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[DVD Review] ‘Subspecies: The Complete Chronicles’
I grew up in the era of cinematic vampires that would crash your bonfire and scalp you with their teeth. I would spend the weekends of my childhood watching “Scream Theater” in four hour blocks on channel 62 here in Kansas City up until I left for college in 1997. I watched a lot of films in those years. Sadly, I never had the pleasure of the vampire film series Subspecies.
I just found out I was sorely deprived.
Arriving on DVD this Tuesday from New Video is Subspecies: The Complete Chronicles. The set includes the four “Radu” movies – Subspecies, Subspecies II: Bloodstone, Subspecies III: Bloodlust and Subspecies IV: Bloodstorm – and the spinoff, Vampire Journals.
The Subspecies films capture, for the most part, what vampires more or less should be. Hideous creatures that want nothing more than to make humans suffer. The main character, Radu, is reminiscent (or would that be a presentiment?) of the Buffy TV series vampires with a bumpy head and unique fangs. His greatest features include foot long fingers (which make for insanely fabulous shadows ala Max Schreck) and a constant thick blackish bloody drool coming from his mouth.
An “Epic Collection” of the films was released in 2007. This new set seems to be an exact copy down to the bonus features. And all of these original “VideoZone” segments were originally released on VHS. Speaking of VHS, the VideoZones seem to be rips that have not been cleaned at all. Several frames have tracking marks at the bottom. If you are too young to remember adjusting the tracking button on a VHS player – or young enough that you never even had a VHS player – then I now feel really old and you will probably just laugh at the poor quality.
Sadly, the entire box set is of this caliber. Yes, the original film is now 20 years old; however, a little scrubbing could have cleaned the series up nicely.
If you’ve never had the pleasure, the original story follows three college students through their studying folklore in Romania – which leads them to bump into Radu Vladislas. The sadistic vampire has returned to his home and killed his father – a nice cameo by Tall Man Angus Scrimm – for the beloved Bloodstone. This ancient relic is said to be filled with the blood of saints and prevents a vampire from having to feed on humans. Radu, of course, takes a liking to one of the students and the next three films follow their adventures as she fights to keep her human ways, while he wants her to come to the dark side, so to speak. Family becomes involved on both sides and hilarity ensues. Part IV then includes a character, Ash, which leads to the spin off of Vampire Journals
To continue with a review of the quality, I always thought the box art was cheap looking; however, the DVD cover insert almost looks like a color copy of a copy. The case is simple with two flip disc holders and one back holder. There is nothing more to the packaging. It’s pretty plain to say the least.
Overall, the films are entertaining in that 90’s direct-to-video kind of way. I can say I’m now a fan, though my re-watch premonition is low. Unless you are a diehard fan and want to own every copy of the films, I would advise on waiting for a true remastered set. Otherwise, Subspecies: The Complete Chronicles is for those who are desperate to convert their VHS tapes to DVD, but are too lazy to do so. For the quality this set offers, save yourself the money and do it.
Score: 6/10
Scream Factory brought Frank LaLoggia’s 1988 Halloween movie Lady in White to Blu-ray several years back, and now Vinegar Syndrome gives the film a 4K Ultra HD upgrade.
Vinegar Syndrome’s Lady in White 4K release is available now and shipping now!
Watch the trailer below and grab your copy from Vinegar Syndrome today.
This limited edition 4-disc 4K UHD/Blu-ray x 3 set comes with a spot gloss hard slipcase + slipcover combo (designed by Dylan Haley), includes a 40-page perfect bound book and is limited to 8,000 units. It is only available on their website and at select indie retailers.
The full Special Features package includes…
- 4-disc Set: 1x 4K Ultra HD (High Bitrate BD100) / 3x Region A Blu-ray
- 4K UHD presented in Dolby Vision High-Dynamic-Range
- Newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative
- Presented in three versions: 126-min Pre-Release Director’s Cut (UHD+BD), the 118-min Extended Home Video Cut (BD), and the 113-min Theatrical Cut (BD)
- New group commentary track with writer/director Frank LaLoggia, alongside actors Lukas Haas, Joelle Jacobi, and Len Cariou for the Pre-Release Director’s Cut
- New commentary track with Frank LaLoggia, moderated by Scott Neumyer for the Extended Home Video Cut
- New commentary track with authors Emma Westwood and Stephen A. Russell for the Extended Home Video Cut
- Archival commentary track with Frank LaLoggia for the Extended Home Video Cut
- “Learning How to Fly” (10 min) – an interview with actress Karen Powell
- “A Snapshot in Time” (9 min) – an interview with actress Lisa Taylor
- “Human Touches” (6 min) – an interview with actress Lucy Lee Flippin
- “Still Relevant” (16 min) – an interview with actress Rose Weaver
- “75% Listening, 25% Editing” (9 min) – an interview with editor Steve Mann
- “Welcome to Willowpoint Falls” (6 min) – a location featurette hosted by Benjamin Scrivens, founder of Fright-Rags
- “Dream Talking: Looking Back” – a visual group commentary for the Pre-Release Director’s Cut with Frank LaLoggia, and actors Lukas Haas, Joelle Jacobi, and Len Cariou (103 min)
- Deleted Scenes with introduction and optional commentary by writer/director Frank LaLoggia (36 min)
- Behind-the-scenes footage with introduction and optional commentary by writer/director Frank LaLoggia (16 min)
- Extended behind-the-scenes footage (73 min)
- Introduction from the 20th anniversary dvd release
- Promotional ‘industry sales’ trailer (7 min)
- 40-page perfect bound book with essays by film historians Molly Henery, Mark H. Harris, and Heidi Honeycutt (limited edition only)
- Multiple radio spots
- Theatrical trailer
- Multiple TV spots
- Workprint trailers (7 min)
- Still gallery
- Reversible sleeve artwork
- English SDH subtitles
1962. Nine-year-old Frankie Scarlatti enjoys a homespun childhood in a rustic Western New York town. The entire community gets into the spirit of Halloween, but then two bullies prank Frankie by locking him in his school cloakroom, leaving him trapped for the night. Alone and afraid, his slumber is interrupted when the ghost of a little girl appears, and Frankie witnesses the specter of her murder by an unseen assailant. Later, while recovering at home, the girl’s ghost appears to him again. With help from his older brother, Frankie begins investigating the circumstances of her death. He soon discovers that her murder was one of several unsolved crimes connected to a local child-killer. As the town’s bucolic veneer fades and long-buried secrets and tensions bubble to the surface, all of the clues to the mystery seem to point towards a huge mansion inhabited by a reclusive woman known as “The Lady in White.”
A nostalgia-driven ghost story wrapped within an intricate murder mystery and coming-of-age drama, writer-director-composer Frank LaLoggia’s passion project Lady in White remains one of the most beautiful and original American horror films of the 1980s. Featuring acclaimed actors Alex Rocco (The Godfather), Len Cariou (Executive Decision), and Sydney Lassick (Carrie, The Unseen), it boasts the first starring role by Lukas Haas (Mars Attacks, Inception) as well as breathtaking photography by Academy Award® winner Russell Carpenter (True Lies, The Lawnmower Man). Vinegar Syndrome is honored to bring this genre masterpiece to 4K UHD, newly restored from its original 35mm camera negative and presented in three versions: its pre-release director’s cut, its extended home-video version, and its original theatrical version, along with an abundance of both new and archival extras.
Paul Lê wrote here on Bloody Disgusting back in 2023, “Over the years, fans have described this film as gateway horror, but they liken it more to The Watcher in the Woods than, say, Hocus Pocus or Casper. There are chilling moments that warrant its PG-13 rating.”
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