Subspecies

"Subspecies," like many other horror films, gets a raw deal on IMDb. The majority of movie-watchers have a hearty contempt for horror, and when they occasionally rent horror films, they either want to laugh at them or cringe at excessively gory scenes. Unfortunately, "Subspecies" is not particularly laughable, and not that bloody, so it gets a low rating. That's too bad.

Of course, there's plenty to criticize here. The non-actors are flat, the subspecies are a poor special effect, and the nighttime scenes are too brightly lit. But what do you expect? For a straight-to-video horror film, "Subspecies" boasts decent production values and more integrity than you might anticipate. The film's Romanian setting is virtually unique (I believe it was the first American movie made in that country, post-Communism), and the locations, both interior and exterior, are beautiful. The script has moments of intelligence, especially when it delves into local folklore (all bogus, I'm sure). Somehow, the location filming and smartish script work well together - "Subspecies" has its own very distinctive world. To risk damning with faint praise...it could be a lot dumber.

Fans of the more gruesome aspects of horror will no doubt get a kick out of the blood-drooling vampire villain, Radu. He's pretty effective in this movie - powerful, with a memorable raspy voice - but I like him better in the sequels, when actor Anders Hove gives a more self-parodying, campy performance. A totally sincere Radu is somewhat silly. Other silly aspects include gratuitous nudity and the subspecies themselves, who are clearly only in the movie because producer Charles Band has a fetish for evil little creatures (see also Puppetmaster and Demonic Toys).

But I linger too much on the movie's flaws. For what it is - straight-to-video vampire horror - "Subspecies" is perfectly fine. The sequels boast better production values, more violence, and somewhat more thoughtful story lines, so I recommend them even more highly. Still, this isn't a bad start for the series.

From the director of TerrorVision- Ted Nicolau- comes the epic vampire series Subspecies...straight to video!!!

It all begins when 3 college roommates meet in Transylvania for a research vacation.

Little do they suspect that it would coincide with a coup in the vvampire world.

A son has murdered his father, to inherit the blood stone- his birthright- and seize power.

Apparently, his father was going to forgo passing him the reigns, due to his insatiable bloodlust.

But now that this salad-fingered vampire is in control...nothing can stop him from pursuing making his darkest desires a reality.

Except, maybe, his more benevolent brother, who may just intervene to stop him...

Considering that the student girls study folklore: this is clearly a parable of love vs lust.

For, in his monstrous form, the evil vampire seeks only to lust after- and feed on- as many young women as possible; while his brother- who retains a more human presence- is more of a romantic, driven by love.

Anyways, the woman that the good brother has fallen in love with eventually discovers his true nature...which leaves her both repulsed and allured.

Encouraging a reading of the storyline in regards to the female gnostic sexual fantasy of the beauty and the beast.

The sets, scenery, and special effects are all very well done.

And the Kinski-inspired lead does an excellent job as the Nosferatu character.

The claymation demons- which act as the vampire king's minions- are pretty badass too...showing you that they didn't skimp on the special effects budget for this film.

As the first entry of a quadrilogy (with the fifth film currently in production), it's a pretty solid little vampire flick.

I look forward to the rest of the series.

7 out of 10.

First off, I'm a big horror fan and always interested in a new twist on the classic monsters, so when I saw a lot of reviews praising how this handled vampires I was hooked. And while I'll say, yes this movie does add some components to the lore/tells its own story, it does not mean it is instantly a good movie.

IMO this movie is just okay. I will say the main villain Radu looks very creepy particularly with his grotesquely long fingers. And the bloodstone made from the blood of the saints being used to infinitely nourish vampires so they don't have to feed on Man was also a nice touch. But beyond this and a few other plot points, there really isn't anything special about this movie. The acting is subpar. The music is too loud where at times it's difficult to hear what people with thick accents are saying so I recommend having subtitles on. The movie is very slow with almost no action or scares. I really wouldn't call this a horror film but more of drama where the two main characters are brothers who are polar opposites but also happen to be vampires.

Don't get me wrong, I can certainty see why this movie has a cult following and spawned a series of other films for those invested in the story, but for most people I think they will frankly be bored by this film.

Sure, "Subspecies" was a B-movie entry into the vampire genre, no doubt about it. Yet, "Subspecies" still managed to excel itself well enough to cast aside its mantle and actually amount to becoming somewhat of a classic in its own right within the vampire genre.

At first glance, there is something dark about the atmosphere that permeates the entire movie, and that really adds a good layer and feel to the movie. And it is this dark, gloomy, gothic-like atmosphere that helps bring the movie to (un)life in a most satisfying way.

Also, the character Radu (played phenomenally by Anders Hove), at first glance, seems a bit bland. The long and at times obviously overly fake prosthetics could be a bitter pill to swallow. But as the movie progress you come to forget about this and embrace it as part of whom Radu is. Because it sets him aside from other vampires and makes him memorable. Radu isn't a charismatic old-fashioned gentleman like Count Dracula typically is portrayed, nor is he a suave and slick young man as seen in more modern vampire movies - thinking of the god-awful "Twilight" sparkling and fancy-haired main character Edward Cullen. No, Radu is simply bestial in a way, he is grotesque and monstrous, much alike those in "The Strain".

It was a nice treat for horror fans to see Angus Scrimm make an appearance in the movie, albeit in a rather small supporting role as King Vladislav.

The storyline in "Subspecies" was simplistic and very straight forward, it offered no surprises, turns or plot twists along the way. Which was essentially the weakest part about the movie, but you come to accept this, because "Subspecies" definitely is good entertainment, even for a vampire movie from 1991.

The one thing I didn't understand was the demonic imp creatures that served Radu. They made no sense and served only a single purpose to the movie. And the fact that they were so horribly animated and created made it seem amateurish and ridiculous. Thankfully these creatures had precious little on-screen time, because they would definitely have brought the movie down if they played a larger role. Solely because they were so horribly fake to look at, as the concept of them actually could have been interesting.

I remember having seen "Subspecies" once before, but it apparently didn't leave much of a lasting impression back in my youth. But now that I have revisited the franchise in 2019, I must admit that these movies are actually quite entertaining.

It's the classic story of good brother vs. bad brother as the vampire sons of old King Vlad - handsome, noble, boring Stefan and hideous, jealous, scheming, fascinating Radu - battle over the rights to their inheritance. At stake (sorry) are ancient Castle Vladislas, played to perfection by ancient Castle Hunedoara, and the family's prize, the mystic Bloodstone; a holy relic that drips the blood of saints. (What a unique invention! I wish the movie said more about its nature and history.) Into the middle of this gory sibling squabble wander the obligatory clueless bunch of cute American students, doing a research project on local folklore, and we're off to the races.

Has its weak spots, especially the awkward animation and matting-in of Radu's tiny demon servants, but its energy, enthusiasm and imaginative ideas - such as the "shadow transit" by which the vampires travel, and the reptilian relish of Anders Hove's performance as Radu - easily carry it over these gaps. Add in some gore and nudity for the high-school crowd, and the pleasure of seeing a vampire film actually shot in Romania and using its wonderful medieval locations so central to Western vampire lore, and you have a thoroughly capable and enjoyable little horror film. Those who appreciate bloody but clever small-scale horror such as Brian Yuzna's Lovecraft films should have no trouble adopting this one.

(If you enjoy my reviews, you can read more of them under my previous name - just plain "angelynx".)