Tag Archives: Vinegar Syndrome

Lady in White 4K

by in Misc. Ramblings and tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

My very first horror convention I went to was in California in April of 1988. One of the guests at that show, promoting his new movie, was writer/director Frank LaLoggia, a ghost story called Lady in White. He had previously written and directed Fear No Evil (1981), which I had not seen at that time. But when Lady hit the theaters, I went to go see it and I was blown away. I’ve always liked traditional ghost stories, one where there is a sort of a mystery to be solved, but yet still be creepy. And this one fit the bill to a tee.

There is something special about a film that is able to capture a moment of history of small-town American, with the good and the bad, that makes you feel like you are there in that same timeless element. Lady in White does just that. A young Lucas Haas plays Frankie, a future wannabe writer who loves to spooky stories, gets locked in the cloakroom at school one night. He witnesses a ghostly murder of a young girl, as if it was happening right in front of him then and there. After nearly dying, he sets off to uncover the truth of what he saw, even though nobody believes him.

Continue reading →

DtH Episode 119: Carlos Enrique Taboada

by in Discover the Horror Podcast and tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Even the Wind is Afraid (1968), Darker Than Night (1975), and Poison for the Fairies (1986)

Director Carlos Enrique Taboada is a Mexican director that is not a name too well known in the horror genre. While his films might not be 5-star classics, his work is worthy of your time. Which is why we decided to tackle 3 of his films in this episode. They are all modern stories but wrapped in a gothic blanket.

When on your path of Discovering the Horror, you might stumble across a new name or film that you’ve never heard of. And even though the films might not be amazing and a 5-star rating, usually there is something in there worthy of your attention. That is the fun part on that journey, to always be seeking out new things. Because you never know, that next one just might be one that changes your life!

But join us as we discuss 3 titles that we feel are worth your attention, not to mention seeing some films from a different country, typically not known for their horror pictures from the ’70s and ’80s.

Films mentioned in this episode:

Continue reading →

Being Thankful

by in Misc. Ramblings and tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Every year, people are usually asked, or post something about what we’re thankful for. It usually ranges in being thankful for their family, a good job, being healthy, or a variety of subjects of that nature. A lot of those things are stuff we tend to take for granted every other day of the year. But when you really look, I’m sure you’ll find a little more light than dark in one’s life. Even for us evil horror fanatics!

Continue reading →

Turkey Day 2024 Report

by in Turkey Day Marathon and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Another very successful Turkey Day in the books. As usual, we got through 7 features, some hitting the low point, many hitting some high points, and one hitting so far off the grid that it would be tough to explain! But we managed through, because we are, after all, professional lovers of cinema! And if you can’t find enjoyment in some of the strangest films out there, you’re just looking too hard at them. These films are the ones that you just sit back and bask in the wonderment, that someone thought that not only was the story good enough to proceed, but that they actually found backers willing to put up the money!

Continue reading →

Turkey Day in May 2024

by in Turkey Day Marathon and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Starting on our 3rd decade of Turkey Day Marathons, with this one being our 10th Turkey Day in May event, there just seems to be no stopping us. There are several things about these events that continue to amaze me. First and foremost, is the number of my friends that are crazy enough to continue to come out and sit through whatever I throw at them. Keep in mind, the titles are never announced until I hit play on the player. But they still come out. Sure, every once in a while, there might be a film where a mutiny is maybe thought about, but it is soon forgotten, and we move on to the next film. It reminds me that cinephiles are a different breed of people, ones that can look at what most people would scoff at, look down at, or even wonder why we’re wasting our title with that particular title. But the people that continue to come out see the real value and entertainment in these pictures. I am honored and so grateful to call them my friends.

Continue reading →

DtH Podcast Episode 67: Film Preservation and Archiving with Special Guest Oscar Becher

by in Discover the Horror Podcast and tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

During conversations with serious film collectors, you might hear terms like inter-positive, or first negative, or even OCN, and have no clue to what they actually mean. Don’t feel bad because a lot of us are in the same boat. These are some of the many terms used when discussing the preservation and archiving of films, not to mention the amount of work that goes into doing just that. Plus, we’re not talking about the latest title coming from the MCU, but ones that were made for pennies a half a century ago, or longer, that got very little distribution, sometimes not even here in the states. But due to the thankless job (that we’re hoping to change) of some dedicated cinephiles, they are doing their best to bring those titles back from nearly being a lost film.

To help educate us on some of those terms, the processes, and just the sheer craziness of it all, we’ve asked Vault Manager and Archivist Oscar Becher from Vinegar Syndrome to do just that. While we’re not covering films, I’m pretty sure you’re going to learn a thing or two, maybe be even amazed at hearing some of this stuff, about the processes that go into bringing you that nice and spiffy new Blu-Ray of one of your favorite films.

Titles mentioned in this episode:

Continue reading →

2023 Year End Review – Part 2: Best Viewings!

by in Year End Reviews and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

As always, it was a struggle getting my list down to ten films. It was even stranger because when I first started going through my list of movies I watched this year, at first, I thought I was going to have trouble even coming up with five titles. But the more I looked into them, the more I realized that not only did I have more than ten, but almost like last year, most of the films I have listed here came out in the last few years. I’ve only got two “old” ones and the rest from 2020 to 2023. I would like to say that it gives me hope for modern films, but really mainly if you look outside the country! Six of my films are from foreign countries, which does give me a LOT of hope of the horror genre as a whole.

Let’s get started, shall we? These are listed in alphabetical order to make it a little easier for me, since narrowing it down to ten was hard enough!

Continue reading →

Discover the Horror Podcast: Episode 57 – Black Friday Sales

by in Discover the Horror Podcast and tagged , , | Leave a comment

There are few events in horrordom quite as joyfully gluttonous as the Black Friday sales put on by our favorite boutique film labels.  As the season approaches, speculation on social media and in rapid-fire in-person conversations reaches a fever pitch.  What new films? What new merch? What great deals? We dream of horrors we might own someday like we’re kids again hunched over a wish book or staring at a toy display from outside a shop window.  Black Friday has become a defining annual event in our annual calendar of events and involves so many people in the fandom, and yet very few of us have any idea what goes into making one of these sales happen. 

Because it’s our mission to give you new ways to see and think about all things horror, we wanted to give you a peek inside one of those boutique labels and have a look at the Black Friday sale.  So, our guest on this episode is Justin Tsantsa, Director of Publishing for Vinegar Syndrome, and we are also joined by Jennie Osterman, Lead Shipping Specialist for Vinegar Syndrome.  They guide us through exactly what goes into the whole process and talk a bit about their astonishing new venture, Vinegar Syndrome Publishing, which will be bringing some new horror to all our bookshelves in the near future.

Movies mentioned in this episode:

Abomination (1986), Beyond the Darkness (1979), A Blade in the Dark (1983), Blood Sucking Freaks (1976), A Cold Night’s Death (1973), The Corruption of Chris Miller (1973), D.A.R.Y.L. (1985), Deep Inside (1968), Emanuelle in Bangkok (1976), The Exorcist (1973), Fortress (1985), Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981), Friday the 13th Part 3 (1982), Fright Night (1985), The Funhouse (1981), Halloween (1978), Halloween II (1981), The House that Dreaded Sundown (1976), Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS (1975), The Legend of Boggy Creek (1972), Madman (1981), Maniac (1980), Mother’s Day (1980), New York Ninja (2021), Phantasm (1978), The Prophecy (1995), The Prophecy II (1998), The Prophecy 3: The Ascent (2000), Red Spirit Lake (1993), Sweet Sugar (1972), Trapped (1977), What’s Up, Tiger Lily (1966), Zombie (1979)

Discover the Horror Episode 54: Box Sets

by in Discover the Horror Podcast and tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Let’s face it: horror fans are, as a group, a little bit obsessive. When we sink our teeth into something we do not do it barely or easily, we take a big, honkin’ bite. If we become infatuated with a director, we want to see every film they’ve made, read a book about them, hear people talk about them, watch documentaries about them, and so on. And the same is true for national horror cinemas, regional American horror cinemas, important eras, actors, subgenres, and the like. And in recent years, a handful of visionary producers of physical media have recognized an opportunity in our longing and have invented and are currently inundating us with boxed sets. These comprehensive, exhaustive, wonderful monsters have become a gravitational center point for our genre. But just a handful of years ago they mostly didn’t exist or were announced only every few years. Nowadays, we get several per year from companies like Severin, Vinegar Syndrome, Indicator, Arrow, and Scream! Factory, just to name a few. So, we figured it was time for Discover the Horror to take a long look at the history and impact of these monolithic pieces of film history.

Movies mentioned:

Continue reading →

Music Box of Horrors Final Lineup

by in Movie Events and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The full lineup for this year’s Music Box of Horrors has been announced on their website, and it looks like one hell of a 24 hours to spend with other like-minded horror fans! Although, the ones crazy enough to come out for a 24-hour marathon aren’t just fans, but dedicated deviants that want to revel and dwell in these amazing horror titles. And I love them for that!

To make the marathon even better, the Music Box has once again filled up their lobby and lounge with a wide variety of vendors to help you pick up some great stuff! I know we are so excited to make our return to vending at this event, but there are plenty of other great vendors like Pretty Spooky Handmades, House of Monsters, Vinegar Syndrome, Severin Films, Graveface Records, and more! Make sure you stop by and check all the vendors out! And of course, stop by and see us at the Kitley’s Krypt booth!

For all the latest information, head over to the Music Box’s page for this event HERE, and also check out their main site (HERE) to see all the other great stuff they are screening!

Below is the full lineup with the start times:

Continue reading →