Episode 54 - Special Features & Audio Commentaries with Erica Shultz + August 2026 Review

Episode 54 - Special Features & Audio Commentaries with Erica Shultz + August 2026 Review

Author: They Live By Film September 16, 2026 Duration: 3:01:58
One of this month's releases includes a commentary by a regular contributor to VinSyn's disc releases, so we're thrilled to welcome Erica Shultz, co-host of the Unsung Horrors podcast and author of The Sweetest Taboo: An Unapologetic Guide to Child Kills in Film! We chat with Erica about the work that goes into recording audio commentaries, video essays, and booklet essays for releases. We also highlight one of our favorite annual fundraising events set up by Erica through her podcast, Horror Gives Back! This year's contributions go to Best Friends Animal Society. This is a great way to support an awesome cause while getting your spooky season viewings in! 

In addition to the audio commentary on this month's Blood Reincarnation on the mainline, you can hear and read her work on other VS mainline and sublabel releases like Men From the Gutter, Made in Hong Kong Volume 2, and the Mike Diana Film Collection from partner label Factory 25! 

You can follow Erica's podcast on IG with the Horror Gives Back watchlist already live, as well as follow her letterboxd and of course, support the work she's doing by picking up the various titles she's contributed to on the VS website:

https://www.instagram.com/unsunghorrors?igshid=sp84lpaa808u
https://www.instagram.com/hexmassacre/
https://letterboxd.com/hexmassacre/

Chris and Eli then recap August releases, finding their favorite release from a divisive 4K line and a small, but mighty heap of partner releases too! Looking forward to the onslaught of September drops too! We'll be back the first week of October's with a returning guest to cover the announcements as well as the return of 15 Minutes with You, catching up on the May/June Melusine slate!  

Thank you to everyone who listens and please let us know how we can make the show better. Always listening!

Someone's Favorite Productions 
https://www.someonesfavoriteproductions.com/

Eli can be found on most socials @eliolsberg, you can also catch his standup show the second Tuesday of every month at the Pleasure Chest in West Hollywood. Also, check out his Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/eliolsberg/

Chris is on
Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/personalhistory/
IG at personalhistoryoffilm

Celeste de la Cabra can be found on most socials at Celeste de la Cabra but is very active on YT and IG right now. Also, if you're not already spend a few dollars per month supporting Celeste: https://www.patreon.com/CelestedelaCabra

There’s a particular thrill in discovering a film that exists entirely on its own terms, made with raw passion rather than a polished playbook. Punk Vacation: An Unofficial Vinegar Syndrome Podcast from They Live By Film is a deep dive into that exact feeling. This isn't a formal history lesson; it's a conversation about the unpredictable, often overlooked corners of cinema that the Vinegar Syndrome label helps preserve. Each episode finds its focus in the joy of unfettered creativity, whether through reviews of specific films, interviews with the people who make them, or discussions about the contexts that shaped them. The podcast operates on a wonderfully simple premise: great stories and compelling art aren't defined by budget, origin, or era. You'll hear about movies from anywhere and any time, treated with a mix of genuine enthusiasm and thoughtful analysis. The hosts approach each title not as mere curiosities but as legitimate works worth understanding and celebrating. Listening to this podcast feels like browsing the shelves of a fantastic video store with friends who are equally excited to talk about what they find, connecting the dots between genres, filmmakers, and film history's hidden pathways. It’s a guide to the wild, the weird, and the wonderfully inventive spirit of independent filmmaking.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Punk Vacation: An Unofficial Vinegar Syndrome Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Episode 52 - Reviews of July Titles and April Melusine Slate [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:36:10
Finding the joy in unfettered creativity. A podcast dedicated to bringing awareness and context to movies of any budget, from anywhere, and during any time.In Episode 52, we have reached singularity. Eli is not on PV exa…
Episode 50 - Director of Theatrical & Special Events Theresa Mercado [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:33:04
This week, We're stoked to bring you a first time guest on the show, director of theatrical and special events for Vinegar Syndrome, Theresa Mercado! She's been with the company from their west coast beginnings in Bright…
Episode 49 - Summer Subscriber Week w/Oscar Becher [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:34:16
Summer subscriber week just wrapped up with a terrific mainline slate and some exciting sublabel announcements, including one of our new favorites, Reviver. So, who better to have on than friend of the show and VinSyn's…
Episode 48 - Kani Releasing w/Ariel Esteban Cayer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:49:19
While Vinegar Syndrome's Halfway Subscriber Week has officially kicked off, we'll be talking about that in full next week with a special guest, so in the meantime we thought we'd spotlight one more OCN partner label with…
Episode 47 - Muscle Distribution w/Liz Purchell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:06:45
It's Episode 47 and we're continuing are focus on partner labels with another one of our favorites and a newcomer to OCN, Muscle Distribution, with founder Elizabeth Purchell! We talk with Liz about her work in film pres…
Episode 45 - Saturn's Core Audio & Video w/Ross Snyder [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:52:57
Finding the joy in unfettered creativity. A podcast dedicated to bringing awareness and context to movies of any budget, from anywhere, and during any time.On Episode 45, we're kicking off our first of a few partner labe…