Horror Movie Review: Bloodstone: Subspecies II (1993)
Guess whose back? Radu’s back! As will become a common theme in this franchise, dead doesn’t mean dead and no matter how many times he gets put down, the vampire finds a way back. It kind of reminds you of another iconic vampire, right?
Bloodstone: Subspecies II is the second entry in the Full Moon produced Subspecies franchise and comes from director Ted Nicolaou, who co-wrote the story with Charles Band. It picks up directly after the events of the first film as Stefan has put the vampire-infected Michelle (now played by Denice Duff) to sleep with the Bloodstone. Instead of taking a moment to deal with Radu’s remains, he also goes to sleep, allowing Radu’s minions, the Subspecies, to resurrect the vampire.
It’s a dumb start, but forgivable as Radu (Anders Hove) rises and promptly kills Stefan. Yay! Let’s all be honest here, the character sucked. However, before he can deal with Michelle and get his twisted hands on the Bloodstone, the sun begins to rise, and he is forced to run for his coffin in the crypt below.
Later, as the sun sets, Michelle wakes up and finds Stefan dead, so flees to Bucharest with the Bloodstone in hand, planning to contact her sister Becky (Melanie Shatner) for help. A solid idea, except Radu is hot on her heels and she’s slowly turning into a vampire herself.
Can Michelle find a way to reverse the vampiric infection? What power does the Bloodstone hold? Can Becky save her sister before Radu gets to her first?
A more energetic experience with deeper lore, expanded storytelling, stronger characters, better actors, and another quality turn from Anders Hove. That is the summation of Bloodstone: Subspecies II, a genuinely entertaining vampire horror film that continues the trend of big, gothic vibes and eccentric horror elements. Whereas the first film was a franchise finding its feet, this is a franchise coming to life and there’s a strong sense that Ted Nicolaou was thinking bigger even here.
This is notable because of the expanded world, increased lore, and fresh characters that are introduced. While Radu and Michelle are returning characters, the pair have a much stronger dynamic because the two actors (Anders Hove and Denise Duff) have a much stronger dynamic too.
Credit to Denise Duff, she steps into the shoes of a previously defined character and makes the role her own. Her struggles with her vampiric urges are some of the film’s highlights.
It’s a film with many highlights too, not just another visual and audio treat, but with a snappy story, solid effects, and some strong moments of gore. If you liked the first film, you’ll love this one. It’s where Subspecies starts to become something more than just another series of bland vampire films.
Bloodstone: Subspecies II (1993)
-
The Final Score - 8/10
8/10