Heartstopper, 1989, Tempe Video, Written and Directed by John Russo, Starring Kevin Kindlin, Moon Zappa, Tom Savini, John Hall, Tommy LaFitte, Michael J. Pollard.
Director Russo is, of course, best known for co-scripting Night of the Living Dead. He has also written several direct to paperback horror novels including Midnight and The Majorettes, both of which were later adapted to film. While Russo's novels lack the glitz and polish of your average bestseller, they are engaging and often quite scary. Heartstopper is based on The Awakening, a novel about a vampire from colonial times returning to life in modern Pittsburgh. The Awakening is Russo's best novel, and Heartstopper is the best film that he has directed.
In 1776 Dr. Benjamin Latham (Kindlin from Revenge of the Living Zombies) is put on trial for sorcery and vampirism. His scientific experiments with human blood, which include the drinking of the stuff, have been misinterpreted by the townspeople as witchcraft. Add to this the fact that, unlike most of his neighbors, Latham is a tory, loyal to the English crown, and Latham soon finds himself dangling from a noose. A stake is driven through his heart and his body is buried at a crossroads.
Latham awakens in modern times, his grave having been disturbed by a construction crew. Somehow the rituals for dispatching a vampire have actually turned him into a vampire, though not a traditional one. "Superstition has made me what I am," says Latham. He craves blood, and his saliva carries a venom that is fatal to his victims. Gone are many of the vampiric stereotypes like coffins, aversion to sacred objects, and a fear of sunlight.
Latham's first victim is a little girl, which raises the interest of Lieutenant Ron Vargo (Savini, who also provided special makeup effects). Vargo once lost a daughter to a crazed killer, so the case becomes personal for him. He's determined to get this vampire killer off the streets at any cost. Worsening the situation is a copycat killer stalking the streets of Pittsburgh and dispatching women in a style similar to Latham's.
Latham meets and falls in love with Lenora Clayton (VH-1 VJ, Zappa), but like Latham's meeting with his descendant Matthew Latham, this element from the book is largely glossed over. Zappa's character is interesting, but we don't see enough of her.
At times budgetary constraints show through. Microphone shadows can be seen, and the cinematography seems grainy. The principals are well cast, though, especially Kindlin who is quite convincing as a man from a different time. Latham's perspective, in fact, is one of the film's greatest assets, and Kindlin plays the part perfectly. Zappa and Savini are also very good. The story is well paced and the heavy metal soundtrack adds a raw edge to the urban atmosphere.
The movie is followed by The B's Nest Video Magazine, which contains interviews with Russo and Savini on the making of Heartstopper, an ad for horror merchandise, and trailers of other films including Russo's The Majorettes.