Subspecies IV - Bloodstorm (1998)

Director Ted Nicolaou and Full Moon entertainment felt the need to continue the story of Radu the master vampire of Romania. Maybe the goth/romance inspired Vampire Journals from the previous year wasn’t the hit they hoped. Or maybe they figured m”Might as well film another movie since we are here in Romania and we have Anders Hove around.” In any case, even though it looked pretty damn definitive that Radu didn’t survive the Bloodlust of the previous film, hold on to your hats, because the bloodsucker with the long fingers is back.

Summary:

You can’t keep a good vampire down. Especially when you leave the Bloodstone (a mystical vampire artifact) laying around. So when Radu’s (Anders Hove) melting hand falls from the tree he was impaled on (see the previous film), it somehow restores him to undeath! He manages to shamble back into his castle and wait for night – because dammit he still wants Michelle (Denice Duff).

Yeah even though Michelle was rescued by her sister and an American diplomat, they got into a car wreck. Only Michelle “survived” and was rescued by local doctor Ana Lazar (Ioana Abur). Ana takes Michelle to a mysterious clinic run by the eccentric Dr. Ion Niculescu (Mihai Dinvale). He is excited to have an actual vampire to work on, and claims to have a cure in mind to reverse the effects of vampiric affliction. He just needs… the Bloodstone! Soon enough Radu arrives at the clinic demanding Michelle and he has minions of his own, including the diabolical Ash (Jonathon Morris). Will Michelle have any hope of escaping this brewing Bloodstorm?

Good Points:

• Anders is back as Radu and his performance is just what you want
• The location shooting in Romania continues to provide a unique look and feel
• Adding the mad scientist subplot provides some interest

Bad Points:

• The script is a mess
• Why is Lt. Marin back, WHY?
• Vampire Journals connection provides nothing to the story

Overall:

Well, I’m not sure anyone was really asking for this movie, and while I appreciate that Nicolaou tried to give us some new points of interest with the mad doctor and the vampires from the previous film, it just never comes together. Of the four official movies this one meanders the most, and feels the least thought out. It has fun moments, with both Hove and Dinvale chewing the scenery. But in the end we are left with a limp finale for Radu and Michelle. Worth watching if you want to be a completionist, but most viewers should just stick to the original trilogy.

Scores (out of 5)

Visuals: 3

Sound: 3

Acting: 3

Script: 2

Music: 3

Direction: 2

Entertainment: 2

Total:  2

In Depth Review

So the ride comes to an end with Subspecies 4: Bloodstorm (Also called Subspecies: Awakening or just Bloodstorm as I’ll refer to it from now on). Director/writer Ted Nicolaou and Full Moon pictures gave us a vampire saga spanning five films through the bulk of the 1990s. At times they are a snapshot of the era in which they were made, and other times they are their own beast. It has been quite a ride watching and reviewing the flicks over the years, but now we come to the end. Was the journey worth it?

There are some really good points in Bloodstorm. First off we have the return of our two main characters Radu and Michelle one last time and both actors seem fairly committed to parts. Hove seems a bit slower in this film, but his menace is still impressive, even if the new Radu make up gives him serious chin-butt. He looks more like Jim Carey in The Mask than he really should. That said, when Hove is creeping into the scenes and ranting over his minions it really works. Hove has been a bright spot in all four of the main films, and really is a main reason the series succeeds when it does. As a swansong, I wish Hove had a bit more to do in this film, but some of his interactions with Morris and Dinvale are very fun to watch.

"I haven't chewed nearly enough scenery!"

Denice Duff has portrayed Michelle in the second, third and now fourth installment of the series. She has had the tough job of giving us a Michelle that is slowing turning into a vampire and fighting with those urges. Duff always gives us a passionate performance. She can be seductive when she needs to be, and deeply disturbed at others. The sequels really click because of the interactions between Duff and Hove (especially the second and third films). Sadly the scripts never really give Duff a complete arc over the course of the films. It is sooooo frustrating at times. We have an actress giving it her all, and in the end the movie just isn’t built to support it. Bloodstorm is no different, with Duff getting less screen time because of all the new characters and subplots. She does what she can, but in the end, she feels like a supporting character in a series that had focused on her trials. It’s a bit of a shame.

Also worth mentioning are two of the “new” characters. First up is Jonathon Morris who returns as Ash from the Vampire Journals. The new look for Ash is pretty silly looking, but in a different way this time. Morris doesn’t let that stop him, as he continues to ooze smarm and confidence. Sadly his new wig is absolutely atrocious. It makes him so hard to take seriously  but adds to the cheese factor. His interactions with Hove as a fledging meeting his “dead” master again are pretty darn good. It’s a shame this subplot is so uninteresting, Morris makes the scenes more tolerable, but they are just so pointless.

No one can explain what happened to his hair.

Then there is Dinvale as Dr. Ion Niculescu. Dinvale gave us a very foppish performance in Vampire Journals, but in Bloodstorm he embraces the eccentricities of the mad scientist. He really goes for it in many scenes being very unsettling and creepy. We know right from the start that this guy is hiding something, and it isn’t too surprising to learn he’s a vampire too, Dinvale is able to keep us engaged with the story when he is on screen. It’s a fun performance and although the character gets tossed away near the end, he was an enjoyable addition to the series.

Ioana Abur as Dr. Lazar and Floriela Grappini as Serena are both solid in their parts. Lazar becomes our new Final Girl for this film. She does an admirable job interacting with the vampiric forces of Michelle and Dr. Niculescu. But the character lacks the connection of Michelle’s sister Rebecca from the previous two films. It’s just not all that interesting, despite a solid performance. Serena is a vampire hanging around with Ash. She is supposed to be in The Vampire Journals but I honestly don’t remember her. In this film she is OK, chewing the scenery when she needs to. But the character is tied to an uninteresting subplot so she just suffers in the end.

Only one person in this pic is not a vampire. Take a guess.

Speaking of suffering, Lt. Marin (Ion Haiduc) is back, even though we clearly saw him die in the previous film. But that hasn’t stopped the Subspecies movies in the past, why should it stop Bloodstorm? Once again, we spend way too much time with this bumbling character. He’s not funny. He’s annoying and the subplot goes NO WHERE. Literally, he comes back as a vampire, flounders around for way too many scenes and is killed by Serena in a graveyard. This padding is unforgivable. Because it is done with such an annoying character, it just leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

Do you see the theme of Bloodstorm yet? No, it isn’t about fate. No, it isn’t about desire. No, it isn’t about delusion. Is it about Radu's Finger Demons? NO! Those little stop motion guys don't even appear in the film. So you have a Subspecies film without the subspecies. Anyway, the main theme of this film is messy screenwriting. None of the Subspecies films are plotted well. But most of them have a charm to them, usually because of performances and the successful location shooting. But all the goodwill from those elements is squandered on a really poor script for the fourth film in the series. Granted this is the FOURTH film, and I really shouldn’t expect all that much, but still, I do expect something.

"Michelle is totally my girlfriend now, so don't even
think about asking her to prom!"

As I mentioned the element that I did like was adding the mad scientist trope to the series. I think the idea of having a vampire attempting to find a cure for vampirism and being excited to use Michelle as a test subject is a great one. You really could have the whole movie hum along on that plot with Radu closing in on them over the course of the film. But the plot point never gets the screen time it should, because of the other subplots. It also suffers from an element that has plagued the series from the very beginning.

I ask this simple question: what are the properties of the Bloodstone? If your response is, “How the hell should I know? You watched all five of these movies.” That’s correct. I did watch all five films and I still don’t know what the Bloodstone is capable of. I know it contains the blood of the saints, but I don’t know what the means for vampires. Still every vampire character in the Subspecies series is obsessed with the Bloodstone. I would think by the time we reached Bloodstorm, we would get a definitive answer. We have a scientist character just waiting there to explain it all. But it never happens. Once again the Bloodstone is just something to keep the plot moving. Because we never define it, the whole crux of Dr. Niculescu’s plot is vague. It all leads to his death, but why? I’m not sure even the writer knows.

"I offer you... another pointless subplot. How can you
resist?"

Additional pain comes from the subplots. I already mentioned the tedious and pointless “comedy” of Lt. Marin. There is also the whole “Radu meets Ash” subplot. It seems like a good idea, and maybe given enough time, the power struggle between these two could have been engaging at some level. But there really isn’t much going on here. Radu is evil and a jerk. Ash is evil and a jerk. Radu has more power so he shows dominance by taking Serena for himself. Ash mopes. Serena gets mad for being treated like a toy (as well she should). So she gets Ash to team up with anyone they can (Dr. Lazar in the end) to kill Radu. So while this subplot leads to the demise of our main character, it is just so dull and predictable that you don’t care while it is happening. It’s a shame because you have some good acting here, but the script feels aimless in these scenes.

One of the most problematic issues is the loss of Rebecca: Michelle’s sister from the previous two films. It’s possible that Melanie Shatner didn’t want to come back for the fourth film (can’t say I blame her too much). She was really good at making me believe her sisterly relationship with Duff and the two made a good team over second and third films. By killing her off at the very start of Bloodstorm, we lose one of the last binding elements for Michelle in the story. Now this could lead to some really great story elements for Michelle to explore, but once again the script refuses to dive too deep into Michelle’s reactions to tragic events. She is a bit distraught about the death of Rebecca, but I would think it would have a bigger impact on her, and force her to finally embrace her vampire powers or utterly reject them. But still, she is waffling between the two. So, so frustrating.

"Ready to be come the new 'Michelle', Dr. Lazar?"

That was my main experience watching Bloodstorm. This could have and should have been the conclusion to Michelle and Radu’s story in a satisfying way. Instead all the subplots dilute us away from that core storyline. Honestly the previous film gave us a pretty definitive conclusion. That may be the real issue here – there was no reason to have a fourth film. I can see how this script was probably hard to write and with little time to flesh things out it ended up being a mess. But it’s unfortunate that the series fumbles its way to the finale.

Was it worth it to watch and review the Subspecies series? I had plenty of fun with these films. I think the first and second films are probably the best of the bunch. I wouldn’t say they are mandatory viewing for horror fans. They are more like fun weekend flicks to enjoy with some popcorn during the Halloween season. If anything, this series seems like a great candidate for a remake or reboot of some kind. With better writing, these movies could be turned into a fun and creepy series. I imagine that coming up with rules for the Bloodstone and casting Radu and Michelle just right would be key. But that is all in dreamland. For the here and now, the Subspecies series can be an entertaining ride, as long as you know what you are in for.

"Nope, I'm good. Just give me a couple minutes.
I'll be back for Subspecies 5."

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Vampire Journals (1997)

Oh Ann Rice, what have you wrought? Vampires went from one of the most feared creatures of the horror world into the misunderstood bad boys of goth fans everywhere. Her novel Interview with a Vampire got things off to a start back in 1976. Young adult books like The Vampire Diaries first started in 1991 were all the rage. When a film version of Interview with a Vampire in 1994 changed the landscape of the vampire world vampires had to evolve. Full Moon wanted to make further vampiric adventures in the Subspecies universe, but Radu’s pure evil nature wasn’t cool. Time to get cool. Time for some Vampire Journals.

Summary:

So technically this movie was made before Subspecies IV, chronologically the events occur after that amazing film.

Alas for poor Zachary (David Gunn), his mortal life was destroyed back in the 1890s when he was turned into a vampire and his lover was slaughtered. He vowed vengeance and has turned against his vampiric nature. His only goal is to hunt down and kill the evil Ash (Jonathon Morris). This vile bloodsucker seems to be the source of the vampire scourge that Zachary wants to get to the root of.

He better hurry because Ash has his eyes set on a lovely classical piano player named Sofia (Kirsten Cerre). Ash loves her talent and feels that if he makes her immortal, her skill will increase until she is unmatched. And of course he wants to suck her blood and turn her into a willing slave – you know, typical vampire lord goals. Zachary takes a liking to Sofia and does his best to try to save her, but Ash has deadly minions of his own, and it becomes obvious that even with the powerful Sword of Laertes, Zachary may be outmatched. If he fails, can hope be found in his Vampire Journals?

Good Points:

• Filmed on location in Bucharest, Romania in winter which enhances the mood
• Jonathon Morris is having lots of fun in the antagonist’s role
• Goes all in with the “sexy” and “cool” vampire routine

Bad Points:

• Goes all in with the “sexy” and “cool” vampire routine
• The tortured voiceover is really annoying
• None of the characters are all that engaging

Overall:

So this movie was surprisingly entertaining. Not because it was good, but because it was so cheesy. Series director Ted Nicoalau rejects the classic gothic horror of the previous Subspecies films to attempt a music video style approach to this film. It is “cool” and “sexy” and almost none of it works the way it was intended. If you like your vampires scary and evil, this film will annoy you. But if you can enjoy the hilarious dialogue, questionable acting, delightfully evil performance by Morris and the overall 90s silliness of the whole production you will have a good time. Ignore the Subspecies connection, and just put this one on for some popcorn Halloween-time fun.

Scores (out of 5)

Visuals: 4

Sound: 3

Acting: 3

Script: 3

Music: 3

Direction: 3

Entertainment: 3

Total:  3

In Depth Review

Most fans of Subspecies feel this entry in the series is the nadir. To be fair, this isn’t an official entry really. It looks like Full Moon and Nicoalau were trying to spin things in a new direction with Vampire Journals. We had a new protagonist, new antagonist and new lovely lady. Radu is mentioned in one scene as the mentor of Ash the new vampire lord, but that is really all the connections we have here. 

But you know what, I was OK with that. Subspecies III wasn’t all that good, and it ended on a mostly satisfying way. I was fine for shifting things in a new direction. The opening credits set the tone here. We get dark romantic sounding music over shots of a snow-covered graveyard in Romania. It sets a different mood right away, one that is bit more gothic romance in the Ann Rice style. 

"Look, I'm almost Lestat, but you can call me Ash."

The first scene is a doozy and is representative of what you are getting into here. A young woman is twirling in a diaphanous gown in a huge house as a hulking man in black watches her. There is a piano nearby surrounded by lit candles and right away, as a rock fan of the 90s I started cracking up. Especially when a close up of the hulking vampire flashed on the screen. Someone watched the Meatloaf video for “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” and was inspired. The music video was directed by Michael Bay (yes, that Michael Bay) back in 1993, and was all the rage. 

This scene looks like an outtake from the music video, except instead of the woman swooning at Meatloaf/monster this one screams and runs. But it is too late! Meatloaf/monster attacks and starts to drain her blood. Our new hero Zachary steps in, and wielding a ridiculous looking sword decapitates Meatloaf/monster. Was that Nicaolau’s commentary on the music video? Or was it just to get things started off with a bang.

Meatloaf would do anything for strawberry preserves.

The rest of Vampire Journals really keeps that Michael Bay music video style of lighting and overall style. It is quite a bit different compared to the look Nicaolau was going for in the previous films. It changes the overall tone to one that is less concerned with horror and more concerned with cool and sexy. Sometimes things work out, like the first scene where Ash watches Sophia play from an underground vantage point. Other times it just comes across as trying too hard and leads to chuckles.

There are other influences here. Phantom of the Opera is certainly one. We have the talented musician who is coveted by the monster. Interview with a Vampire inspired other aspects, especially the long hair both Ash and Zachary sport (very influenced by Cruise and Pitt’s look in the film). Zachary’s tortured narration apes the same thing we get in Interview from Pitt, with all the same melodrama, but this time it comes across as overripe and funny. This film also came out the same year as Buffy the Vampire slayer hit television. As much as Zachary feels like he is a low budget version of Angel, I’m not sure the influence actually occurred.

"See like Luke Skywalker.. zzzwoosh, zzzwooosh."

Vampire Journals is primarily concerned with Zachary brooding and providing lame voiceover while we observe how “cool” and “sexy” Ash is. The scenes with Ash are a lot of fun. I think Morris knew exactly what kind of movie he was in. So he goes for a devilishly evil take on the vampire as hedonist. He commits to the role and exudes that wicked confidence and suave smoothness with ease. In another movie, he would be a great villain. But here, surrounded by Michael Bay lighting and given a script that meanders around, he ends up feeling like too much of a good thing.

There are a bunch of strange subplots and characters that have potential, but don’t seem to go anywhere. You have Cassandra (Ilinca Gola) who is Ash’s most recent fledgling (still over 100 years old). Ash won’t trust her to go hunting alone, and we have a lot of scenes with the two of them bickering, and finally a hunting scene – but it never really moves past that. Her performance is appropriately over the top and fun, so the scenes between the two are never boring, just feel like padding in the overall scheme of things. Cassandra does get to go toe to toe against Zachary near the end of the film. It is a sword vs. mic stand battle you have to see to believe.

Dimitri and Cassandra get in a laugh or two.

You also have Iris (Starr Andreeff) who owns Club Muse where Ash has his hedonistic vampire abode. Iris is human, and certainly dresses like the femme fatale of the film. It is never really revealed why she is working with Ash, but it is implied that money may have something to do with it. She’s an interesting character that they don’t do too much with. You also have Dimitri (Mihai Dinvale) as the foppish vampire with a taste for male blood. I think he’s supposed to be funny, but mostly he just sashays around the screen and makes wry observations. We don’t feel all that bad when Zachary literally twists his head off like a toothpaste tube cap.

Then there is a less than interesting subplot in Vampire Journals about some vampire gangsters that betray Ash or something along those lines. Most of these actors have very thick Romanian accents, so I was having trouble following them. Also they were some of the weakest actors of the bunch. In the end I didn’t care about the subplot, and while it showed that Ash’s power was weakening among his vampire comrades (and Iris), it filled up more screen time than it was worth.

"Wow this looks so cheesy, where's my wine?"

The sound effects are up to the same quality that you’ve heard from Subspecies. The music is also on par. However there is a very distinct sting using strings each and every time a vampire bites a victim. And since we are watching a vampire movie it happens quite a bit. You could create a drinking game for that little musical motif and end up very inebriated by the end.

While the script to Vampire Journals is overly familiar, that is part of what makes it fun to watch. You can spot all the references to Phantom of the Opera, and Interview with a Vampire. You can chuckle at how Sophia flops around like a spastic doll whenever Ash drinks from her. You can snicker at the ripe dialogue, and silly long hair all the male vampires sport. You can shake your head at the cartoonish design for the SUPER vampire slaying sword that Zachary wields, and then loses and then wields again. The movie manages to hit all the tropes, and include plenty of gore, over the top kils and naked chests to suit your vampiric lusts. There is a just a lot to enjoy here, because of all its cheesy faults, it does manage to entertain. While I do tend to like my vampires more on the scary than the sexy side, I will say that this makes for a fine evening for Halloween themed popcorn viewing.

"Um, are you awake? Can I have a drink of blood... I mean , water?"

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Creepy (2016)

Detective Koichi Takakura (Hidetoshi Nishimjima) feels he has a good grasp of criminal psychology. He attempts to talk down a dangerous killer during a hostage negotiation – and it all goes to hell, Koichi barely survives. He retires from the force and takes up a teaching position, moving to a new home with his wife Yasuko (Yuko Takeuchi). Yasuko wants to be a good neighbor and brings home made sweets to the other two families on the little street. One gives her a cold reception, the other… well he’s just creepy.

Meanwhile Koichi’s old detective buddy asks him to help out on a strange case of a missing family. Koichi goes behind his wife’s back to help (she doesn’t want him in danger any more). And Yasuko starts to see the creepy Mr. Nishino (Teruyuki Kagawa) doing off putting and bizarre things. Is he just an awkward man with no social skills, or is there something sinister behind his simpering smile? Things start to spiral out of control as they meet Mr. Nishino’s daughter Mio (Ryoko Fujino) who whispers that she isn’t his actual daughter. Koichi’s investigations start to point to serial killer who uses drugs and manipulation to ensnare his victims. He begins to suspect that Mr. Nishino is much more than just Creepy.

Good Points:

• Kagawa’s performance is the perfect mix of creepy, cowardly and sinister
• Very unnerving as the scenes build in a methodical but horrifying way
• Some moments of unexpected comedy help break up the tension

Bad Points:

• The slow pacing moves a little too slow at times
• You are either going to buy into the premise of the killer or find it stupid
• The ending is going to annoy/disturb some viewers

Overall:

I really like director Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s take on horror. His film Cure is still one of the most unnerving films I’ve ever seen. While this film isn’t as good, it has a lot to recommend. Kagawa is amazing. He’s the most passive aggressive villain I’ve ever seen in a film. He is despicable, funny, and sinister all at once, a difficult combination to pull off, but he does it. His performance makes the film work as well as it does. The rest of the cast does a fine job, especially our lead detective and his wife. We watch as the tension between them slowly tears the relationship apart and drives either one to more and more desperate acts. Like Kurosawa’s other films there are lots of thematic elements you can pull out of the movie and talk about, which is always welcome. It isn’t nearly as obtuse as Cure, but Creepy does have the same slow pacing and measured filming technique. It works well, but isn’t for everyone. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and recommend it as a bit easier to digest over the more abstract (but also more fascinating) Cure.

Scores (out of 5)

Visuals:  4

Sound: 4

Acting:  4

Script:  3

Music: 3

Direction: 4

Entertainment: 4

Total:  4

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Humanoids from the Deep (1980)

In the little fishing town of Noyo things aren’t going so well. Not only do all the boats and cars seem to be filled with oily rags (because they explode all the time), but there are a bunch racist jerks lead by Hank Slattery (Vic Morrow) doing everything in their power to bring a new cannery into town against the wishes of the local native American Johnny Eagle (Anthony Pena). Meanwhile another local fisherman Jim (Doug McClure) and his wife Carol (Cindy Weintraub) try to keep things from going overboard (pun totally on purpose).

But enough of the late 70s environmental message – bring on the MONSTERS. This movie has them rising up from the waters, all fishy and slimy. They attack half naked teenagers and take the females back to their lair to mate with them (ewwww). Seems like Dr. Susan Drake (Ann Turkel) has a theory about what is going on. But what can these helpless fishermen do against the Humanoids from the Deep?

Good Points:

• Hey, James Horner with one of his first movie scores! Cool!
• When it goes full grindhouse it is stupidly fun
• Creature effects aren’t too bad

Bad Points:

• Half the movie feels mired in the late 70s eco-horror style
• Pacing is all over the place with the movie dragging way too often
• Some suspect acting (but you knew that was coming)

Overall:

I heard of this movie for two reasons. First was that it is thinly inspired by the H.P. Lovecraft classic Shadow Over Innsmouth. But more likely it can be considered a remake of Horror at Party Beach. The other reason I knew about it was because of James Horner’s involvement early in his career (around the same time he did Battle Beyond the Stars). In any case, the movie is a mess. Director Barbara Peeters was making a serious horror flick with a message. Producer Roger Corman wanted more boobs and blood, and so the movie was reedited and reshot. This resulted in a movie that can be dumb fun when it wants to be, but the strange pacing keeps it from ever taking off. I’d say check out the creepier and gorier Dagon for a similar take but with a better grasp on the Lovecraftian roots.

Scores (out of 5)

Visuals:  3

Sound: 3

Acting:  2

Script:  2

Music: 3

Direction: 2

Entertainment: 2

Total:  2

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Suspiria (2018)

Susie Bannion (Dakota Johnson) is accepted to a prestigious dance academy in Berlin. Since the film takes place in 1977, it is in West Berlin. She is excited to work with the famous Madame Blanc (Tilda Swinton) who sees something special in the girl. Unfortunately for Susie, that isn’t the only thing special about the academy.

A girl named Patricia (Chloe Grace Moretz) was the favored dancer before, but now she’s gone missing. The last one to see her was Dr. Josef Klemperer (Swinton again!), and he is obsessed with finding out what Patricia’s ranting about “witches” really meant. He enlists the help of another dancer Sara (Mia Goth) to do some digging. Will Sara and Susie discover the supernatural truth hidden in the academy, and does it all tie back to the ancient name Mator Suspieriorium?

Good Points:

• Impressive acting by Johnson and Swinton
• Some eerie and disturbing sequences
• Attempts to retell the story in a new an interesting way

Bad Points:

• Is never able to sustain its dread, or horror for every long
• The attempt to fuse the historical events of 1977 Berlin with witches doesn’t come together
• Never reaches a good flow, and ends up slogging quite a bit

Overall:

The original Suspiria is a film I admire, but don’t really like all that much. So I was excited to see it getting a remake treatment. I think there was a lot of interesting material to explore in the original. While Guadagnino takes everything in a new direction, the whole conceit never really gels into an engaging film. He attempts to draw many thematic ideas into the film using the setting of 1977 Berlin, but it feels at odds with the personal horror at play. There are some excellent performances, and some disturbing visual sequences for sure. In the end it didn’t quite work. I’d dare say I actually like the original film a bit more.

Scores (out of 5)

Visuals:  4

Sound: 3

Acting:  4

Script:  3

Music: 2

Direction: 3

Entertainment: 2

Total:  3

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Before I Wake (2016)

We decided to watch a horror double feature over the weekend. One film, The Open House was… well it was not very good. So we were hoping that this film would be a bit better. We had reason to hope, because we have enjoyed the work of director Mike Flanagan in the past (check out Hush or his version of The Haunting of Hill House). 

Summary:

Jessie (Kate Bosworth) and Mark (Thomas Jane) are finally able to become foster parents. It was a tough road for them after the death of their son Sean (Antonio Romero). But Cody (Jacob Tremblay) is a sweet boy who seems eager to fit in. He also has had some rough events in his life. His previous two foster families met with tragedy, including abandoning him.

At first Cody seems to be adjusting well, but one night Jessie and Mark witness butterflies in their house. Cody is obsessed with the insects, and becomes apparent that when Cody dreams, elements of those dreams manifest. Jessie wonders if she can see her dead child again, if Cody dreams about him. But they have something else to worry about: Cody’s nightmares. Because one vivid horror is going to become very very real.

Good Points:

• Creates and sustains an atmosphere of dread and the uncanny
• Very good performances by the whole cast
• Manages to get under your skin with its eerie moments

Bad Points:

• If you can’t buy into the overall premise of the film, you won’t get pulled in
• The ending will leave some viewers conflicted
• Looking for fast pace or gore, you’ll be disappointed

Overall:

Flanagan delivers a solid creepy film. He uses the couple’s grief as a jumping off point for how they deal with the powers Cody seems to have. It turns into an interesting character study, while building up some really good dread and scares. The finale may leave some viewers conflicted by the ambiguity, but overall, the film was well worth seeking out. Reminded me a bit of The Babadook, and in a good way.

Scores(out of 5)

Visuals:  4

Sound: 4

Acting:  4

Script:  4

Music: 4

Direction: 4

Entertainment: 4

Total:  4

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The Open House (2018)

So we decided to have a double feature horror film viewing this weekend. We had two flicks in our Netflix cue. One was this movie that sounded like a fun thriller by the description. But in the back of my mind, I remembered seeing that Chris Stuckmann had worked on a riff track for the film. I figured that just means this could be a “so bad its funny” movie, right?

Summary:

After Logan’s (Dylan Minnette) father is killed right in front of him in a freak accident, he finds himself struggling with grief. His mother Naomi (Piercey Dalton) decides to move the two of them to her sister’s massive house in the mountains. She hopes that it will help them work through their sadness.

Unfortunately the house is up for sale, and the pair has to keep leaving the building because of the numerous open house events. Soon enough, strange things start happening around the place. The water heater is tampered with. Logan’s phone vanishes. Other lost items end up in different rooms. Could it be the odd neighbor Martha (Patricia Bethune) messing with them… or did someone stay inside the giant home after The Open House?

Good Points:

• Lovely location shooting in and around Big Bear in California
• Solid acting for most of the film
• Martha was an entertaining character 

Bad Points:

• Confusing editing drains all tension from the film
• The score overplays its hand over and over again
• The ending was very unsatisfying

Overall:

This movie is a bit of a mess. There are elements of an entertaining and thrilling film at the heart of this, but the senseless editing, horribly overloud and obvious score and an ending that just leaves you exasperated add up to a bad film. But if you are in the mood for a movie for riffing, there are plenty of laughs to be mined. Want a good thriller from Netflix, check out Hush instead.

Scores(out of 5)

Visuals:  2

Sound: 3

Acting:  3

Script:  1

Music: 1

Direction: 2

Entertainment: 2

Total:  2

Curious about a full review, sent me an email and I’ll make additional thoughts to this review.

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Bloodlust: Subspecies III (1994)

Over the past couple years I’ve been exploring the 1990s vampire series, Subspecies. Today we dive into the third film of the franchise (or Subpecies cinematic universe if you prefer). When it comes to horror series, it is usually a case of diminishing returns. But a couple of things give this film an edge. They planned to make this particular sequel and the surviving cast returns from the previous film. All they need to do is finally get a decent script. Should be easy, right?

Summary:

The film opens moments after Bloodstone: Subspecies II ended. Rebecca (Malanie Shatner) left her vampiric sister Michelle (Denice Duff) in a tomb to wait for nightfall. The plan is to return with help and then… um… well Rebecca’s plan is unclear. But it doesn’t matter anyway because the decaying Mummy (Pamela Gordon) is still alive! She seizes Michelle and drags her back into the depths of the tomb. There she performs blood rites to resurrect her son Radu (Anders Hove). The three then transform into mist (with a lot of over the top chanting, laughing and screaming) and escape, just as Rebecca returns with American diplomat Mel (Kevin Spirtas) and skeptical Detective Marin (Haiduc).

Now the hunt returns to Radu’s mysterious castle as Rebecca, Mel, and detective Marin attempt access the fortress via the crypts. Meanwhile Radu and Mummy continue to train Michelle in her new vampire powers and force her to embrace the darkness. Villagers are abducted, blood is spilt and Radu gets to drool a lot more gore. Finally Mel contacts his CIA pal Bob (Michael Dellafemina) to lead the attack against the castle. But will a trained military operative be enough to defend against Radu’s Bloodlust?

Good Points:

• Feels like a natural continuation of the previous film
• Hove is still horrifying as the vampire Radu
• When the movie goes over the top it is at its best 

Bad Points:

• There doesn’t appear to be much of a script to this film
• So many ideas are brought up, but never explored
• Never gets into a solid and entertaining flow

Overall:

When it comes to these films the script has been the major issue. We run into that again. But this time it feels like they added a bunch of padding because they only had a few ideas (and locations) to explore. The result is a movie that has some of the best scenes of the series surrounded by scenes that meander in circles. The climax is impressive and fitting to a trilogy, but I will say it is the weakest of the three films.

Scores(out of 5)

Visuals: 3

Sound: 3

Acting: 3

Script: 2

Music: 3

Direction: 3

Entertainment: 3

Total:  3

In Depth Review

"Oh yes, I'm back, and droolier than ever!"

Ah Subspecies, you try so hard, and yet sometimes I wonder if you are trying at all. There is so much potential in the series as a whole, and specifically in Bloodlust: Subspecies III (calling it Subspecies III from now on). But time and again the movie unravels at the seams and just never quite recovers. I was entertained for most of it, but as a whole the movie falls flat.

So what happened? Mostly the script (or lack of one) happened. Just about all the production elements remain the same. Visually the movie looks a lot like the previous one, with some excellent location shooting in Romania. But we’ve seen many of the locations already, like the castle and Bucharest. There is a new village we get some time in, and some more scenes in the forest surrounding the castle, so that helps things a bit. The familiarity of the settings isn’t a deal breaker, but it was one of the advantages the previous films had over your typical vampire horror. 

"No seriously its just marina sauce, and a little blood. But not my blood. That makes it OK, right?

The acting remains solid over Subspecies III. Duff and Shatner do a good job as the tormented sisters. I actually came to really root for Rebecca in this one, and Shatner’s acting is a big part of it. She really convinces me that she is desperate to save her sister, even if she isn’t sure how to do it. Duff gets to embrace her dark side (a little bit anyway) over the course of this film. When she is haunting the village and using her new powers she does a good job of getting us to believe her dark desires are taking over. The script stumbles a bit with her motivations as the film progresses, but Duff’s acting is not the issue.

I think Spirtas is actually a bit better this time as Mel. He as a little more to do here, becoming a full-fledged vampire hunter. His interaction with Shatner works well, and his disgust and horror at Radu and Mummy is palpable. As for Detective Marin, well Haiduc is playing the same skeptical clueless detective he played before. He’s supposed to be the comic relief, and he doesn’t really succeed. But it’s a thankless and pointless role anyway. He just takes up too much screen time for so little payoff. I never laughed or really even smiled when Marin was around.

Not really comedy gold here, more like comedy pyrite. 

Now when Pamela Gordon was around as Mummy, I was entertained.  She is just as over the top, gross and ridiculous as she was in the previous film. Her antics are quite entertaining, especially when she ends up arguing with Radu over the fate of Michelle. There is less for her to do in the film, which is both good and bad. She brings some energy to her scenes, but I still don’t like the way the character dilutes the horror of Radu.

Still Anders Hove has so much presence and goes for the blood drooling with such gusto that he overcomes a lot of the issues within Subspecies III. He has some really good scenes with Michelle, and manages to show some kind of affection for her, in his own twisted way. Hove is absolutely fearsome when he faces down those that would attempt to separate him from Michelle. When Radu is on screen the movie is usually at its best, and it is a shame that the script is so flimsy because we could have had a real winner here.

"See I have the Bloodstone right here. It isn't going to impact the story, but I still have  it."

The sound effects and music remain in the same realm they were in previously. The sounds support the film well enough. The music is an assortment of tracks that build some mystery, chime in with the recognizable title theme and other times use the screechy violins to denote horror. Not bad stuff, but lacks some of the punch of other horror scores of the time.

So lets look at the culprit right in the face – the script. Subspecies III builds on the events in the previous two films, but only in a halfhearted way. It almost feels like they had a series of ideas they wanted to explore over the two sequels, but never really fleshed out a full script until they were close to shooting. With most of the intense stuff captured in Bloodstone, they were left with not a whole hell of a lot for Bloodlust. The result was sequences and scenes that just kind of go in circles. 

Looks like someone had one hell of a night... get it, hell... see what I did there.

One example happens right off the bat. Subspecies II ends with Rebecca saying she’ll wait for Michelle outside the tomb until nightfall. Then Michelle is seized by the roasted Mummy and hauled into the tomb screaming. Rebecca heard that right? Well according to Subspecies III, Rebecca leaves the tomb right after saying she’ll wait. She goes off to find some help, and comes back with Mel and Detective Marin. In some ways it makes sense, but we needed a quick scene of her making up her mind to get help, or something. Because it just feels arbitrary that she wanders off into the woods. And keep in mind the film starts off with a montage of moments from the second film, including the scene where Rebecca promises to wait. So her decision to leave feels even stranger.

Then there are a number of scenes where characters go the castle, can’t get in, talk for a bit about how they need to get into the castle, and then drive away. It happens about four different times and doesn’t do anything to forward the story. From a narrative point of view you only need that to happen one time and then have Rebecca and Mel head to the town to regroup and come up with some kind of idea (maybe contact agent Bob at that point). Detective Marin adds nothing to these scenes and we spend way too much time with him and his “funny” antics.

Mel and Rebecca doubt the veracity of your claim.

That is the main issue with Subpecies III. It doesn’t realize that the more interesting story is the power struggle between Radu, Michelle and Mummy. All the best scenes in the film occur with these three characters. The main issue here is that the script never clarifies where Michelle stands on any of this. Sometimes she seems to have accepted her fate as a vampire. Other times she seems to be resisting it. Sometimes she begs for death. Other times she begs Radu to teach her more about the vampire’s powers. Michelle needed the evolution of character here and one that is pretty easy to chart. After being dragged into the darkness at the end of Subspecies II she could have embraced her darkness, and even decided that she didn’t want or need Radu. Her whole goal cold be to surpass him in power and then destroy him. Then her interplay with Radu could be more effective, and her natural conflict with Mummy would have more bite.

Mummy just hates Michelle on principle and you don’t have to do too much with her. But I think she remained around a little too long. I love that Radu kills her (and the way he rips off her arm and beheads her with the knife still clutched in the desiccated hand is wonderfully ghoulish) because she just keeps trying to kill Michelle when he isn’t around. 

Oh yeah, Michelle goes all femme fatale goth style in this moment.

Finally if we go this way with Michelle’s character (as the vamp femme fatale) then it fits the idea that Radu is easily controlled by women, and supports the ridiculous relationship between him and mummy established in the previous film. Because some of those conversations between Michelle and Radu work really well. I love how he reflects on the fact that he has wiped out his whole family because of his passions. I feel the pleasure he takes in teaching Michelle to use her powers. It would work great if she was manipulating him (he could even figure out what she was doing part way through the film), and then as she was really delving into her dark nature be faced with her sister again. Lots of natural drama right there to explore.

The vampire scenes have less padding but they still suffer a bit because Michelle keeps changing her motivations and seems to reset to whimpering and helpless every other scene. This worked fine for Subspecies II, but by the time we get to Subspecies III we need to do more with her character. 

Nice little chat about finger demons.

I’m coming down a bit hard here because I see the potential for a really good movie buried in there. They could have doubled down on the drama and gothic horror. Or they could have embraced the over the top madness of two scenes that make Subspecies III memorable.

The first is Bob the CIA agent. When he shows up, it feels like you popped in a whole new movie about one liner spewing army heroes storming Dracula’s castle. Bob is a surreal character that comes out of nowhere with his machine gun and camo gear. His first reaction when he sees the desiccated Mummy is to shout “Heads up Granny” and open fire. It is hilariously silly and then his demise is just about the funniest thing in the entire Subspecies series. If the film had embraced this horror comedy feeling it would have been wonderful. Instead, it just feels like an odd moment that sticks out in the meandering film.

Bob and Mel: Fearless Vampire Slayers!

Then you have the climax of the movie. Hove finally gets to dive into his diabolical performance and chases our heroes through the castle, looming out of the shadows and growling at them. His intensity and their fear work so well, you feel like you are watching a genuine horror film. Then you have Rebecca trick Radu into trying to catch the Bloodstone as she hurls it over the castle wall, and into the open, as the sun ascends into the sky. (Side note, the Bloodstone once again appears and is once again completely pointless to the plot – what a waste of a great MacGuffin). Radu hurtles into the light and then proceeds to melt, burst into flame, hurtle over the castle wall and then land impaled on a dead tree as he roasts and melts. Yeah we get wood right through his oozing skull. It is gross and over the top, but a fitting end to the vampire. 

"Oh man I should really pay attention to my Swatch!"

This over the top ending to Subspecies III helps redeem it a little bit. I just wish he whole film had doubled down on this type of approach… or any type of approach really. The movie is a mess, but so were the previous two, but this one feels more disjointed and little less fun. The meandering characters and plot distract from the good and great portions of the film. It gives the Subspecies series an ending and that is good. It makes for fun viewing in October with you expectations adjusted. But I did end up wishing it had been given a bit more attention with the script. Once again, if Hollywood must keep remaking movies, the Subspecies films have a lot of potential in them. They could be improved and we’d have a fine horror trilogy ready to unleash on an unsuspecting public.

I think Michelle has a little surprise for her sister.

Would you trust these two to do anything right, much less slay a vampire and his Mummy?

I don't know who is more offended in this picture.

"No problem. Everything is fine. I'm sure there will be another sequel or two."

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