PopHorror Let's Get Scared
After 25 years since the last entry (1998’s Subspecies IV: Bloodstorm), everyone’s favorite long fingered vampire Radu (Anders Hove; General Hospital (!)) is back! This time though, in true super-hero fashion, it’s an origin story in the form of Subspecies V: Bloodrise, where we see how Radu became the miserable bloodsucker he embodies so well, and how he got started on his eternal quest for the Bloodstone.
Subspecies V: Bloodrise Synopsis
“Stolen by crusaders on the night of his birth, he has no knowledge of his bloodline: his mother is a demon; his father is a vampire. Trained and exploited by a brotherhood of mystic monks to slay all enemies of the church, fate brings him back one night to the castle of his father, armed with the monster-slaying Sword of Laertes, to destroy the vampire Vladislas and reclaim a holy relic: The Bloodstone.
The events of that night turn Radu from a noble man into a vampire with no master, setting him on a centuries-long quest for sustenance, and companionship, for the treacherous one who stole him from the sun, and for the Bloodstone he hopes will bring him peace. Spanning 500 years in the life of the vampire Radu Vladislas, this long-anticipated prequel to the Subspecies series chronicles Radu’s descent from a noble warrior for the Church to a depraved creature of the night.”
Here’s a look at the trailer!
Fifth Time’s The Charm
Prolific writer/director Ted Nicolaou (read our interview with him HERE) should get some kind of medal of honor, or elder statesman designation from Charlie Band and the gang at Full Moon, as this is easily their best feature in years!
Starting with Radu’s birth, kidnapping, and his career, along with right hand man Marius (Petar Arsic; Dream Team 2) as a medieval holy warrior, from the “reveal” of his true lineage, to his descent into sanguinary addiction, Subspecies V: Bloodrise spans 500 years of Vladislas history in it’s 80 or so minute runtime.
Not being a huge Subspecies enthusiast, I went into this with some trepidation, however, I was pleasantly, perhaps shockingly, surprised at how freaking good this film is! Familiar faces abound: Kevin Spirtas (The Hills Have Eyes 2, Friday the 13th Part VII) returns to the franchise, although this time taking over for the late Angus Scrimm, as Prince Vladislas, Radu’s evil father, and, the role of Radu’s nemesis, vampire Queen Helena is filled by the returning Denice Duff (Dark Vengeance).
Rounding out the cast are Yulia Graut (Vertigo) as Circe, Radu’s demon mother, and Radu’s eventual minions, two traveling musical siblings, Ash (Marko Filipovic) and Ariel (Stasa Nikolic; Mora Bora).
The first thing you notice about Subspecies V: Bloodrise is how spectacular it looks! While the previous films may have had more vampire cred for being filmed in Romania, the Serbian locations used for this entry are just breathtaking, and lend a real authentic vibe to the entire proceedings—it’s easy to do a period piece, when you have locations with genuine castles, mountains and ruins!
And it’s not just great scenery, there’s some excellent writing here too, probably the best of Nicolaou’s career. Brilliant dialogue and a complex, sometimes emotional plot make this film a true pleasure to watch. Anders, particularly, shines when he’s given something more to do than groan, and drool all over women’s necks. That’s not to say he doesn’t ratchet up the “creep factor” to the nth degree here though, he slips into the slimy repulsiveness of vampire Radu like an old, familiar shoe, but he juxtaposes this with a heartfelt, tortured portrayal of Radu’s realization of his true nature, and his fall into depravity. A true tour de force performance.
Spirtas is compellingly evil, Nikolic and Graut both ably fill their roles, the only notable underachievers are Filipovic (who can be forgiven as this is his first acting gig) and the inconsistent Duff, who just seems lost and reading cue cards in some scenes, but delivers in others. While the plot seems sort of rushed at time (after all, there’s a lot of ground to cover here) the ending of the film is positively perfect, and leaves room for a future entry.
Attention to detail from a group of people who are passionate about the material always elevates a film, and Subspecies V: Bloodrise is no exception. From the lush visuals, to the excellent sound design (Anders’ narration even degrades in sync with his on screen character) virtually everything about Subspecies V: Bloodrise belies its modest budget. It’s everything this franchise could have been, and it’s a shame it took 25 years to make a film this accomplished.
Creepy, spellbinding, and an epic turn of storytelling, Subspecies V: Bloodrise could very well be one of the top 5 films in Full Moon’s ENTIRE catalog.
Subspecies V: Bloodrise is available from Full Moon Features/MVD Visual at retailers, and it is streaming on several platforms.
