"Spurn me...and I will torment you to eternity. Soon enough...you will beg me for deliverance. Patience, pretty one. We have all the time in the world."
Nicolaou Unleashed!
Picking up mere moments after the bloody conclusion of the original, writer/director Ted Nicolaou delivers the vibe of a man possessed with a newfound freedom and confidence in his vision. The original Subspecies is a fine, humble vampire picture, but Bloodstone takes the few remaining characters and does what good sequels do best: expand and enrich an established mythology.Anders Hove is magnetic as the twisted, malevolent, petulant, brash, power-hungry Radu. Those long, skeletal fingers are put to excellent use by both director and star as his forever-gliding shadow slithers across the land of Bucharest and threatens to envelop everyone and everything around him. Aided by his decrepit "Mummy" (wonderfully played by Pamela Gordon), he torments his newest "fledgling" Denice Duff, taking over the role from Laura Mae Tate.
At a svelte 86 minutes, Bloodstone doesn't overstay its welcome and although the mid-section gets a bit talky and Melanie Shatner's performance is tad odd at times (my theory is that she decided to play the character as if she's suffering from severe jet lag, hence her irritable demeanor), the first half hour is phenomenal. It's essentially a chase across Romania and former editor Nicolaou (along with cinematographer Vlad Paunescu) know exactly how to keep the action taut and tense.
And I especially love the fact that Mummy is pretty much telling Radu that he can't crash at her place."Nope! The futon's taken. That's where the cats sleep. "
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