Subspecies 4: Bloodstorm (1998)

Don't listen to the negative reviews

There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Radu is inexplicably back after being extremely sunburned at the conclusion of the third film. Of course, the unwritten law of Full Moon is to keep chugging out sequels whether they're warranted or not (see also latter day Puppet Master films, Demonic Toys Vs. Whomever, Killjoy, etc...) But I digress. Radu is back and he continues his search for Michelle who's still in the country after a badly timed car crash.As far as mindless cash grabs go, this film isn't the worst in Full Moon's history, but it IS the worst Subspecies film by a wide margin and in my mind taints the memory of the original trilogy (and to an extant the offshoot that was "Vampire Journals") Eye Candy: an extra is topless

Subspecies can do no wrong. (V will be the next test). So you think Radu could not have come back this way....HEY....he is the ultimate vampire....The Master....and, like how many times has Dracula (not even half as creepy) and Frankenstein (not nearly as sharp) returned....with even feebler stories. Of course he's back...and thank goodness for the return of Anders Hove and Denice Duff, as they are the foundation of the Subspecies series...and so good at it. This holds up well to the previous 3 Subspecies movies, although there may be a shortage of story-line, I mean if that is what you are watching for. (I didn't miss it too much, but the person watching with me thought it needed more plot.) But there has to be something held back for next time...right? Buy this movie, watch it until it wears out, and buy it again. This is how we get "Subspecies V" made for us.

...I must say, the Subspecies series is one of Full Moon's better series of pictures. It was kept dark and gothic and bloody. I was not as happy with this one as I was 2 or 3. Which, were made 6 years previous to this one. I do feel the elapsed time helped make the movie less enjoyable. This one picks up after 3, and in my opinion, Radu was dead in 3. He was impaled on the tree after he was burning from the sun. This ressurection just wanted us to throw too much to the winds and just except Radu was back. Still a good, stylish movie looking forward to 5 later this year. 8 out of 10

"Subspecies IV: Bloodstorm" is yet another Charles Band production that unfortunately fails to deliver the goods. Journeyman director Ted Nicoleau fails to generate any suspense, let alone interest, in this uninvolving variation on well-worn Vampire themes, despite the advantage of authentic "Old-World" locations and morbidly Gothic set designs.Vampire King Radu Vladislas (Hove) survives (albeit, without much explanation) being staked and burned to a crisp (at the conclusion of part three, which forms the opening scene of this latest episode), and renews the search for Michelle, his fledgling vampiric initiate (Duff), who's been placed in a hospital with hopes of kicking her blood addiction. Her Doctor is a vampire, too, who seems to keep his bloodlust somewhat in check.Radu journeys to Budapest in search of Michelle and moves in with his former protege, Ash (Morris), whose exploits were recounted in the equally boring Full Moon release, "Vampire Journals". Ash is put out with the Master's intrusion and begins plotting to eliminate his uninvited houseguest. This sets up a three way battle for possession of the Bloodstone (the vampire doc wants it, too), an arcane artifact that dispenses an elixir good for vampires., with Michelle played as a pawn between the 3 bloodsucking protaganists.There's plenty of bloodletting, but little atmosphere or even shocks. Pic is decidedly unscary and fails to deliver even a modicum of thrills. One wonders what some of the great Italian directors from the 60's (Bava, Freda) could have done with this material. Certainly, they would have established a creepier mood, a must for effective vampire flicks.One bright spot is that the film looks & plays infinitely better than much of the Grade Z junk that Band usually releases. Small praise, but at least it's something.