Firstly, a massive thank you to our Patreon supporters. These supporters have become the single biggest contributing factor to the survival of DVDBeaver. Your assistance is essential to our survival.

 

What do Patrons receive, that you don't?

 

1) Our weekly Newsletter and Calendar Updates sent to your Inbox!
2) Access to over 100,000 unpublished screen captures in lossless high-resolution format!

 

Please consider keeping us in existence with a couple of dollars or more each month (your pocket change! / a coffee!) so we can continue to do our best in giving you timely, thorough reviews, calendar updates and detailed comparisons. I am indebted to your generosity.


 

Search DVDBeaver

S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

Directed by Richard Loncraine
UK 1982

 

Young con man Martin Taylor is out grifting on the streets of London when he happens across Tom Bates, a middle-class family man who, Martin quickly learns, has a disabled daughter at home who’s been left brain-damaged by a hit-and-run accident. Pretending to be an old love interest of the girl, Pattie, Martin soon tricks his way into the family’s countryside home, where he promptly charms mother Norma and convinces her to let him stay for a few days to be close to and care for Pattie - much to the wariness of Tom, who questions Martin’s intentions. As the young man ingratiates himself more and more into their family life, it soon becomes clear that he harbors a much more sinister purpose.

Originally written for British television by legendary dramatist Dennis Potter, the resulting 1976 BBC TV play was deemed so controversial that it was pulled prior to airing and not broadcast until 1987. The 1982 film version of Brimstone & Treacle, adapted for the big screen by Potter and with director Richard Loncraine (The Haunting of Julia, Richard III) at the helm, is a haunting and deeply disturbing slice of modern British gothic with an electrifying central performance by Sting in the role of Martin Taylor, alongside celebrated actors Denholm Elliott and Joan Plowright. Accompanied by a pulsing score from The Police, Brimstone & Treacle, at last, arrives on UHD with a brand new 4K restoration from the original negative supervised by Richard Loncraine and cinematographer Peter Hannan, together with a host of revelatory new bonus features.

Posters

Theatrical Release: August 22nd, 1982 (Montréal World Film Festival)

Reviews                                      More Reviews                               DVD Reviews

 

Review: Vinegar Syndrome - Region FREE - 4K UHD

Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

  

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Vinegar Syndrome - Region FREE - 4K UHD
Runtime 1:27:04.928        
Video

1.66:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 43,976,849,026 bytes

Feature: 25,519,887,168 bytes

Video Bitrate: 34.93 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

1.66:1 2160P 4K Ultra HD

Disc Size: 65,602,640,654 bytes

Feature: 64,527,329,280 bytes

Video Bitrate: 92.02 Mbps

Codec: HEVC Video

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate Blu-ray:

Bitrate  4K UHD:

Audio

DTS-HD Master Audio English 2186 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2186 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)

Subtitles English (SDH), None
Features Release Information:
Studio:
Vinegar Syndrome

 

1.66:1 2160P 4K Ultra HD

Disc Size: 65,602,640,654 bytes

Feature: 64,527,329,280 bytes

Video Bitrate: 92.02 Mbps

Codec: HEVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• Newly recorded select-scene audio commentary with lead actor Sting and director Richard Loncraine (41:17)
• "Trouble Brewing" (26:07) - an interview with director Richard Loncraine
• "A House for the Devil" (16:06) - an interview with production designer Milly Burns
• "Big Visions and Small Screens: Dennis Potter on Film" (22:50) - film historians Jon Dear and John Williams on the big screen adaptations of Dennis Potter
• Original trailer (2:34)
Reversible sleeve artwork

Liner notes booklet


4K UHD Release Date: April 29th, 2025
Black
4K UHD Case

Chapters 5

 

 

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray and 4K UHD captures were taken directly from the respective discs.

ADDITION: Vinegar Syndrome 4K UHD (April 2025): Vinegar Syndrome has transferred Richard Loncraine's Brimstone & Treacle to 4K UHD. It is cited as follows:  "Brimstone & Treacle was scanned and restored in 4K from its original camera negative and graded under the supervision of director Richard Loncraine and cinematographer Peter Hannan.
While intricately lit on set to strongly favor deep yellow and green tones with intermixed blues, some previous releases attempted to mute or offset the film's stylized look. We are very pleased to finally offer
Brimstone & Treacle with its originally intended and photographed color scheme, allowing you to become fully immersed in Loncraine's nightmarish vision." The 4K UHD is presented in Dolby Vision High-Dynamic-Range and a sky-high bitrate. The second disc Blu-ray is also region FREE and has the feature in 1080P plus extras. This restoration delivers a significant upgrade over previous home video releases, bringing out the film’s naturalistic yet subtly gothic visual style with enhanced clarity and depth. The 2160p resolution maximize detail, contrast, and color fidelity. Given the film’s original aesthetic - muted browns, beiges, and greens in the Bates’ oppressive home - the restoration preserves this drab palette while sharpening fine details like wood paneling, clothing textures, and facial expressions. It looks flawless in 4K UHD preserving the film's dark appearance fine film grain. It avoids the analogue feel being crisp yet organic. Great job with the transfer.

NOTE: We have added 62 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE.

On their 4K UHD and Blu-ray, Vinegar Syndrome uses a DTS-HD Master dual-mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. The track delivers clear dialogue for Brimstone & Treacle - crucial for Potter’s sharp, theatrical exchanges - with Sting’s lilting cadence, Denholm Elliott’s gravelly rants, and Joan Plowright’s tremulous pleas standing out distinctly. Ambient sounds, like creaking floorboards or Pattie’s faint breathing, are likely enhanced for clarity without artificial embellishment. The soundtrack, featuring Sting’s ironic "Spread a Little Happiness" and Michael Nyman’s (The Hairdresser's Husband, The Piano, Gattaca, Man with a Movie Camera, Keep It Up Downstairs, Greenaway's Drowning By Numbers, A Zed & Two Noughts, etc.) minimalist score, benefit from the lossless format, offering a fuller dynamic range for the song’s bright melody and the score’s brooding strings. Bass is modest given the transfer, but the mix emphasizes the eerie interplay between music and silence - key to the film’s tension. Pattie’s climactic scream, a pivotal auditory moment, is poised to hit with raw impact. The transfer elevates Brimstone & Treacle's sonic texture for modern systems. Vinegar Syndrome offers optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray and 4K UHD.

The Vinegar Syndrome 4K UHD and Blu-ray offer a new select-scene commentary with Sting and Richard Loncraine. This feature delivers a lively discussion between the lead actor and director, recorded specifically for this release. At over 41 minutes, it’s substantial for a scene-specific track, focusing on the opening non-CGI credit sequences and key moments, like Martin’s introduction and arrival at the house, pre and post the sexual assault scene, and Pattie’s awakening. Sting’s reflections on his film debut and Loncraine’s insights into adapting Potter’s vision provide a mix of anecdotal charm and technical depth. The video extras are relegated to the second-disc Blu-ray. "Trouble Brewing" is a 26-minute interview with Richard Loncraine that offers an in-depth look at the director’s process, covering the challenges of translating Potter’s banned TV play to the screen, working with Sting, and shaping the film’s unsettling tone. Loncraine’s supervision of the 4K restoration has him discussing the preservation of the film’s aesthetic. "A House for the Devil" has production designer Milly Burns for 16 minutes to unpack the creation of the Bates’ suffocating home. Details on how the dated decor and muted colors were chosen to reflect the family’s emotional stasis, enhancing the film’s gothic atmosphere. "Big Visions and Small Screens: Dennis Potter on Film" with Jon Dear and John Williams - this 23-minute featurette with film historians explores Potter’s transition from TV to cinema, situating "Brimstone & Treacle" within his oeuvre ("The Singing Detective," "Pennies from Heaven".) It’s a scholarly bonus that should appeal to cinephiles, dissecting the film’s provocative themes and cultural impact. Lastly is an original trailer and the package has reversible sleeve artwork and an 8-page liner notes booklet with an essay by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas (Rape-Revenge Films: A Critical Study) and artwork.

"Brimstone & Treacle," originally a 1976 television play by Dennis Potter that was banned by the BBC for its controversial content before being adapted into a 1982 film directed by Richard Loncraine, is a deeply unsettling and multifaceted work that defies easy categorization. Starring Sting as Martin Taylor, Denholm Elliott as Tom Bates, Joan Plowright as Norma Bates, and Suzanna Hamilton as Pattie Bates, the film combines elements of dark comedy, psychological drama, and gothic horror to probe the fragility of human morality, the nature of evil, and the veneer of suburban respectability. Below is an in-depth analysis of its themes, characters, narrative structure, and stylistic choices. At its core, "Brimstone & Treacle" examines the interplay between good and evil, often blurring the lines between the two. The film unfolds like a chamber play - evoking Bergman's Autumn Sonata - confined largely to the Bates’ home, which heightens its claustrophobic tension. Scenes of mundane domesticity - Norma cooking, Tom reading - are punctuated by Martin’s bizarre interjections (singing hymns, quoting scripture), creating a tonal dissonance that mirrors the story’s moral ambiguity. The 4K UHD video and audio quality reflect Vinegar Syndrome’s commitment to authenticity and excellence, elevating a 1982 TV adaptation into a 4K showcase without overpolishing its raw edges. The extras are a treasure trove - thoughtfully curated, newly produced, and generous in runtime - offering both behind-the-scenes insight and academic analysis. For fans of Potter, Sting, or British gothic cinema, this release is a must-own, blending technical prowess with a deep dive into the film’s troubled soul. This is an uncomfortable film that is absolutely recommended.

Gary Tooze

 


Menus / Extras

 

Vinegar Syndrome - Region FREE - 4K UHD


CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

1) Vinegar Syndrome - Region FREE - Blu-ray TOP

2) Vinegar Syndrome - Region FREE - 4K UHD BOTTOM

 

 


 

 


 

 


 

 


 

 


 

 


Examples of NSFW (Not Safe For Work) 4K UHD - (Mouse Over - click to enlarge)

 

 


 

More full resolution (1920 X 1080) Blu-ray Captures for DVDBeaver Patreon Supporters HERE

 

 

 
Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

  

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Vinegar Syndrome - Region FREE - 4K UHD


 


 

Search DVDBeaver

S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

 

Hit Counter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DONATIONS Keep DVDBeaver alive:

 CLICK PayPal logo to donate!

Gary Tooze

Thank You!