Horror Movie Review: Bloodlust: Subspecies III (1994)

One year after Bloodstone: Subspecies II, the strong second entry in the series, Full Moon and director Ted Nicolaou returned with the third film, Bloodlust: Subspecies III. Where, once again, Anders Hove steps into the vampiric shoes of the vampire Radu.

Didn’t he die at the end of the last film? Have you seen a Subspecies film before? Radu dies at the end of every film, and is always resurrected, sometimes almost immediately. It’s a hilarious trope and one that warms the cold, dead heart. Not so much the cold, dead heart of Michelle though, (Denice Duff reprising her role) who can do nothing to stop his resurrection via the rotting hands of Mummy (Pamela Gordon).

Radu is back, again, and finally has the woman he desired, Michelle, by his side. Much to the chagrin of Mummy, who despises Michelle, seeing her as a bad influence on her son. Together, the three escape back to Castle Vladislav, but Michelle’s sister Rebecca (Melanie Shatner) isn’t going to give up just yet.

She enlists the help of the sceptical local policeman Lt. Marin (Ion Haiduc), Mel (Kevin Spiritas) from the US Embassy, and Bob from the CIA (Michael Dellafemina). Together, they must work together to free Michelle from the grasp of Radu and Mummy, and maybe, finally destroy the vampire for good.

That’s one half of this film’s story, and it’s fine. At least until CIA Bob turns up and attempts to add some light humour with his over-the-top army character. It doesn’t work, the character is pure cheese, and the acting matches that awkwardness, and not in an enjoyable way. Rebecca, Marin, and Mel are a great trio with good chemistry, so to see them bogged down by this crap character is a shame.

The other half of the film focuses on Michelle, Radu, and Mummy, and is the stuff that makes this another good entry in the Subspecies franchise. Radu, his desperation to make Michelle his lover while having to show dominance to her and in the face of Mummy, is surprisingly nuanced stuff. As is Michelle beginning to learn more about her vampire self, use her own power to influence Radu, and be careful to not reveal her true intentions. I could watch Anders Hove and Denise Duff do scenes together as these characters and never get bored. They had great chemistry in the first film, but it’s ramped up here as Radu becomes a more tragic figure.

Of course, alongside this, is a plethora of gorgeous locales, gothic vibes, malevolent moments of horror, action, big musical themes, and a cliff-hanger that meant a fourth entry would be on the way.

When people talk about the quality aspects of the Subspecies franchise, it is often these middle films that are referenced as the most impressive. While Bloodlust: Subspecies III isn’t quite as strong as Bloodstone: Subspecies II (mainly because of CIA Bob), it’s still thoroughly enjoyable.