The genre Blu-ray mavens at Vinegar Syndrome have made it an annual tradition to announce new surprise titles on Black Friday, and this morning is no exception. One of them is a much-awaited cult fright flick in a fully loaded region-free double-disc set, with a RUE MORGUE staffer as one of the key contributors.
Just revealed and now available is a special edition of SPOOKIES, the notorious 1987 creature feature that began as TWISTED SOULS, written and directed by Brendan Faulkner and the late Thomas Doran and produced by Frank M. Farel, Faulkner and Doran. Following the completion of principal photography, the movie was taken away from the filmmakers by its financier, who assigned adult-film actress and aspiring director Eugenie Joseph to shoot numerous new scenes that were combined with a little over 40 minutes of SOULS footage. The result is a true oddity—with flatulent sound effects dubbed over one of the key monster scenes—that has won a following on video thanks to its varied bestiary (created by a roster of up-and-coming artists), and now it can be seen in Vinegar Syndrome’s Blu-ray set in a new widescreen transfer, restored in 4K from the original 35mm camera negative. Special features are:
- TWISTED TALE: THE UNMAKING OF “SPOOKIES,” a feature-length documentary by RUE MORGUE writer Michael Gingold and Glen Baisley, featuring never-before-seen footage and photos and interviews with Faulkner, Farel, Cecilia Doran (art director and Thomas’ wife), actors Anthony Valbiro and Nick Gionta, cinematographer Ken Kelsch, creature/makeup effects creators John Dods, Gabe Bartalos and Vincent Guastini, journalist Max Evry and more, with audio commentary by Gingold and Baisley and extensive deleted scenes
- VIPCO—THE UNTOLD STORY, a feature-length documentary on the notorious UK home video label, including extended interview footage with Michael Lee (founder of VIPCO) and a trailer
- 2015 Alamo Drafthouse screening introductions with SPOOKIES director Thomas Doran and co-writer/producer Frank M. Farel
- Q&A from a 2015 Hudson Horror Show screening with actor Peter Iasillo, actor Anthony Valbiro and on-set journalist Tom Sciacca
- Archival locations featurette with actor Peter Iasillo
- Pinreel outtakes and bloopers
- Behind-the-scenes still gallery
- Theatrical trailer
- Reversible cover artwork with new artwork by Gary Pullin
- English SDH subtitles
There will be a special SPOOKIES signing event tomorrow, November 30 at Vinegar Syndrome’s retail store The Archive (118 Congress Street, Bridgeport, CT) from 12 noon-4 p.m. Faulkner, Farel, Doran, Valbiro, Gionta, Gingold and Baisley will be on hand to autograph copies of the Blu-ray set. Also part of the Black Friday madness are new Blu-rays of the “gore cut” of TAMMY AND THE T-REX (also on 4K disc), Guerdon Trueblood’s notorious exploitationer THE CANDY SNATCHERS and a boxed set of the high-school hooker thriller ANGEL and its first two sequels. They’re available along with the rest of Vinegar Syndrome’s titles at the company’s website; order ’em fast, because past Black Friday titles have sold out by the end of the weekend!
