2012–13: Early history Vinegar Syndrome, named for
the acidic smell of deteriorating film, was founded in 2012 by Joe Rubin and Ryan Emerson. The company was founded to restore and distribute
X-rated films from the 1960s to the 1980s, including
pornographic films released during the
Golden Age of Porn, on home media. The first three films to be released on
DVD and
Blu-ray by Vinegar Syndrome were each directed by
Herschell Gordon Lewis—
Ecstasies of Women,
Linda and Abilene (both 1969), and
Black Love (1971). Previously thought to be
lost, they were released in 2013 in a box set titled
The Lost Films of Herschell Gordon Lewis.
2015–18: Streaming service ventures In 2015, Vinegar Syndrome began developing a subscription-based,
VOD-style streaming service called Skinaflix, described by Rubin as "
Netflix for sex films, but curated for
cinephiles". Funded by an
Indiegogo campaign, the service was initially intended to offer
sexploitation films and other X-rated works, but its catalog was expanded to include films from other genres prior to its launch.
2021–present: Vinegar Syndrome Pictures (VSP) and Cinématographe In September 2021, Vinegar Syndrome published a
press release announcing the establishment of Vinegar Syndrome Pictures (VSP), a sub-branding dedicated to the production and distribution of films. The second film released under the VSP banner, in association with
Magnolia Pictures, was the 2021 British film
Censor, directed by
Prano Bailey-Bond. Intended to "fill gaps in the canon of American cinema", the first two releases under the label were announced for pre-order in January 2024: a 4K/Blu-ray combo pack of
Little Darlings and a Blu-ray of
Red Rock West. In 2025 the studio announced that they were releasing an extended cut in 4K of
Dirty Work based on the original preview audience version of the movie, before 7 minutes of footage were edited out. ==Formats==