Key Movies Of My Life: Subspecies III: Bloodlust (1994)

There were key movies in my life that helped to make me who I am today. Movies that I have loved from the moment the opening credit rolled and still love now. This blog series is about those, My guilty pleasures, my favorites, my escapes. Some were very popular, others not so much. Some of these will have some real life take-aways, others are just for fun. Today we discuss the third installment in the Subspecies franchise, Bloodlust!

Today’s Key Movie:

Picking up where Bloodstone left off, Mummy brings Radu back to life using Michelle’s blood. Now Michelle’s sister, Becky, once again tries to save Michelle but Radu and Mummy have other plans.

Why this movie and was it really any good?

Subspecies III: Bloodlust is basically more of the same as it is seriously just a continuation of the previous film. In a way, I feel like the producers could have edited the two together to create a truly epic film instead of spreading the story over the course of two sequels but, I guess the budget wouldn’t allow for that? Or perhaps they just ran out of time and had to make a third film to finish their story? Who knows…

Anyhow, to me, while the effects and the acting are still as strong as the previous enties, Subspecies III is the weakest link in the original trilogy as it really can’t stand on it’s own and absolutely requires the other films to make any sense. Not that you would want to watch this one as a stand alone film, but honestly, I feel like filmmakers Ted Nicolaou, Charles Band and the rest of the team just kind of phoned it in with this one. It manages to tread back across the same ground as the previous films without really adding much to it. Heck, had the main characters escaped at the end of Bloodstone, this entire film would have been completely unnecessary, in a way it feels like a D&D campaign where the DM throws in a last minute plot twist just to keep the players going for ‘one more game’. Sure, Michelle gets to learn more about her abilities as she tries to save her sister by renouncing her ‘humanity’ but, does that kind of thing ever really work out? There is also some random paramilitary thing that is thrown in for good measure but….yeah….we wont talk about that.

All that aside, the cast is still spot on. Mummy, played once again by Pamela Gordon, still manages to be quite creepy and, of course Denice Duff as Michelle and Melanie Shatner as Rebecca still do great in their rolls. However, once again, Anders Hove continues to shine as Radu despite the rather lackluster story. His portrayal as the evil vampire prince is nothing short of classic and one that should really be more well known than it is. The dude is pure terror with his raspy voice and imposing demeanor reinforced by the creepy makeup that brings to life this undead menace.

Overall, this is a halfway decent follow-up that really should have been incorporated into the previous entry. I would love to see someone edit the two films together in a Snyder-esque supercut. It’s not a terrible movie, but one that you will only really appreciate if you are a fan of the franchise, otherwise, you can pretty much skip it.

OK, where do I get this movie?

If you really want a copy, get it in the original trilogy boxed set. On it’s own I wouldn’t bother but as part of a set, well, it’s not a bad deal. Keep an eye on this page and grab a copy when they get back in stock.

Next week….Subspecies: The Vampire Journals

Late To The Game 11/25/2021

If you would like to read more reviews please check out the rest of the Key Movies Of My Life that comes out every Thursday.

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