Vinegar Syndrome Discussion Thread

[PurpsMcNuggets]

I recently upgraded from the Kino 4k of Dressed to Kill to the Arrow 4k and it is a significant improvement in overall video quality.

Last week I re-watched the 4k’s of The Dollars Trilogy and then purchased the Arrow 4k’s. With Fistful of Dollars and For A Few Dollars More, the Kino 4k looked acceptable but some improvements could definitely be made. With The Good, The Bad and the Ugly I thought the picture quality was poor and have heard the Arrow is a major improvement. Plus I was interested in watching the many hours of special features not included on the Kino discs, that the Arrow 4k’s have.

With 4k, I am all about owning the best version possible, as I expect it will be the last time I buy that movie again. I much prefer to buy a 4k for a movie I don’t own, or are upgrading from DVD or a bad blu ray/ a bad 4k.

[Colonel Blimp]

Right, and I assume that if someone got the Shout Beastmaster, they'd probably sell the VS Beastmaster (or at least could), so it's not like anybody's stuck with two movies. Whatever loss there is on a sale is just a rental fee.

Like you could sell the Kino Dollars and get something back I'm sure.

So with that in mind, are the upgrades really that extreme? Probably not. It's a little aggravating to do the selling, but that's often part of the hobby too.

[RillIris]

Originally Posted by Colonel Blimp

Granted, you didn't say you will do it - you just said you might. But I do want to know what you feel like you would get out of two versions of the movie. No judgement!

In my case this is a movie I really enjoy, I watch it once every couple years if not slightly more often. Since it looks like no new extras, a notable improvement to the 4K presentation is the one reason I may choose to own both, so I’ll wait to see what reviews look like and decide from that. I’d still keep the VSU even if I “upgrade” to the Shout release though, love the clasp box packaging, and I do have the full VSU lineup so it’ll remain. Is very rare I keep a release purely for the packaging though if something better comes along, not completely unheard of, but not common at all.

The most common reason I have 2 releases of a single movie is that I am a 3D fan, so I have both a 4K and 3D release of quite a few movies I enjoy. Alternate cuts are the other big one, LotR is an obvious one for that, but even more subtle alternate versions I tend to keep, like I have the original Avatar 3D release, and the newer Disney era 3D version that tweaked a single scene at the end.

The last is extras, and on this I can be hit and miss. I have the Criterion BD, Arrow 4K, and Kino 4K of The Silence of the Lambs, it’s one of my favorite movies, and every one of those includes some exclusive extra that let me dive into the movie deeper. The Arrow 4K is the obvious one to keep for PQ specifically, but I like the exclusives on the others enough to hold onto them. To name a VS release, I sold off my copy of Cutting Class when the MVD 4K came out. I quite enjoy that movie actually, and the exclusive extras are good, but not to the extent I cared to have 2 editions of that movie. I definitely rebuy movies somewhat often to get the new supplements though, and will then sell off the older release.

There are also certain one offs. I have the Lionsgate issued Godzilla Vs Biollante and the Criterion 4K, holding onto the older release specifically because it includes the dub.

EDIT: Adding one more soon I’ll keep both releases of. Tron I’ll keep my BD when the 4K drops. The 4K and very likely BD included with it use the new master that I personally like what I’ve seen, but in a very revisionist way it heightens the neon colors to make it more in line with the newer movies. That is enough I want both in my collection to compare, especially since the existing BD looks really solid. I did not keep my DVD for Panic Room in spite of the 4K/BD making tons of digital alterations to the movie, as though abundant I don’t find they change the overall feeling of the movie in the same way this change to Tron will, and I don’t think the DVD presentation holds up well at all in 2025 on modern displays.

[THFC666]

Originally Posted by Colonel Blimp

Okay - no judgement at all - but why would you make a lateral purchase of this movie even if there were some improvements to the 4K? I'm sure the VS isn't horrible, is it?

Now - if you are a collector who likes to compare the different nuances of releases, etc etc I totally get it. If that's a reason, that makes sense to me. If you're watching Beastmaster all the time, again, that also makes sense to me.

But in this world of movie after movie, unless it's a dramatic and clear-cut improvement, that sort of double-dipping does surprise me.

I'm the opposite. For me to upgrade from a DVD to BLU is very rare and only IF it's a favorite movie AND it comes with some specific improvements - so Conan on Arrow, or the recent Blair Witch LE, for example.

But yeah, I don't think I would ever double-dip for "only" some potential picture improvements. But that's just me, and we're all in this for different reasons. And it would be totally fair to say that I'm sacrificing key elements of movies by sticking with a lesser format.

Granted, you didn't say you will do it - you just said you might. But I do want to know what you feel like you would get out of two versions of the movie. No judgement!

I upgrade every chance I can get. Even if it is a slight improvement. I have many films on 3+ formats. As another has said, I want the best possible version. I also watch most of my films on a projector with a large screen. Additional clarity helps a lot. I have a few films on the same format due to a better PQ or extras. I also do not sell. Never have and have no plans to do so. I can understand why some might, but I just cannot do it. Once it is in the collection, it stays there, even if it becomes a boxed up part of the collection due to lack of space. I have thousands of dvds boxed away that will never see the light of day again. Won't watch them as I have upgraded or will buy the upgraded version if possible.

I am one of those few that are happy when VS releases a 4k of a film that exists on Blu-ray already.

[Americanhorrorgorey]

I know this initially started off as some low brow joke but...

Now that Hulk Hogan has passed Vinegar Syndrome have secretly been working harder on the Vinegar Syndrome Hogan line. Vinegar Syndrome HOGAN (VSH) has so many titles to release, they are working like elves through the night on NO HOLDS BARRED>

So I hear.

[Nosferatu31]

Originally Posted by Americanhorrorgorey

I know this initially started off as some low brow joke but...

Now that Hulk Hogan has passed Vinegar Syndrome have secretly been working harder on the Vinegar Syndrome Hogan line. Vinegar Syndrome HOGAN (VSH) has so many titles to release, they are working like elves through the night on NO HOLDS BARRED>

So I hear.

Sign me up BROTHER! I'll order it.

[chuckconnors]

That will save me money then