The Vineyard (film)

The Vineyard is a 1989 American horror film written by James Marlowe and Douglas Kondo, directed by James Hong and William Rice, and starring James Hong, Michael Wong, Sherri Ball and Playboy Playmate Karen Witter.

The Vineyard
DVD cover
Directed by
Produced byHarry Mok
Screenplay by
  • James Hong
  • Douglas Kondo
Story by
  • Harry Mok
  • James Hong
Starring
Production
company
Northstar
Distributed byNew World Pictures
Release date
  • 1989 (1989)
Running time
93 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plot

Winemaker Dr. Elson Po fears that he is getting too old, so he uses the blood of his prisoners to make his world-famous wine. Asking his god for eternal life, he drinks his wine and becomes young again. A group of young actors come to his mansion over one week to audition for his purported "wine-making film". The seven guests soon find out the secret of his wine and must escape.

Cast
  • James Hong as Dr. Elson Po
  • Michael Wong as Jeremy Young
  • Sherri Ball as Celeste
  • Karl Heinz Teuber as Paul Edmonds
  • Karen Witter as Jezebel
  • Sean P. Donahue as Brian Whiteman

Release

The Vineyard was given a limited release theatrically in the United States by New World Pictures in 1989.[1] The film was later released on DVD in the U.S. by Anchor Bay Entertainment in 2001 and Image Entertainment in 2011[2], and was issued in the UK by Arrow Films in 2013.[3]

On September 24, 2019, The Vineyard was given its first ever Blu-ray release (as a combo pack with a DVD) by Vinegar Syndrome, with the first 2,000 units featuring a limited edition embossed slipcover. The film was presented in a 4K restoration from the original camera negative, and bonus features included three interviews, the theatrical trailer and reversible cover artwork.[4][5]

Reception

Paul Risker of Starburst rated it 6/10 stars and wrote, "So long as you don't expect too much from it, The Vineyard is good fun, a nonsensical romp on an isolated island with plenty of cult moments to satisfy certain cravings."[6] Food & Wine called it "the greatest wine-centric B horror film".[7]

Writing in The Zombie Movie Encyclopedia, academic Peter Dendle wrote that the film's East Asian mythology helps to distinguish it, but it "falls into the usual late-'80s horror ruts, preferring isolated shocks to any gradual build-up of mood".[8]

References
  1. "The Vineyard (1989)". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-02-16.
  2. "The Vineyard (1989)". Allmovie. Retrieved 2015-02-16.
  3. Woods, Kevin (2013-05-31). "Arrow Video to release the 1989 James Hong cult classic The Vineyard to UK DVD". Joblo.com. Retrieved 2015-02-16.
  4. https://vinegarsyndrome.com/products/the-vineyard?variant=29473809432618
  5. https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Vineyard-Blu-ray/109952
  6. Risker, Paul (2013-06-12). "DVD Review: THE VINEYARD (1989)". Starburst. Retrieved 2015-02-16.
  7. Sterling, Justine (2014-10-27). "5 Reasons Why "The Vineyard" is the Greatest Wine-Centric B Horror Film You'll Stream This Halloween". Food & Wine. Retrieved 2015-02-16.
  8. Dendle, Peter (2001). The Zombie Movie Encyclopedia. McFarland & Company. p. 180. ISBN 978-0-7864-9288-6.
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