Editorials
Rest In Peace: A Look Back At Those We Lost In 2015
Tonight is New Year’s Eve, a night when we remember all that we accomplished in 2015 and, at the same time, look forward to all that 2016 has to offer. It’s a night of celebration, one that gives us hope for the future. But any night such as this should take a moment to remember all those we have lost along the way.
2015 was an extremely difficult year for horror fans. The number of losses our genre suffered was unbelievably high and it included some of the biggest and most influential names one could imagine.
As we celebrate the beginning of 2016, I am taking this opportunity to give all of us a chance to reflect back on those who aren’t here to partake in the festivities. Please join me in offering a moment of silence for each of the following who left us throughout 2015. Also note that this isn’t a complete list. I tried to get them all but it honestly became too much.
George Dickerson
With major roles in Psycho II and Blue Velvet, George Dickerson’s career spanned 20 years. He passed away January 10th at the age of 81.
Leonard Nimoy
A very painful loss for many, Leonard Nimoy’s passing was also the death of Spock, the beloved sci-fi character that was cherished by Star Trek fans the world over. He also appeared in the 1978 remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. He passed away February 27th at the age of 83.
Robert Z’Dar
Known for his performances in the Maniac Cop films as well a numerous cult action and martial arts movies, Robert J. Zdarsky appeared in more than 120 films over his career. He passed away March 30th at the age of 64.
Tom Towles
From his portrayal as Otis in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer to Harry Cooper in 1990’s Night of the Living Dead and Lieutenant George Wydell in House of 1,000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects, Tom Towles was a strong, imposing character on the screen. He passed away April 2nd at the age of 65.
Geoffrey Lewis
Geoffrey Lewis was appeared in well over 200 roles in a career that began in the 60’s. From action films to sci-fi, horror to comedy, Lewis brought a certain charm and delight to his roles. He was known to horror fans for his appearances in The Devil’s Rejects and The Lawnmower Man. He passed away April 7th at the age of 79.
B.B. King
Not a horror-related death but one that I feel is still of great importance to acknowledge. Riley B. King, who was known as “The King of Blues”, was responsible for dozens of albums and an unbelievable touring regimen, which saw him play thousands of shows over his career. He passed away May 14th at the age of 89.
Betsy Palmer
Known to horror fans as Pamela Voorhees, the mother of Jason Voorhees, Betsy Palmer’s career spanned several decades across both film and TV. Her initial thoughts on her now infamous horror role were less than happy but she later grew to appreciate the love and devotion it brought from the horror community. She passed away May 29th at the age of 88.
Richard Johnson
His appearance in Zombie locked him as a horror favorite but Richard Johnson also appeared in The Haunting and Screamers. A founder of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Johnson was a recognized and esteemed actor. He passed away June 5th at the age of 87.
Christopher Lee
To simply say that Sir Christopher Lee added to the horror genre would be a disservice to his repertoire. Mr. Lee was a tour de force, an icon that carved a very special place in the community with his amazing roles that have become some of the most beloved and cherished. From Dracula to Frankenstein’s Monster, Saruman to Count Dooku, Lee effortlessly brought his gravitas and sophistication to every role he took on. He passed away June 7th at the age of 93.
Irwin Keyes
An established TV and movie actor, Irwin Keyes was known to horror fans for his role in Rob Zombie’s House of 1,000 Corpses as well as Wristcutters: A Love Story. He passed away July 8th at the age of 63.
“Rowdy” Roddy Piper
Although far more known for his career in professional wrestling, Roderick George Toombs’ appearances in films such as They Live and Hell Comes to Frogtown made him a beloved horror icon. His death came as a huge shock to the community. He passed away July 31st at the age of 61.
David A. Prior
Known for being one of the kings of direct-to-video films, David A. Prior brought us many of our favorite cult classics in sci-fi, action, and horror. He passed away August 16th at the age of 59.
Wes Craven
What can be said about this legendary writer/director that hasn’t already been written? The creator of A Nightmare on Elm Street, The People Under the Stairs, Scream, and much more, Craven always added a certain humor and sophistication to his works that many directors have tried and failed to recreate. Much of his work rightfully entered that realm of horror that we think of as “classics” or “must see films”. He passed away August 30th at the age of 76.
Marcin Wrona
Marcin Wrona’s passing earlier this year came as a huge shock. His third film Demon had just premiered at TIFF. He passed away September 18th at the age of 42.
Catherine Coulson
Catherine Coulson’s role as “The Log Lady” in “Twin Peaks” became one a cultural icon. There were rumors that she was going to appear in the third season of the show, which is currently filming. She passed away on September 28th at the age of 71.
Fred Thompson
A politician as well as an actor, Fred Thompson was known to horror fans for his appearance in Sinister and the remake of Cape Fear. He passed away November 1st at the age of 73.
Gunnar Hansen
The original Leatherface himself, Gunnar Hansen created an icon that still haunts and terrifies viewers to this day. He appeared in many horror movies over the years, including a cameo in Texas Chainsaw 3D. He passed away November 7th at the age of 68.
Michael C. Gross
Michael C. Gross created the infamous “No Ghosts” logo that became the iconic image of the Ghostbusters films. Placed on everything from lunch boxes to stickers, posters to t-shirts, the logo is one of the most identifiable images to come from Hollywood. He passed away November 16th at the age of 70.
Rex Reason
Although he only acted during the 50’s and 60’s, Rex Reason starred in many features, including The Creature Walks Among Us and This Island Earth. He passed away November 19th at the age of 86.
Scott Weiland
Another musician on our list, Scott Weiland was the vocalist for Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver as well as his solo project with The Wildabouts. His passing was the result of a tragic accidental drug overdose. He passed away December 3rd at the age of 48.
Robert Loggia
A man with a career extending back to the 50’s, Robert Loggia appeared in many of the greatest films ever released, including Scarface, Big, and more. But his appearance in films like Independence Day, Innocent Blood, and Lost Highway embedded him in the horror community. He died December 4th at the age of 85.
Rose Siggins
A differently abled actress who played Legless Suzi in “American Horror Story: Freak Show“, Rose Siggins was never one to let the lack of legs stop her from pursuing her life goals. She passed away December 12th at the age of 43.
Brooke McCarter
McCarter is best known to horror fans as “Paul” from the classic and beloved vampire film The Lost Boys. He passed away December 22 at the age of 52.
Lemmy Kilmister
The frontman and bassist of UK heavy rock/metal band Motörhead, Kilmister was a legend in the music community. Considered one of the titans of metal, the band’s influence on the genre is undeniable. He passed away December 27th at the age of 70.
Auteur Filmmaking is a term that gets thrown around a lot these days in reference to big name directors like Quentin Tarantino and even Wes Anderson, but the truth is that film is a collective medium, and no one person can be responsible for every single aspect of a particular production. However, the smaller a film’s budget, the bigger the individual impact of every creative decision behind it – and the easier it becomes to identify a genuine auteur.
This isn’t necessarily a judgement of value, as blockbuster filmmaking comes with its own challenges and a good movie remains a miracle regardless of how big the crew is, but I’ve always been more interested in soulful b-movies produced by handfuls of passionate artists than blockbusters backed by creative armies.
That’s why I love exploring low-budget franchises that never left the hands of their original creators, as you really get to know the artists involved with these flicks and can accompany their evolution over a period of time. With that in mind, I’d like to invite readers to join me in this multi-part series as we look into a vampire saga helmed by one of the most fascinating auteurs of the 1990s. Naturally, I’m referring to Ted Nicolaou’s criminally underrated Subspecies!
The Birth of an Unlikely Horror Franchise
A proud graduate of the University of Texas’ Film program, Nicolaou got his start in the industry as a sound technician working on Tobe Hooper’s original Texas Chain Saw Massacre. From there, the filmmaker would go on to work for notorious indie producer Charles Band, the founder of both Empire Pictures and Full Moon Productions. According to Nicolaou, Band would usually contact him with an offer to direct a feature after more prominent filmmakers, such as the late, great Stuart Gordon, had already refused, meaning that his projects tended to have lower budgets and more inexperienced crew members.
The plans for Subspecies began almost immediately after the fall of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu, with screenwriter David Pabian turning in an initial draft of the film after a Romanian producer contacted Band and explained that Romanian tax incentives could cover the cost of film production there so long as Full Moon took care of the post-production process. Since Stuart Gordon was unwilling to travel to Romania, Ted Nicolaou ended up taking over the picture.
However, while the financial incentives meant that this Romanian-American co-production could look and feel much more expensive than it really was, with Nicolaou scouting for locations in advance and selecting real castle ruins to be featured in the movie, the director was soon faced with an incredibly difficult shooting process. In interviews, Nicolaou would later describe the experience as something of a nightmare, with language barriers and the generalized distrust of capitalist outsiders sabotaging many of the team’s plans for the film.
In fact, the script, which had already been altered by Band, ultimately had portions of it rewritten by both Jack Canson and Nicolaou himself in an attempt to adapt the story to their unique limitations.
Radu Is One of Horror’s Greatest Underrated Villains
In the finished film, which was released directly to video in 1991, we follow a pair of American anthropology students, Michelle (Laura Mae Tate) and Lillian (Michelle McBride), as they reunite with their Romanian colleague Mara (Irina Movila) in her native land. The group intends to study the folklore surrounding the secluded town of Prejmer, but their research is cut short by the return of Radu Vladislas (Anders Hove) – the evil son of a vampire king (Angus Scrimm) who had previously established a truce with the region’s human residents. It’s now up to Radu’s human-loving half-brother Stefan (Michael Watson) to protect the girls from a fate worse than death as the power-hungry vampire seeks to control a magical artifact known as the Bloodstone.
Right off the bat, you may have noticed that the film’s premise sounds decidedly old-fashioned when compared to other vampire movies from around the same time. While the 1990s saw the rise of cool-looking bloodsuckers with badass elements borrowed from Westerns, as well as the sexy aristocrats of Anne Rice’s stories, Subspecies has a lot more in common with Nosferatu and the Hammer Horror series than any of its contemporaries.
This is both a blessing and a curse, as the film falls victim to overly familiar genre tropes while also standing out as a rare example of a ’90s vampire flick that isn’t afraid to flex its muscles as a Creature Feature. In fact, I’d argue that the presence of age-old clichés is a small price to pay when confronted with one of the most compelling vampire antagonists in all of cinema.
Named after Vlad the Impaler’s real-life brother, Anders Hove’s Radu is such a fascinating character and the main reason why Subspecies is still worth watching 35 years later. From his animalistic mannerisms to the joy he feels in simply existing as a chaotic creature of the night, and that’s not even mentioning the iconic makeup that almost certainly inspired the undead from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Radu is a hypnotic presence harkening back to a time when audiences didn’t mind purely evil villains that couldn’t be redeemed through tragic backstories or sex appeal.
Gothic Atmosphere on an Indie Budget
Of course, the film’s Romanian setting and authentic art direction do a lot of the heavy lifting whenever Radu isn’t around. From the masked festivals of the village to the visually interesting selection of local extras, Subspecies’ multicultural elements help it to stand out when compared to similar flicks from the ’90s.
That being said, Nicolaou’s unique eye for special effects and exciting action sequences – as well as Vlad Paunescu’s excellent cinematography – make the movie a delight for fans of expressionist cinema and old-timey gothic horror. While the crew is obviously dealing with limited resources, many of the flick’s blemishes (such as the odd stop-motion demons that serve Radu) end up feeling more like charming idiosyncrasies than actual flaws.
I’d argue that the only real issue here is pacing, as there are long stretches of film where the protagonists are simply bumbling around without realizing what’s really going on around them. Thankfully, the gorgeous visuals and surprisingly effective soundtrack usually make up for this. Besides, how can you dislike a movie where shotgun shells are loaded with rosary beads and our lead vampires duke it out in a dramatic swordfight that would feel out of place during the golden age of Hollywood?
Your overall enjoyment of Subspecies will mostly depend on whether or not you find low-budget corner-cutting and janky practical effects charming rather than distracting, but I know I’ll keep coming back to this Full Moon feature again and again in the future.
That being said, while this first movie is worth revisiting by its own merits as the birth of an indie horror icon, I’d like to invite you to join us as we look into the cult sequel Bloodstone: Subspecies II soon.
You must be logged in to post a comment.