Cold Hearts

This low-budget indie film about grungy, vampire youths haunting the beachfront (sound familiar?) could have been smart and amusing, but instead comes off like a fanged version of some WB-style TV show. It misses some clever opportunities to be both stylishly violent and sexy, and instead relies on long conversations between a brooding female vampire (who consistently delivers monotonous sad stories to everyone she meets), and a frat boy with a dufus persona and a dubious moral code. Technically competent but utterly adolescent.

I bought this movie in a two for £10 deal along with Fever Lake. Im a big fan of "The Lost Boys" and as there were mentions of this being a similar movie i thought id give it a go. What can i say, a shameless rip off of "The Lost Boys". And whats with the werewolf!!

Viktoria (Marisa Ryan) and Alicia (Amy Jo Johnson) are 'good' vampires and together with Darius (John Huertas) are close friends living in a coastal American city. When the newcomer Seth (Robert Floyd) arrives, he has a crush on Viktoria. Charles (Christopher Wiehl), a 'bad' vampire, does not like the proximity of Seth and Viktoria, and decides to disturb Seth with his gang. A great surprise waits for Charles in the end of the plot.

"Cold Heart" is a unoriginal story that blends Near Dark', with 'Lost Boys', plus 'Angel' and 'Buffy'. The result is not totally bad, but in the end, it is just a forgettable vampire movie. There is a scene, supposed to be funny, in the middle of the credits, when two guards find the remains full of blood of the two dead vampires. Why these vampires were not converted into dust? Further, why Viktoria was able to walk in the sun, only with minors burns? My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): 'Filhos das Trevas' ('Sons of the Darkness')

Note: On 11 December 2021, I saw this film again.

Typically I wouldn't bother doing a review of film like this that wasn't really anything special, nor was it a horrible film you just want to forget either. Full disclaimer, this is definitely a B-movie in every regard, low budget, marginal effects, acting just passable, and an ok, but unoriginal story. "Cold Hearts" in no way compares to the better films of the genre, like "Lost Boys" & "Near Dark", among others.

However, all of that said, there is something about it, just different enough, just interesting enough to make it a decent watch if you like these types of films. This will be shocking to those that hated it, but I've actually watched it three times; all the way through!,,,,lol. Admittedly for me, part of my appreciation for the film is this odd fascination with the lead, Marisa Ryan, not the most beautiful or talented actress in the world, but she has something uniquely appealing about her. The story, though somewhat predictable, was worth staying with til the end also, and I found the ending satisfactory.

Finally, I gave this movie 7 stars because for a low budget film of this genre, and if you like this genre, it can be a fun watch on a weeknight or weekend day when you have nothing better to do. Personally, I found it a decent watch for a low budget film of this genre, but some others who find they may like it, may consider it one of those "so bad that it's good" type films, & I can understand that feeling!

Indie filmmaker, Robert A. Masciantonio engaging emo-vampire feature is appealingly set within a lively New Jersey seaside suburb, where the garish lure of sandy beaches and noisome amusement parks attracts a constant flow of transient, thrill-seeking tourists, and the handsome predatory vampire master, Charles (Christopher Wiehl) hungrily haunts this briny locale with his subservient, but no less malign entourage of plasma lusting, voluminously-panted goons!

'Cold Hearts' is an earnest, romantically-inclined Gen-X drama wherein benign vampire besties, Viktoria, Alicia (Marisa Ryan) (Amy Joe Johnson) and their fiesty gay chum, Darius (Jon Huertas) endeavour to cope with the ceaseless existential malaise of living, fitfully loving, and reluctantly feeding as angsty, navel-gazing vampires. Their precarious existence constantly threatened by the violent oppression of malevolent master vampire, Charles's arbitrarily murderous peccadilloes. When tough cookie, Vicki fatefully falls for studly hero, Seth (Robert Floyd) the simmering internecine tensions erupt climactically in a bestial beach front beatdown! While the preponderance of heartfelt 'chat' may alienate gorehounds, less bloodthirsty viewers may still appreciate that the seemingly forgotten 'Cold Hearts' remains an entertaining, strongly acted, dramatically full-bloodied romp that sweetly suggests some vampires are not quite so cold hearted as the legends would have us believe! The soundtrack rocks, with an especially poignant use of Temple of The Dog's evocative 'Say Hello 2 Heaven'.