The Black Room (1982)

Looking to inject a little more excitement into his life, family man Larry seizes the opportunity when he happens across a newspaper advert for a “unique and exotic” room for rent in a mansion in the Hollywood Hills. The room, draped in black sheets and filled with candles, pillows and mirrors, seems to be the ideal place in which to carry out his extra-marital affairs - which Larry promptly does, first picking up a young college girl and later a prostitute. The mysterious owners of the property, siblings Jason and Bridget, seem more than happy to accommodate the wayward husband, dutifully preparing the room for each visit. But what Larry doesn’t realize is that Jason is deathly in need of regular blood transfusions, and the pair have been abducting each of Larry’s carnal conquests to use as victims in Jason’s deadly laboratory…Written and co-directed by Norman Thaddeus Vane (writer/director of 1983’s Frightmare) and directed by Elly Kenner, 1982’s THE BLACK ROOM is a smart, seductive and utterly unique horror yarn, offering up a distinctive and modern take on the then-tired vampire mythos, whilst doubling down on all the requisite sex and bloodletting one would expect from the genre - the latter aided in no small part by the talents of special effects guru Mark Shostrom (Evil Dead II, the A Nightmare on Elm Street series). Featuring cinematography from Robert Harmon (who’d go on to helm the 1986 cult classic The Hitcher), Vinegar Syndrome is thrilled to resurrect THE BLACK ROOM from its murky VHS grave, pumping fresh blood into this underseen horror gem with a new 4K restoration from 35mm negative elements and an unholy assortment of newly-produced bonus features.