User reviews

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.

Very indie, and very low-budget, this also very much reflects that it is the first effort of filmmaker Robert A. Masciantonio as either writer or director. I'd be lying if I said this weren't painfully rough from the very start. Wide swaths of the dialogue and scene writing come off like something Masciantonio put together when he was at most a freshman in high school, and never developed further (including wholly unnecessary homophobia); his direction is achingly bare-faced, without any tact or feeling. The only cast members I'm familiar with are Amy Jo Johnson and Christian Campbell, but I know what they're capable of, and I trust the same is true of their costars - which can only mean that the amateurish, inchoate acting (alternatively dull or overzealous, but never on point) is the result of weak material and direction. The editing is similarly gawky, as rudimentary as it could get, and the music is awkwardly basic, or sometimes excruciatingly On The Nose. None of this is to say that 'Cold hearts' is intrinsically without value; I've seen other movies of a similar nature that were actually quite good. The fact remains, however, that this feature overflows with abject inelegance that unquestionably limits its entertainment value.

The plot is flummoxing for how light it is, the tale of a small group of vampire friends hounded by a larger and more predatory clique, with particular focus on one among the former. It's not a bad concept, but for lack of especial eventfulness, or any major plot points treated with suitable vibrancy for us to latch onto, the audience is left to flit between successive scenes which, as stated, are less than stellar on paper and in execution. Even those scenes that should carry emphatic weight struggle to achieve the desired impact, and a couple moments of intended gravity (characters revealing back story) simply feel so empty that one's engagement falters. There are also poor connective threads between scenes and story beats, such that the inclusion of some instances feel detached and contrived. One wonders how much of the budget was devoted to securing the licensing fees for the handful of popular songs that appear in the soundtrack (e.g. Chris Cornell, Denis Leary, a few others), and to the effects. Any post-production additions are less than perfect, though at least definitely not the worst I've seen; gratifyingly, the special makeup and effects employed, especially those at the end of the second act, perhaps got the most mindful attention of anything in these ninety minutes.

Suffice to say that 'Cold hearts' is sadly a very, very mixed bag. I don't think it's entirely awful, and for my part I was able to derive a measure of enjoyment from it. Yet this is, far more than not, so limp and anemic in every regard - owing mostly to Masciantonio's inexperienced writing and direction - that it's difficult to say it's specifically recommendable, except perhaps to utmost fans of someone involved. Even the climax and ending are astoundingly flailing, being poorly written, shot, and acted. I don't hate it, but I have difficulty saying the very words "I like it." Save it for a lazy day when you're extra bored or curious.

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 saw this film at Temple University. I cannot imaging that anyone will ever see this film in a theater (projected on film). The acting is similar to Saved By The Bell (The TV Show). The plot is simple and unimaginative. The sound recordist likes the sound of wind and the DP needs a light meter. Vampires, Vampires, Vampires.

Don't waste your money.

I don't know who financed it, or why, but this "want to be" vampire flick is really awful. It tries to be hip, and appeal to the young MTV-generation audience, but it is just downright laughable. The acting is horrible, and the directing is horrendous. I heard the budget was $600,000. I want to know where all the money went?

Hi Y'all,

I bought this on DVD from England. You see, I have one of those multi-region players. I thought it would be fun to get a cool movie to show to my friends. Well, surprise to Amy-Jo Johnson, she's barely in the movie. Although she is on the cover. It's really difficult to imagine how a film this bad got made in the first place. Perhaps someone has a trust fund.

Oh... It's about Vampires who live at the beach

OK, let's see... a handsome young stranger is new in town, and walks around on the local boardwalk. He meets a pretty girl, meets up with the obnoxious leader of the local hip young vampires club, is dared by them to follow them into this cave, gets into a conflict over the pretty girl, an epic fight ensues...

No, it's not Lost Boys, although you'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference, since I think even some of the carnival music is the same. (Do you have to pay royalties for sampling a movie?) Even the ending of this stinkbomb is ripped off from Lost Boys. The make-up is below par, even for a low-budget thriller, the characters are one-dimensional, and just exactly how many "Oh, I had this horrible experience" scenes of teen angst does one movie need? The humor is flat and stupid, and everything else is sadly predictable. Yawn.

The only scary thing about this turkey is the promise (threat) of a sequel, an idea that hopefully every distributor in the country will drive a stake through.

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!

After searching for this movie, I was more than happy to finally see it

on cable. It's not bad. Without recapping the story again, I can tell

you that I liked this spin on the vampire genre. There was a real Gen-X

type of love story in there. I did think, however, that it became very

long winded towards the end. And it's not that the writing is bad,

there is just a lot of it. But just when I found my eyes starting to

droop the action kicked in. Marisa Ryan does a fine job as the hardened

vampire with motherly notions. I thought that Christopher Wiehl and Amy

Jo Johnson really stuck out. Wiehl, as "Charles", was everything you

like in a bad guy: handsome, charming, manipulative and down right evil.

Johnson, as "Alicia", was plain cute. She lit the screen up every time

she was on, even when she was melting. Overall, I liked the movie. And

while Masciantonio's writing could have been cut down, I was impressed

by the direction. *

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'.

I'm not sure what I think of this movie. It's definitely low-budget, but I did find myself watching the whole thing without even meaning to. The writing and dialogue were good, and the movie had a very particular atmosphere to it. Part of that atmosphere is lifted from The Lost Boys, which this pays homage to, but part of it was... something else. I can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe it's the fact that these vampires felt like real people. They seemed like people you might know, only with some unusual problems.

The acting was pretty decent. It took me a while to figure out that the suicidal anorexic vampire was actually the Pink Ranger from that terrible old Power Rangers show. The lead, Marisa Ryan, did a pretty good job in particular. The only real weak spot was the guy who played Seth. It wasn't so much bad acting on his part as it was a matter of miscasting. He just had way too much boy-next-door "aw shucks" goofyness to him.

The only really bad part of this movie was the special effects. I guessed what Seth was early on, and the whole time I was waiting for him to dramatically reveal himself in a cool sort of way. When it finally happened, it looked so bad I almost fell out of my chair. Totally killed the moment.

Anyway, not a bad flick if you're looking for an inexpensive little horror movie with some decent characters.

This is a really good movie. It was well written and directed, and for it's budget shot extremely well. The only downside to this movie is the acting is sometimes a little flat but not bad. The Special FX were decent except don't get this movie expeting a Gorefest. It is more of a character driven movie with less emphasis on the special FX, which by the way, Tom Savini consulted on. I honestly could have done without the Digital eye Fx but, oh well.

And on one last note, this movie does not rip off Lost Boys. It has a similar setting and storyline and some inside jokes about the LOST BOYS, but it is not a rip-off. ***1/2 out of *****

I've heard of this film and was finally able to see it on cable. It was pretty good. It's budget is apparent but the actors all did a nice job. Amy Johnson was very cute as the sick friend and Christopher Wiehl was very good as the bad guy. There were a few scenes that were remniscant of "The Lost Boys" but it worked. There were also a few other pop culture referances that seem to litter movies these days (like the "cousins" Connor and Duncan). The movie takes place during the begining of the summer season where vacationing Seth meets vampire Victoria and her friends (I'm still not sure if their friend Darius is a vampire too). Victoria's ex-boyfriend doesn't like the two talking and does anything he can to foul things up. Christian Campbell plays John Luke (Jean-Luc Picard?) who is like Renfield to Wiehl's Charles. There is a very strong scene with Campbell and Robert Floyd (Seth) that brings the whole story to a head. Overall, it was a fun little movie.

A great story of love, fantasy, and the supernatural. This movie combines a love story, a horror story, and a fight for freedom all in one. It unravels the world of the vampire in a human way, a unique look at the vampire world that also combines a warewolf for even more of the unknown to be exposed. A must see for anyone who loves vampire movies.

If you like "Dawson's Creek" and you remember and love "The Lost Boys", this is the movie for you. Christopher Wiehl ("Charles") plays the perfect bad guy while Robert Floyd ("Seth") shadows him with the ideal guy-next-door image. Marisa Ryan ("Viki") is very believable as the hardened yet motherly vampire lead. Amy Jo Johnson ("Alicia") lends her natural cuteness to a character a little darker than she's played before. The story is pretty basic with Seth falling for the wrong girl, Viki. Charles does his best to victimize everyone involved with her. Jon Huertas ("Darius") and Christian Campbell ("John Luke") have stand out performances. Although sometimes long winded, Masciantonio adds the right amount of witty dialogue in with a few gross moments. Some of the effects could have been better and looked like they tried to cover them digital effects that were only a little bit better. I was surprised that Tom Savini was the Supervisor. The second time I watched it I kept the credits on. There was a scene I didn't see the first time that pops it. Although a little out of place, it was funny. There was also a listing for the sequel, "Kindred Spirits". I would watch this movie again.

Part love story and all horror film, this low-budgeter stars lead Marisa Ryan as Viktoria, a girl bitten years prior who exists upon the edge of society (a New Jersey boardwalk to be exact.) Attempting to lead a 'normal' life, she chooses to inhabit an apartment instead of a cavern and procures her blood through (for the most part) less than homicidal means. Enter Charles (Christopher Wiehl), Viktoria's ex-boyfriend, who in addition to being an Undead vicious killer has a nasty penchant for stalking. Aided in his efforts to terrify Viktoria by a 'Lost Boys' bunch of vamps, his pursuit is not merely limited to her, but also to her friends, and to a particularly less than enthusiastic vampiress portrayed by "Felicity's" Amy Jo Johnson. Throw into this mix Seth (Robert Floyd), an outsider who does a poor job disguising both a dangerous secret and his growing affection for Viktoria, generally believable acting, hip dialogue, an attention to character development and story, a driving soundtrack (think Soundgarden & Failure), referential nods to the "Lost Boys" and some particularly impressive effects (although minimal; this ain't "Dusk Till Dawn") and you have one little gem of a vampire-romance (regardless of it's occasionally obvious budget.) The cast is rounded out by Christian (Neve's brother!) Campbell and Fred Norris (in an interesting little cameo), although the standout is by far Ryan, who given her earthy execution, natural good looks and perceptibly dangerous quality finds herself this column's 'most-likely-to-become-a-future-movie-star.' Don't miss this one!-Sean J. Decker / Universal Studios Horror Online

At a time where vampires seem to be fairly popular in the public eye, it's a shame you still have to work to find the good movies. Well, this is one movie that is definitely worth the search.

Basically, it's one of those movies that treat vampires as a "race" where every vampire has their own personality. It's not one of those no brainer action/horror movies where the sole purpose for having vampires is to give the hero something to kill. So if you enjoyed movies such as The Lost Boys, Near Dark, and maybe even Interview with the Vampire, you should definitely check this out.

Maybe I like WB-style shows. This film holds up very well, particularly for the dramatic storyline (which I thought rang very true) and the dynamite performances by Ryan, Johnson, and Floyd. Jon Huertas was brilliant as the gay nonvampire friend--too bad that they had to delete some of his scenes. Beautiful music. A real gem which I have seen many, many times and never tire of.

I guess this can serve as a double review since we screened the film twice. The first was at Planet Hollywood in Beverly Hills about this time last year. It was the same version that was shown at Temple University. It was made clear that we were screening was the Rough Cut. Yes, the sound was off and the picture was dark in some places. That is because the film hadn't been finished. It even had all of the time codes and the such running across the bottom. Then a few months later... at the Paramount Screening last November we showed the finished film. The colors are fantastic and the surround sound was amazing. The actors did a great job; Amy Jo Johnson was fantastic as the troubled friend and Robert Floyd turned in a good performance as the awkward "mystery man". One thing this film is not is a straight horror movie. It's almost secondary that some of the characters are vampires.

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!!

I was bought this film for only £4 and even then I feel robbed. I have watched some poor films but this was quite one of the worst. I have never watched a film about depressed vampires before in my life was this some kind of spin to the old horror movie genre. It only goes to show that for every interview with the vampire there must be at least ten or so of these movies in creation. The best bit of this film was quite probably the end credits.