Subspecies (1991 Video) User Reviews

Inventive and enjoyable (for vampire fans)

[angelynx-2 · 6/10 · 12 April 2000]

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".)

solid for the genre, and that's good enough for me!

[dr_foreman · 7/10 · 3 June 2005]

"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.

A Great Take on the Vampire Story

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 5 August 2008]

King Vladislav (Angus Scrimm) of Romania is a vampire, but a vampire of light who wants nothing more than to live in peace and harmony with mankind. But his son, Radu (Anders Hove), is a cruel creature to his very heart (which is pretty obvious as soon as you see him). Three lesbian students have come to study local folklore, but find themselves drawn into the vampires legends at just the wrong time: Vladislav has been killed.

Who can say anything bad about a film featuring a cameo from Angus Scrimm? Not me. I mean, I had some low expectations after seeing other Full Moon pictures ("Puppet Master" in particular, and "Demonic Toys"). But despite the really bad animated effects of the demons, this film was actually really well done and very fun to watch. Plenty of blood, a good plot and back story (the Bloodstone story was surprisingly refreshing) and even some new angles on the vampire mythos, which you would think would be dead by now. (Maybe I am wrong, but this is probably the first film to feature rosary beads being fired from a gun.)

Aside from vampires and blood, you get a share of nudity (gratuitous, but welcome) and I had to notice the excellent score from the composers (not sure who deserves credit, but those involved include Stuart Brotman, Richard Kosinski, William Levine, Michael Portis and John Zeretzka). This is Horror 101 all the way. Heck, you even get two sequels, which is the sign of a true horror film. (Of course, some bad films get sequels, too -- did I mention "Puppet Master"?)

The Romanian theme was well-done, and the film even seems to have been made by Romanians if I am guessing their name origins correctly. And the score -- the music -- really stood out for me as a nice change of pace, very mood-setting. I like Richard Band, but I am glad another composer was given a shot because he nailed the atmosphere on the head. If you like vampire films and want a slight variation (one of the Eastern European variety), this is worth seeing.

Great Gothic!:)

[bookworm-11 · 23 March 2001]

I love this one due to the beautiful scenery and castle. This one, Sub II and III were my favorites. Excellent for any gothic movie lover! Radu makes for an excellent vampire, sort of 'old-style' vampire what with the long hands. Laura Tate was pretty good, but I personally like Denise Duff as Michelle better. (In Sub II-IV). The actor who portrays Stefan is very handsome and does an excellent job.

Could have been worse

[ID_alreadytaken · 3/10 · 20 October 2006]

First of all, let me make it clear. This movie is a real piece of garbage, but although it is a real piece of garbage, it is an better piece of garbage than it could have been. It could have sucked big-time, but it doesn't...

What this movie didn't have, was for example scary moments, good acting and a good script. It wasn't very entertaining either. But the movie had cool music, fancy locations and hot girls. It also works great as a Dracula spoof. (hope it was meant that way, although I really don't think so)

The story focuses on three girls in Transylvania, awaking an ancient vampire, which then terrorizes and kills the girls, one by one. Sounds familiar? Yes, so it does!

After reading through this, you may think that I should have given it a better vote. The reason I don't, is because I almost felt asleep at some points...

Doin' It For The Bloodstone.

[meddlecore · 7/10 · 6 October 2021]

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.

Rather plodding Vampire film.

[poolandrews · 4/10 · 5 June 2009]

Subspecies is set in Romania where two American college students Michele (Laura Mae Tate) & Lillian (Michelle McBride) arrive to study local folklore with the aid of local friend Mara (Irina Movila). There they rent rooms in a hotel & become curious about the mysterious ruins of a nearby castle, it turns out that a powerful & evil Vampire named Radu (Anders Hove) lives there who has stolen the Bloodstone from his father King Vladislav (Angus Scrimm). Radu takes a fancy to the three girls & starts drinking the blood of Mara & Lillian, meanwhile Michele falls for a guy named Stefan (Michael Watson) who just so happens to be Radu's brother. Michele & Stefan decide to team up & rid the world of the evil Radu...

Directed by Ted Nicolaou this film seems to be quite highly regarded amongst genre fans & while it's not terrible I certainly wouldn't call it very good & I could't really see anything much to get excited about. Subspecies is a rather slow going film, not that much actually happens & while it does try to stay close to certain classic Vampire lore there's all this nonsense about a Bloodstone & some little monsters that grow from the tips of Radu's severed fingers for some reason. Subspecies could have been a half decent film if not for the fact that it's dull, I really can't remember that much about it, good or bad. The character's are alright but some f the dialogue is silly & there's a scene which bugged me near the start when the girls are at the castle ruins & one says they have to go because it's getting dark yet it's still clearly the middle of the day & very bright. There's also a scene where one of the American girls finds a coffin that hotel's attic & doesn't really seem that bothered by it, I am not being funny but is some bloke whose house I was staying at had a coffin in his attic I would be very, very worried if you know what I mean. I don't think I would ever want to watch it again, there's no real threat, the plot is weak that mixes classic Vampire themes with silly subplots & I was distinctly unmoved by it all. Not the worst film ever but hardly the best either.

The film looks alright with nice locations & some local scenery although you feel the look is down to the budget rather than the makers attempt a authenticity. There's not much gore apart from a decapitation & some broken off finger tips. For no apparent reason the makers throw in some average looking stop-motion animated monsters that really don't do anything or have much significance to the story.

Filmed on the cheap by Charles Band's Full Moon Entertainment production company in Bucharest in Romania, the production values are alright & better than many later day Band productions. The acting isn't great with many of the cast putting in below par performances while genre regular Angus Scrimm has a small cameo at the start. There's a little bit of style here on occasion with a few scene reminding heavily of the original Nosferatu (1922) in particular the bit showing Radu's shadow coming down the stair with his long claw like fingernails standing out.

Subspecies is a film that many seem to like for reasons I don't quite see, I thought it was throughly average at best & overall rather dull. Followed by Bloodstone: Subspecies II (1993), Bloodlust: Subspecies III (1994), Subspecies 4: Bloodstorm (1998) & the spin0off film Vampire Journals (1997).

A wholesome vampire movie...

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 22 March 2019]

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.

Other Reviews Lied

[nixflixnpix · 1/10 · 25 April 2022]

Wow! Right from the start! What a stinker! Wowwwww! Garbage. The budget, the acting, the FX, the cinematography, the music, all trash. Trash, trash, trash. Wow. Bad. Waste Skippable.

All about Radu

[MissSimonetta · 7/10 · 7 October 2020]

SUBSPECIES is one of those B-movies that would undoubtedly be diminished by a slicker presentation or any studio interference. It is a weird, corny, sometimes creepy love letter of vampire stories, starring one of the most memorable vampires of all time: Radu, a perpetually drooling, petty, lustful, and smarmy monster with Nosferatu fingers and a wardrobe out of THE MATRIX. I just adore this guy, a classic example of the villain you love to hate. The other characters are okay and I appreciated how the heroine was actually intelligent and active, but everyone is overshadowed by the glory that is Radu.

This won't please everyone, but it is worth seeing and super fun to watch with other people.

b-movie

[jimklausen · 3/10 · 20 October 2006]

regardless of what anyone says, its a b-movie, and the effects are poorly done.. if you're a vampire fanatic, I suppose it would be OK, not 10 out of 10, you others here cant sincerely mean that?. we are to view this as a movie, not read it as a book, so the effects and characters are important, as well as the story. The story are good, but it doesn't carry the film, no wonder it has a low rating over all. I write this because I chose to see this movie when I saw some good reviews here on IMDb, but got severely disappointed. don't get me wrong, I thought the blade movies was awesome, and loved the underworld movies, but this characters aren't close. the make up on the vampires is poorly done, and the effects are worse. this sucks. I might not have gotten so disappointed if I had not read reviews here that told me how great it was. the reviewers must have had something to do with the production company or something, seriously, if you think this is awesome, you don't care about acting or make up. this is better as a book. 3 out of 10 for an OK story..

Radu, a vampire done right

[BloodTheTelepathicDog · 10/10 · 11 December 2004]

Thank you Full Moon Pictures for restoring vileness to the vampire!

Anders Hove, as the villainous Radu, is the type of fiendish demonic monster that all vampires should be. Yet people today, thanks to genre rapists like Anne Rice, would rather watch vampires gallivanting about like a bunch of aristocratic Sallys.

The film centers around two college girls from America (Laura Tate and the curvaceous Michelle McBride) who visit their foreign exchange student friend from school (Irina Movila) in her native Romania. While there, the three appealing young women happen into a vampire feud. Radu has slain the father, a cameo by horror legend Angus Scrimm, thus acquiring the wrath of his good vampire brother Stefan(Michael Watson).

The only drawback to this film is the lowsy swordplay, but how can Anders Hove be expected to handle a sword with foot long fingers.

A vampire film done right, restoring the fiendishness to the vampire legend.

Take notes Anne Rice!!

The Good and the Evil Vampires

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 22 June 2022]

After many years in exile, the evil vampire Radu (Hove Anders) returns to the fortress of his father, the good King Vladislav (Angus Scrimm), in Prejnar, and kills his father to steal the powerful Blood Stone. Meanwhile, the Americans Michelle (Laura Mae Tate) and Lillian (Michelle McBride) travel to Transylvania to meet their Romanian friend Mara (Irina Movila) to research the locals and prepare a study for their PHD about the Romanian culture. They are lodged in an ancient house in Prejnar by the rough local Karl (Ivan J. Rado) that explains that the residents believe there are good and evil vampires, but they live in peace with the vampires led by King Vladislav for centuries. Soon, Michelle meets the zoology student Stefan (Michael Watson) and they have a crush on each other. But Radu breaks the truce between the vampires and the humans, and he attacks the three women. Stephen rescues the girls and discloses to Michelle that he is Radu's half-brother. Now, Stephen and Karl want to stop the vampire, but he is powerful and smart, and sneaks in the darkness.

"Subspecies" is a great vampire movie from the early 90's. The franchise about Radu and good and evil vampires has had several sequels. Hove Anders' performance associated to a scary make-up is top-notch, and the gorgeous Laura Mae Tate did not follow the franchise, and the role of Michelle was replaced by Denice Duff. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Subspecies: A Geração Vamp" ("Subspecies: The Vamp Generation")

Too low budget (even for me!)

[bowmanblue · 3/10 · 5 December 2020]

I love horror films. And I love low budget horror films. Therefore, when I sat down to watch 'Subspecies' I knew I wasn't going to get any form of Oscar-worthy performances or deep-dive into the human condition. I just wanted to be entertained by some silly vampire action for an hour and a half. I suppose I got the half of that - there's plenty of silly vampire action, but not much in the way of 'entertainment.'

I knew it was going to be an odd watch from the opening, largely because it just seems to start midway through the scene. I felt like I'd been literally thrown into the story and it felt like I'd missed the 'real' beginning. However, after checking the counter on the DVD I found that it was indeed the start of the film and I was being treated to some of the most overacting and cliched vampires I'd ever seen.

The antagonist wears possibly the most laughable halloween-style costume ever captured on film and his long fingers just reek of prosthetics. Being 'old school' I do always prefer 'practical' special effects over computer-generated ones, but the stop motion effects look like they were created before even Ray Harryhausen's time.

When the action truly picks up we meet a trio of teenage girls holidaying in Romania. Naturally they get caught up into a lover story so forced and tired that it makes the 'Twilight' movies look inspired. Maybe it would be better if the actors were a little more 'professional.' Because of my love for horror, I'm not that fussed if the cast aren't destined to win any Oscar for their performances, however these actors clearly seem to have to wait for each other's lines to be officially finished before they speak their own. The dialogue comes across as so stilted that it's truly noticeable, even for a genre well known for its lack of acting talent.

As you can probably guess, I didn't like the film. I found it one hell of a hard watch to get through. However, when I came to review it, I saw plenty of other reviews giving it full marks and claiming it was the finest vampire movie they'd ever seen. I guess this one just wasn't meant for me.

Still better than 'Twilight' though.

It's great for a Vampire B-movie, but what I like the most was that it *WAS* a Vampire B-movie!!

[lupe_mojo13 · 1 February 2002]

To start off with I had a great back story. Two Vampire Brothers one, genuinely good, born of a Mortal woman(Stephan), and the Vampire king and the other, truly Evil, born of a evil witch and the vampire king(Radu).

*one side note* Radu(the Evil Brother in this movie) was also the name of Vald Dracula's Brothers!!!

I think this movie was great with the special effects. I didn't, and still don't know about the story line with the "Subspecies(the little demons)" Radu's Minions, but they were very well done. the primitive settings and tactile use of locals playing the towns people was great.

One thing I would have done different when filming in the dark of night, in the woods no less. I would try to make the light look more like moon light instead of a spotlight hidden behind a tree. but to one effect it gave a hauntingly glow to the trees!

Oh if you are like me and like to find mess-ups in movies here is one I'm sure you'll see... when the Funeral procession is taking place. On the cross is a name of the person that has died now later on when the towns people are performing the ritual with the white horse jumping over said grave look at the cross again the name is now in reverse the first and last names have switched places! ????go figure????

But anyway, all in all its a great movie the endings well,uh,... well you'll just have to see it

I don't know...

[Peach-2 · 5/10 · 30 August 1999]

I realy don't know what I should say about this film. Alright the background setting is nice, although I think Full Moon Video has made all their horror pictures in the same castle. There is alot of background story and it is interesting to learn about the vampires, it's just boring getting there. Also the way Anders Hove spoke with a raspy voice became quite irritating. Ted Nicolau should have tried a little harder.

The best 70s horror flick of the 90s

[rooprect · 7/10 · 5 February 2020]

I watched this entire movie from start to finish, thinking it was from around 1978. Everything about it screamed late-70s B-movie horror, from hairstyles (Charlie's Angels anyone?) to wardrobe (particularly the way the girl's blouse happens to get slashed in just the right spots for some unnecessary but much appreciated nip slips), to tons of brooding footage of authentic Transylvanian castles (very remeniscent of Herzog's 1979 "Nosferatu") to the iconic Angus Scrimm (for all of 20 seconds) to, ESPECIALLY the awesomely horrible stop motion clay creatures who, I swear, look like they stepped right off the set of Jason and the Argonauts. Imagine my utter confusion at the end credits when the copyright date scrolled up: 1990.

Dude.

Seriously. I don't know if they intended it to be so 70s or if the low budget turned it into a happy surprise, but this is one of the best 70s horror schlocks I've ever seen! If you dig 70s low budget horror, films like Rollin's "Lips of Blood" (1975) or Coscarelli's "Phantasm" (1979) or possibly even the serious masterpiece "The Wicker Man" (1973), then you must check out this flick asap.

I purposely left the plot for last because, as any good horror connoisseur knows, who cares about the stupid plot. Here we have something about 3 nubile young college chicks who go to Transylvania to do a report on traditional folklore whilst passively ogling the local studmuffin "Stefan" who looks like he just walked off the set of General Hospital. Oh wait, actually he did. Somehow they get wrapped up in an ancient blood feud between 2 sibling vampires and the rest is, well, the rest.

In case you're wondering, the titular "subspecies" refers to some cheesalicious little red men who, like much of the movie, are nonessential if not totally unnecessary BUT THOROUGHLY AWESOME. Fun fact: the original subspecies were played by actual actors in rubber suits, the filmmakers felt they looked too ridiculous so they opted for the clay/puppet creatures we see here. And might I say, that was the best cinematic decision since Coscarelli's murderous silver tennis balls in Phantasm.

On a serious note, the villain "Radu" is one of the best vampire depictions since the original Nosferatu. In fact he seemed to be strongly based on that incarnation but with some wacky makeup that made him look like a cross between Nosferatu and Heath Ledger's Joker, or possibly even the late great Brandon Lee in The Crow. He also gave the part a very disturbing yet oddly charismatic personality, as in the 2 aforementioned greats.

Will this film give you nightmares? Probably not, unless you're spooked by E.T. Is it worth watching: definitely. I rate it a 7, docking it some points for false advertising: although top-billed, the legendary Angus Scrimm only appears for about 10 seconds. Other than that, if you go into this flick expecting some good 70s B-movie entertainment, you won't be disappointed. Bellbottoms are optional.

Fun horror movies

[izzypito · 5/10 · 8 February 2021]

If you're looking for fun horror movies then this series is for you. These movies were not scary at all and it has some terrible acting but whatever. Parts 2 and 3 were actually better than the first one. Part 4 was terrible because they disregarded how the 3rd one ended. The 2nd half of part 4 was at least watchable.

A creepy villain and marvelous filming locations make for Full Moon's best

[Alex_Is_Legend · 7/10 · 18 February 2013]

If you're making a list of the all-time scariest vampires in film, there are some obvious choices. Names like Max Schreck's Nosferatu, Bela Lugosi's Dracula, Christopher Lee in Hammer's Dracula films, Reggie Nalder from Salem's Lot, Gary Oldman's Dracula and Chris Sarandon from Fright Night immediately come to mind. One that is often overlooked but still deserving of the title is Anders Hove's portrayal of Radu Vladislas from 1991's Subspecies.

While the film itself may not go down as one of the greats, the nightmarish Radu has helped to cement Subspecies' place as a cult classic. The primal bloodsucker is undeniably creepy, with a raspy voice and long, crab leg-like fingers that bring to mind the iconic imagery of Nosferatu. The movie spawned three sequels and a spin-off. For its 20th anniversary, Full Moon Features released a special edition Blu-ray and DVD of the film.

Angus Scrimm (Phantasm) receives top billing, but he appears merely as a cameo in the prologue. His King Vladislav is the first character to appear, brandishing a chintzy powdered wig. But the cheesiness does not last for long, as Radu is introduced next. The vampire king, having been seduced by a sorceress, is Radu's father. As you can imagine, there is not much family bonding between the two. Radu kills his father in order to obtain the bloodstone, a powerful relic that "bleeds the blood of saints." Centuries later, two American college girls, Michelle (Lara Tate) and Lillian (Michelle McBride), meet up with their European friend, Mara (Irina Movila), in Romania to research the local culture. They stay at a Transylvanian castle in the town of Prejnar, where they cross paths with another guest, Stefan (Michael Watson). He claims to be studying nocturnal animals, but there is only one creature on his mind: his brother Radu. Stefan develops a relationship with Michelle, but the superstitions that the girls were researching become all too real when their blood is sought by the evil Radu.

Subspecies was shot on location of Romania (reportedly the first American film to do so after the fall of communism), which adds immense production value. The rich landscapes, shadowy forests and ominous castles provide a beautifully Gothic atmosphere that would be impossible to replicate with sets. Some locals even appear in bit parts.

The title of Subspecies does not refer to the vampire race, but rather Radu's pint-sized minions born of his body. As characters, they're entirely unnecessary, but Charles Band has a bizarre fetish for putting little monsters in his films (see also: Puppet Master, Demonic Toys, Ghoulies, Gingerdead Man, et al.). They were created by Dave Allen using stop motion and puppetry, which has not aged well. Thankfully, they don't play much of a role in the story, so their distractions are kept to a minimum.

The Blu-ray presentation is nothing to write home about, but the movie still looks better than ever. This marks the first time that the film has been released in its proper 16:9 widescreen format. Despite some softness, the newly-remastered, high-definition transfer is a bast improvement on the grainy, dull DVD. Similarly, while the stereo audio is on the flat side, it gets the job done. It's unlikely that the film will ever look better.

The only special feature (aside from some Full Moon trailers) is the Videozone featurette from the original VHS release. Innovative for its time, Videozone is like an electronic press kit featuring interviews with the cast and crew. They mostly discuss working in Romania. It's also interesting to learn that the subspecies were originally portrayed by actors in rubber suits before making the switch to puppets. Given that this is the anniversary edition, it would have been nice to have some new features looking back on the film or at least a commentary track.

The marvelous filming locations and Radu's eeriness don't excuse all of Subspecies' mistakes. The film was obviously made on a low budget; the script, written by Jackson Barr and David Pabian, is a bit too melodramatic; the acting, particularly that of the three girls, leaves a bit to be desired. Still, director Ted Nicolaou utilized his limited resources to deliver what is arguably the best title best title in Full Moon's storied catalog.

Not great, but watchable.

[paulclaassen · 4/10 · 28 June 2019]

The visual effects are dated by today's standard, but I can't help but wonder if it maybe was good for its time. Even the make-up is not the best and it definitely has the look and feel of a B-movie. Nevertheless, although this is a cheaply made film, it was rather interesting. Nothing to write home about, but I've certainly seen much worse vampire movies. It was interesting enough for me to keep watching.

The acting wasn't too great either, and a lot of the scenes looks acted instead of realistic, almost as if this is a stage play. I'm still interested in seeing the rest of the films, though.

thankfully not sub-par

[movieman_kev · 7/10 · 19 July 2014]

Three nubile, young scholars, Michelle, Mara, and Lillian, plan to study folklore, not knowing that a bitter power struggle between two vampiric siblings (the evil Radu and half-mortal Stephan) will soon engulf their ,as to this point quite benign, world.

Another memorable Full Moon picture tat reminds me of how good the legendary studio used to be. I'll take Subspecies over either Anne Rice brooding queen vamps OR the more recent sparkly idiots any day of the week. The only gripe i have with the film aside from a decidedly leisurely pace, is not enough of the awesome Angus 'Tall Man' Scrimm as the doomed patriarch

Eye Candy: Michelle McBride and Inna Movila both get topless

Radu, I love you!

[Gafke · 10/10 · 19 April 2003]

This is one of my all time favorite cheap, corny, vampire B movies.

Calvin Klein underwear model...oh, I mean, Stefan the Good Vampire, returns to Transylvania to ascend the throne of Vampiric Royalty, but Manicure-impaired and eternally drooling half brother Radu has other plans. Having killed their father the Vampire King, Radu now sets his sights on Stefan, Stefan's new mortal girlfriend Michelle and her two pretty friends, and the all-powerful Bloodstone.

Okay, the scenery is beautiful, and it should be as it was shot on location in Transyl-fricken-vania for gosh sakes. The actresses are no great shakes and Stefan the Heroic Vampire is about as charming as a refrigerated fireplace poker, but who cares? There's only one reason to watch this movie, and his name is RADU! He's a physical homage to Nosferatu and he has the best lines in the movie, all spoken in the raspy voice of a man who smokes ten packs of cigarettes a day. The cemetery festival scene is one of the best scenes in the film, as Radu slowly approaches the camera and reveals his grinning, slobbering face for the world to see. I found myself cheering him on as he collected victims and taunted his perfect brother. But maybe I'm just a sicko. Questionable taste in men aside, I highly recommend this film to vampire enthusiasts. It's original, it's fun, and Radu is one of the best vampires I've seen in a long time...much more fun than the stiff, tragic, whining Undead brats that endlessly grace the horror screens these days. Radu enjoys his sadism and never apologizes. He's what a vampire should be.

Radu is awesome!

[BandSAboutMovies · 6/10 · 6 September 2020]

Ted Nicolaou wrote and directed five of these movies - you better believe we have the box set and action figure - starting in 1991 for Full Moon. These look way better than 90's rental films, because they were shot on location in Romania - the first American film to ever be filmed there - and have incredible looking stop-motion and rod puppet techniques for the subspecies creatures.

Three college students - Mara (Irina Movila), Michelle (Laura Mae Tate) and Lillian (Michelle McBride) have traveled to Prejmer, Romania to study folklore. There, they meet another student named Stefan (Michael Watson) who claims to be studying nocturnal animals, but in truth has been battling his evil brother Radu (Anders Hove, who has been in every single one of these movies other than Vampire Journals).

How did we get here? Why does Radu look so beastly and his brother so much like a human? Well, their father King Vladislas (Angus Scrimm!) was seduced by a sorceress, so they're really only half-brothers.

Radu killed their father so that he could control the Bloodstone, which drips the blood of the saints. How a vampire can hold onto a holy relic is a point of conjecture we're best not asking.

Anyhow, Radu - who was named after Vlad the Impaler's brother Radu the Handsome - turns Mara and Lillian into vampires, but Stefan already loves Michelle, so he works to free her friends. By the end, he chops off Radu's head and has to turn his love so that she can survive.

Luckily, Radu's minions are already working on bringing him back to life, otherwise I have no idea what the next movies on this box set are all about.

Speaking of his minions, which are created from Radu's blood, they weren't always stop-motion. The original plan was to film local Romanian talent in rubber suits on oversized sets, but then David W. Allen - who worked on several of the Full Moon films - took that footage and added in bluescreen puppets to improve the look of this film.

The Swedish black metal band Marduk's song "Nightwing" is a cover of this movie's theme and is all about Radu: "And the mantel of power should be shouldered by the firstborn / The one who craves evil and all kinds of human feelings scorn / He who drank his father's blood and leaves his foes ripped and torn / And which the king halls up high since long forlorn."

No, No Radu!

[stu-67 · 3 June 1999]

It hasn't been since '91 that I've seen it but boy do I remember it. It scared the shatner out of me since I was only ten.Radu was simply HORRIFYING TO ME,GIVE ME THE BLOODSTONE,PLEASE. The little red dudes are great for what ails ya'. I don't know what was scarier, radu or RADU. The costumes were great, the settings were neat-o. I thought it was very nicely done indeed. If you can find it RENT IT TODAY!

It benefits from a potent villain.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 12 November 2011]

An effective-enough vampire tale from Charles Bands' Full Moon productions, this has the benefit of being shot on location in Romania, which gives it the kind of truly "stuck in the past", atmospheric feeling inherent to such European locales.

Anders Hove plays the incredibly creepy main character Radu, an animal-like vampire highly reminiscent of Max Schrecks' Count Orlok, with striking long-fingered hands. Radu has obtained the Bloodstone, an ancient relic that drips the blood of the saints, and he's addicted to drinking from this thing. Setting his sights on a trio of lovely young female students doing research on the local folklore, he's opposed by his half-brother Stefan (Michael Watson), a much nicer vampire.

Written by Jackson Barr and David Pabian, based on an idea by Band, and directed by Ted Nicolaou, this is very straight-faced stuff and can be taken quite seriously, with a somber mood established right from the beginning. The local color is extremely effective, with the music score (credited to five people!) giving the proceedings just the right touch. It's sometimes sinister, and sometimes touching & romantic, yet it does have an air of tragedy to it. The makeup effects by Greg Cannom are well-done, and David Allen supplies the stop motion animated title characters.

It's hard to feel much sympathy for the three girls - Mara (Irina Movila), Michele (Laura Mae Tate), and Lillian (Michelle McBride) - as they often act pretty senseless (then again, many horror movies would play out quite differently if they didn't have such characters). The actors are okay, for the most part; it's definitely the Danish actor Hove (recommended for this movie by co-star Watson, with whom he'd worked on the soap opera 'General Hospital') that takes center stage, and he's quite good, giving his villain a truly feral quality, not so much speaking his dialogue as hissing it. Genre icon Angus Scrimm, sporting a funny, ridiculous wig, is written out of the movie much too quickly; it would have been nice to see a little more of him.

Incidentally, the amusing little title creatures, created from Radus' blood, really don't have much to do in this story, not as much as naming the movie after them would seem to indicate. But this is still an entertaining-enough low budget effort; Nicolaou and Hove would both return for all three sequels.

Seven out of 10.