Summaries

Synopsis

Policeman Hank Holten (Kevin Dillon) is being interviewed in his hospital room by DrBlake (Jim Ortlieb) to determine his ability to stand trial for killing his wife SusanHastings, a writer of vampire fiction. This is the story as Hank tells itto the doctor.

About a year ago, Susan (Vanessa Angel) called quits to their marriage and moved out.Hank had a hard time getting used to the idea that Susan was on her ownand dating other men, such as actor Jake Vincent (Alex McArthur), and would frequentlyfollow her around--just to be sure that she was safe, he rationalized. Oneday, as Hank stood behind a tree and watched Susan jogging past, a robberput a gun to Hank's head and demanded money. Hank responded by beating thebejeesus out of the guy. Afterwards, he concocted a story about the guyresisting arrest, but CaptainJohn Billings (Lance Henriksen) didn't buy it. Billings warned Hankto stop drinking and to stop stalking his wife or he'd be placed onsuspension.

Hank agreed to the captain's terms, so Billings assigned him to acase involving the disappearance of Layla Simmons, a college girl who wentmissing after going to a rave in Hollywood. Hank began hanging around ravebars looking for her. One night, she turned up. When Hank tried to speakwith Layla (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe), she invited him to join her, her "brother" Alex (Kenneth Colom), and Alex'sgirlfriend. They drove to an abandoned hospital where Hank was led into avampire den. When Layla tried to drink Hank's blood, he pushed her off,fired three shots into her chest, and wounded a bunch of other vampires.Suddenly the Master appeared, proclaimed Hank for himself, and begandrinking from Hank's neck. They were interrupted, however, when a shaft oflight from the rising sun fell across his face. The next thing Hank knewhe was waking up in an empty room with bite marks on his neck. There wasno sign that anyone had been there, and the watchman swore up and downthat he'd seen no one else on the premises.

When Hank explained to Captain Billings what took place, he was notbelieved. In fact, Hank was relieved of duty until he got his acttogether, so Hank decided to take matters into his own hands. Thisincluded asking for help from Susan, but Susan replied by filing aharrassment charge against him. Meanwhile, Hank was turning. His eyes werebecoming sensitive to light, his eyeteeth had began growing, he wasthirsty all the time, and his strength was increasing. He began living inhis car, the windows shielded with tinfoil. It wasn't until Susan noticedthat he cast no reflection in a mirror that she dropped the complaint andagreed to help him.

First, she made Hank drink wolfsbane tea. Then she pressed a crossagainst the wound in his neck. This was to slow the turning. Next, sheshowed him her vampire hunting kit--complete with holy water, garlic,stakes, hammer, and sword--and explained to him the process of vampireslaying. As they were planning out their fourth move -- finding where thevampires sleep and killing the Master (Ismael Kanater) -- Layla and Alex stormed the motelroom where they were staying. When the vampires threatened to kill Susan,she asked only to be allowed to interview them. Hank doused Layla withholy water and pinned Alex under a sword. Meanwhile, Jake Vincent, who wasP.O.ed that Susan was staying at a motel with her ex, chose this moment toconfront her. Unfortunately, Vincent ended up losing hishead over it. When Layla noticed that the sun was rising, she and Alexsplit for the day, leaving Susan and Hank unharmed.

Susan figured that the vampires were nesting somewhere in the abandoned hospital, so she and Hank went to snoop. Susan also figured that the twoguys guarding the hospital entrance were wraiths who, in exchange forguarding the vampires' nest, got to feed on their leftovers. She testedout her hypothesis by asking them for car help while flashing a crucifix.The wraiths didn't like it one bit, so now Hank and Susan knew that theywould have to out the wraiths before they could get into the hospital. Theproblem is that wraiths are very strong and their blood is like acid.According to Susan, their only weakness is a fear of heights, so Susan andHank climbed the fire escape to the hospital roof. They took out onewraith by noosing and hanging him. When the second wraith came up to theroof, Hank pushed him off. On his way down, the wraith fell through adisguised trap door into the sub-basement.

That must be where the vampires sleep, surmised Susan. But it wasalmost sunset and Hank didn't want to endanger Susan, so he handcuffed herto a railing, gave her a cellphone, and told her to call Captain Billingsif he wasn't back by sundown. Then he went looking for the vampires. Aftersearching a few empty rooms, Hank found the coffins and staked all thevampires. Just as the sun went down, he came upon two more coffins, onebelonging to Alex and the other to Layla, who were just waking up. Aftercomplimenting Alex on his shirt, Hank destroyed him with a crossbow. Laylaleapt at Hank, and Hank shoved a stake through her heart. But where wasthe Master?

"Right behind you," said Layla, with her dying unbreath. Hank turnedto see both the Master and Susan standing there. Susan's neck revealedthat she had been bitten. Now Hank faced a dilemma. If he killed theMaster, all the Master's childer (except for Hank) would die. Giving uphis life for Susan, Hank tossed her the crossbow with orders to kill theMaster, but the Master ordered Susan to kill Hank instead. As Susanprepared to fire on Hank, Hank leapt at the crossbow, forcing Susan toturn it back on the Master, the result being that both he and Susan pulledthe trigger together, "curing" them both. As the Master exploded, thehospital also began to explode, and Hank and Susan ran for the door...untilSusan turned around and went back in.

Two days later, when Hank tried to explain what happened, CaptainBillings denied seeing Susan, dropping her complaint, or releasing Hankinto her custody. In fact, he had no memory of seeing Hank since heassigned him the case of Layla Simmons. Susan's body was not found in therubble, but the desk clerk at the motel did remember checking them in andlater finding two bodies in their room. Billings figured that Hank wentberserk, killed Vincent, then killed Susan. Hank maintained that it wasthe vampires and that Susan, probably wanting to become a vampire allalong, went back to save the Master and get him to bite her again.Figuring that Hank intended to plead insanity, Billings placed him underpsychiatric care.

After listening to Hank's story, Dr Blake concludes that was Hank'sinability to accept Susan ending their relationship and starting up a newone with Jake Vincent, compounded with Hank's alcohol abuse and lack ofsleep, that caused him to suffer a breakdown, which manifested itself inthese destructive and antisocial behaviors.

Epiloque: Hank is awakened by Susan laying next to him on his cell cot. As Hanksuspected, Susan has become a vampire. She extols the virtues of being avampire and tells him that the Master's powers are fantastic (he causedBillings' memory loss) and that she's come back to kill Hank because sheknows he will never stop looking for her once he's released. As Susanprepares to put the bite on Hank, he stakes her with a chair leg. Blake andBillings are both watching through closed circuit TV but, of course, avampire cannot be photographed, so all they can do is assume that Hank isacting out his fantasies. Billings goes in to talk with Hank and to askhim once again where he's hidden Susan's body. Hank points to the floor,but Susan has vanished. Billings notices an earring on the floor and bendsdown to look under the bed. Billings is about to find Susan. [Original synopsisby bj_kuehl]