Subspecies 4: Bloodstorm – Full Moon Features (Blu-ray)

Release Date: Romania/USA, 1998
Director: Ted Nicolaou
Writer: Ted Nicolaou
Cast: Anders Hove, Denice Duff, Jonathon Morris, Ion Haiduc, Dorina Lazar, Dan Istrate, Camelia Zorlescu

Release Date: November 4th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 90 Minutes 28 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Interlaced / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: R
Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo English, Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $24.95

"The most savage vampire masters of all time have returned from their unholy resting places to battle for possession of the all-powerful Bloodstone. Among them is the evil Radu, whose rebirth also sees him setting his sights on bloody revenge against those who have betrayed him. After escaping Radu's clutches, fledgling vampire Michelle, aided by her mortal friend Ana, meets a ghoul-slaying doctor in Bucharest who promises relief from her unquenchable thirst for blood. And as Radu hunts for his muse, he also falls prey to the wrath of his protégé Ash, and soon all involved are swept up in a reign of carnage. The battle for the kingdom of blood begins..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 2/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Restored and remastered in HD from the best available sources."

Subspecies 4: Bloodstorm comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.2 GB

Feature: 18.3 GB

The source is interlaced, and the result is far from an optimal viewing experience. Colors are inconsistent; the image can look blurry, black levels are never convincing, and there is a heaping amount of digital noise reduction.

Audio: 3/5 (Both Audio Tracks)

This release comes with two audio options, a Dolby Digital stereo mix in English and a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix in English. There are burnt-in subtitles for moments where characters speak in Romanian. Both audio tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced, and ambient sounds and the score are well-represented. That said, the Dolby Digital 5.1 mix offers a slightly more expanded audio experience. Included are removable English SDH.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a Videozone episode about the making of Subspecies 4: Bloodstorm (18 minutes 8 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles) and trailers for Subspecies (1 minute 17 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Subspecies 2 (1 minute 33 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Subspecies 3 (1 minute 50 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Subspecies 4 (1 minute 39 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Subspecies 5 (2 minutes 18 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and Vampire Journals (2 minutes, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

Other extras are trailers for Jack Attack, Piranha Woman, Blade: The Iron Cross, Doktor Death, Don’t Let Her In, and Gingerwood Man.

Summary:

Subspecies 4: Bloodstorm is the fifth film in a series of six films; the fourth film is a spinoff entry titled Vampire Journals. All six films in this series were directed by Ted Nicolaou, whose other notable films are the Desert Pursuit segment from The Dungeon Master, TerrorVision, Bad Channels, and Don’t Let Her In.

An evil vampire master narrowly survives extinction and searches for his protégé, who escaped as he lay on his deathbed.

Although there are other films that precede Subspecies 4: Bloodstorm that share the same characters, it is a film that stands on its own for those who have not seen those films. Its opening setup does an excellent job fleshing out existing characters' stories while introducing new ones. There's a bloodstone that makes Radu, the master vampire, more powerful than other vampires, and other characters' desire to obtain it helps drive the narrative. That said, the narrative does a good job building to its climax.

When discussing Subspecies 4: Bloodstorm, there are two areas that stand out: its exemplary production design and well-executed gore effects. When it comes to the performances, the strongest are its two leads (the only cast returning from previous films): Anders Hove in the role of Radu, a vampire master with a vindictive streak, and Denice Duff in the role of Michelle, a protégé of Radu’s who is being treated by a doctor that claims to be able to cure her vampirism. Ultimately, despite Subspecies 4: Bloodstorm’s predictability, it is a film that horror fans will get the most out of.

Subspecies 4: Bloodstorm gets a mediocre audio/video presentation from Full Moon Features.

Written by Michael Den Boer