Blu-Ray Review: Sugar Cookies

By Brad Henderson

I’m in love with many distribution companies—Scream Factory, Cult Epics, Synapse, Arrow, Scorpion Releasing, and many more—but one company that stands out from all the rest is Vinegar Syndrome. It is the one company that is all over the place in terms of genres as well as the one that is releasing everything that is dead or dying. These guys truly believe in film preservation throughout all genres of film and yearn to keep them alive. The only other company that comes close is Cult Epics, who are well on their way to greatness.

Recently Vinegar Syndrome released Sugar Cookies, a movie that Troma’s Lloyd Kaufman co-wrote and produced before Troma became known for movies like The Toxic Avenger. It has the sex and the violence but it isn’t done in the way that Troma has become known for because it isn’t really a Troma film. If you know me personally you know that I’m not a fan of Troma.

NOTE: THIS IS NOT A TROMA FILM

Sugar Cookies was originally rated X during its 1971 release because it was a softcore porn film and it was re-released later on, eventually hitting DVD. Looks like Vinegar Syndrome is going through Troma’s catalogue and picking some of the more obscure flicks that have been lost and giving them the attention they deserve.

The beautiful, extremely talented Mary Woronov plays the lead in Sugar Cookies and she is absolutely adorable. It’s one of the best performances of hers I’ve ever seen.

Sugar Cookies is weird as hell but holy hell, is it memorable. It is part softcore porno, comedy, thriller, and drama. It will stick with you for a while because of all the bizarre shit that happens. At several points it feels like we are watching a slapstick comedy and then at other times, it becomes suspenseful, but it then jumps to another genre once the ball gets rolling. That isn’t a bad thing; it makes it all the more special.

Of course, Vinegar Syndrome doesn’t put out anything mediocre so the transfer to Blu-Ray looks and sounds outstanding. I wish they would stick to Blu-Ray for all of their releases because the work that they put into them is just incredible. Any company who licenses films like this—ones that most people have never heard of—will always take the money out of my pocket. I don’t even wonder if I will actually like the movies from Vinegar Syndrome; I just give them my money because it is all about film preservation at this point.

Thanks Vinegar Syndrome.

You’re Awesome.

Love,
Brad

Sugar Cookies was released from Vinegar Syndrome on Blu-Ray on June 3.