Vinegar Syndrome has announced its January batch of releases. They are: The Phantom of the Opera (1998), Tank Girl (1995), Made in Hong Kong: Volume Two (1982-1996), and Terror Firmer (1999).
In late nineteenth-century Paris, strange things are happening at the Opera House. Legends abound of a mysterious phantom who, raised from infancy by rats, inhabits the subterranean caverns deep beneath the famous building, occasionally emerging above ground to wreak bloody havoc. Enchanted by the voice of the beautiful Christine Daaé, an understudy in the upcoming production of Romeo and Juliet, the phantom quickly brings the singer under his spell, setting himself on a collision course with her would-be suitor, Raoul. As the gala performance of Romeo and Juliet draws near, and Christine falls ever deeper under his influence, the phantom hatches a diabolical plan to secure his young protégeé the starring role - and claim her as his, once and for all.
Based on Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel of the same, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA sees Italian horror maestro Dario Argento (Suspiria, Deep Red) turn his masterful directorial hand to a period piece, whilst still injecting proceedings with all the expected visual flair and gruesome gore. Featuring lead performances from Asia Argento (The Stendhal Syndrome) and Julian Sands (Warlock, Boxing Helena) as the titular villain, alongside expert cinematography from veteran DP Ronnie Taylor (Gandhi) and a lush, orchestral score from Ennio Morricone (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly), Vinegar Syndrome is thrilled to raise the curtain on Argento's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, newly restored in 4K from its original negative and loaded with a bewitching array of new and archival bonus features.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
TWO-DISC (4K BLU-RAY/BLU-RAY) COMBO PACK RELEASE
NEW 4K RESTORATION OF THE FILM
DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
Commentary track with film historians Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson
"Of Screams and Arias" (22 min) - an interview with actress Nadia Rinaldi
"Acts of Fear" (11 min) - an interview with actor Gianni Franco
"Opera of Wounds" (20 min) - an interview with special effects artist Sergio Stivaletti
"Like a Thunder" (20 min) - an interview with editor Anna Napoli
"Behind the Camera" (12 min) - an interview with camera operator Marco Pieroni
"Behind the Red Curtain" (18 min) - an archival interview with director/screenwriter Dario Argento
"In the Phantom Cave" (18 min) - an archival interview with production designer Antonello Geleng
"Welcome to the Opera" (18 min) - an archival interview with producer Giuseppe Colombo
Rebecca's simply not having an easy time of things. It's not merely that her life is difficult in 2033, scavenging in the drought-ridden, post-comet ravaged Earth, but her crew of fellow renegades has just been raided by the brutal troops of Water & Power, killing her boyfriend and imprisoning her and her friend Sam. Only the Rippers, a lethal band of engineered half-kangaroo/half-man super-soldiers, are left to challenge Kesslee, the cruel, power-mad leader of W&P bent on crushing the underground and controlling all the remaining water in the world. But now that Rebecca's got designs on stealing a tank and convincing her new pal Jet Girl to break out of confinement with her, things might be looking up.
A cult film firmly rooted in an equally cheeky cult comic, TANK GIRL infused Jamie Hewlett's original character with uniquely Generation X traits, proudly independent defiance, and a flippant irreverence rarely seen in female characters of the time. Set in a post-apocalyptic world masterfully designed by Catherine Hardwicke (Tombstone, I'm Gonna Git You Sucka), and boasting a near-endless amount of costumes by Arianne Phillips (The Crow, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood), particularly for the lead character, few films of the Riot Grrrl/grunge era still hold such vitality. Directed by Rachel Talalay (Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare), with designs by legendary effects artist Stan Winston (and team), as well as a crack soundtrack supervised by Courtney Love of Hole, it stars Lori Petty (Point Break, Orange is the New Black) in the titular role, as well as Ice-T (New Jack City, Surviving the Game), Naomi Watts (Mulholland Drive, Eastern Promises), Jeff Kober (Out of Bounds, The First Power), and Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange, Class of 1999). Vinegar Syndrome Ultra is thrilled to bring this bold sci-fi adventure to you in an all-new director-supervised restoration from its 35mm original camera negative.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
TWO-DISC (4K BLU-RAY/BLU-RAY) COMBO PACK RELEASE
NEW 4K RESTORATION OF THE FILM
DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
Director-approved presentation
Commentary track with author and entertainment journalist Kristen Lopez
"Artful Inspiration" (13 min) - a new featurette with director Rachel Talalay and artist Gary Baseman
"Gotta Be Me" (14 min) - a new interview with actress Lori Petty
"Badass Feminine Energy" (11 min) - a new interview with production designer Catherine Hardwicke
:"Donning the Ears" (12 min) - a new interview with actor Scott Coffey
"An Eye for the Apocalypse" (12 min) - a new interview with casting director Pam Dixon
"Punk Rock Post-Apocalypse" (24 min) - a new interview with costume designer Arianne Phillips
"Meet the Rippers" (12 min) - a new featurette with Stan Winston's crew and Legacy Effects co-founders J. Alan Scott and Shane P. Mahan
"Tank in Translation" (15 min) - a new interview with storyboard artist and second unit director Peter Ramsey
"The Making of Tank Girl" (5 min) - an archival making-of featurette
Original ending (2 min)
Original trailer
40-page perfect-bound book with essays by: Sarah Fensom, Heather Drain, Elizabeth Purchell
The cinema of Hong Kong is sometimes pigeonholed by outsiders, but a closer look reveals a vast array of styles and topical matters deftly handled by its many directors. Whereas Made in Hong Kong: Volume #1 focused on Category II & III horror films, this second volume expands the concept by showcasing broad diversity through three very distinct, powerful features. From gritty, exploitation action on the streets of Manhattan to drunkenly dancing in the rain, and from hiding out in Macau to the high tension of a courtroom, Made in Hong Kong: Volume #2 delivers a bold, wide-ranging trio of rarities.
In NEW YORK CHINATOWN (aka New York Chinatown Massacre), the rarest of these three films, production did indeed land in 1980s New York City, telling a tale of inter-Triad conflict and betrayal on the streets of Manhattan's grimy Chinatown back when such filmmaking was still feasible for a non-Hollywood production. The film boasts eye-popping street scenes of the legendary Deuce (and its storied grindhouse cinemas) shot earlier in the 1980s, and action scenes as raw as the surroundings in which they were shot. Starring Alan Tang (Flaming Brothers), Melvin Wong (Yes, Madam!), and directed by Stanley Wing Siu (The Avenging Quartet), it also features the screen debut of actor/kickboxing champ Don "The Dragon" Wilson (Bloodfist, New York Ninja) in his only Hong Kong production.
The police drama takes on a new twist in BEST OF THE BEST from director Herman Yau (Ebola Syndrome), as second-generation policeman Dee aims to be the proud supercop his troubled father was not. But when working with his elite Flying Tigers unit brings him into contact with Heidi, the spark between them is immediate, and romance ensues — even in the face of Heidi's notorious father, a cop-hating Triad leader. Meanwhile, Dee's own father, an alcoholic former-cop-turned-nightclub-host, tries to ease tensions, but serious, violent conflict is inevitable. A wild and highly stylized mix of action, suspense, and drama starring Jacky Cheung (Days of Being Wild), Sammi Cheng (Infernal Affairs), and featuring an exceptional performance by Man-Tat Ng (Shaolin Soccer).
FINAL JUSTICE explores faith, justice, and loyalty, as Catholic priest Father Lee regularly endures giving forgiveness to Kim, a depraved gangster (and media mogul) who routinely demands absolution after his crimes. When Lee crosses paths with Donna, a woman attracted to the worst kind of men, he betrays his orders for a night of sexual abandon with her. After Donna accuses Lee of rape, Kim defends the priest and pays for his legal defense. Struggling between the Church, the legal system, and Lee's own beliefs, and with the handover of Hong Kong to China in the background, an eerie uncertainty colors both courtroom scenes and attempts to entrap Kim. This underseen powerhouse drama was directed by Derek Chiu (The Log) and stars Sean Lau (Mad Detective), Eric Tsang (Comrades, Almost a Love Story), and Carman Lee (The Wicked City).
Special Features and Technical Specs:
THREE-DISC SET
NEW 2K RESTORATIONS FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVES
40-page perfect-bound book with essays by: John Dickson, Travis Woods, Samm Deighan (limited edition only)
Reversible sleeve artwork
Newly translated English subtitles
NEW YORK CHINATOWN
Commentary track with Kenneth Brorsson of the Podcast on Fire Network
"Rival of the Godfather" (22 min) - a new interview with actor Melvin Wong
"Leading the Massacre" (20 min) - a new interview with action director Leung Pasan
BEST OF THE BEST
Commentary track with film historian Samm Deighan
New interview with director Herman Yau (19 min)
"Flying Tiger in Love" (21 min) - an interview with scriptwriter and producer Tony Leung Hung-wah
"The Best in Action" (21 min) - an interview with action director Benz Kong
"Cantopop and Hong Kong Cinema: A Golden Age of Multimedia Stardom" (17 min) - a new video essay by film historian Erica Schulz
FINAL JUSTICE
Commentary track with film historian Frank Djeng
"Body of Evidence" (22 min) - a new interview with actress Almen Wong
A fledgling film crew, led by the lovable, yet blind, director Larry Benjamin, is hard at work making - or at least trying to make - Benjamin's latest and most ridiculous movie. But problems with a difficult cast, an inexperienced and distracted crew, special effects that don't quite work, and more are soon upended when members of the production team begin to be murdered in increasingly strange and convoluted ways. As the rickety production grinds to a halt, and tensions and distrust flare, the mystery assailant continues to strike. Will Larry and his ragtag team of creative misfits be able to band together and unmask the monstrous force hellbent on killing off the movie's cast and crew before everyone left is reduced to piles of bloody pulp?
Acclaimed filmmaker Lloyd Kaufman's (The Toxic Avenger) twisted take on a meta-movie, TERROR FIRMER is a splatter-fueled shock-fest-cum-murder-mystery which pushes the concept of bad taste to its wildest and most creative extremes, as only Troma can do. Featuring an ensemble cast of Troma alums including Will Keenan (Tromeo and Juliet), Trent Haaga (Tales of Halloween), legendary "Scream Queen" Debbie Rochon (Tromeo and Juliet), Joe Fleishaker (Troma's War), along with guest appearances from esteemed filmmakers Eli Roth (Hostel), Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2), Matt Stone & Trey Parker (South Park) and Lemmy Killmister (of the band Motörhead) as himself, this wildly over-the-top ode to independent filmmaking at last comes to UHD from Vinegar Syndrome, newly restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative and heaped with extensive new and archival extras.
Commentary track with editor Gabriel Friedman and associate editor Sean McGrath
Commentary track with actors Will Keenan, Debbie Rochon, and Trent Haaga
"Cinema Through Chaos" (48 min) - a brand new retrospective documentary on the making of Terror Firmer featuring director Lloyd Kaufman, writer Douglas Buck, editor Gabriel Friedman, co-stars Will Keenan, Trent Haaga, Debbie Rochon, Sean Pierce, Greg "G-Spot" Siebel, Charlotte Kaufman and crew members Joe Lynch and Eric "Zork" Alan
"Lloyd Gets Spooked" (17 min) - a new featurette detailing the Minneapolis premiere of Terror Firmer in January of 2000, featuring Lloyd Kaufman and members of Carshool-Film-O-Rama
"The Zork-ive" - newly discovered on-set interviews from Tromaville's own Eric "Zork" Alan made during the filming of Terror Firmer with: director Lloyd Kaufman (8 min), actress Alyce LaTourelle (13 min), actress Reverend Jen Miller (8 min), Lemmy (4 min), actor Roy David (8 min), actor Trent Haaga (3 min), actor Yaniv Sharon (7 min), and actor Joe Franklin (13 min)
"Terror Firmer" with inserted deleted scenes (sourced from standard definition video), with an optional commentary track by editor Gabriel Friedman and associate editor Sean McGrath (124 min)
"Farts of Darkness: The Making of Terror Firmer" (99 min) - a feature-length archival making-of documentary
"A Look Behind the Scenes 20 Years Later" (14 min) - a making-of documentary from 2019