Vinegar Syndrome (company)

Last updated
Vinegar Syndrome
Industry Film restoration
Home video
Founded2012;10 years ago (2012)
FoundersJoe Rubin
Ryan Emerson
Headquarters
Bridgeport, Connecticut
,
U.S.
Products DVDs and Blu-ray Discs (2013–present)
Exploitation.TV (2015–18)
Website vinegarsyndrome.com

Vinegar Syndrome is an American home video distribution company which specializes in "protecting and preserving genre films". [1] The company was founded in 2012 in Bridgeport, Connecticut by Joe Rubin and Ryan Emerson, who created it to restore and distribute lost and otherwise unavailable films. Their catalog has since expanded to include other types of cult and exploitation films, including horror films and action films.

Contents

Vinegar Syndrome has been compared to the Criterion Collection for its importance to "physical media and film preservation," [2] as well as similarly garnering praise for high-quality home video offerings. [3] [4]

In September 2021, Vinegar Syndrome announced the establishment of Vinegar Syndrome Pictures (VSP), a sub-branding dedicated to the production and distribution of films. [5] The first film released under the VSP banner was New York Ninja , which was shot in 1984 and abandoned until Vinegar Syndrome acquired the footage. Without access to the original audio or screenplay, Vinegar Syndrome then restored and reconstructed the film, adding music and newly dubbed dialogue. [6] [7]

History

2012–13: Early history

Vinegar Syndrome, named for the acidic smell of deteriorating film, was founded in 2012 by Joe Rubin and Ryan Emerson. [8] [9] The company was founded to restore and distribute X-rated films from the 1960s to the 1980s, including pornographic films released during the Golden Age of Porn, on home media. [8] Rubin and Emerson emphasized that the company is not a part of the pornography industry, with Rubin noting that they choose to restore films that they feel "provide value", [8] and stating: "We are film archivists who happen to focus on preserving sex films." [10] The first three films to be released on DVD and Blu-ray by Vinegar Syndrome were each directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis—Ecstasies of Women, Linda and Abilene (both 1969), and Black Love (1971). [11] Previously thought to be lost, they were released in 2013 in a box set titled The Lost Films of Herschell Gordon Lewis. [11] Since that debut release, Vinegar Syndrome's catalog has expanded to include cult and exploitation films in a variety of genres, including horror films and action films. [12]

2015–18: Streaming service ventures

In 2015, Vinegar Syndrome began developing a subscription-based, VOD-style streaming service called Skinaflix, described by Rubin as "Netflix for sex films, but curated for cinephiles". [13] Funded by an Indiegogo campaign, the service was initially intended to offer sexploitation films and other X-rated works, but its catalog was expanded to include films from other genres prior to its launch. [10] Additionally, the name of the service was changed to VinegarSyndrome.TV and finally to Exploitation.TV before its launch. [12] Exploitation.TV was launched online and on Roku devices on August 20, 2015. [12] The service was discontinued on July 31, 2018, in order to allow Vinegar Syndrome to focus on its core operation of restoring and distributing films for physical home media. [14]

2021: Vinegar Syndrome Pictures (VSP)

In September 2021, Vinegar Syndrome published a press release announcing the establishment of Vinegar Syndrome Pictures (VSP), a sub-branding dedicated to the production and distribution of films. [5] The first film released under the VSP banner was New York Ninja , a film originally directed by and starring John Liu. [5] [6] Though shot in 1984, the footage for New York Ninja was shelved when the film's original distributor went bankrupt, and was eventually acquired by Vinegar Syndrome. [6] Despite not having access to any audio, storyboards, or scripts from the original production, Vinegar Syndrome reconstructed the film using a new director, Kurtis M. Spieler, and dubbed dialogue recorded by such actors as Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Michael Berryman, and Cynthia Rothrock. [6] [7] [15]

The second film released under the VSP banner, in association with Magnolia Pictures, was the 2021 British film Censor , directed by Prano Bailey-Bond. [5] Pre-production on a new feature film by VSP is scheduled to begin in late 2021. [5]

Formats

DVD and Blu-ray

Vinegar Syndrome began publishing films on DVD and Blu-ray in 2013, starting with the release of the Lost Films of Herschell Gordon Lewis box set. [11] [16] In 2015, Chris Coffel of Bloody Disgusting ranked Vinegar Syndrome as one of the five best Blu-ray labels releasing horror films on physical media, praising the company's customer service and calling the quality of their releases "breathtaking". [3] That same year, Matt Serafini of Dread Central wrote of Vinegar Syndrome's releases: "Vinegar Syndrome has only been on the scene for a few years, but they've proved themselves a force to be reckoned with." [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

Herschell Gordon Lewis American filmmaker

Herschell Gordon Lewis was an American filmmaker, best known for creating the "splatter" subgenre of horror films. He is often called the "Godfather of Gore", though his film career included works in a range of exploitation film genres including juvenile delinquent films, nudie-cuties, two children's films and at least one rural comedy. On Lewis' career, AllMovie wrote, "With his better-known gore films, Herschell Gordon Lewis was a pioneer, going further than anyone else dared, probing the depths of disgust and discomfort onscreen with more bad taste and imagination than anyone of his era."

<i>The Human Tornado</i> 1976 American blaxploitation film

The Human Tornado is a 1976 American blaxploitation film directed by Cliff Roquemore. The film is a sequel to Dolemite.

<i>Body Melt</i> 1993 Australian film

Body Melt is a 1993 Australian satirical black comedy body horror film, directed by Philip Brophy and written by Brophy and Rod Bishop. Brophy and Bishop are ex-members of the art punk group → ↑ →. The pair also composed the film's soundtrack.

<i>The Mask</i> (1961 film) 1961 Canadian film

The Mask is a 1961 Canadian surrealist horror film produced in 3-D by Warner Bros. It was directed by Julian Roffman, and stars Paul Stevens, Claudette Nevins, and Bill Walker.

<i>Surf II</i> 1984 film by Randall M. Badat

Surf II is a 1984 American comedy film written and directed by Randall M. Badat and starring Eddie Deezen, Linda Kerridge, Eric Stoltz and Jeffrey Rogers. The plot follows two dim-witted surfers attempting to thwart the plans of a mad scientist attempting to rid the beaches of surfers by turning them into zombie punks through chemically-altered soda pop.

<i>Dead Dudes in the House</i> 1991 film

Dead Dudes in the House is a 1989 independent horror film written and directed by James Riffel and distributed by Troma Entertainment. The film follows a group of teenagers who travel up to a dilapidated house for some fixing up. Unbeknownst to them, the house is occupied by a murderous old woman and her sultry daughter, who proceed to pick the teens off one by one.

<i>Spookies</i> 1986 film

Spookies is a 1986 American independent horror film directed by Brendan Faulkner and Thomas Doran, with additional footage directed by Eugenie Joseph. It stars Felix Ward, Dan Scott, Alec Nemser, and Maria Pechukas, and follows a lost young boy and a group of partying teenagers who find an abandoned mansion and become trapped inside as a warlock tries to sacrifice the group with the intention of using their vitality to keep his wife alive.

<i>The Vineyard</i> (film) 1989 American film

The Vineyard is a 1989 American horror film directed by James Hong and William Rice, written by Hong, Douglas Kondo, James Marlowe and Harry Mok, and starring Hong, Michael Wong, Sherri Ball and Playboy Playmate Karen Witter.

<i>The Fiend</i> (film) 1972 British film

The Fiend is a 1972 British horror film produced and directed by Robert Hartford-Davis and starring Ann Todd, Tony Beckley and Patrick Magee. The film is set against a background of religious fanaticism and, as with other films directed by Hartford-Davis, also includes elements of the sexploitation genre of the early 1970s.

<i>Wacko</i> (film) 1982 American film

Wacko is a 1982 American comedy horror film produced and directed by Greydon Clark and starring Joe Don Baker and George Kennedy.

<i>Psychos in Love</i> 1987 American film

Psychos in Love is a 1987 American black comedy horror film directed by Gorman Bechard.

<i>Runaway Nightmare</i> 1982 film by Mike Cartel

Runaway Nightmare is a 1982 American dark comedy thriller film written, edited, directed by, and starring Mike Cartel. It also stars Al Valetta, Seeska Vandenberg, Georgia Durante, and Jody Lee Olhava, and follows two desert worm ranchers who find themselves caught between a female death cult and the mafia over precious stolen plutonium. The film developed a cult following and had a national theatrical re-release in 2014.

<i>The Telephone Book</i> 1971 film

The Telephone Book is a 1971 American independent sexploitation comedy film written and directed by Nelson Lyon and starring Sarah Kennedy, along with Norman Rose, James Harder, and Jill Clayburgh. The film follows a solitary but lustful woman named Alice, who falls in love with a stranger who makes obscene phone calls to her. The film is satirical in nature, and often breaks the fourth wall.

<i>Unmasked Part 25</i> 1988 British horror film directed by Anders Palm

Unmasked Part 25 is a 1988 British slasher film directed by Anders Palm. Written and produced by Mark Cutforth, the film serves as both as a horror film and a parody of the slasher genre, and the Friday the 13th film series in particular. It stars Gregory Cox as Jackson, a hockey mask-wearing serial killer who develops a romance with a blind woman named Shelly and grows weary of his murderous ways. The film's cast also includes Edward Brayshaw as Jackson's father.

<i>Prisoner of Paradise</i> (1980 film) 1980 American film

Prisoner of Paradise is a 1980 American pornographic exploitation film directed by Gail Palmer and Bob Chinn. The film takes place during World War II, and stars John C. Holmes as Joe Murrey, a shipwrecked sailor who comes to the rescue of two American nurses who are being held captive by a Nazi officer and his three assistants on an island in the South Pacific. The other members of the cast include Seka, Elmo Lavino, Sue Carol, Jade Wong, and Nikki Anderson. The film was released in the United States in 1980, and received an X rating from the Motion Picture Association of America.

<i>The Vixens of Kung Fu</i> Adult movie

The Vixens of Kung Fu is a 1975 American pornographic martial arts exploitation film produced and directed by Bill Milling, under the pseudonym Chiang. It stars Bree Anthony, Tony Richards, Peonies Jong, and C. J. Laing, and follows a prostitute who is gang raped, and who seeks revenge against her rapists after being trained in kung fu with a clan of other women by a martial artist. The film received an X rating from the Motion Picture Association of America.

<i>Dracula Sucks</i> 1978 American film

Dracula Sucks is a 1978 American pornographic horror film directed and co-written by Philip Marshak. The film is based on the 1931 film Dracula, and the 1897 novel of the same name by Bram Stoker. It stars Jamie Gillis as Count Dracula, a vampire who purchases an estate next to a mental institution. The film also stars Annette Haven, John Leslie, Serena, Reggie Nalder, Kay Parker, and John Holmes. An alternate cut of Dracula Sucks, titled Lust at First Bite, has also been released.

<i>Witchtrap</i> 1989 American film

Witchtrap is a 1989 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Kevin S. Tenney and starring James W. Quinn, Kathleen Bailey, and Linnea Quigley. The film follows a team of parapsychologists who attempt to exorcise a haunted inn with the help of a device designed to lure in and trap evil spirits. Despite the film's title, its central villain is a warlock. Witchtrap was released direct-to-video.

<i>New York Ninja</i> 2021 American film

New York Ninja is a 2021 American action film written, directed by and starring John Liu. Although shot in 1984, the film did not see a completed edit or release until 2021, when its footage was discovered and restored by film preservation and home video distributor Vinegar Syndrome.

References

  1. ↑ "Vinegar Syndrome (@VinegarSyndrome) on Twitter". Twitter . Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  2. ↑ Rife, Katie (November 23, 2018). "It's Black Friday—How about a free Blu-ray of Cutting Class, starring a young Brad Pitt?". The A.V. Club . Retrieved February 1, 2020.
  3. 1 2 Coffel, Chris (July 20, 2015). "5 Blu-ray Labels Saving Physical Media". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  4. 1 2 Serafini, Matt (December 31, 2015). "Top 10 Cult Horror Blu-ray Releases of 2015 to Add to Your Collection". Dread Central . Retrieved February 1, 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Vinegar Syndrome Pictures - Press Release". Vinegar Syndrome. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Grode, Eric (November 19, 2021). "With 'New York Ninja,' Lights, Camera and, Finally, Action". The New York Times . Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  7. 1 2 Crump, Andy (November 2, 2021). "Vinegar Syndrome Finds Itself in a New York Ninja State of Mind". Paste . Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  8. 1 2 3 Piepenburg, Erik (January 23, 2014). "Smut, Refreshed for a New Generation". The New York Times . Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  9. ↑ Hamburger, Ellis (January 24, 2014). "Vintage porn is making a comeback". The Verge . Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  10. 1 2 Nastasi, Alison (February 11, 2015). "Meet the Archivists Working to Preserve Classic Sex Films". Flavorwire . Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  11. 1 2 3 Hunter, Rob (March 19, 2013). "'The Lost Films of Herschell Gordon Lewis' Collection Reveals the X-Rated Side of the Wizard of Gore". Film School Rejects . Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  12. 1 2 3 Rife, Katie (July 23, 2015). "Cult DVD label Vinegar Syndrome launches all-exploitation streaming service". The A.V. Club . Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  13. ↑ Abrams, Simon (February 27, 2014). "Meet Skinaflix, the Netflix for Aficionados of Old-School Porn". Riverfront Times . Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  14. ↑ "Exploitation.TV on Facebook: "We have decided to discontinue service on Exploitation.TV as of July 31st, 2018..."". Facebook . June 21, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  15. ↑ "New York Ninja (VSP) – Vinegar Syndrome". Vinegar Syndrome. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  16. ↑ Hall, Phil (August 10, 2017). "Saving Cult Classics in Connecticut". Take Magazine. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.