Bloodstone: Subspecies II.

With the midweek TV clusterfuck over, let's take a look at the next film in the Subspecies franchise.

Probably the only things to really note going in is that not only did Nicolaou direct all five movies but he also wrote every one of the sequels, including the spin-off. And that Subspecies is one, long continuous story with each film taking place directly after the last one finished.

If I had to sum up Bloodstone in one word, I would probably pick the word 'pointless'. What little plot there is mainly centres around either characters trying to find one another, characters telling us shit we already know or lots and lots of plot convenience. And once again, I think the film really missed out on a much more interesting approach. Considering it's so artistically put together, it just seems so strange that both films go with the dumbest versions of their story.

Thankfully Michelle dealing with her transformation into a vampire, after being bitten at the end of the last film, is handled really, really well. The thing that really sets apart her transformation from a lot of other films - especially modern Vampire flicks, is that the movie doesn't keep telling us the 'horror' of it all and then not showing it. Honestly we know very little of what it is like to be a vampire and with Stefan dead, we have no one to really ask, so as her transformation grows more and more horrible, we're just as surprised as she is and it works for great effect. It's nice to watch a vampire movie that doesn't spend all its time trying to glorify it. Vampires are monsters, first and foremost, when did we as a culture forget that?

It's done in lots of interesting ways visually too, like her reflection slowly fading away in the mirror. Still, I don't know whether it's budget reasons or what, but vampires are clearly seen walking around when the sun is up in both this film and the original, so huh? That being said the day and night cycle in this film really makes no sense any way and this grows even more irritating because of the fact that the day and night cycle is so intrinsic to the plot. The one thing I still don't truly understand is the whole 'become like him' plot thread. Stefan turned her, not Radu, so what is her problem? I know Radu's blood is inside her too, but he didn't turn her, so that shouldn't be an issue, I don't get it? Oh well, time to hunt for food!

Another thing I think Bloodstone really got right in its 'plot' was the introduction of Mel. Mel is basically the only suspicious character in the whole franchise so far. Lt. Marin may not believe in vampires, but he doesn't count because he's constantly going on about his thief theory. Mel was just a really refreshing character because he is the only person who doesn't see one half bit of evidence and then have 100% faith in the existence of vampires and it's also really the first time the franchise tries to slow down and actually create some sense of suspense of mystery, which is all I've ever wanted from the series.

Despite everything, the one true thing that lets the film down is the films pacing. There are whole scenes of admittedly really nice cinematography, but shots of stuff that has fuck all to do with anything. Sure it's nice that these Full Moon films are actually feature length for once, but I'd rather a short movie with no padding, than a bloated one - I don't think you could quite imagine the amount of filler in this film. Although I guess we do get to meet Radu's milf of a mother, what a sexy bitch. It did also annoy me that the first five or so minutes is basically Nicolaou undoing 90% of what happened in the third act of the first film - I mean I know he didn't write that one, but sheesh.

Really horror is the only thing important to Bloodstone and Nicolaou really shows off what a great director he is, this film is gloriously staged. Most of the film is made up of characters simply wandering around, however Nicolaou lays the atmosphere on heavy enough that it plays out more like one long Ghost Train ride. All Radu has to do is walk towards you with that creepy ass breathing and you're ready to do a shit in your pants. How I miss the days when horror didn't need loud bass thumps to hide the lack of scares. Still, that being said, Nicolaou really puts greater emphasis on shock and disgust this time around with the inclusion of Radu's mother and I know that could possibly alienate a lot of the classic horror fans who were probably drawn to the original film, it really does seem an odd decision on Nicolaou's part.

However for all the praise I give Radu for being a classic, horror lead vampire, I must admit he is a bit rubbish, really. He gets taken down hilariously easy in both films. Although why does no one notice he never dusts? If he hasn't dusted, then he's still alive you idiots. I mean he isn't so much rubbish as much as he is rubbish in comparison  For all the criticisms of what Stephanie Meyer did to vampires, once you see the X-Men vampires of the Twilight franchise, it's much harder to appreciate a more classic approach to vampires because they seem so incredibly weak in comparison. I mean it creates a nice creepy visual, but what practical use does a power like making your shadow big have? And despite the fact Radu shows he can teleport, it ends up counting for absolutely shit in the climax. Maybe he can't dodge a vampire or some shit, but a human lugs a big ass stake and he just lays there and takes it? I know it's a vampire film, so suspension of disbelief is a requirement, but this film sure is stupid.

And I must admit, I didn't enjoy Hove's performance as Radu quite as much this time either. His performance crosses the boundary into hammy and overacting too many times to truly be enjoyable. It's at first entertaining but it quickly grows tiresome until it is eventually annoying. It sort of feels like he is taking the piss, like he doesn't want to be there. Especially in the scenes where Radu interacts with his mother, they are hilarious for all the wrong reasons.

On the other hand Michelle's new actress is definitely a step up from the last film. To say Laura Tate was completely forgettable is an understatement and awkward pacing and underwriting didn't really help the girl much either. And don't get me wrong Denice Duff is far from a good actress but she comes out on top for not being completely forgettable and bland. I guess that isn't the best compliment in the world but it's still lucky for us because Duff is our Michelle for the rest of the series. 

However I must say, I really don't like Michelle as a character, especially because she has this real Bella Swan thing going on. Every guy she meets falls for her, why? Who the fuck knows! And for all the rushed romance in the first film, I thought it was kinda shitty that they killed Stefan off within the first few minutes and then spend the majority of the rest of the film acting like he never existed. They introduce this whole obsession that Radu has with Michelle and I know the actor who played Stefan was busy with other things but they replaced Michelle fine, so why not him? They replaced him so he could die but not so he could actually do anything? Why? I'm pretty sure Radu and Stefan fighting over Michelle would have been much more interesting than Stefan being killed off in the first few minutes of the film and then awkwardly raised and dropped from the story when the plot requires. The whole film feels like this odd blend of a reboot and a sequel. I mean Nicolaou couldn't have hated the first Subspecies, he made four more of them (well three and one spin-off) so I really don't get why he wastes so much time trying to completely erase the first film.

And while we're on the topic, let's talk about boobs! Although not as gratuitous as the first film, our protagonist still opens the movie in a dress where her breasts fall out of the sides and she clearly isn't wearing a bra, she then gets changed but not before she flashes her boobs to the camera, she then gets a shower scene so she can show off her boobs further. And this is basically true of every female character who comes into this...well except Radu's mother, what a shame. I mean I am not complaining, I'm a man, be serious! But is this really necessary? I'm going to go with 'no'...

So do I recommend it? If this was made by anyone else, I'd probably say no. Nicolaou's direction and Paunescu's cinematography make a superficial but perfectly solid horror flick. What holds Bloodstone back from being truly great is all the unnecessary filler and repetition. I know I'm the one who said a film doesn't need a plot but if you're going to have one, don't pad it out and stretch it to feature length if you haven't got enough plot to do so. Overall, this film wasn't that great but it looks nice and is a pretty solid follow up, as far as Full Moon goes.

Think About It!

-Locke