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Overall Rating : 6/10
Directed By : Bob Keen
Robert Englund (A Nightmare On Elm Street)
Meredith Henderson
Nathan Stephenson (Childstar)
James Binkley
Supplied By : Union Station Media / Anchor Bay Entertainment
Film Reviewed By : Rick L. Blalock
Date Reviewed : Sept. 20, 2006
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| PLOT Two hospitalized young people discover that things can get even worse when the dilapidated institution is stranded by a severe storm and a maniac stalks the corridors butchering the patients and staff. |
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| THE REVIEW HEARTSTOPPER a film which take's an 80's slasher approach, brings back the old cheesy storyline, that ultimately ends in a villain stalking and killing the innocent that we saw in that time frame. When I saw the key cover art for the film, I had never even heard of it but know I would love to review it based on the cover art alone, and the next day coincidently I received HEARTSTOPPER in my mailbox. The story starts out by introducing us to the film's bad guy, a guy by the name of Chambers, as he heads to execution via the electric chair. (This in itself reminded me of 80's films such as Craven's SHOCKER and Lenzi's WELCOME TO SPRING BREAK.) During his electrocution it seems that Chambers just will not die, so Sheriff Berger, played by Robert Englund, watches on as they do it a second time. The second time around they believe they have succeeded, but since Chambers muttered something about the devil prior to, something tells us he'll be back. In the film's sub plot, Berger on his way back to the station, accidentally hits Sara Wexler a young woman whom stood in the middle of the road on purpose as a means to end her life. This, thus dislocates the poor girl's shoulder and injured her leg, so the Sheriff and his partner load Sara idiotically into the same ambulance as they have been transferring the corpse of the killer in. During that time in the ambulance, some sort of transfusion goes on and therefore in B Movie fashion, the killer, Chambers and Sarah are now bonded spiritually. Well as luck would have it, when they arrive at the hospital, while in the autopsy room, Chambers awakens from his slumber and begins to slaughter all who are enclosed in the hospital on this stormy night. Chambers is on a search form Sara, as he is a demonic soul and intends to transfer into to the ripe young body of Sara Wexler, meanwhile along with unlikely friend Walter(whom is being treated for stab wounds), Sarah must fight back against the being of undying evil. Even though it seems that I may be poking fun at B-Movies in my interpretation of the plot, these are the films that I truly enjoy, and HEARTSTOPPER is no exception. This film shot in Canada, feels like a throwback of a film, you know when Horror was actually good?....yeah that time, Here we have a killer that dons a cold expressionless gaze through out the movie, only to sometimes crack a few lines, brutally slaughtering people with one method, and one method only and that is viciously ripping out each victims heart and litterally stopping it. The film with that being said is a virtual gore fest taking not from those said 80's slashers and basically throwing all plot out the window. It does have a small plot build up here and there, like the fact that Sarah is a troubled youth that is teased a lot at school and doesn't believe in herself, and then of course, that Chamber's wants a new body, but none of the other character's have significant back-stories, they are just "there". The gore here is pretty good for it's seemingly low budget and looks quite realistic. it makes for a very fun way to kill an otherwise boring two hours, some indie Horror films pack on an impressive title like HEARTSTOPPER, only for you later to find it's more like "hamburger covered in corn syrup-stopper" - so I was highly impressed with the film's realistic gore to say the least. As far as the film's acting goes, well to be honest I expected something below average here, with the obvious exception of Mr. Englund of course. Actually I have to say the acting is pretty decent by most. Meredith Henderson and Nathan Stephenson deliver performances that are very much likeable. At first the chemistry between the two seemed a little bit off, but as the film progresses, you really warm up to them. If a film's villain is not convincing, you might as well throw in the proverbial towel, but for HEARTSTOPPER, luckily James Binkley, was able to bring to life a character that not only looks menacing but leaves a menacing impression on the viewer as they watch. He had the look, the movement and attitude and in my opinion did a great job of making it all work. A big disappointment in this film is that Robert England, the most famous person on the cast, lasts only about 20 minutes in the film, if even that. It's a shame that his character parishes so early, it's almost like the filmmakers used the legendary actor as a way to sell the film.....but nonetheless Robert, delivers the presence we have all grown to love - but I would have liked to see Sheriff Berger and Chambers in a showdown at the end! |
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| GORE
METER 6/10 Highly realistic, seemingly budgeted gore - some of the scenes could even rival big name films in my opinion. |
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| MUSICAL
SCORE 3.5/10 The score was so-so, nothing really definitive that stood out, nor that I remember. |
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| OVERALL
IMPRESSION OF THE FILM HEARTSTOPPER, like I said is a fun flick that delivers the goods(and guts, for that matter) in a retro sort of way. Canada, has been a hotbed as of late, and has brought us the entertaining, film DECOYS and now this, I just hope that it continues! I would definitely recommend this film to any fan of FRIDAY THE 13th, HALLOWEEN, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET and etc. This title will be released on October 31, 2006 |
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