Bloodstone: Subspecies II

Oh wow, I stumbled upon this movie on Sci-Fi channel and fell instantly in love with it! The shadow effects were the most amazing I'd ever seen, and the actress, Denise Duff who plays Michelle was so awesome! Also Radu,Anders Hove was superbly chilling yet lovable at the same time.

Awesome eerie, gothic vampire movie!!! A bit gory, on the blood and cutting off of body parts, but all in all the rest is awesome.

When you crave a dark, gothic, chiller, this is the one to see!:)

I was given the chance in 2019 and sit down to watch three movies of the "Subspecies" franchise, which I did and watched them in rapid succession of one another.

First of all, I must admit to being so very thrilled and content with the fact that "Bloodstone: Subspecies II" is a direct and continuous sequel to the first "Subspecies" movie. By that I mean that this sequel picks up exactly where the first movie left the audience hanging. I enjoyed that tremendously, and it is rare that you actually see that done in movies.

I found "Bloodstone: Subspecies II" to be equally entertaining and the first "Subspecies" movie and subsequently also as the third movie in the franchise as I watched that directly after having finished "Bloodstone: Subspecies II".

The Radu character, once again portrayed by Anders Hove - and done so with so much grace and perfection I might add, is fleshed out, pardon the pun, in greater detail in this sequel. While the storyline is a continuation of the first movie, we still get a much more in-depth look into whom the Radu character is, what drives him and how he came to be as he is.

While these "Subspecies" are within the horror genre, they are not actually based on being scary or being able to make the audience cringe from gore and violence and jump out of their seats from a myriad of jump scares. No, this franchise is based on character development and a continuous plot and storyline. And that really carries the movies quite some way.

They definitely upped their game in terms of make-up and special effects in this 1993 sequel to the original 1991 "Subspecies" movie. And while it wasn't sorely needed, it made for a more enjoyable viewing of course.

I thoroughly enjoy the "Subspecies" franchise, and I find the Radu character to actually be the most memorable vampire character that I have seen throughout all the vampire movies I have watched over the past three decades give or take.

If you have not yet gotten acquainted with the "Subspecies" franchise and the long-fingered monstrous Radu character, I can definitely strongly recommend that you do so if you are given the chance.

Terrible? No this is not terrible. Actually Subspecies 2 is the best of the 4, soon to be 5 films. This time Michelle the survivor of the weaker part 1 seeks the help of her sister to escape her stalker, vampire Radu. Good story, acting, and effects. ***1/2 out of *****.

From puppetmaster to Castle freak Fullmoon pictures collection of lowbudget horror films have graced or in some cases disgraced the screen for sometime. Yet even in Fullmoon's lamest efforts we see the attempt to achieve a certain level of low end quality. Sadly, they tend to fall short. But occationally they hit the bullseye. Such is the case with the solid series of vampire films, Subspecies.

As with most modern vampire flicks, Subspecies serves up the standard amounts of gore and undead erotica. What sets them apart from other lowbudget horror films is good acting, moody atmosphere and well defined charactors.

In the subspecies series we are treated to an interesting game of cat and mouse waged between two erstwhile vampires. Radu Vladislas, a cadaverous master bloodsucker and the object of his desire, the fetching fledgling Michelle Morgan.

After a pedestrian first outing subspecies 2 elevates the series with the addition of talented Denice Duff in the role of Michelle. She and well regarded Dutch actor Anders Hove who plays Radu share an excellent on screen chemistry.

Picking up where the original film left off we find Michelle fleeing castle Vladislas for the imagined saftey of Bucharest. Radu, with the aid of some slick, shadowy special effects, pursues. In Bucharest the two vie for possession of the bloodstone, a mystical artifact known to 'drip with the blood of saints'.

As events unfold, both Radu and Michelle acquire allies to aid them in their respective causes. It is through these secondary charactors interesting insight into Radu and Michelle is given.

In conversations with his 'mummy' we discover Radu to be nothing like the vile nightcreature we have come to know. He is more like a frightened child. Shunned by his family. Unable to mingle with normal humans due to his ghoulish appearance, Radu is lonely. He is terrified by the prospect of being alone throughout enternity. He needs Michelle as much for company as any sexual desires he may harbor.

In Michelle we find not the cringing co-ed from the first film. Miss Duff's interperetation reveals a fiercely determined young woman valiantly struggling against the bloodlust of Vampirism. Her mortality lost she opts for the next best thing. She plans to use the bloodstone for sustenance rather than attacking human beings. In this way she hopes to retain a semblence of her humanity.

Rarely has such depth been given to charactors in a film of this level.

The movie itself moves along at a steady pace ending in a satisfying cliffhanger climax. By the far the best of the subspecies series.

This is a straight-to-video vampire movie. Were some of you expecting a masterpiece? I wonder why people take such a perverse joy out of bombing a film like this! It really is much better than its low rating would suggest.

Moody directing, lush Romanian locations, and deliciously over-the-top villains like Radu and Mummy add up to a gruesomely wonderful viewing experience. Denise Duff gives a sympathetic performance, and it sure doesn't hurt that she's a "10" on the Brian scale. The folk music score is another highlight.

I've shown this movie to a number of people - gals and guys of different professions, with varying levels of sanity - and all of them have liked it. If you want to rent a horror movie that's violent but not repulsive, and clever enough to hold your attention when there aren't killings on screen, then "Subspecies II" is the flick for you (sorry about the bad poetry there!).