Maybe I just wasn’t paying attention but what is the Bloodstone supposed to do, anyway? The entire first film of “Subspecies” revolves around the sacred macguffin called the Bloodstone. Allegedly it’s supposed to drip the blood of the saints but then what? Does that grant the vampire god-like abilities? Isn’t that a bit redundant considering a vampire is already near invincible? Does it allow them to walk during the day? Does it make them holy or something? I could never quite figure out what if anything the bloodstone was for. “Subspecies” in spite of its inherent narrative faults and logic gaps is a time when Full Moon was trying to deliver us quality entertainment.
Filmed entirely in Romania, “Subspecies” is a very atmospheric and uber-gothic vampire epic that will surely please vampire fans looking for their share of blood lust and battles between good and evil. Radu is one of the most menacing monsters of the Full Moon gallery, a monster with an infinite scowl, jagged fans, and long talons paired with a Johnny Depp mane that makes him look like Nosferatu’s rebellious teenage son. As he discovers feelings for traveler Michelle, he systematically destroys everything she loves and seeks to bring her under his spell as his bride and of course look for the bloodstone. “Subspecies” is a fairly melodramatic but awfully entertaining bit of vampire fodder with director Tedd Nicoloau providing some ace direction.
His often creepy direction provides the land of Romania with some deeper layers of menace and dread as they prove to be harrowing stomping grounds for Radu, who roams about in the woods looking for his next prey. Anders Hove gives the best performance of the piece as Radu whose entire existence is often blank and meaningless until he finds a purpose within Michelle. His journey to find the bloodstone offers the audience much interesting horrific entertainment including scenes of maiming and blood drinking, as well as the introduction of Radu’s horned minions. In spite of their presence being a combination of stop motion and ancient computer animation, they’re still rather interesting Full Moon characters that don’t often get a lot of spotlight in their long list of interesting characters.
Radu’s journey to find a beloved and the bloodstone ends in a rather exciting and gory climax and for what it promises in terms of grue and thrills, “Subspecies” is still a fine vampire film with a company that once tried to deliver something substantially worthy of being a B movie. Although a bit convoluted with the macguffin of the plot left utterly unexplained and foggy for the audience, “Subspecies” is still a sharp and entertaining vampire melodrama that channels the likes of Anne Rice for an episodic journey through the darkness with the evil Radu. It’s definitely a Full Moon gem.
The Blu-Ray features a dazzling restoration and among the sparse features is a transported Videozone featurette from the VHS about the making of “Subspecies.” Though some may scoff at the recycled feature, it’s a sheer glorious trip to the days of VCR’s to see the Videozone segment brought on to the Blu-Ray release.