Heartstopper (2006)

Director:

Bob Keen

Writers:

Vlady Pildysh (story)
Vlady Pildysh (written by) ...

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Each beat may be your last...

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.

Plot Keywords:

Hospital | Suicide | Blood | Doctor | Psychopath

Cast

Meredith Henderson	...	Sara Wexler
Nathan Stephenson	...	Walter
James Binkley	...	Chambers
Michael Cram	...	Doctor Hitchens
Robert Englund	...	Sheriff Berger
Laura DeCarteret	...	Nurse Grafton
Scott Gibson	...	Doctor Drayis
Ted Ludzik	...	Janitor Mackie
Lori Hallier	...	Ms. Wexler
John Bayliss	...	The Warden
Wayne Flemming	...	Priest
Celine Lepage	...	Trina Foote
David Roche	...	Deputy Wilson
Drew Carnwath	...	Guard #1
Amy Ciupak Lalonde	...	Triage Nurse

Runtime:

USA:85 min | Argentina:92 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Germany:16 (cut) | Germany:18 (DVD rating) | Netherlands:16

Filming Locations:

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Company:

PA Heartstopper Films

Goofs:

Continuity: Throughout the movie, Walter's Pac-man shirt goes through various stages of cleanliness. It's often seen blood-soaked in one scene only to have spots of blood in the next.

Quotes:

Chambers: Sometimes you have to do a lot of bad to get a little good.

Movie Connections:

References First Blood (1982)

Give a little bit of Heart and Soul...

"Heartstopper", directed by the always-reliable special effects wizard Bob Keen (he worked on the effects for no less than "Hellraiser", "Candyman" and "Hardware"), is a sadly forgettable effort that combines the plot of a typical late 80's cheesy flick with the outrageous gore and brutality of nowadays 'Torture Porn' movies. The concept of a serial killer with supernatural powers who desperately attempts to transfer his murderous spirit into a new body after his own execution is dreadfully unoriginal and already featured (more or less) in at least four movies, namely Wes Craven's "Shocker", the atrocious third entry in the "House" series, the criminally underrated film "Prison" and the overall lamentable film "The Chair". This movie has absolutely nothing new to tell in its plot, but at least it remains somewhat entertaining thanks to the incredibly high body count, explicit on screen bloodshed and the cast of clichéd characters. A young interracial couple have to defend themselves against the sneering and overly talkative psychopath Chambers (who enjoys ripping hearts out of people's torsos whilst they're watching), and they receive little to none help from an indecisive nurse and from the Sheriff, played by Robert Englund. "Heartstopper" is never really scary or disturbing because the plot is overly grotesque and incoherent. The setting of the nearly abandoned, ramshackle and soon-to-be-closed down hospital adds some morbid atmosphere to the wholesome. The surreal elements in the plot are totally ridiculous and the ending sucks, but hey, I'm sure you've seen newly released horror films that were a lot worse.