6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.3 |
The evil vampire villain Radu returns to his hometown Prejnar, after spending years in exile. He steals the precious blood stone which is said to be bleeding from all saints, from his father and kills him. Meanwhile two American schoolgirls team up with a local girl for work on Romanian culture. Radu becomes attracted to them but runs into trouble when his brother Stephan helps the girls.
Starring: Angus Scrimm, Anders Hove, Irina Movila, Laura Mae Tate, Michelle McBrideHorror | 100% |
Fantasy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080i
Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A, B (locked)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 2.0 | |
Audio | 2.0 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
For as low-budget, shoddily-made, hastily-assembled, badly-scripted, and poorly-acted as it may be, there's a charm to the simplicity that makes up Subspecies, a Vampire movie that's partially original and laudable for filming in an authentic Eastern European locale. Otherwise, the movie is a forgettable time-killer that's somewhat entertaining but little more, a movie that's terribly clichéd but that works well enough to be considered a worthy entry into the Vampire genre. Unfortunately, the problems do stack up, and even though the movie runs on little more than fumes, a wing, a prayer, and all that jazz, it takes audiences from point A to point B effectively enough, though no doubt many viewers will ultimately be let down by the many missed opportunities that become obvious by the time the film wraps up.
Tastes like...ketchup.
Subspecies arrives on Blu-ray with a disappointing 1080i, 1.77:1-framed transfer. Positives are few; colors are decent and general details are acceptable, but there's simply not much to love about this image. It's frequently soft and fuzzy, and its flattened texture suggests some level of noise reduction. Intermittent speckling appears over the image, while noise and blocky backgrounds thrive. Blacks are sometimes washed out and gray, and whites are often overblown. While detailing is at times fair, it's also substandard. Where there should be wonderfully intricate textures -- stone walkways, grasses, rough European building façades -- there's a disappointing flatness. The transfer's greatest strength is its stability on larger displays; it'll hold up far better than a DVD. Fans hoping for a miracle don't get it, and while the transfer is a letdown, there's no doubt it could have been worse.
Subspecies makes its high definition debut with a low definition soundtrack. Full Moon's Dolby Digital 2.0 presentation is certainly no great shakes, but despite a host of problems, it at least gets the job done. The track is generally flat with a harsh low end despite a sufficient level of raw power. Sound effects are chunky at best, playing with a detached, demoralized feel. Music is adequately delivered, enjoying passable clarity but certainly lacking in a greater sense of crispness and realism. The most troubling element stems from dialogue reproduction; while the spoken word is often clear, the delivery is highly unbalanced, the track haphazardly pushing words through either side of the soundstage with no real purpose, rhyme, or reason. Much like the video presentation, this audio track isn't a disaster, but no doubt fans were hoping for a little more, even from a twenty-year-old low budget film such as this.
All that's included with this Blu-ray release of Subspecies, aside from an assortment of Full Moon trailers, is Video Zone (480p, 9:55), a vintage piece that looks at the splendor and benefits of the shooting locales, the challenges of an American crew filming in a post-Communism and revolutionary Romania, the assembled cast, the makeup and costumes, creating the subspecies characters, and Romanian vampire lore.
Subspecies is more or less a superfluous Vampire film; it doesn't have the originality to be intriguing, the script to be good, or the budget to be a spectacle. However, it exudes an air of sincerity in wanting to make a good movie, and its atmosphere and locations are commendable. On top of that, there's a certain charm to the thing; whether it's Anders Hove's deliciously devious performance or just a case of a movie exceeding its meager origins and expectations matters not. Fans of this sort of movie will at least get a kick out of it; for most it's not going to go down as an all-time great within its genre, but it's a serviceably fun distraction that's worth a watch. Full Moon's third Blu-ray release yields a subpar technical presentation and only one supplement. Fans of the series and Charles Brand's handiwork will buy regardless, but newcomers or those concerned with the quality of the presentation should rent if at all possible before buying.
1993
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Warner Archive Collection
1932
Slipcover in Original Pressing
1990
Collector's Edition
1970
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Collector's Edition
1981
Includes "Drácula"
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1931
Collector's Edition
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1943
Collector's Edition
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