Editorials
Master of Monsters: Celebrating the Work of Horror Legend John Carl Buechler
It’s impossible to be an avid horror fan and not be familiar with the work of John Carl Buechler, even if you may not be familiar with the artist behind the work. His passion for genre and the filmmaking process meant that he delivered hundreds of great horror memories over the decades. A special effects and makeup artist that specialized in creature work and design, Buechler also wrote, directed, and acted in movies as well. From the late ‘70s to the present, only a devastating battle with cancer would slow him down from his prolific output in film. A friendly, enthusiastic voice that matched his extensive work ethic in spades, Buechler is gone too soon, but his lengthy filmography has left us with countless movie memories that shaped generations of horror lovers.
If you’re a regular reader of our It Came From the 80s column, then you already are aware of Buechler’s enduring relationship with producer Charles Band, especially during the era of Empire International Pictures. He’s the mind behind the monsters of Ghoulies, TerrorVision, Troll, Cellar Dweller, The Garbage Pail Kids Movie, and Dolls. Many of which shaped my own love of horror as a child obsessed with monsters. He also worked on special effects on Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Prison, Crawlspace, From Beyond, Re-Animator, Ghost Town, Trancers, and more throughout the years.
While Buechler directed a segment in the anthology The Dungeonmaster in ’84, Troll marked his feature directorial debut followed by Cellar Dweller. Often the productions of these films overlapped, meaning that Buechler was almost always juggling multiple projects at once. He somehow made it seem effortless, despite the insane scope of work involved.
Buechler also brought his expertise to all three major horror franchises in the ‘80s and ‘90s. A special effects artist on A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, in which he had a hand on Alice’s aged makeups, the impressive effect of Freddy’s chests of souls, and the humorously grotesque horror soul pizza, this ambitious special effect driven sequel was made all the better by his contributions. He handled the special effects design for Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare with his studio Magical Media Industries, Inc. Then there was Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, made more impressive by Buechler’s role as special makeup effects supervisor and designer. Though Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers has proven divisive, the kills can be downright gory, attributed in part to Buechler.
In Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood, Buechler stepped into the director’s seat. Having worked with stuntman and stunt coordinator Kane Hodder on previous films like Prison, Buechler wanted Hodder to don the mask of Jason Voorhees, a move that meant Hodder would irrevocably become intertwined with the character. While this sequel has a fun tone overall thanks to the telekinetic protagonist that would battle Voorhees, it was originally much, much bloodier. A lot of the gore and death scenes had to be trimmed to avoid an X-rating. Meaning that while the MPAA dampened Buechler’s vision, it’s clear he understood this series (thankfully a lot of the gore can be found in the deleted scenes of the boxed set).
Hodder and Buechler reteamed again in 2006 in Adam Green’s Hatchet. This time Buechler would be working on the great gore effects and playing the lovable Jack Cracker, while Hodder would assume the role of a modern horror icon in Victor Crowley. The character of Jack Cracker appeared again in Hatchet II, though for a brief, unforgettable scene.
These are just some of the highlights of Buechler’s expansive career. He was a classically trained filmmaker with a degree in fine art, cinema and theater. As much as he loved and gave himself to the art of film, he also gave freely to budding talent in the industry. Many other notable artists working in special effects were given their start by Buechler. All of this to say that Buechler was and is just as important to horror fandom as he is to the people working in horror films. The profound impact he’s had on the genre ripples out so far, and has touched so many, that his presence will forever be embedded in the DNA of horror cinema.
A master of monsters and a genuinely kind person with a contagious sense of humor, John Carl Buechler will be greatly missed.
The problem with filming sequels back-to-back is that, unless you can afford expensive reshoots, there’s no easy way to adjust course in between movies if fans react badly to where the story is headed. That’s why it’s important to have a complete narrative thought out well in advance lest you accidentally kill a budding franchise.
However, this isn’t always the case. Every once in a while, it seems like the cinema gods smile upon certain chaotic productions and gift moviegoers with complete franchises that feel like more than the sum of their hastily produced parts. Ted Nicolaou’s Bloodlust: Subspecies III is precisely one of these miraculous pictures, with the raw talents of the artists involved (as well as the continued support from Romania) turning the feature into an effective conclusion for a series that kind of made things up as the filmmakers went along.
That’s why I’d like to invite my fellow readers to join me on this third part of our journey through the Subspecies franchise as we look into Bloodlust and talk about how it remains a surprisingly satisfying finale to the original trilogy.
A Trilogy Planned on the Fly
Released only a year after Bloodstone found plenty of success in rental stores and mail-in VHS catalogues worldwide, 1994’s Bloodlust was produced at the same time as its predecessor in (mostly) the same locations and with the same team. This means that the movie benefited from all the same upgrades as Bloodstone, with the crew now being more experienced with the ins and outs of surviving a low-budget Romanian production and the cast really settling into their characters.
At this point, everything from location scouting to the makeup process had been streamlined, with Wayne Toth and Norman Cabrera, the main duo behind special effects, even switching out time-consuming prosthetics for latex gloves in order to speed up Anders Hove’s monstrous transformation. The titular “subspecies” demons were also once again relegated to a mere cameo appearance due to the laborious puppetry required to bring them to life.
The only real hiccup came from the fact that actress Denice Duff had replaced the first film’s Michelle (Laura Mae Tate) and was immediately expected to portray the character as both an innocent victim in part II and as a secondary villain in part III. According to behind-the-scenes interviews, the hectic production schedule that blended two different movies meant that Duff would often find herself having to alternate between two incredibly different versions of Michelle during the same shooting day – though it’s obvious that she’s having more fun with Bloodlust’s more traditionally vampiric version of her character.
In the finished film, we pick things up immediately where the previous entry left off as Rebecca (Melanie Shatner) is forced to leave her vampire sister Michelle (Duff) behind in the dungeons of Castle Vladislav due to the rising sun. This allows Mummy (Pamela Gordon) to use Michelle’s blood to revive the vicious Radu (Hove) so that he may continue his quest for the coveted Bloodstone – a magical artifact that perpetually drips the Blood of Saints.
Meanwhile, the dreamy US embassy agent Mel (Kevin Blair) agrees to help Rebecca plan a rescue mission, though they’re unaware that Radu has become infatuated with Michelle during his attempts to guide her growing bloodlust. This all culminates in a climactic confrontation meant to tie up all of the series’ loose ends in one of Full Moon Pictures’ most ambitious productions.
The Evolution of Radu
Like its predecessor, Bloodlust: Subspecies III was also warmly received by fans who argued that the series was an even bigger success than Full Moon’s other major horror franchise, Puppet Master. This praise wasn’t unanimous, however, as 1994 had seen the rise of a more modern breed of sexy vampire popularized by Anne Rice, with old-school Nosferatu like Radu being viewed as obsolete when compared to the likes of Lestat and Gary Oldman’s take on Dracula.
In a way, one might argue that Nicolaou’s film is something of a swan song for the classic vampire story, as Bloodlust combines all of the traditional elements we tend to associate with these tales into a single tragic yarn that ties a neat little bow on Radu’s story as well as the old-fashioned monster movies that he represents. The finale remains shocking despite the fact that this is the third time we see Radu get brutally killed onscreen, with the brief tease that he may one day return feeling more like a nod towards the nature of evil rather than sequel bait.
The film dabbles a bit in gothic romance and even explores the inherent power fantasy behind transforming into an immortal creature of the night, but the filmmakers never lose sight of Radu as a demonic force even when he’s willing to betray his beloved Mummy for Michelle’s sake. In fact, his twisted “love” for his fledgling makes him even creepier as we get the feeling that his passion comes from a dark and disturbing place.
Anders Hove is at his absolute best in this film, with the effects department boosting his moments of what the younger generation would call “aura farming” whenever Radu emerges from shadows like a 90s version of Count Orlok. There are even a couple of surprisingly effective jump-scares here, which is why I’d argue that Bloodlust cements Radu as one of the most memorable cinematic vampires of all time despite his humble origins.
Subspecies Saves Its Best For Last
Nicolaou and Vlad Panescu also saved the best for “last” (more on that in a bit) regarding the film’s visuals, with the cinematography and overall atmosphere of Bloodlust absolutely surpassing what we saw in the previous films. Everything feels appropriately climactic this time around (including the wonderful soundtrack that was co-composed alongside an authentic Romanian orchestra), and I appreciate how this is the fastest-paced entry in the trilogy since the film doesn’t need to waste time setting anything up.
Bloodlust still suffers from some of the same low-budget blemishes as its predecessors, but there’s so much creative passion here that no amount of wonky effects work or stilted dialogue can get in the way of appreciating the flick’s gothic grandeur. That’s why it’s not surprising that the movie’s definitive(-ish) ending would later be retconned as fans begged for more Radu.
Of course, the next entry in this series would be a different kind of vampiric endeavor altogether, with the filmmakers attempting to engage with the same trends that ultimately killed Radu and his antiquated kin. That, however, is a story for another time. For now, I’ll merely insist that Bloodlust: Subspecies III remains a highlight of Full Moon’s expansive catalogue and is definitely worth seeking out today.
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