OVERALL: Draw

Vinegar Syndrome has the fully-uncut extended Italian version and the export version from a new 4K scan and exclusive extras.
The German releases have both versions of the film - the extended cut is missing roughly two minutes of frames - and exclusive German commentaries.
The remastered 2024 British release has both cuts of the film as well as exclusive new extras and the ones from the 2015 edition.

Also available from:
- Le chat qui fume (France)


GENERAL NOTES:
The film was originally shot for Italian television, and planned as four twenty-seven minute segments; however, the final cut of the film ended up for theatrical release trimmed down to 97 minutes.

Although the 97 minute version became the default cut of the film on VHS and some early DVD editions, the longer version running 109 minutes still existed in Italy and would supplant the theatrical cut on physical media; however, when the early NTSC, PAL, and initial HD telecine of the 16mm negatives deleted frames at each splice point reducing the running time by roughly two minutes to just under 107 minutes. The newer 4K scan restores the missing frames and brings the running time back up to 109 minutes.

The extra footage does not add much in the way of plot development or gore, but it does achieve a more layered, character-motivated approach than the earlier cut. Some of the restored scenes include Bruno making a pay booth call to Julia's boss – casting suspicion on her whereabouts during the murders – more atmospheric night scenes of Bruno exploring the house, a longer build up to the second murder, and several extra red herring bits involving Stanko Molnar as the groundsman, fondling scissors and generally acting suspiciously.

While the extended television version and the Italian theatrical cut ran the opening credits on a still background after the bloody tennis ball stops bouncing, the original export version in some territories ran the credits on a black background while a variation in some territories ran the English credits on the still background.

CUTS:

• Blu-ray ALL Standard Edition America- Vinegar Syndrome - No cuts - includes the extended Italian television edit (109:15) and the theatrical/export cut (97:06).
• Blu-ray ALL Standard Edition Canada- Vinegar Syndrome - No cuts - includes the extended Italian television edit (109:15) and the theatrical/export cut (97:06).
• Blu-ray ALL United Kingdom- 88 Films - No cuts - includes the director's approved theatrical/export cut (96:33) and the extended Italian television edit (108:44).
• Blu-ray B Limited Edition Germany- X-Rated - No cuts - Features the Extended Italian television version but missing frames at each splice point (106:53) and export version (95:14)
• Blu-ray B The Italian Collection #6 United Kingdom- 88 Films - No cuts - Extended Italian television version with English language credits but missing frames at each splice point (106:55)

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Comparison added by James-Masaki_Ryan on 08/09/15
Comparison last updated by Eric_Cotenas on 09/04/24

UPDATE LOG:

08/09/15: Initial entry.
13/11/15: capsaholic.
17/06/17: Added German edition.
17/06/17: Tweaked title.
01/09/17: Added DVDBeaver review link.
08/08/18: Title update, capsaholic update, notes on different versions.
02/03/24: Added Vinegar Syndrome and corrected notes on versions.
09/04/24: Added UK.