Movies
[Review] ‘Scherzo Diabolico’ is Devilishly Clever
To get a bit on the philosophical side of things for a moment, life would be pretty boring if your job was always going a mile a minute. Sure, the same can be said if your job was constantly slower than rush hour. You need something to break the monotony of the fast (or slow) pace of work to keep your sanity. Like, say, kidnapping someone. Perhaps not something as drastic (or illegal) as that, but for filmmaker Adrián García Bogliano’s Scherzo Diabolico (which premièred at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival), the not-so-simple act of kidnapping sets off a disturbing tale of blood and twisting emotions.
Aram (Francisco Barreiro) lives a miserable life. Underappreciated at home and at his accounting job, the only reprieve Aram receives is from a CD of classical piano that he listens to while at work or in the car. Looking for something to pull him out of his funk and to get the recognition that he feels he deserves, Aram concocts a plan to kidnap a teenaged girl, Anie (Daniela Soto Vell), and hold her hostage. But even after Aram plans out, researches every detail, and goes through with the kidnapping, the subsequent fallout after he releases the girl sets off a chain of events that he fails to foresee.
I’ll put this out here right now and state that Scherzo Diabolico is another slow-burner. The film takes its time gathering all of the necessary pieces, building up the pressure before the dam bursts. It makes for getting Barreiro’s character established and known to the audience about his predicament, as well as the facade he wears in front of his peers. Of course, this only works if Barreiro’s acting makes it work. Fortunately, Barreiro is able to carry the film through Aram. Everyone involved turns in believable and well-acted performances, but Barreiro is the linchpin. Barreiro nails the submissive and timid actions of Aram, which makes the dark and brutal underlying side of the character that much more shocking when it’s unleashed. There’s a very real sense of betrayal once you find out what lurks behind Aram’s eyes. And as the film progresses, what sympathy you felt for Aram turns into a need for him to be punished. Kudos to Barreiro for finding all of that.
Another aspect of the film that I enjoyed was its classical score. A mix of works by classic artists like Mozart, as well as original pieces by Sealtiel Alatriste, the score drives the film’s action (such as when Aram is planning out his kidnapping and executing it), but also is integral to the film’s plot (you’ll see). I’m always amazed at the dichotomy whenever a film uses a classical piece (or any sort of clam music) mixed in a scene of violence or a tense moment. There’s such a great contrast that plays with your head. There’s a certain scene involving Anie right after being released that typifies this contrast. The film revels in going into the almost comically brutal aspects of violence, and there’s even some dark humour thrown in for good measure (depending on your level of depravity). Some truly masterful work by García Bogliano to construct scenes like this.
If Scherzo Diabolico hits any wrong notes, it would be for the pacing. The scenes that are necessary to advance the plot do get drawn out a little too long, but these in turn make the payoff that much more rewarding. Still, some might find it tedious. As well, the film does deal with a bit of subject matter that some might find objectionable/offensive, but it’s all part of the story. And really, the touchy subject matter doesn’t go into full-blown exploitation area for the sake of it, but instead treads the line carefully. It resolves itself in the end, so getting into an uproar about it would be pointless.
If you dug Adrián García Bogliano’s Here Comes The Devil and its slow burn but ultimately rewarding experience, Scherzo Diabolico will definitely fit the bill. Not only does the acting do its job, García Bogliano’s attention behind the camera, as well as the use of music in the film, make it worth the watch. While some might find parts of the film tedious, and some of the subject matter might not be to everyone’s liking, persistence definitely pays off. If you’re into seeing a mindf*ck of a film where actions take a big domino effect, then play a little Scherzo Diabolico.
Scherzo Diabolico releases in the US on May 3rd.
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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