As stated before, Subspecies proved to be popular enough to spawn a new franchise alongside Puppet Master and Trancers. While there were some difficulties in filming the first installment, Ted Nicolaou and company were more than willing to return. Thankfully, Bloodstone: Subspecies II was a much easier and more enjoyable shoot, turning out to be a stronger entry. Though there were some cast and crew changes, actress Denice Duff proved to be a welcome replacement for Laura Tate. Both parts two and three were shot back-to-back and released one year apart from each other between 1993 and 1994. Things were going well for Full Moon Features thanks to their deal with Paramount and starting their kids’ label, Moonbeam. The next Subspecies film was planned to be the last in a trilogy unless fans requested that more be made. In 1994, Bloodlust: Subspecies III was released.
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Synopsis
Following the last entry, the witch Mummy (Pamela Gordon) performs a blood ritual to resurrect the vampiric Radu (Anders Hove). Mummy believes that Radu’s fledgling Michelle (Denice Duff) has been corrupting him and must be killed at once. However, Radu keeps her around, stating that he is his own master and teaches Michelle how to be a vampire. Radu starts falling more and more in love with Michelle, while she begs for death and expresses her disgust. Meanwhile, Michelle’s sister Rebecca (Melanie Shatner) tries convincing ambassador Mel (Kevin Blair) and Lt. Marin (Ion Haiduc) of the vampires. While Mel agrees to help, Marin is skeptical but changes his mind after noticing villagers have gone missing. Mel recruits his friend, CIA officer Bob (Michael Della Femina), to infiltrate Castle Vladislav, rescue Michelle, and kill Radu. Will they be able to save her, or will Michelle be entranced into Radu’s grip?
Review
Much like the first two films, Bloodlust: Subspecies III is another fun, well-made, and atmospheric gothic vampire film. As with before, Anders Hove completely steals the show as the sinister yet charismatic Radu, clearly relishing in the role. Denice Duff is also wonderful, fully expanding her character and giving some real emotional depth to her scenes. Pamela Gordon works well as the villainous witch Mummy, and the makeup effects for her and Radu are impressive. While much is devoted to Radu and Michelle’s relationship, a major portion involves Melanie Shatner and Kevin Blair’s characters. They play off each other well, even though Blair can be a bit on the bland side at times. Ion Haiduc does a good job as the disgruntled police lieutenant and Michael Della Femina is a welcome addition. Sadly, Bob the CIA officer doesn’t get much screentime, so he comes off somewhat pointless.
Once again, Nicolaou’s direction is on point, taking advantage of the Romanian landscape and using tons of fog and shadow. The makeup effects from effects artist Wayne Toth are impressive, given the low budget they were working with. Some fans might be disappointed that the titular characters, the subspecies, only appear during the last five minutes. Honestly, I’m ok with this since the focus of the story is the vampires, with the subspecies just being there. It’s interesting seeing the power struggle between Radu and Mummy, with Michelle being caught in the middle of it all. There’s also more of an emphasis on action, which is a nice change of pace, though some may disagree. While it’s not perfect, this film and its predecessors stand tall as some of Full Moon’s finest offerings. Overall, Bloodlust: Subspecies III continues what made the other films work, even with some of its shortcomings.
Buy Bloodlust: Subspecies III from Full Moon Direct: https://bit.ly/3kamyM1
