Vinegar Syndrome Celebrates Its Tenth Anniversary

Celebrating ten years of critical work in film preservation and cult film distribution, Vinegar Syndrome kicks off 2023 in a huge way.

Anyone who knows me will attest to my absolute love affair with Vinegar Syndrome, a home video distribution company specializing in “protecting and preserving genre films”. While the company known for its stunning Blu-ray transfers of impossible or very difficult-to-get films, loaded with a bounty of special features, is widely heralded by fans of physical media, its importance extends far beyond making a collector’s heart skip a beat.

Founded in 2012 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, by Joe Rubin and Ryan Emerson, the company originated with a mission to restore and distribute old X-rated films that were lost or otherwise available. Since then, they have greatly expanded their catalog to include other types of cult and exploitation films, including horror and action films.

Taken its name from the decomposition of films due to poor storage conditions. This process of irreversible decay, known as vinegar syndrome, threatens to eradicate a significant chunk of the world’s cinematic history.

That’s where a company like Vinegar Syndrome comes in — to rescue films that would otherwise be lost to time. 

While universities and archives, such as Eastman House, do work to preserve films deemed artistically or historically significant, the films Vinegar Syndrome works tirelessly to save are those likely to be overlooked or easily dismissed. They work with producers who own rights to films that would have played in drive-ins and grindhouses.

Though they might not be considered “high art” to film scholars, these films are an essential and valuable part of film history.

Now entering its tenth year, Vinegar Syndrome has established itself as one of the premiere restoration and distribution companies of the last decade. The company’s work has been acclaimed by many, including The New York Times, Village Voice, and the Alamo Drafthouse.

With an impact felt worldwide, VinSyn has been compared to the prestigious Criterion Collection for its importance to physical media and film preservation.

As founder Joe Rubin explained in an interview with Diabolique Magazine, “Technology always changes, but film is forever.” 

To celebrate its tenth anniversary, Vinegar Syndrom is kicking off the new year with Subscriber Week: seven days of mind-blowing deals and member exclusives. 

Starting at 12:01 PM EST on Sunday, January 1st, and continuing through Saturday, January 7th at 11:59 PM EST, it’s a celebration of all things Vinegar Syndrome. It also marks the only time in 2023 that fans can become Vinegar Syndrome subscribers.

Vinegar Syndrome subscriptions are massively popular in the genre film community and allow customers to receive all of the coming year’s VS branded releases at 50% off SRP, along with exclusive discounts on all Vinegar Syndrome-related sub-labels and partner labels.

New products will be added to the site every day of Subscriber Week at exactly 12:01 PM EST, with ten select items discounted to $10 every day at the same time.

Subscriber Week will represent the most diverse lineup in Vinegar Syndrome history, with films from the US, Asia, Mexico, and Italy – spanning from the 1940s to the early 2000s.

2023 will feature numerous celebratory releases to commemorate Vinegar Syndrome’s 10th anniversary, including a major ten-film box set and the addition of three new distribution sub-labels.