Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.
ThrillMessage There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.
Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.
GL84 Arriving at a Romanian castle, several American scholars visiting the area to study relics left behind when they come across a resurrected vampire looking to take over the family legacy of terrorizing the area while his brother attempts to stop him in order to protect a long-held pact.This was quite the enjoyable vampire entry. One of the more enjoyable aspects of this one is the fact that there's an overbearing and relentless Gothic atmosphere throughout the film. The setting at a real castle, complete with the rocky terrain, wooden cabinets, stone construction and Olde-World charm, really manages to make this one feel like it's lost in that time-frame. It really helps to sell the shenanigans later on with the idea that this type of location forces these action scenes to emerge which is where this one really gets plenty to like. The idea of the vampires confronting the students inside this large setup causes some great scenes of the initial confrontation with the demonic creatures he creates from his fingers, the race to stop him from feeding on the clueless girls sleeping in the cabin while he drinks them at his leisure and the glorious scenes of the vampires crawling out of their crypts or coffins to create some stunning visuals. Likewise, the inclusion of the series of folkloric customs and traditions shown to be practiced here, from the celebration within the town looking to overcome the illness of the locals which includes all the jovial music and dancing with people in their costumes as well as the intent behind their actions to other scenes featuring the different methods of combating the vampires around them. The last half is where this one really whips up some incredibly fun action with several storylines converging at once to leave quite an impression, from the turned friend now attacking them as a vampire, the chained-up one stuck in the basement being tortured by the demonic beings under his control to the series of battles across the castle with the brides and the creatures. The big battle in the underground hideout where this one really manages to generate some entertaining confrontations and battles between the two sides while putting their tactics to good use in the right place. Alongside some fine nudity and a tolerable amount of gore, these help hold this one up over it's few minor issues. The film's main problem is the fact that there's just not a whole lot of action throughout the first half here to really dig into. The halting nature of the action showing them running around meeting the castle drags on with a lot of fine Gothic atmosphere but little else, and that really highlights how taken aback the main vampire really is. He doesn't really do much beyond looking intimidating, and the few chances he gets to really let loose are always interrupted so it doesn't really feature any kind of threatening main vampire to dive into. The other real issue is the low-budget feel that doesn't really let this one get any kind of really intense feel with its overall appearance since there's not a whole lot of blood and gore and the make-up effects are inconsistent which drags the look of the film down somewhat. Otherwise, there's not much really wrong here.Rated R: Graphic Violence, Language and Nudity.
Alex_Is_Legend If you're making a list of the all-time scariest vampires in film, there are some obvious choices. Names like Max Schreck's Nosferatu, Bela Lugosi's Dracula, Christopher Lee in Hammer's Dracula films, Reggie Nalder from Salem's Lot, Gary Oldman's Dracula and Chris Sarandon from Fright Night immediately come to mind. One that is often overlooked but still deserving of the title is Anders Hove's portrayal of Radu Vladislas from 1991's Subspecies.While the film itself may not go down as one of the greats, the nightmarish Radu has helped to cement Subspecies' place as a cult classic. The primal bloodsucker is undeniably creepy, with a raspy voice and long, crab leg-like fingers that bring to mind the iconic imagery of Nosferatu. The movie spawned three sequels and a spin-off. For its 20th anniversary, Full Moon Features released a special edition Blu-ray and DVD of the film.Angus Scrimm (Phantasm) receives top billing, but he appears merely as a cameo in the prologue. His King Vladislav is the first character to appear, brandishing a chintzy powdered wig. But the cheesiness does not last for long, as Radu is introduced next. The vampire king, having been seduced by a sorceress, is Radu's father. As you can imagine, there is not much family bonding between the two. Radu kills his father in order to obtain the bloodstone, a powerful relic that "bleeds the blood of saints." Centuries later, two American college girls, Michelle (Lara Tate) and Lillian (Michelle McBride), meet up with their European friend, Mara (Irina Movila), in Romania to research the local culture. They stay at a Transylvanian castle in the town of Prejnar, where they cross paths with another guest, Stefan (Michael Watson). He claims to be studying nocturnal animals, but there is only one creature on his mind: his brother Radu. Stefan develops a relationship with Michelle, but the superstitions that the girls were researching become all too real when their blood is sought by the evil Radu.Subspecies was shot on location of Romania (reportedly the first American film to do so after the fall of communism), which adds immense production value. The rich landscapes, shadowy forests and ominous castles provide a beautifully Gothic atmosphere that would be impossible to replicate with sets. Some locals even appear in bit parts.The title of Subspecies does not refer to the vampire race, but rather Radu's pint-sized minions born of his body. As characters, they're entirely unnecessary, but Charles Band has a bizarre fetish for putting little monsters in his films (see also: Puppet Master, Demonic Toys, Ghoulies, Gingerdead Man, et al.). They were created by Dave Allen using stop motion and puppetry, which has not aged well. Thankfully, they don't play much of a role in the story, so their distractions are kept to a minimum.The Blu-ray presentation is nothing to write home about, but the movie still looks better than ever. This marks the first time that the film has been released in its proper 16:9 widescreen format. Despite some softness, the newly-remastered, high-definition transfer is a bast improvement on the grainy, dull DVD. Similarly, while the stereo audio is on the flat side, it gets the job done. It's unlikely that the film will ever look better.The only special feature (aside from some Full Moon trailers) is the Videozone featurette from the original VHS release. Innovative for its time, Videozone is like an electronic press kit featuring interviews with the cast and crew. They mostly discuss working in Romania. It's also interesting to learn that the subspecies were originally portrayed by actors in rubber suits before making the switch to puppets. Given that this is the anniversary edition, it would have been nice to have some new features looking back on the film or at least a commentary track.The marvelous filming locations and Radu's eeriness don't excuse all of Subspecies' mistakes. The film was obviously made on a low budget; the script, written by Jackson Barr and David Pabian, is a bit too melodramatic; the acting, particularly that of the three girls, leaves a bit to be desired. Still, director Ted Nicolaou utilized his limited resources to deliver what is arguably the best title best title in Full Moon's storied catalog.
Stellarvore This is easily #1 in my favorite vampire movies. Without any further ado, let's get into the story.It starts out with King Vladislas (Angus Scrimm) in his castle, drinking from a relic called the Bloodstone. His firstborn son Radu (Anders Hove) comes in, confronts him and kills him.Three college students, Michelle (Laura Tate), Lillian (Michelle McBride), and their foreign exchange student friend Mara (Irina Movila) travel to Transylvania to study the local folklore and, by chance, run into the ancient evil vampire Radu Vladislas.Definitely recommended for people who love vampires and B-movies. There should really be more vampire movies like this these days, not the crap like Twilight that we get instead. Great special effects, too! 10/10
The_Void As soon as this film kicks off - you already know that you're going to be in for some extreme high camp, and indeed the rest of the film doesn't disappoint. Full Moon Entertainment isn't exactly well known for high quality horror; but from the few of their films that I've seen, I have to say that they're actually not as bad as their reputation suggests and although Subspecies certainly isn't completely successful and has its fair share of problems; it's actually a decent old-style vampire flick that will surely be appreciated by fans of the genre. The plot focuses on the town of Prejnar; former home of the vampire Radu, who returns to face his father and steal the precious blood stone. He kills his father and takes the stone and shortly thereafter a couple of schoolgirls turn up to study the local culture and team up with a local girl. The vampire Radu is initially attracted to the girls, but things are complicated when his brother Stephen - also a vampire - steps in to help them.The style of the film is undoubtedly the best thing about it - director Ted Nicolaou seems to have wanted to imitate the classic vampire styling, and has just about succeeded. Lead actor Anders Hove cuts an amusing figure as the central vampire and looks like he took the wrong turn on the way to some crusty old rock concert; although he does at least deliver a decent performance that is very in keeping with the rest of the film. The main problem is the pacing as the film is not particularly exciting on any occasion and mostly relies on its plot to keep things interesting; and this is not always managed. Despite an interesting take on the vampire mythology, the film really could have used some suspense! The special effects are liable to be a talking point too and not for the right reason - as they're completely amateurish. The demons featured in particular are awful. The film does feature a nice ambiance, however, and this is helped nicely by the moody and atmospheric score. Overall, this is certainly a decent vampire flick; but it could have been a lot better and I doubt I'll bother with any of the sequels.
