Subspecies
Reviews
tmdb17996075
As a major horror fan, for some reason, vampire flicks never really appealed to me entirely. I may enjoy the old classics from time to time, like, Tod Browning's "Dracula" (1931) or "Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens" (1922), but that is mostly because I enjoy the old cinematographic style and the declamatory acting. However, I grew up in a time where vampires were mostly portrayed as cool, elegant, interesting, charismatic, sexy and even fun. Not necessarily a bad thing per se, but I feel that this new wave of vampires tends to draw away from the horror genre and leans towards a more approachable, romantic and even comedic tone. Of course, vampires have been always described as charming and captivating to a certain degree, and while many films succeed in making them attractive, they fail to portray them as remotely scary (because they don't even try). In "Subspecies", Charles Band (who wrote it) and Ted Nicolau (who directed it) give us two very different types of vampires in the same film, cleverly aiming to a broader audience: on the one hand, we have Stefan, a vampire that is not at all intimidating and, on the contrary, is portrayed as sweet, loving, delicate and, as one would expect, very good looking. On the other hand, we have Radu... ah, the unapologetic, depraved Radu, with his beast-like features, the gigantic claws, drooling blood and craving for power throughout the entire film. See? Everyone can be happy and, even though the film mostly focuses on the kind-hearted Stefan, Radu surreptitiously steals his place in the later installments, where he becomes the main attraction. And trust me, while Stefan is a necessary character for the story, his presence is probably more appealing to "Twilight" fans, rather than real horror lovers. In "Subspecies", the story opens in a Romanian castle, with an intense confrontation between Radu, a horribly grotesque vampire and his father, King Vladislav (portrayed by Angus Scrimm from the "Phantasm" franchise). Radu demands his father an object, which is referred to as "the bloodstone", which is said to contain the blood of all the saints and that was crafted with the specific purpose of feeding the vampires, preventing them from attacking humans. King Vladislav, a noble ancient vampire who wishes to live in peace in his forsaken castle and avoid confrontations with the mortals, denies this object to his depraved son. The bloodstone, while useful to feed the vampires, can also become a dangerous drug, when used by a greedy creature, like his monstrous son, Radu. The father-son confrontation results in King Vlasilav being murdered by his evil spawn, who then proceeds to take the aforementioned bloodstone and drink the blood from it, while looking fantastically evil. American college girls, Michelle and Lillian, travel to Romania to work on research about the history of said country. The lovely young ladies are welcomed by Mara, a Romanian girl who used to be their class mate (presumably, as an exchange student) and now moonlights as their unofficial tour guide. Mara takes the girls to an old fortress, that also serves as a shelter for college students (isn't that totally awesome?). In the shelter, the girls are greeted by a rustic and somewhat hostile old man named Karl, who shows them the place, while looking incredibly uncomfortable the whole time. After settling in, the girls meet a charming young man named Stefan, a zoologist who is living in the same place as they are and who looks like he's in a darkwave band. Unbeknownst to the girls, but not to Karl, Stefan is actually a vampire and not just any vampire... he is Radu's little brother! Fortunately for the girls, Stefan, just like his late father, wishes to get along with the mortals and plans to slay Radu, in order to stop him from perpetuating more atrocities and retrieve the bloodstone. Though this is still a horror flick about blood-thirsty vampires in Romania, romance manages to claw its way into the story, where the impossibly good looking Stefan and the devastatingly gorgeous Michelle fall in love (ugh! but who the hell cares, right?) While working on their research, Michelle and Lillian meet up with a few locals (who are mostly old, ragged and creepy because... stereotypes) who tell them the story about the vampires who arrived to Romania in the XV century and helped them fight against the Turks. According to their legend, the villagers decided to barricade themselves inside of the fortress to prevent being attacked by the Turks. Eventually, when the hopeless villagers had to leave the fortress and go out for food, they found all the Turks dead. This was no miracle, the vampires took credit for this little favor (aw, isn't that adorable?) and, in exchange, they asked the Romanians to let them stay in their peaceful zone. The vampires managed to (sort of) live in harmony with the villagers and, even though the ungodly creatures are not described as inherently evil, it is implied that when vampires are, in fact, evil, it's better not to come across them at all. Skeptical about all these folk stories, the lovely young ladies don't pay much attention to the locals who advice them not to wander around when it's dark (stupids!). As it is expected, the young and vibrant ladies attract the attention of Radu and, eventually, find themselves being targeted by him, who craves for blood and feels more powerful than ever. Things escalate quickly and, in the end, Stefan and Radu will have to battle head to head in an epic confrontation that will define, not only the girls' fate, but also the entire village of Prejmer's. The cinematography in "Subspecies" is very artistic, while not being too all over the place and distracting, which is something that happens in certain films where the ominous photography and lighting work steal the attention from the story (not necessarily a bad thing per se, but I find that this is more appropriate for a music video or a short experimental film). The tastefully achieved contrast and vivid colors manage to stand out, even in dark scenes, while looking solemn and avoiding an artificial style. The lighting and the shots are very reminiscent of the German expressionism, from time to time. The great photography, combined with the epic locations give a very visually satisfying final results. A vampire flick that was actually shot in Romania is not something that we get very frequently and one of the main reasons why people are delighted with "Subspecies" and its following sequels. With the quietness, the beautiful eerie atmosphere, the gloomy ruins, the gorgeous forsaken landscapes, the majestic castles (yes, real castles!) and the local actors speaking in their actual native Romanian from time to time, Ted Nicolau manages to make us feel like we are visiting Romania with the three girls. Though it's difficult to go wrong when the locations are so fitting to the story, poor choices in the wardrobe and art direction could ruin the previous efforts in a heartbeat, but, thankfully, that is not what happens here (well, mostly). The items, costumes and different props to complement the scenarios are mostly good enough to enhance the visual aspect of "Subspecies". (In a few cases, the make-up department fails horribly, but I'll get to that later). Plot-wise, "Subspecies" is very neat, it wraps up nicely, there are no lose ends, nothing too ambiguous is left out there and the story offers just the right amount of complexity for what is meant to be an entertaining and unpretentious flick. I like the fact that, at some point, the story dwells into the vampire mythology, portraying them in a way that brings them closer to the animal kingdom, rather than spiteful and organized creatures pushing some kind of convoluted and evil agenda to take over the human kind, by being seductive. Here, the vampires are nasty little creatures that kill because they need the blood and decide to make a deal with the mortals, choosing pragmatism over an unnecessary war, which makes Radu and his evil nature stand out from the rest of his kind. Vampires are not evil per se... Radu is. Not to say that the villagers aren't afraid of the vampires, because they still regard them as "ungodly" creatures and they are aware of their savage nature, but at the same time, they manage to pull off a living arrangement with them, understanding, of course, that, from time to time, people will get killed by them. The dialogs are suitable for the film; not extremely artificial or cheesy, but also, nothing that tries to be too serious either, avoiding something too pretentious for the original premise. While most of the characters are portrayed in a mildly solemn light, I find that Radu's dialogs are deliberately written to provide him a semi-cartoonish nature. Anders Hove, who portrayed the infamous Radu in the four "Subspecies" installments, delivers his lines flawlessly, giving us a very fun villain that manages to be both creepy and somewhat humorous too. Hove's facial expressions, even behind all that latex prosthetic and heavy make up, manage to stand out. The way he whispers his lines, the eyes wide open, the deranged smile and the blood constantly dripping from his fangs, make his portrayal very distinctive. The rest of the cast gets the job done, though, besides Hove, no one's acting appealed to me in a way that I feel that deserves a honorable mention. Of course, superb acting wasn't necessary either, since the characters aren't too complex in the first place. Laura Tate, the lead girl, does a fine job giving us a sweet and somewhat oblivious girl who falls for the good guy and finds herself at the mercy of the main baddie. One thing that bothers me a lot with horror flicks, is when they drag endlessly towards the end, and this is something that happens very frequently with this genre. In a film like "Subspecies", where the story isn't too complex, but they still need to fill ninety minutes, the likelihood of pointless and boring sequences is high. Thankfully, Ted Nicolau manages to tell a modest story in said amount of time, without dragging a lot during the final twenty minutes or so. No, actually, Nicolau cleverly fills the "voids" with haunting sequences depicting the nature of his native country and inviting the audience into its darkly beautiful places, in favor of developing a great atmosphere. In addition to the mood-setting imagery, there are some striking sequences that are just very fun to watch, like the scene where the girls assist to an outdoors celebration, where we see the villagers wearing colorful and creepy masks and cheerfully dancing around a bonfire to a festive traditional Romanian music (played by The Aman Folk Orchestra). The scene is there to show us that the villagers are fearful of the vampires, which had been established before, but it's done so beautifully, that I feel is one of the highest points of the film. As much as I adore "Subspecies", it's not perfect by any means; it definitely has a fair amount of dreadfulness, being the badly done digital effects one of the worst aspects of the film. The subspecies creatures, which originate from Radu's blood, were done with CGI, which looks incredibly fake and cheap, like it belongs in a bad video game. In certain parts, the little creatures seem to be digitally animated and then, in other parts, it looks like they used a different technique, which looks more realistic (I'm not sure if it was stop-motion or if they used real man wearing rubber suits). Though one can understand that, in 1991, digital effects weren't as realistic as they usually are these days, this CGI really wasn't necessary and, as I mentioned before, it could have been replaced with a more realistic technique. Of course, this doesn't bring the movie down, but the little devilish creatures appear more than once and the artificial look they have doesn't fit with the beautiful authentic look of the castle. The make up department fails more than once too, and even though I realize that "Subspecies" doesn't take itself 100% seriously, something tells me that the tacky look of certain characters was not intentional. The movie opens with King Vladislas (Angus Scrimm) confronting his son, Radu and what is supposed to be very dramatic and intense moment, ends up looking more campy than anything else. For the life of me, I just can't understand what happened there, in the hair and make up department, but the look of King Vladislas is so ridiculous that I just can't even begin to describe it. Scrimm appears sporting a bizarre wig that makes him look more like someone's great aunt Dorothy, rather than an ancient vampire and, as if this wasn't ridiculous enough, he also appears wearing a really bright red lipstick, and a white foundation, as if he was doing a Robert Smith cosplay or something (seriously, I just couldn't believe my eyes). King Vladislas only has a brief appearance, so the ridiculousness doesn't last long. The problem is that Radu, our main villain, also look is a little cheesy and caricaturish for the most part. I believe his appearance may have been partially inspired by Count Orlok from "Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens" (1922), which, as I mentioned before, made him look more sinister than seductive and I commend Nicolau for this. Now, Radu's gigantic claw-like hands are simply too distracting, not only because of their size, but also because of the artificial and all-over-the-place look (in one scene, one of the fake hands even sort of falls off). Besides the gigantic hands, from time to time, Anders Hove appears to be a regular guy wearing a very elaborated Halloween mask, instead of a realistic beast-like vampire. I swear, I am not very nit-picky when it comes to these things and, while the cheesy make up doesn't make the movie less appealing, it cheapens it considerably. Leaving aside my few complaints with it, and, less than perfect as it is, "Subspecies" is a very fun movie and I honestly didn't think I was going to enjoy it so much, but I think it's safe to say that it managed to claw its way into my all time favorites. For some reason, I had a negative preconception about it and I arbitrarily assumed that it was going to be unbearably cheesy and not even remotely entertaining... I was wrong. Though the low-key tongue-in-cheek nature of the film is very palpable, that doesn't make it a comedy at all; for the contrary, "Subspecies" is gothic horror at its finest and I simply love it. Oh, and, by the way, the opening theme is simply epic and it's one of those little niceties that make the film special.
Wuchak
**_Transylvanian castles, torches, villages, superstitious locals and… vampires_** Two college gals meet their friend in Romania to study the region’s culture and folklore (Laura Tate, Michelle McBride and Irina Movila). They are forced to reside at an ancient fortress due to a busy festival wherein they meet a handsome man researching nocturnal creatures (Michael Watson). Unfortunately, an evil vampire is on the loose at a nearby castle and takes interest in the women (Anders Hove). "Subspecies” (1991) is gothic horror in the modern-day that’s similar to Dracula flicks, just with a different antagonist. It was the first American film to be shot in Romania after the breakdown of the Iron Curtain. Romania, incidentally, was the sole country in Eastern Europe to overthrow its socialist government with violence. Beating “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” to the theaters by over a year, “Subspecies” is like a low budget take on similar vampire happenings in Transylvania, except that Coppola’s flick was shot in the studio in Los Angeles whereas this one used actual ancient ruins, castles and woodland areas of Romania. In short, this is a great Gothic flick for authentic Carpathian atmosphere. The setting, ambiance and festival are similar to “Howling II: Your Sister Is a Werewolf” (1985), which was shot in the Czech Republic, minus the campy humor. This one’s totally serious and the revolting vampire is like a meshing of “Nosferatu” (1922/1979) mixed with Marvel’s Morbius. As far as the women go, Irina Movila stands out as Mara. Meanwhile main protagonist Laura Tate as Michelle is reminiscent of Nastassja Kinski, albeit nowhere near as stimulating. There are tasteful bits of top nudity, but zero sleaze; just a heads up. The colorful stop-motion puppet-effects are quaint and kinda cheesy. Just roll with ’em. There would be three sequels in the next seven years, plus one spin-off flick. The film runs 1 hour, 24 minutes, and was shot entirely in Romania, including Bucharest. GRADE: B
Movie Recommendation
Bloodstone: Subspecies II1993-04-20Continuing after the first "Subspecies", a woman who has just become a vampire tries to escape the evil vampire, Radu, who seeks her as his love interest. But she has taken the vampire family's bloodstone, and now Radu must find her to get it back. While her sister comes to Romania to save her soul. It might be too late....More...
The Arrival1996-05-31Zane Ziminski is an astrophysicist who receives a message that seems to have extraterrestrial origins. Eerily soon after his discovery, Zane is fired. He then embarks on a search to determine the origins of the transmission that leads him into a Hitchcockian labyrinth of paranoia and intrigue.More...
The Luckiest Man in America2025-04-041984; Michael Larson, an unemployed ice-cream truck driver from Ohio, steps onto the game show "Press Your Luck" harboring a secret: the key to endless amounts of money. But his winning streak is threatened when the executives in the control room start to uncover his real motivations.More...
Pumpkinhead1988-06-09When a group of teenagers inadvertently kill his only son, Ed Harley seeks the powers of a backwoods witch to bring the child back to life.More...
The House That Dripped Blood1971-02-22A Scotland Yard investigator looks into four mysterious cases involving an unoccupied house.More...
Bloodlust: Subspecies III1994-02-16Still in the thrall of the evil vampire Radu, 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's brought some help.More...
The Replacement Killers1998-02-06Hired assassin John Lee is asked by Chinatown crime boss Terence Wei to murder the young son of policeman Stan Zedkov. Lee has the boy in his sights, but his conscience gets the better of him, and he spares the child's life. Afraid that Wei will take revenge on his family in China, Lee seeks out expert forger Meg Coburn to obtain the passport he needs to get out of the country, but a band of replacement killers is soon on his trail.More...
The Werewolf Versus the Vampire Woman1971-05-17Elvira is travelling through the French countryside with her friend Genevieve, searching for the lost tomb of a medieval murderess and possible vampire, Countess Wandessa. They find a likely site in the castle of Waldemar Daninsky, who invites the women to stay as long as they like. As Waldemar shows Elvira the tomb that supposedly houses the countess, she accidentally causes the vampire to come back to life, hungrier than ever. Daninsky has a hidden secret of his own, but will it be enough to save the two girls from becoming Wandessa's next victims?More...
The American Matrix - Age Of Deception2010-01-01A shocking new 2 hour film by B.A. Brooks. This 2010 release is a follow up to "The Decline And Fall Of America" which was released in 2008. "The American Matrix - Age Of Deception" details news items that all people should be aware of such as the economic collapse of The United States and the formation of the a New World Order. See what has really been going on in America today.More...
Cassex2021-06-19When a married couple digs up a dirty home movie, it not only spices up their love life but transports them to an erotic dimension haunted by an eighties sex icon. Is it real, or is it Cassex?More...
Disclosure1994-12-09A computer specialist is sued for sexual harassment by a former lover turned boss who initiated the act forcefully, which threatens both his career and his personal life.More...
La Chimera2023-10-12Just out of jail, rumpled English archaeologist Arthur reconnects with his wayward crew of tombaroli accomplices – a happy-go-lucky collective of itinerant grave-robbers who survive by looting Etruscan tombs and fencing the ancient treasures they dig up.More...
Suspiria1977-02-01An American newcomer to a prestigious German ballet academy comes to realize that the school is a front for something sinister amid a series of grisly murders.More...
Red, White & Royal Blue2023-07-27After an altercation between Alex, the president's son, and Britain's Prince Henry at a royal event becomes tabloid fodder, their long-running feud now threatens to drive a wedge in U.S./British relations. When the rivals are forced into a staged truce, their icy relationship begins to thaw and the friction between them sparks something deeper than they ever expected.More...
The Devil Conspiracy2023-01-13A powerful biotech company has breakthrough technology allowing them to clone history’s most influential people with just a few fragments of DNA. Behind this company is a cabal of Satanists that steals the shroud of Christ, putting them in possession of Jesus’ DNA. The clone will serve as the ultimate offering to the devil. The Archangel Michael comes to earth and will stop at nothing to end the devil’s conspiracy.More...
Shining Through1992-01-31Spirited New Yorker Linda Voss goes to work for international lawyer and secret Office of Strategic Services operative Ed Leland just before World War II. As they fall in love, the United States enters the fight against Hitler, and Linda volunteers to work for Ed spying undercover behind Nazi lines. Assigned to uncover information about a German bomb, Linda also has personal motives to fulfill: discovering the fate of her Jewish family members in Berlin.More...
Dracula 20002000-12-22When a team of techno-savvy thieves break into a high-security vault, they don't discover priceless works of art... they find a crypt unopened for 100 years.More...
The Kid Detective2020-10-16A once-celebrated kid detective, now 31, continues to solve the same trivial mysteries between hangovers and bouts of self-pity. Until a naive client brings him his first 'adult' case, to find out who brutally murdered her boyfriend.More...
The Man with the Answers2021-09-02Ex-championship diver Victoras whiles away his days on the Greek coast, toiling away at a factory with only his dreams, medals and grandmother for company. When a phone call summons him to Germany, a simple road trip is the answer - that is until he crosses paths with the handsome Mathias - a free-spirited hitchhiker who tempts Victoras to take the road not taken.More...
Petite Maman2021-06-02After the death of her beloved grandmother, eight-year-old Nelly meets a strangely familiar girl her own age in the woods. Instantly forming a connection with this mysterious new friend, Nelly embarks on a fantastical journey of discovery which helps her come to terms with this newfound loss.More...
Similar Movies
The Snake
2020-11-05The king cobra possesses an orb that has a magic. If it's in the hands of the devil, Orb will have the power of evil. But if it's in the hands of a good person, it will have virtue. In the village of 'Phaya Ngu', there is a sacred orb worshiping ceremony, But the ceremony was destroyed by the devil, They had taken the orb and did evil things. A child and a young woman are captured and killed, so an investigation is underway to find out what happened and get the orb back.Este vampiro es un ti...
1991-01-01The story of a vegetarian vampire who faints at the sight of blood.Drácula de Denise Cas...
2018-06-09In 2017, director Denise Castro wants to shoot her most personal work: A new adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel Dracula.Doomsday County
2010-10-09In a town overrun with zombies, vampires, and a melting mad scientist with plans for an impending alien invasion, it's up to a select few to try and keep order.Bloodsucka Jones vs. ...
2017-10-14In this sequel, Bloodsucka Jones and his friends must battle zombies, weight gain, and tumbleweeds as they attempt to save the world from certain doom.Blood From Stone
2020-10-30Darya has escaped life as a vampire bride to a desert town of bright lights and casinos but Jure tracks her down and makes himself at home amongst the gamblers and drunks. As the bodies pile up, the law comes for them, forcing a clash of modern forces against immortals from a dying era.Nosferatu's Crush
2006-08-07Vladimir Dracula III, a relative of the original Dracula, has seen better days. He's bald, has blue skin, has trouble talking, and he keeps the three vampire women he created locked up in his dirty, disgusting basement full of blue tarps. When a sexy vampiress ninja starts attacking people for their blood, two sassy FBI agents suspect that Vlad is behind it. He hires a lawyer and falls in love at first sight. Unfortunately she has her own baggage in the form of Tony, a pig of a boyfriend that wants to bully Vlad and oil up his thralls. Vlad's only chance for happiness is to prove his innocence and get Tony out of the picture.Abe's Story
2019-07-13In the late Victorian era, Abe, a burdened Irish aspiring writer, assistant to Henry, a world-famous stage actor, finds the inspiration to create his sinister novel about a bloody character through the adventures he has while traveling the world with his boss' theatrical troupe.Vampire Black: Trail ...
2008-08-11A country western musician turned vampire hunter. A pimp turned psycho killer. A beautiful streetwalker turned bloodsucker. Vampire Black: Trail of the Dead takes a new look at the characters first presented in Scott Shaw's Vampire Noir.Night of the Vampire ...
2000-09-24There is no descriptionMandao of the Dead
2018-11-11Jay Mandao and his nephew-in-law Jackson use astral projection to reverse a ghost's death on Halloween.Marisa and Alice's Co...
2010-02-15After Marisa realizes she forgot to make Alice a gift for Valentine's Day, she rushes to prepare a batch of cookies for her with the help of Sakuya, but runs into trouble along the way.Don't Suck
2023-12-01A veteran comedian's last chance at stardom takes him on the road with a young comic whom reveals an unexpected past.Blood-C: The Last Min...
2015-07-02After the massacre in Ukishima, Saya loses her memory and wanders the slums until she meets Haru, an unlicensed doctor, and Ran, the girl who hunts the Elder Bairns. As her memory returns, she discovers that she had relationships with them both in the past, and secret promises made by the Nanahara clan and her nemesis, Fumito. As Sayo tries to rescue kidnapped Haru, she encounters Fumito again. This feature untold story in the time period between the 2011, 12-episode TV anime created by Production I.G and Nanase Ohkawa (CLAMP), and its feature film sequel Blood-C: The Last Dark in 2012.Kamen Rider Kiva: Fin...
2009-05-21Later released on DVD, Kamen Rider Kiva: Final Stage is the final stage show and cast talk show of Kamen Rider Kiva. Recorded January 31st, 2009 at Nakano Sunplaza Hall.The Living Corpse
1958-08-01Famed director Zhu Shilin tries his hand at a horror film! The beginning of The Living Corpse immediately sets the tone with a folk duet clearly inspired by the popular 1956 musical Songs of the Peach Blossom River. The duet, in addition to Zhu's frequent use of long, empty shots and crisp editing, gives this horror film a traditional poetic charm and a strong folk flavor. Mise-en-scene and sound effects create a terrifying atmosphere, and successfully communicate the ghostliness of a world without ghosts.Blood of the Werewolf...
2013-01-01Three part anthology with all the stories revolving around werewolves or zombies.Fangs Out
2023-05-23A group of college students head to Mexico for some cheap plastic surgery. There they meet Dr. Pavor, a creepy surgeon who is actually a vampire, harvesting victims for his blood cartel. Aided by his blood thirsty nurses he systematically carries out his evil plan. When a detective looking for his missing daughter arrives - all hell breaks loose in a bloody combustible conclusion.In the Earth
2021-04-16As a deadly virus ravages the world, Dr. Martin Lowery embarks on a mission to reach test site ATU327A, a research hub deep in the Arboreal Forest. The arduous journey, guided by park scout Alma, is set back by a nighttime attack that leaves the two bruised and shoeless. When they run into Zach, a man living off the grid, they gratefully accept his help. Zach’s intentions aren’t exactly what they seem, however, and a path out of the forest and into safety quickly fades as the line between myth and science blurs.Salem's Lot
2024-10-03Author Ben Mears returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem's Lot only to discover his hometown is being preyed upon by a bloodthirsty vampire.