Was blessed to see the film premiere at Horrorhound Weekend...OMG Ted knocked it out of the park....the cinematography, the landscapes, the score, the poetic dialogue, and our cast was amazing...Anders's evolution as Radu from crusader to vampire lord was nothing short of badass.... Denice Duff as new character Helena is a very memorable different character for her....her performance is awe-inspiring. Kevin Spiritas was once Mel Thompson, U. S. Embassy in parts 2 and 3 and now he becomes the role Angus Scrimm was in the original SS...He is King Vladislas the father of Radu...we are also brought into the world of musicians Ash and his sister Ariel (Stasa Nikovic who was so sweet to meet) very vulnerable and deadly...the Bloodstone is there....i could go on and on but see this movie when it comes out ASAP.

Ted Nicolau is one of the most underrated B-filmmakers out there.

And- aside from TerrorVision- the Subspecies series is his crowning achievement.

Now in it's fifth installation, Blood Rise harkens back to a time since past, to give us the backstory of Radu.

Showing us what he was like before he was a vampire.

A Templar knight- and man of compassion- sworn to protect the Bloodstone.

Up until the moment he gave in to temptation, and was turned into a vampire.

Making this film a prequel to the rest of the series.

Because it was only after he was turned, that he was initiated with the occult knowledge of the dark arts.

And it was only with these powers, that he was able to become the villain we've come to know so well.

He takes on two fledglings of his own.

A couple troubadours, whose music he is allured by.

Only to trade them off for access to the Bloodstone.

As the blood it provides make vampires trip balls.

That's why it's all about the Bloodstone, baby.

The creature effects in this are quite well done.

With Radu taking on a particularly Nosferatu look.

The plot, however, could use a bit of nuance to it, though.

As it's construction is a bit too simplistic.

But it's entertaining enough.

And not a disappointing addition to the series.

As long as you don't expect it to be more than another gothic episode in the dark soap opera that is Subspecies.

5.5 out of 10.

The "Rise" portion of the title let's you know what you're in for here. This film serves as the origin story for the primary character of the franchise, Radu Vladislas - once again brilliantly portrayed by franchise regular Anders Hove. Here, the film largely succeeds in humanizing the franchise's monstrous and iconic villain.

I was fortunate enough to catch this on its one day only theatrical release at my local Alamo Drafthouse and enjoyed the post feature making of and interviews with the cast and crew held by Charles Band. In addition to successfully humanizing Radu as a character, I have to also praise the technical aspects of the film as it looks and sounds great- easily sporting the most polished cinematography of the series. I found myself hoping they expound on a couple of the plot points and make a Subspecies VI. Hopefully if another entry is made it doesn't take another 20 years.