Vinegar Syndrome in July

Still from "The Eleventh Commandment" (1986)

I've already written about my love of Vinegar Syndrome and their restoration of cult cinema. I picked up a small stack of Blu-rays and DVD during May's Halfway to Black Friday sale, including the now sold-out "Rad" with lenticular cover, and have loved all of them so far. I've been wanting to preview their releases for a while now; July is the first time I've managed to get out in front of things.

Let's kick off with some late 80s slasher trash. "The Eleventh Commandment" originally came out direct-to-video in 1986, featuring stars like Dick Sargent, James Avery, and Bernard White. Its director was Paul Leder, who also helmed "I Dismember Mama" and "The Chinese Caper": a true master of exploitation if ever there was one. The storyline is "The Man in the Iron Mask" meets "Tittycut Follies" on Friday the 13th. Who among us hasn't had their inheritance stolen by commitment to an insane asylum, then broken out to seek murderous revenge? It's good and gory and if there ever was a good example of what Vinegar Syndrome is looking for, here it is. Along with a 2K restoration of the film, you get interviews with actors Bernard White and Lauren Woodland, as well as the customary reversible cover.

The late Larry Cohen was in the midst of a hell of a filmmaking run when "Perfect Strangers" came out in 1984. He had just released "Q"; he'd come out with both "Special Effects" and "The Stuff" within the year. This is a pretty cool neo-noir thriller featuring a hitman who falls in love with the mother of a child who witnessed his last hit. You might say it knocks off "Witness", except it came out a year before the Harrison Ford Amish murder mystery. The cast is chock full of 80s New York City hipster types, including Anne Carlisle ("Liquid Sky"), Brad Rjin ("Smithereens"), Ann Magnuson (Bongwater), and Bill Fagerbakke ("Coach", "Spongebob Squarepants"). I'd argue that the true star is New York City, as it is in other Cohen movies like "Black Caesar" and "God Told Me To". I'm a sucker for anything set in Koch-era NYC. As with "The Eleventh Commandment", this first-time-on-Blu-ray release features a pair of interviews with Carlisle and Cohen, a 2K restoration of the film, and a reversible cover.

Do you like hardcore pornography? Sure you do. You're no prude. Vinegar Syndrome has made its name in giving adult cinema of the 60s, 70s, and 80s the deluxe treatment, and the pick for July is 1975s "The Naughty Victorians". I don't know much about this Golden Age of Porno movie; it's directed by off-Loop theatrical director Robert Sickinger, and its based on a Victorian smut novel called "The Way of a Man With a Maid". There looks to be a healthy amount of BDSM, but what I've seen online makes it seem a lot more farcical than serious. Along with the 2K restoration, there's a feature length commentary track with Dr. Laura Helen Marks, whose written some seriously great articles on the Victorian/gothic motif in pornography. It's also a combo pack featuring a Blu-ray and DVD, so you can always share with a friend if you're feeling generous.

I encourage you to buy Vinegar Syndrome direct, just as I do. Typically, a preorder comes with an exclusive slipcover: always a sharp addition to your collection. You might save a buck or two ordering elsewhere, but they also ship before the street date, and you're going to get $10-$20 off the SRP buying direct. And if you're into all three releases this month, just order the package deal for an additional $5 off the discounted price.

All three of these ship to stores July 28, so treat yourself to some unseen cinema.