Heartstopper

AKA's:

Dark Craving / Maldicao Do Sangue, A
The Awakening (working title)

Release date:

1989 USA

Running time:

90' (cover 90') - Source: DVD (RC 1/NTSC)

Rating:

US: NR

Main Crew:

Director: John A. Russo (Santa Claws 1996)
Producer: Thinker Productions
Score: Paul McCollough
writer: John A. Russo (based on his novel "The Awakening")
Director of photography: John Rice

Cast:

Summary:

In 1776, a Colonial physician, Benjamin Latham (Kevin Kindlin), is wrongfully accused of practicing sorcery and hanged from the gallows. To prevent his unholy resurrection, his body is desecrated and buried at a crossroad. 200 years later, the condemned doctor's burial site is accidentally unearthed and he rises from the grave as a vampire in modern day Pittsburgh!
Upon discovering his new, unnatural thirst for human blood, Dr. Latham decides to track down his contemporary descendants with the aid of a photographer, Lenora Clayton (Moon Zappa). While Latham only feasts upon the dregs of society to quench his crimson cravings, a deranged copycat killer goes on a rampage that skyrockets the city's terror alert level. With detective Ron Vargo (Tom Savini) hot on his trail, the heroic superhuman vampire confronts the savage serial killer in a fog-shrouded twist ending!

Note:

- Heartstopper is based on director John Russo's novel "The Awakening". Russo, best known for co-scripting George Romero's "Night Of The Living Dead", has also written several direct to paperback horror novels including "Midnight" and "The Majorettes", both of which were later adapted to film.
- Tom Savini also provided special makeup effects (and has been dubbed the "The Godfather of Gore" from his brilliant Gore/Makeup work in his movies), and is good friends with horror director George A. Romero. The two have worked together on films like "Dawn Of The Dead" (1978) and Martin (1977).
- The title had to be changed from The Awakening to Heartstopper because of the Charlton Heston movie "The Awakening" (1980).
- Moon Unit Zappa is the daughter of famous Rock musician Frank Zappa, and was once voted the most bizarrely named celebrity offspring off all time.

click here for filmstills (pictures from the movie)

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