian composer Fabio Frizzi (The Beyond, Zombie) and photographed entirely on 16mm film, Vinegar Syndrome Pictures is proud to present BLACK EYED SUSAN on Blu-ray, loaded with engrossing interviews and commentaries with the cast and crew.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
Shot entirely on motion picture film and finished in 4K
Commentary track with writer/director Scooter McCrae, moderated by film historian and author Michael Gingold
Group commentary track with producer Aimee Kuge and cast members Yvonne Emilie Thälker, Damian Maffei, Marc Romeo, Scott Fowler and Kate Kiddo
"Tough Love" (27 min) - writer/director Scooter McCrae on Black Eyed Susan
"Test Subjects" (27 min) - a conversation with the cast of Black Eyed Susan
"A Whole New Sensation" (18 min) - producers Justin Martell and Aimee Kuge on the making of Black Eyed Susan
"Admire Me, or Fuck Me: Creating the World of Black Eyed Susan" (17 min) - an interview with cinematographer Anton Zinn
"Listen to the Replicants Warbling" (20 min) - an interview with composer Fabio Frizzi
Deleted and extended scenes (9 min)
Yvonne Emilie Thälker's screen tests (4 min)
Multiple trailers
Saint Frankenstein" (2015, 17 min) - a short film by writer/director Scooter McCrae
Description: Alferd Packer, awaiting his execution on the charge of cannibalism, recounts his harrowing story of survival in the snow-covered Colorado mountains while on an ill-fated quest for riches. After being convinced by a group of gold prospectors to join their expedition, Alferd loses his beloved horse, Liane, which unwittingly sets the men on an unplanned adventure, including encounters with a group of very unusual Indians, facing off with ultra-manly fur trappers, and, of course, fudge packing, all before becoming stranded in the freezing winter with no provisions. As tempers flare and stomachs growl, the posse is forced to make the only logical decision: eat each other!
From the deranged and brilliant minds behind the international TV sensation South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone's legendary feature filmmaking debut CANNIBAL! THE MUSICAL is the over-the-top, all-singing, and all-dancing story of real-life Colorado cannibal Alferd Packer! Starring Parker as Packer and featuring a guest appearance from legendary experimental filmmaker Stan Brakhage, this unpredictable and thoroughly unhinged musical memoir through one of the grislier footnotes in American history comes to Blu-ray from Degausser Video, newly restored from the best-surviving video and film materials; presented both from the video master plus, for the first time ever, from the only existing 35mm print, and featuring an exclusive and all new feature-length making-of documentary in addition to loads of archival extras and revealing new interviews!
Special Features and Techncial Specs:
TWO-DISC BLU-RAY SET
Presented in two high-bitrate viewing options:
Brand new video restoration from the best-surviving Betacam tape master
Brand new 4K restoration from the only surviving film material, a 35mm theatrical print
Archival 'inebriated' commentary with Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Jason McHugh, Dian Bachar and Andy Kemler
Archival 'Colorado' commentary with producers Ian Hardin and Alexandra Kelly, costume designer Elki Neiberger and actors Robert Muratore, Jon Hegel and Toddy Walters
Brand new cast and crew commentary track with Jon Hegel, Alex & Ian Keldin, Andy Kemler, Elki Neiberger, Robert Muratore and Toddy Walters
"Fudge, Packer? The True Story of Cannibal! The Musical" (67 min) - a making-of documentary featuring interviews with the cast and crew
"Nineteen and Horny" (20 min) - a brand new interview with actor Dian Bachar
"Despite All the Cannibalism" (17 min) - a brand new featurette on adapting Cannibal! The Musical to the stage
Still gallery from producer Jason McHugh's personal archive
Interviews from the 2008 Troma DVD with Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Jason McHugh
"A Tromatic Visit with the Creators of Cannibal! The Musical" - an archival featurette with Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Jason McHugh
Behind-the-scenes footage
Various Troma introductions
Original Alferd Packer: The Musical trailer
Cannibal! The Musical trailer
Deleted scene
Archival gallery
Alternate Alferd Packer: The Musical titles
South Park & Cannibal! The Musical VHS promo video
"Cannibal! The Musical: Close Ups!" - a look at homegrown productions
Compiled footage from Cannibal! The Musical stage productions
Lloyd Kaufman live on stage in a production of Cannibal! The Musical
40-page perfect bound with rare photos and ephemera from producer Jason McHugh's personal archive and an essay by Walter Chaw
Description: Before becoming known as one of the masters of big budget theatrical hardcore under the name Henri Pachard, Ron Sullivan cut his teeth making dark, brooding, and often outrageous sexploitation thrillers which reveled in the macabre as much as they did eroticism. Presented here are a trio of Sullivan's finest early efforts, all newly scanned and restored from 35mm negative materials and on Blu-ray for the first time, from Distribpix. In LUST WEEKEND (1967), Sullivan's directing debut, a naive couple are lured by a group of sadistic perverts to a large country manor where they are subjected to increasingly depraved and violent acts of torture. An unflinchingly grotesque and sublimely weird roughie, Sullivan expertly merges sex and horror through an underground filmmaking aesthetic, which decades later still packs plenty of squirm-inducing jolts. In THE BIZARRE ONES (1968), Sullivan continues his fascination with sexual perversions, focusing on man-hating Deirdre who picks up a young male hitchhiker and lures him to her country dungeon wherein he is subjected to the torments of Dierdre and her equally vicious friends. Featuring appearances from Warhol superstars Taylor Mead and Louis Waldon, this trippy and unusual roughie more than lives up to its title. In SCORPIO 70 (1970), Sullivan tries his hand at a more transitional narrive in this flashback structured story of smuggling, sexual indiscretions, and ultimately murder, all aboard a boat. Featuring an early starring role for Jennifer Welles (Career Bed) in addition to a catchy original soundtrack by James Taylor, this softcore thriller produced by Sam Lake (The Nesting) is at last making its home video debut.
Special Features and Techncial Specs:
NEW RESTORATIONS: Lust Weekend (68 min) and The Bizarre Ones (72 min) were restored from their original 35mm camera negatives and Scorpio 70 (80 min) was restored from its 35mm blow-up interpositive, and are all presented in their original theatrical aspect ratios
Brand new video interview with Ron Sullivan collaborator Don Walters
An archival video interview with Ron Sullivan
An audio interview between Ron Sullivan and adult film historian Ashley West as featured on The Rialto Report