Bloodlust: Subspecies III

Just edges out S2 as my favorite in this hugely entertaining vampire series, mostly on the strength of Anders Hove and Denise Duff's performances. Same basic plot: Rebecca and her Fearless Vampire Stalkers continue where they left off, in pursuit of her sister Michelle, Radu, and the Bloodstone; while Radu tries futilely to gain the love and loyalty of his adamantly defiant "fledgling", Michelle.

Hove has completely sounded the depths of Radu's character and his portrayal of this tragic monster is poignant and heartfelt. Unable to command his headstrong protégé's fealty to the master she refuses to acknowledge, unable to win her heart with gifts or intimate displays of trust, Radu's despair is utterly human, yet he never turns on her. Despite his constant praise of pain and suffering, his deathly face conceals a heart capable of loyal and true love.

As for Denise Duff as Michelle, she is probably the coolest vampiress EVER, and if it not for Radu would no-doubt be the star of this series. The Subspecies movies deserve acclaim for their strong female characters, and Michelle is the toughest, a determinedly human woman who resists becoming a vampire with every fiber of her strength and will. At the same time, we see her grow in undead power and skill, and realize that if she keeps control of the Bloodstone - with which she can resist the need to kill - she'll become an immortal to reckon with. Her scenes with Radu are really something to see, as the two vampires match wills eye-to-eye again and again, and she forces Radu to blink every time.

Their story is truly "Beauty and the Beast" without the happy ending, and indeed it's hard not to think of that classic story in the sequence where Michelle begs to see her sister just one last time. Like the Beast, Radu is unwilling to let his "pretty one" go, but gives his permission, hoping to prove his love by a gesture of faith in her; and just as in the fairy tale, his hopeful gesture has sad consequences. The look on his face as she sweeps past him while he pleads for her devotion could bring a tougher fan than me to tears. --These are some of the best characterizations in modern vampire film, and among the very few that I really care about.

Once you see this you will NEED to see #4!

Poor Radu. He's been stabbed and staked by his fledgling Michelle and her sister Becky and left for dead in the bottom of a dusty crypt in a Bucharest cemetery. But Radu's mummy comes to the rescue, recapturing Michelle almost instantly and healing her much abused son before the next moon rises. Upon awakening, Michelle is horrified to realize that Radu is not dead, nor has he released his hold on her. The bizarre threesome flee the cemetery and head back to Castle Vladislas. Michelle, disgusted by her vampiric urges, nevertheless demands that Radu show her the ropes. Radu, pathetically in love with the beautiful Michelle, alternatively tries to win her affections and force her into submission. Mummy resents the new fledgling and urges her son to destroy her. And Becky has not yet given up on the idea of a rescue, and she's brought plenty of back up this time.

This third entry in the Subspecies series is every bit as fun as the first two, allowing its cast of characters to grow and evolve. Anders Hove as Radu becomes an object of pity here, revealing Radu not as evil incarnate, but as a lonely, miserable wretch who has never been loved...not even by his mummy. Michelle's continued rejection of her hideous Master is heartbreaking to watch. Time and again she professes her hatred for Radu, and Radu accepts it in silence and takes her back without a word against her, protecting her no matter what the cost. His love for her is genuinely pathetic and one can't help but feel some pity for him at last. Denise Duff as Michelle is very good once again, expressing sorrow and pain but also satisfaction and enthusiasm in her new found powers. Highlights include an emotional scene between Radu and Michelle atop the battlements of Castle Vladislas, and a brief but very funny sequence involving Becky, Radu and a gun loaded with silver bullets.

Fans of the first two should not miss this third installment. Followed by a fourth film (Bloodstorm: Subspecies 4) which, sadly, is nowhere near as good as the first three Subspecies films.

I'm quite surprised at myself for having not watching this Charles Band Full Moon Features production before and have quickly become a fan of the Subspecies series of films. I think what I like most about the series is that the vampires here are neither the Bela Lugosi elegant gentlemen type, nor are they the emo Anne Rice/Sookie Stackhouse type of vampires. The vampire Radu is a nasty scary looking monster. In many ways, he reminds me of the Steve Niles vampires in "30 Days of Night." In this third installment, Radu is still controlling one of the sisters from the previous film and her other sister is trying to free her from Radu's thrall. As with the previous films, this was competently directed by Ted Nicolaou, who makes the most of the European locations and the real-life castle that was owed by Band's production company at the time (and which appeared in just about every Full Moon film of this era, even one misguided Trancers film). Anders Hove continues to be creepy as Count Radu, the practical special effects are solid (and bloody), and the production values are better than most Full Moon productions. Overall, this one is a must see for fans of Charles Band films, but honestly this film is probably not one for non-fan of Full Moon Features.

Still in the thrall of the evil vampire Radu (Anders Hove), Michelle yearns to be taught the skills of the vampire. Meanwhile, her sister Becky tries to free her from his evil clutches, and this time, she has brought some help.

Shot back to back with part two, the "Subspecies" series is one of the better things to come out of Full Moon. Maybe it had creative independence, or maybe the budget was better in that era. I am not sure. But we haven't seen anything this good from Full Moon in a long time.

Others have commented that, despite the low budget, the film is a lot of fun because it doesn't take itself too seriously. That's true. But also, this is legitimately good -- good acting, and amazing makeup. The plot may be a bit silly as it moves into part three (and just wait for part four!) but you have to expect a bit of deterioration with sequels.

This was a film that I knew of the series, but not necessarily which film was what. I believe that I tried taking Part II home to watch from the video store but got lost since I hadn't seen the original. The cover of these movies always caught my attention though and plus, back then I was a huge Full Moon fan. I've now given this a second watch as part of my Foray through the Fours.

Synopsis: still in the thrall of the evil vampire Radu (Anders Hove), Michelle (Denice Duff) yearns to be taught the skills of the vampire. Meanwhile, her sister Becky (Melanie Shatner) tries to free her from his evil clutches, and this time, she's brought help.

We start where the last movie left off. It shows scenes to fill us in and get us up to speed. Professor Popescu (Michael Denish) is killed by being stabbed through the chest with a spear. Rebecca escapes from the crypt with the help of her sister, Michelle, who tells her she cannot follow because she is a vampire. She goes back down into the crypt where Radu's mother, this mummy/witch who is played by Pamela Gordon, takes her deeper.

Becky alerts the police and they launch an investigation. They are led by Lieutenant Marin (Ion Haiduc). They don't find evidence of what she claims happened, outside of the body of Popescu. Mel shows up to support Becky. He doesn't believe her though either. That is until something weird happens, causing everyone to flee the crypt. There is laughing, smoke and a strange light. This is a ritual to allow Radu, his mother and Michelle to teleport back to the castle.

There is an interesting triangle amongst this group. Radu is in love with Michelle. She wants him to teach her his ways. She agrees to this if he will spare her sister. Radu's mother doesn't believe her. She believes that Michelle harbors hate for him and is using her female ways to persuade him. He won't hear this though due to his feelings for her. We do see them go out hunting where she drinks blood, but she cannot kill the victim.

We also have Becky and Mel, who are being followed by Lt. Marin. Mel doesn't fully believe Becky, but he does help her steal artifacts and a book from the office of Popescu. They go to the castle, looking for a way in. This becomes a race to save Michelle before it is too late. The problem is that they're up against forces stronger than them.

That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is that one of the best parts about this film is that it was shot back-to-back with Part II. That helps keep the tone as well as prevent continuity issues. That was something I wanted to give credit for. The other thing is that I'm surprised my sister and I didn't watch this series growing up. I remember I tried taking one of them home from the video store, but it jumped right in and was lost so it was shut off. It also was more adult than films we were used to from Full Moon.

Now I'll bring back up that this is my second time seeing this movie. I've only seen the first two once. With this rewatch, I love that Radu is in love with Michelle. She can placate him to save her sister by telling him that she wants to learn to be a vampire. The only misstep here is that she wants to die soon after. That does feel rushed since this movie picks up the morning after. I love that Radu's mother, the mummy witch, knows what is in Michelle's heart. Since he's blinded, he hangs on to every word she says about wanting to learn his ways. This does feel like it borrows from Dracula kidnapping Mina and then seeing what happens after she's been turned. It is a toxic relationship that he isn't seeing the signs.

There is then the other story where Becky brings the police to this crypt. She must tell Mel about what happened to the professor. What is good here is that Lt. Marin doesn't believe her and he shouldn't. He's a cop. I like that it doesn't take long for Mel to come around to what happens in the crypt while the police are searching for clues. This doesn't waste any time was good for the pacing. If anything, I'd say that things move a bit too fast here and don't let elements develop fast enough. That could alleviate my issues with Radu and Michelle.

I will end this out by saying that you don't necessarily have to see the previous two films to enjoy this one. Like I said, I don't remember everything that has happened to this point. The issue though is that if you truly want to enjoy this, they are mandatory. There are things that I do think get lost so keep that in mind before seeing this.

I'll then go over to the acting. I thought that Hove is great as Radu. He has such a creepy look before they make up as vampires. He then brings enough creepiness for this to work. He is a Count Orlok/Nosferatu style vampire that is more animalistic. Duff is solid as his love interest. She manipulates him which is good. There is part of me that believes she does want to learn to be a vampire. It is the feeding part that she's struggling with. Spirtas is solid along with Shatner as our heroes here. Gordon is also creepy as the mummy/witch. Haiduc adds comedy that I'm not fully sure works. He's fine though. Michael Della Femina has an odd role as this CIA agent who is friends with Mel. It feels like he's there for convenience to progress the story and for a bit of levity. Other than that, the rest of the cast rounded this out for what was needed.

All that is left then is filmmaking. I thought that the cinematography was good. They're able to capture the setting. It feels like this is in a small village as well as this nearby castle. Being shot in Romania helps. How they frame the attacks helps to hide the seams. There are mostly practical effects here which look good. The blood as well as the looks of Radu and the mummy/witch are great. I even love the little imp creatures even though we don't see them until the end. There were effects that aren't great, but that is a limited basis. The soundtrack fit what was needed.

In conclusion, this is an underrated series from pique Full Moon. I love this concept of an animalistic vampire finding the 'love of his life' and doing what he can to teach her his ways. There is good mythology here. This is more of a character study though of Radu and his love for Michelle. The acting here is solid with Hove and Gordon leading the way. This is made well for its budget. The effects, cinematography and framing are the tops. Won't be for everyone. But this is a solid vampire film that does its own thing.

My Rating: 6.5 out of 10.