Director: Ted Nicolaou
Starring: Anders Hove, Denice Duff, Kevin Spirtas, Melanie Shatner, Michael Denish, Pamela Gordon, Ion Haiduc
Running Time: 83 Minutes
Certificate: 18
Released along with its predecessor BLOODSTONE: SUBSPECIES 2 is a sequel worth jumping straight into. Kicking off where SUBSPECIES left off, we see the vampire Radu (Hove) being reassembled by his little red minions. Radu awakes and slaughters his sleeping brother, but is chased away by the encroaching sunlight before he can kill his brothers’ mate Michelle (Duff) and before he can take the Bloodstone. What follows is a chase through the streets of Bucharest.
Denice Duff takes over the role of Michelle from Laura Mae Tate, but it isn’t one of those cast changes that some may find particularly jarring. The biggest shock is just how long Michelle’s hair has grown. Duff gives a more innocent and vulnerable performance, but is also able to hold a sultry and seduction presence. With Michelle having been turned into a vampire at the end of the last film, these qualities are an absolute necessity. These character traits also help in building a conflicted relationship between Michelle and Radu. Hove once again returns as Radu, and is given free rein to completely lose himself in the part.
BLOODSTONE: SUBSPECIES 2 decides to branch out into a more populated world, as our characters make their ways to the capital of Romania, Bucharest. The film was shot on location, and just 4 years after the Romanian revolution. It adds a haunting feel to this already atmospheric horror. Moving from a small village to a more populated town also works as a triumphant metaphor our protagonist’s predicament. No longer is she the big city student coming to a small village, but she is the outsider in a world she is only just beginning to understand. Bucharest is also filled with some very likable characters, such as the police chief and an old librarian.
If the streets of Bucharest weren’t enough, there’s also the haunting electronic score that could only be found in the late 80s/early 90s. At times it feels as though the notes are wailing in misery and pain. The whole production has stepped up to the challenge of matching their last effort, with fantastic make-up for the likes of Mummy (Gordon), and a script that follows up on the interesting family dynamics of Radu and his ilk. BLOODSTONE: SUBSPECIES 2 works as an entertaining B-movie and an atmospheric horror, which is something that can only be achieved with both genuine talent and sincerity.
BLOODSTONE: SUBSPECIES 2 is released 18th March 2013.
