Subspecies V: Blood Rise is a 2023 horror film that chronicles Radu’s descent from a noble warrior to a depraved creature of the night.
Written and directed by Ted Nicolaou. Produced by Charles Band, Seager Dixon, Milos Djukelic, Vladimir Dukelic, Matt Manjourides, Justin A. Martell and Ivana Panic.
The American-Romanian Charles Band Productions-Red Production movie stars Anders Hove, Denice Duff, Kevin Spirtas, Stasa Nikolic, Yulia Graut, Petar Arsic, Olivera Perunicic, Marko Filipovic and Jakov Marjanovic.
Plot:
Stolen by crusaders on the night of his birth, Radu has no knowledge of his bloodline: his mother is a demon; his father is a vampire. Trained and exploited by a brotherhood of mystic monks to slay all enemies of the church, fate brings him back one night to the castle of his father, armed with the monster-slaying Sword of Laertes, to destroy the vampire Vladislas and reclaim a holy relic: The Bloodstone.
The events of that night turn Radu from a noble man into a vampire with no master, setting him on a centuries-long quest for sustenance, and companionship, for the treacherous one who stole him from the sun, and for the Bloodstone he hopes will bring him peace…
Reviews:
” …the film has some of the best performances I’ve seen in a Full Moon movie. Anders Hove is just as sinister as before, but he also comes off as somewhat sympathetic and pulls it off. Denice Duff is excellent as Helena, who looks great for her age and succeeds at being seductive and manipulative. The dynamic she and Hove have is a complete reversal of their relationship in the previous films, and it works.” 90%, Film Nerd
“At a lean 80 minutes, Subspecies V: Blood Rise barely has time to breathe and explore its compelling plots. Ultimately, it attempts to do too much and ends somewhat unresolved with too many questions unanswered […] It feels like an appetiser to a larger main course, even if it is quite satisfying.” 3.5 out of 5, Horror DNA
“Although the inclusion of the Tre origin story was somewhat unexpected, considering the extensive exploration of history in previous films, it adds an intriguing layer to the narrative […] From Radu’s iconic long fingers to thrilling sword fights and, of course, the over-the-top vampire nudity that originally drew in deviant little kids like myself, the film does not disappoint.” Horror Movies Uncut
“Subspecies V is a watchable but (sub) standard vampire movie that makes you wonder why it took 25 years to make…this. You’re rarely bored but maybe they should have taken another 25 years to make something actually scary.” 2.5 out of 5, Hub Pages
” …it feels like a more grown-up version of Interview with a Vampire and certainly, under Ted’s creative mind, matches the quality. The climax of course, teases the first film, and possibly any others than could be formed to bridge between […] The cast are chosen correctly. They all breathe life and feeling into their characters.” Severed Cinema
Trailer:
Film location scouting video by Ted Nicolau:
Cast and characters:
Anders Hove … Radu Vladislas
Denice Duff … Helena
Kevin Spirtas … Prince Vladislas
Stasa Nikolic … Ariel
Yulia Graut … Circe
Petar Arsic … Marius
Olivera Perunicic … Diana
Marko Filipovic … Ash
Jakov Marjanovic … Stefan
Filming locations:
Serbia
Technical specs:
1 hour 20 minutes
The movie was part of the studio’s Deadly Ten project, “a bold new experiment in interactive filmmaking”. Production on several of the movies was delayed due to the worldwide health crisis and three of the titles announced – The Hourglass, The ShadowHeart Curse and The Grim Rapper – have yet to go into production.
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