Bloodlust: Subspecies III [Blu-ray]

I’m a huge fan of Anders Hove, and his performance in all the movies in this series is amazing!

Picking up the moment Bloodstone left off, Michelle (Denice Duff) is in the vile clutches of Mummy (Pamela Gordon). Using her blood, Mummy resurrects Radu (Anders Hove). Outside the crypt, Rebecca has called Lieutenant Marin (Ion Haiduc) and Mel Thompson (Kevin Blair) who have surrounded the place with police. Fearing capture – or worse – Radu invokes a spell that transports the trio back to Castle Vladislas. It’s here that Michelle seems to accept her fate as Radu’s fledgling and urges him to teach her the ways of the vampire. However, Mummy fears that Michelle will be their downfall and orders Radu to destroy her. Now conflicted Radu must decide whether to keep the one he loves or destroy her to keep his own life.Of the three films this one has the thinnest plot consisting mostly of Radu and Michelle exchanging dialogue with Mummy warning Radu that Michelle needs to be destroyed before she destroys both of them. This one also features the most comedy, making it an uneven film, though one moment featuring Radu with a gun to his head is played to comic perfection.Like the previous film, this one looks nothing short of spectacular. Most films that are mostly dark tend to look washed out, but this one looks great. The blacks are deep, dark and consistent throughout with the occasional daytime scene providing colors that really pop.The special features here are a bit of a mixed bag. First up is the commentary track from writer/director Ted Nicoleau, Denice Duff and Anders Hove. It’s a little livelier than the previous film’s track, but is still a bit frustrating as most of the time is devoted to describing the action on screen, though a few anecdotes make their way in saving this from being too dull. Once again, Anders Hove is rather quiet, though not as much as the previous film. His interjections are more frequent and a very welcome relief from the previous film’s lackluster track.Next up is where things get frustrating. We have the Recollections segment from the previous film. I mean it’s exactly the same. Every word, frame and cut identical. It would have been nice to have a second talk devoted solely to this film, but sadly no. The only features unique to this disc is the commentary and the original Video Zone from when this was released back in 1993.Like the film itself, the features feel like they never truly come out of the shadow of the previous installment, which is sad because this franchise had some real potential. Still, though, if you’re a fan of this series you’ll still want to pick this bad boy up simply for the look and sound. That alone is worth the price.

Just edges out S2 as my favorite in this hugely entertaining vampire series, mostly on the strength of Anders Hove and Denise Duff's performances. Same basic plot: Rebecca and her Fearless Vampire Stalkers continue where they left off, in pursuit of her sister Michelle, Radu, and the Bloodstone; while Radu tries futilely to gain the love and loyalty of his adamantly defiant "fledgling", Michelle.Hove has completely sounded the depths of Radu's character and his portrayal of this tragic monster is poignant and heartfelt. Unable to command his headstrong protégé's fealty to the master she refuses to acknowledge, unable to win her heart with gifts or intimate displays of trust, Radu's despair is utterly human, yet he never turns on her. Despite his constant praise of pain and suffering, his deathly face conceals a heart capable of loyal and true love.As for Denise Duff as Michelle, she is probably the coolest vampiress EVER, and if it not for Radu would no-doubt be the star of this series. The Subspecies movies deserve acclaim for their strong female characters, and Michelle is the toughest, a determinedly human woman who resists becoming a vampire with every fiber of her strength and will. At the same time, we see her grow in undead power and skill, and realize that if she keeps control of the Bloodstone - with which she can resist the need to kill - she'll become an immortal to reckon with. Her scenes with Radu are really something to see, as the two vampires match wills eye-to-eye again and again, and she forces Radu to blink every time.Their story is truly "Beauty and the Beast" without the happy ending, and indeed it's hard not to think of that classic story in the sequence where Michelle begs to see her sister just one last time. Like the Beast, Radu is unwilling to let his "pretty one" go, but gives his permission, hoping to prove his love by a gesture of faith in her; and just as in the fairy tale, his hopeful gesture has sad consequences. The look on his face as she sweeps past him while he pleads for her devotion could bring a tougher fan than me to tears. --These are some of the best characterizations in modern vampire film, and among the very few that I really care about.

It worked. I hadn't seen this for 20 plus years.

Good of the type