Vinegar Syndrome and Their Partner Labels

[agnamaracs]

The Other French New Wave Vol. 1 (Featuring three features: Le chat dans le sac, The Merry World of Leopold Z, and YUL 871, plus shorts by Arthur Lipsett and Norman McLaren)

They're really loading their releases up with classic shorts. I'd love it if they'd take some of the NFB's HD transfers of their McLaren films (as seen on YouTube) and put them on a Blu-ray at some point. (I'm still somewhat disappointed about the rather extreme windowboxing on their DVD box set.)

[DeprongMori]

[quote=criterionsnob post_id=753510 time=<a href="tel:1646155472">1646155472</a> user_id=143]
The Other French New Wave Vol. 1 (Featuring three features: Le chat dans le sac, The Merry World of Leopold Z, and YUL 871, plus shorts by Arthur Lipsett and Norman McLaren)

They're really loading their releases up with classic shorts. I'd love it if they'd take some of the NFB's HD transfers of their McLaren films (as seen on YouTube) and put them on a Blu-ray at some point. (I'm still somewhat disappointed about the rather extreme windowboxing on their DVD box set.)
[/quote]

National Film Board of Canada has a free streaming app with all free content, including a ton of Norman McLaren shorts. The picture quality of the ones I’ve watched has been excellent. Not sure how many of these are on YouTube as well, or whether the picture quality is different. In any case, a great resource.

[dwk]

VS'' March releases:
Schizoid / X-Ray [4K UHD/Blu-ray Set]
Reform School Girls [Blu-ray]
Hard Rock Zombies / Slaughterhouse Rock [Blu-ray]
Talons of the Eagle [Blu-ray]

[domino harvey]

VS'' March releases:
Schizoid / X-Ray [4K UHD/Blu-ray Set]

Interesting that these are paired again here when they were also paired for Scream Factory’s initial release. My previously expressed thoughts on the pair

Schizoid (David Paulsen 1980) Typically tasteless slasher exploiting psychoanalysis fears (a common trope in these films), with a mysterious assailant stalking and eradicating members of Klaus Kinski's group therapy clan. In an unusual casting coup, Christopher Lloyd even pops up as one of the creepy group members, who close-talks our heroine into panic more than once. This is a well-made and strongly edited slasher, clever in its fashion, and while it contains all the usual problems of the genre, this is surprisingly on the high end of things. The film makes a conscious effort to throw enough red herrings at the audience to keep it interesting, and that it was. Also, Frank Fontana shows up as a homicide detective who memorably opines, "We get at least forty Jane Does a week in here. Last week there were 32 and we thought the world had gone good."

X Ray AKA Hospital Massacre (Boaz Davidson 1982) By my count this is the 80th slasher I've seen from this decade (and that bodycount will only go up as I work my way through the unwatched stacks) and even by the pretty low standards of this genre, this is a total failure. It's not even the third best hospital-set slasher, and that's about as specific as these kind of distinctions can get! What a shame that Shout Factory rescued this from the VHS shelves over countless other superior examples. The film itself is so mediocre and safe that it seems pre-edited for USA Up All Night, with mild, mostly unseen killings and one piece of gratuitous nudity courtesy of the Playboy Playmate occupying the lead that could be easily excised for TV airing. The whole film, in fact, could be easily excised. Two closing thoughts: 01, This film takes place in possibly the only hospital in existence to have never heard of fluorescent lights, or indoor lighting in general. 02, For some reason every time the murderer executes one of his PG killings, the soundtrack turns itself over to some singers chanting "He sees you, he sees you" so hurriedly that it starts to sound like "Little Caesars, Little Caesars." And that was the only interesting thing that happened in 89 minutes!

(And as a side note, my current tally for 80s slashers is over double the number quoted above, as of right now…)

[Glowingwabbit]

I'm definitely excited for the Canadian International Pictures release although I'd temper expectations that they'll do a Vol. 2 this year if all the other partner label Vol. 1 releases are anything to go by.

These are the other partner label releases for the month:

Stop-Zemlia [Altered Innocence]
Scream, Queen! [ETR Media] - this is the documentary about Mark Patton and Nightmare on Elm St II from several years ago
Sibyl [Music Box Selects]
Slashdance [Culture Shock]
Project Space 13 [Circle Collective]
Hellaware [Factory 25]
Backwoods Marcy [Saturn's Core]
The Long Walk [Yellow Veil] - Mattie Do's film
Ode To Nothing [Kani]
Pathogen [AGFA + Bleeding Skull!]

[therewillbeblus]

I liked Sibyl, even if it is a bit of a mess- certainly one of the worst therapists I've seen depicted in a film! Though that doesn't take away from the film's merits, since it's baldly assumed

[domino harvey]

Would much rather see a stateside release of Triet's Victoria

[What A Disgrace]

For future volumes of Other French New Wave, assuming it sticks to the 60s, I'd love to see À tout prendre and Entre la mer et l'eau douce. Pour la Suite du Monde also seems like a no brainer.

[Calvin]

For future volumes of Other French New Wave, assuming it sticks to the 60s, I'd love to see À tout prendre and Entre la mer et l'eau douce. Pour la Suite du Monde also seems like a no brainer.

I'd love to see all of those. I'd also be interested in seeing any of Jean Pierre Lefebvre's films of the period - any of Le Révolutionnaire, Il ne faut pas mourir pour ça, Jusqu'au coeur, or La chambre blanche.

[Finch]

Delta Space Mission at CineSavant

[J Wilson]

I was eager to check out Delta Space Mission, but found it extremely patience-testing upon first viewing. I loved the design work and music, but there is not much going on plot-wise. I need to give it another look though.

[Glowingwabbit]

From the VS Newsletter (things are really heating up - see bold part)

We've already spilled a lot of ink on our exclusively licensed edition of THRILLER, but it bears repeating: we are currently working on a new and exclusive restoration of the film from its never before accessed uncensensored original camera negative, which will present the film looking bigger and better than it ever has before.

Extras are also stacking up, including revealing interviews with star Christina Lindberg, along with numerous other cast and crew who have never publicly discussed their work on the film. On top of that, we have plentiful trailers, stills, outtakes, and artwork galleries, and even a very special extra featuring the film's enigmatic director, Bo Arne Vibenius!

And yes, we are aware of the inferior BD, utilizing a nearly 20 year old master that is being sold and are working to resolve that situation. But if you, as a connoisseur of exploitation cinema, wish to see THRILLER looking the best it ever has, and in the most comprehensive edition that ever will be, and believe that filmmakers ought to be respected (and paid for their work) we highly encourage you to wait a few more weeks to place an order for the VS edition. It'll be worth it.

[dwk]

As I've said elsewhere, the Thriller issue was going to end up with lawyers. (of course Vibenius was paid, he just had sellers remorse and then refused to cash Synapse's checks.)

I still have absolutely no idea what Synapse had to gain by releasing the film if they no longer had the rights, which is why I'm betting they still have the US rights to the film.

[Glowingwabbit]

As I've said elsewhere, the Thriller issue was going to end up with lawyers. (of course Vibenius was paid, he just had sellers remorse and then refused to cash Synapse's checks.)

I still have absolutely no idea what Synapse had to gain by releasing the film if they no longer had the rights, which is why I'm betting they still have the US rights to the film.

For me I don't really care who is right here. One company is doing a new restoration and working with the filmmaker. The other is releasing a dated master that they've just been sitting on. So I'm hoping VS comes out on top here.

[dwk]

Oh VS' will definitely be a better release, if it happens.

[swo17]

For fans of Johannes Nyholm's Koko-di Koko-da, VS partner Dark Star is releasing a Region A blu in a couple weeks that bests the UK release with special features:

• Commentary with director Johannes Nyholm and lead actor Leif Edlund
• Behind the Scenes
• Deleted Scenes
• Short Films: Puppetboy (2008) and Las Palmas (2011)
• Reversible sleeve artwork
• English SDH subtitles

The Las Palmas short is great, but the back cover also promises a short called Dreams from the Woods, which I can't find on the disc unless it's an Easter egg or something. What happened here?

[brundlefly]

For fans of Johannes Nyholm's Koko-di Koko-da, VS partner Dark Star is releasing a Region A blu in a couple weeks that bests the UK release with special features:

• Commentary with director Johannes Nyholm and lead actor Leif Edlund
• Behind the Scenes
• Deleted Scenes
• Short Films: Puppetboy (2008) and Las Palmas (2011)
• Reversible sleeve artwork
• English SDH subtitles

The Las Palmas short is great, but the back cover also promises a short called Dreams from the Woods, which I can't find on the disc unless it's an Easter egg or something. What happened here?

Haven't heard back from Dark Star. Maybe something happened between printing the cover and pressing the disc; seems as silly to exclude a title from the press release as it would be to promote an Easter egg. Little Dragon wrote the music for "Woods," helped animate it as well, and a short version of it became a music video. Perhaps music rights issues? A shame as it shares the style with the shadow puppet stuff in the feature. fwiw, someone has upped it online.

[therewillbeblus]

Woah, that was great. I liked it so much more than both Las Palmas and the feature film- bummer it wasn’t included

[agnamaracs]

Next weekend (3/25 12:01a to 3/27 11:59p) is the Flash Preorder for the Halfway to Black Friday Sale. The following will be available:

• Thriller (UHD/BR)
• The third VSU title: "an early/mid 80s action-adventure classic from a writer and director, each of whom have some major genre film pedigree"
• "an early 70s horror double feature celebrating regional treasures"
• "the world UHD debut of one of the most beloved action films to emerge from the late 80s" (in original and release versions)
• Surprise title #1: "a sure to please 80s monster pic"
• Surprise title #2: "the latest in our dig into the weird world of WTF cinema"

[dwk]

The other titles are:
Cloak & Dagger UHD
Miami Connection UHD
Horror High/Stanley double feature

And the two mystery titles

We always try to save the weirdest, wildest, rarest, and/or most head spinning flicks for the Secret Titles, so as always we've prepared a doozy. First up, making its worldwide Blu-ray debut from a stunning new 4K restoration of its original negative is a grim, grimy, and gruesome indie monster movie featuring a very peeved creature stalking sunny SoCal. This one took a ton of wrangling to get right and we couldn't be happier to give it new life.

Plus, if you're starved for a helping of only-in-the-80s insanity, you'll no doubt fall head over heels for this star studded oddity with a typically off the wall premise that's been causing jaws to drop for nearly 40 years.

[domino harvey]

The other titles are:
Cloak & Dagger UHD

I was like, “This can’t be that Cloak and Dagger, can it?” It can! I fully expected this from Mill Creek or their studio equivalent, not a UHD. Is there a massive cult audience for it? It’s a fun movie, but not exactly a visual feast.

Spoiler

Also, cool spoiler in the art, VS Bro

[Glowingwabbit]

Spoiler

Also, cool spoiler in the art, VS Bro

It's not actually a spoiler until you say that. On that note, I guess I don't remember the movie well enough to know what it could be spoiling.

[domino harvey]

Spoiler

There's no reason for those two elderly folks to be so prominently featured, unless...

I think this is a case where looking at the cover and remembering it while watching will constitute a spoiler regardless of being tipped off, but I edited our posts just to be safe

[swo17]

C&D never even had a Blu-ray release, did it? This and Miami Connection are completely left-field 4K announcements of which I heartily approve. Who would've thought their first 4K of a non-X or hard R-rated film would be a light PG kids' adventure film?

[Glowingwabbit]

C&D never even had a Blu-ray release, did it? This and Miami Connection are completely left-field 4K announcements of which I heartily approve. Who would've thought their first 4K of a non-X or hard R-rated film would be a light PG kids' adventure film?

They've already done stuff like Rad, Beastmaster, and Tammy and the T-Rex in UHD so not surprising at all. But I do agree both this and Miami Connection are great releases.