He burns in the Romanian sun, decapitated, his monstrous body finally still... or is it? The ending of Subspecies 3: Bloodlust felt conclusive, a desperate gasp of victory against the chillingly persistent vampire Radu Vladislas. But this is the world of direct-to-video horror, a realm where evil rarely stays buried, especially when there's another tape to fill. And so, barely a flicker on the tracking adjustment later, 1998 delivered Subspecies 4: Bloodstorm, proving that some nightmares just refuse to end. It landed on video store shelves with the familiar, almost comforting presence of its predecessors – another dark spine promising gothic Euro-horror on a budget.
### The Relentless Hunger
Picking up mere moments after Bloodlust, Bloodstorm wastes no time reminding us of Radu's unnatural resilience. The charred, headless corpse twitches back to grotesque life, fueled by the dripping blood of his own severed neck. It’s a gnarly opening, pure Full Moon Pictures in its blend of low-fi gore and striking gothic imagery. Anders Hove, once again embodying Radu with that uniquely unsettling mix of ancient weariness and predatory hunger, remains the undeniable black heart of the series. His elongated fingers, raspy voice, and mournful yet menacing eyes are Radu, a creature far removed from the suave vampires often gracing the screen. He’s primal, pathetic, and utterly terrifying all at once. You can almost feel the chill emanating from the screen, the kind that settled deep in your bones during those late-night VHS viewings.
The story finds Radu pursuing his fledgling, Michelle Morgan (Denice Duff, continuing her run from parts 2 and 3), not just for sustenance, but for the coveted Bloodstone artifact. Michelle, rescued by Mel Thompson (now played by Jonathon Morris, stepping in for Kevin Spirtas) and her embassy contact Ana (Ioana Abur), finds herself caught in a terrifying triangle. Radu wants her back under his thrall, while a new, slicker vampire named Ash (Florian Potra) seeks the Bloodstone for his own sorceress mistress, Serena. It’s a tangled web, playing out against the atmospheric backdrop of Bucharest.
### Bucharest Nights and Budget Bites
Director Ted Nicolaou, who helmed the entire original saga, brings a crucial consistency to Bloodstorm. Having filmed this entry back-to-back with Bloodlust in Romania, he maximizes the production value squeezed from a characteristically tight Full Moon budget. Those winding Bucharest streets, the ancient architecture, the lingering sense of Old World decay – they lend the film an authentic atmosphere that elevates it beyond typical DTV fare. Remember how palpable that Eastern European setting felt on grainy VHS? Nicolaou understood how to use location as a character, stretching every Leu to make Radu's world feel tangible and threatening. It’s a far cry from the soundstages of Hollywood, and that difference matters.
Of course, the budgetary constraints are still apparent. The plot, while functional, feels somewhat like treading water after the dramatic climax of Part 3. Ash, the rival vampire, feels less like a fully developed threat and more like a plot device to drive the conflict between Radu and Michelle. His motivations, tied to a rather underdeveloped sorceress character, lack the personal, parasitic horror of Radu's obsession. Yet, within these limitations, Nicolaou still delivers moments of creepy brilliance. The practical effects, particularly Radu's gruesome regeneration and the ever-present, mischievous homunculi birthed from his blood, retain that signature Full Moon charm – grotesque, slightly rubbery, but undeniably memorable. Doesn't that stop-motion skittering of the subspecies still feel unnerving in its own quirky way?
### The End of an Era (For Now)
Anders Hove truly carries the film. Even when Radu is weakened or seemingly outmaneuvered, Hove imbues him with a magnetic dread. His interactions with Michelle have always been the core of the later Subspecies films, a twisted master-student relationship soaked in blood and coercion. Denice Duff portrays Michelle's desperation effectively, trapped between monstrous figures and her fading humanity. Her struggle feels genuine, even if the script sometimes spins its wheels getting her from one perilous situation to the next.
There's a certain weariness to Bloodstorm, not just in its characters but perhaps in the franchise itself by this point. It ties up the immediate loose ends from Bloodlust and provides a form of closure for Michelle's arc (at least until the much later Subspecies V: Blood Rise in 2023). While it might lack the fresh impact of the earlier installments, it still delivers the specific brand of gothic mood and creature feature chills that fans had come to expect. It's a film that understands its B-movie roots but reaches for something more atmospheric, largely thanks to Hove's performance and Nicolaou's eye for Romanian gloom. I distinctly remember renting this one, perhaps feeling a slight sense of obligation to see Radu's tale through, and finding comfort in its familiar darkness.
### Final Verdict
Subspecies 4: Bloodstorm isn't the strongest entry in the series, feeling more like an extended epilogue to Bloodlust than a fully independent chapter. The plot mechanics creak a little, and the new antagonist doesn't quite land with the same impact as Radu's inherent menace. However, Anders Hove remains magnificent, the Romanian locations provide invaluable atmosphere, and Ted Nicolaou ensures it still feels like a Subspecies film, retaining that unique blend of gothic horror and creature feature weirdness that defined the saga on VHS. It delivered the goods for fans seeking one last (at the time) dance with Radu.
Rating: 5/10
This score reflects its status as a competent but slightly fatigued sequel. It delivers on the core promises – Radu, atmosphere, Full Moon weirdness – but lacks the narrative drive and freshness of earlier entries. Still, for devoted followers of Radu Vladislas who haunted the horror aisles of the video store, it was a necessary, darkly satisfying fix. It might not be a masterpiece, but it’s a testament to the enduring, creepy power of one of direct-to-video horror's most iconic vampires.