36 Days of Halloween - 1991: Subspecies

Two young coeds head overseas to visit their friend and fellow student in Prejmer, Romania. While there, they study the local superstitions surrounding vampires. When they meet and befriend the handsome Stefan, they unwittingly find themselves in the middle of a family battle between Stefan and his monstrous brother, Radu, for control of their castle and the mystical bloodstone. While... this direct to video film has definitely not aged well in the special effects department--Radu's minions look, frankly, horrible--it's still a lot of fun to watch. Radu, with his long fingers and massive fangs, is extremely creepy, and watching him skulk around menacing people is fantastic.The premise--there are vampires in the area who hate each other and want to kill one another--is solid enough for a horror franchise, and the acting, while not award winning by any means, is capable enough for cheap thrills. I imagine my fond memories of watching this with a friend in high school colors my perceptions of the film a bit, but I had a great time watching it. Four out of five poorly animated blood minions out of five.