As soon as this film kicks off - you already know that you're going to be in for some extreme high camp, and indeed the rest of the film doesn't disappoint. Full Moon Entertainment isn't exactly well known for high quality horror; but from the few of their films that I've seen, I have to say that they're actually not as bad as their reputation suggests and although Subspecies certainly isn't completely successful and has its fair share of problems; it's actually a decent old-style vampire flick that will surely be appreciated by fans of the genre. The plot focuses on the town of Prejnar; former home of the vampire Radu, who returns to face his father and steal the precious blood stone. He kills his father and takes the stone and shortly thereafter a couple of schoolgirls turn up to study the local culture and team up with a local girl. The vampire Radu is initially attracted to the girls, but things are complicated when his brother Stephen - also a vampire - steps in to help them.
The style of the film is undoubtedly the best thing about it - director Ted Nicolaou seems to have wanted to imitate the classic vampire styling, and has just about succeeded. Lead actor Anders Hove cuts an amusing figure as the central vampire and looks like he took the wrong turn on the way to some crusty old rock concert; although he does at least deliver a decent performance that is very in keeping with the rest of the film. The main problem is the pacing as the film is not particularly exciting on any occasion and mostly relies on its plot to keep things interesting; and this is not always managed. Despite an interesting take on the vampire mythology, the film really could have used some suspense! The special effects are liable to be a talking point too and not for the right reason - as they're completely amateurish. The demons featured in particular are awful. The film does feature a nice ambiance, however, and this is helped nicely by the moody and atmospheric score. Overall, this is certainly a decent vampire flick; but it could have been a lot better and I doubt I'll bother with any of the sequels.
The style of the film is undoubtedly the best thing about it - director Ted Nicolaou seems to have wanted to imitate the classic vampire styling, and has just about succeeded. Lead actor Anders Hove cuts an amusing figure as the central vampire and looks like he took the wrong turn on the way to some crusty old rock concert; although he does at least deliver a decent performance that is very in keeping with the rest of the film. The main problem is the pacing as the film is not particularly exciting on any occasion and mostly relies on its plot to keep things interesting; and this is not always managed. Despite an interesting take on the vampire mythology, the film really could have used some suspense! The special effects are liable to be a talking point too and not for the right reason - as they're completely amateurish. The demons featured in particular are awful. The film does feature a nice ambiance, however, and this is helped nicely by the moody and atmospheric score. Overall, this is certainly a decent vampire flick; but it could have been a lot better and I doubt I'll bother with any of the sequels.