Spreading the Syndrome

The Criterion Collection was my first introduction to the world of boutique blu ray. The July and November sales at Barnes and Noble would be mini Christmas celebrations for me. I'd stock up on as much I my wallet allowed. There were films from my favorite directors like Kubrick, Scorsese and De Palma. The selection was one where I was aware of what I was getting myself into. It was arthouse, sure. But even the genre titles like The Blob and Carnival of Souls were classic staples on television. 

When I opened the Vinegar Syndrome site, I knew a few of the titles at best. Ice Cream Man, Demon Wind and Jack Frost were video store rentals. 

They were offering Action and Exploitation bundles at the time. Through those, I made a mental note of the titles. Every month, they would release around 3 new titles and every month there were 3 movies I never knew existed. This was a company that was going deep. So I decided to finally order from them. Body Melt and The Incubus were the first two. Beyond just their descriptions, the slipcovers looked stunning. 

I will be highlighting around 20 titles that I consider the best VS has to offer. The films listed will all be 50% off MSRP during the Black Friday sale. If you are new to this label and have yet to dip your toe in, allow these recommendations to guide you. 

The Telephone Book

The poster says it all: the story of a girl who falls in love with the world's greatest obscene phone call. Photographed in black and white and including a surreal animated color sequence, this movie is one of the best kept secrets of the cult film world. 

Christmas Evil

You will be fooled into thinking this is a Santa slice and dice just by the cover. But the real present under the tree here is that it is a taut character study. 

Hot and Saucy Pizza Girls

The prosecution: "Porn is one note and boring." 

The defense would like to showcase Exhibit A: Bob Chinn's 1978 effort Hot and Saucy Pizza Girls. A comedic romp with an involving plot that revolves around a pizza parlor. 

The defense would like to showcase Exhibits B & C: Desiree Cousteau and John Holmes. 

No further questions. 

Dolemite

The Rudy Ray Moore films belong in everyone's collection. The sheer amount of energy and fun these movies contain are hard to top. Dolemite, The Human Tornado, Petey Wheatstraw and Disco Godfather have been put out by the company and you can't go wrong with any of them. 

**There's a nifty box set that houses all of them on the opening VS page. 

A Woman's Torment

Roberta Findlay's take on Repulsion. Blending melodrama and hardcore erotica with a liberal sprinkling of slasher, Findlay manages to inject warm blood into what otherwise could have been cateogrized as a boring Repulsion knock off.

Seeds/Vapors

I have to warn you upfront: Andy Milligan movies are absolutely an acquired taste. That being said, Seeds is one of those movies you need to see to believe. This is go-for-broke melodrama. A deranged plot twist awaits you at the end of every single scene. If you think your family is dysfunctional, put Seeds on. It's perfect viewing to prep for family get togethers this Thanksgiving season. 

Welcome Home Brother Charles/Emma Mae

A double feature worth writing home about, these two films by Jamaa Fanaka highlight his contribution to 70s indie cinema. Don't let the marketers fool you, these are not blaxpoitation films in the traditional sense. This is especially true of Emma Mae. A film that should have caused the same kind of stir that Mean Streets did. Jerri Hayes turns in a performance for the ages. 

Buddies

Just as important from a historical perspective as a cinematic one, Buddies is the first narrative feature films made about AIDs. An intense study of love, death and the need for activism during the earliest days of the public health crisis. Director Arthur Bressan Jr. would fall victim to AIDs two years after the movie's completion. If you like Philadelphia and/or And the Band Played On, this belongs in your collection. 

The Incubus

John Cassavetes had less than a decade to live. He would star in only six more movies. Yet this genre effort shows that he is absolutely committed to the characters he portrays, in this case Medical examiner Sam Brody. It's a supernatural semen splattered tale with genuinely effective filmmaking from director John Hough. 

Sudden Fury

A tense Canadian tax shelter-era thriller made by one time director Brian Damude. Sudden Fury is a five character piece that depicts escalating tension and violence among a married couple and a passersby. Shades of Hitchcock. 

The Corruption of Chris Miller

Releases like this one are why I love Vinegar Syndrome. Javier Bardem's uncle, Juan Antonio Bardem, crafted a Spanish giallo that ranks right up there with some of the best Italy has to offer. Convoluted revenge plots, murders driven by greed, lavish mansions, and over-the-top kills drive this twisted tale. It features one of the coolest looking killers in gialli to boot. 

Putney Swope

Vinegar Syndrome doesn't just cater to horror hounds and perverts. There's arthouse fare too. Every once in a while they will toss in a movie like this to the pile of sleaze to class things up and I am all the more grateful to them for doing it. Putney Swope is essential viewing if you are into good satire. Having come out in the peak of 60's counterculture, it satires race, politics and pop culture. Vital cinema from Robert Downey Sr. 

The Passing

The description they give is a lot better than I could do: "A seven year passion project for director/writer/producer John Huckert, The Passing is a dazzling micro-budget examination of love, loneliness, and the fear of death, set against an increasingly surreal science-fiction and horror background." This is one of those titles that not nearly enough people talk about. 

Amitville 1992: It's About Time

The second best entry in the Amityville series. The first being Amityville Horror II: The Possession. The four installments in the 'Cursed' series revolve around objects: The Evil Escape is about a lamp, A New Generation is about a cursed mirror, Dollhouse is about...well, a dollhouse. For my money, the best of the lot is this one. Hellbound: Hellraiser director Tony Randel takes on the series with finesse. 

Angel

The Angel trilogy box set has been sold out for a while, but that doesn't meen you can't buy them at all. VS sells the individual titles seperately. If I had to recommend one, it would be the first. As soon as it is about to veer into exploitation territory it takes a turn into something deeper. With great performances by Rory Calhoun and the always spectacular Susan Tyrell, this one is a real treat. Come for the synth score, stay for the egg sucking scene. 

The Candy Snatchers

This is a movie I heard about and was trying to find a decently priced copy for years. It lived up to the hype. If you're in the mood for unrelentingly bleak 70s exploitation, this is the one for you. 

Grave Robbers/Cemetery of Terror/Don't Panic

Ruben Galindo Jr. is a director I never even heard of until VS put these three movies out. Grave Robbers is a supernatural slasher concerning an axe-wielding Satanist brought back by grave robbers. Cemetery of Terror is perfect Halloween viewing fodder that tells the tale of teenagers stealing a body from the morgue as a prank only to resurrect the corpse along with all the other bodies in a nearby cemetery. Don't Panic is a Nightmare On Elm Street riff but with an evil ouija board that possesses a group of friends. Complete with dinosaur pajamas. 

Taken together, these films showcase heaps of gore, zombies, possessions, Satanic rituals and enough moody atmosphere for days. 

Dial Code: Santa Claus aka Deadly Games

Ever wonder what a mashup between Home Alone and Rambo would be like? Well, here's your answer. Kindertrauma in holiday form. 

Fade to Black

Eric Binford is the living embodiment of that 'movie trivia guy' at parties. Dennis Christopher plays his to psychotic perfection. 

SexWorld

Do you like WestWorld? Do you like hardcore films? Boy is this one for you. This is 70s adult cinema at its best. Plenty of sex of course, but also an honest look at the emotional fallout of the character's sexcapades. 

The boys at VS released this in 4K Ultra High Definition so you can see every little bead of sweat.