a town plagued with evil
Linnea Quigley’s lost film
Movie release
Linnea Quigley’s Lost Film, HEARTLAND OF DARKNESS, Trailer Debut!
Linnea Quigley’s “lost film”, HEARTLAND OF DARKNESS, shot in the 1980’s during the heyday of the nationwide “Satanic Panic” finally gets a trailer and is being geared up for release in the near future. This film, a true cinematic time capsule, deals with cults, ritualistic sacrifice, sex and violence head-on. Now, decades later, finally finished, it’s ready to see the light. Directed by Eric Swelstad.
HEARTLAND OF DARKNESS follows the investigation of several violent, ritualistic murders committed in the small, rural town of Copperton, Ohio. Paul Henson, a big-city journalist buys the local paper and hires an investigative reporter who also seeks to leave the large congested city and relax in a more peaceful surrounding. This tranquility is soon shattered as the murders are discovered, and clues point to a massive city-wide cover up involving the city officials as well as a local charismatic Reverend. A wandering Preacher joins Paul in uncovering the evil cult operating in the small town, and soon their lives are in danger as the cult closes in on them.
Cast & Crew
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Eric Swelstad
Director | Producer | WriterEric has directed over a dozen other features and television productions, including the Emmy-nominated “About Love”, the Telly Award winning “Tilted Television”, and “Frankenstein Rising”, starring Oscar-winning actress Margaret O’Brien.
A member of the Writer’s Guild of America, West, Eric has written or co-written numerous screenplays and teleplays, including “Lucky 13” starring Lauren Graham (“Parenthood”, “Gilmore Girls”) and Jenna Fischer (“The Office”).
Eric is a Professor and Department Chair of the Media Arts Department at Los Angeles Valley College.
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Linnea Quigley
Actress ‘Julia Francine’One of the most famous Scream Queens in the world, she was awarded this title by fans and publishers around the world.
She has received many awards throughout her acting career, including the Trailblazer Award at the 2018 Idaho Horror Film Festival.Her breakout role was in “The Return of the Living Dead” (1985), which has gone on to become a cult classic, and established her firmly as “Queen of the Bs”. Her reign was supreme in the late 1980s with such films as “Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama” (1988), “Night of the Demons (1988), and “Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers” (1988).
Linnea continues to appear in, and produce films. She also appears at Horror Conventions around the globe, where she is a fan favorite. She has written two books about her life in the B-movie industry, “Bio & Chainsaw,” in 1992 and “I’m Screaming as Fast as I Can” in 1995. After more than 35 years and more than 125 films, Linnea Quigley is still “America’s Scream Queen”.
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Nick Baldasare
Actor ‘Donovan’Nick Baldasare lives in Ohio where he has worked in films since the 80’s. His first feature was “Road Meat”, a regional dark comedy/slasher that is also scheduled to finally be released in 2021. His next film was Jay Woelfel’s “Beyond Dream’s Door “, an 80’s cult film shot in Columbus. Nick then went on to play the role of Donavan in “Heartland of Darkness” before landing the leading role in Brett Piper’s “They Bite” (1996), an homage to sci-fi films of the 1950’s shot in Florida. More recently Nick starred in Woelfel’s 2017 movie, “Asylum of Darkness.”
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Dino Tripodis
Actor ‘Paul Henson’Writer, comedian, screenwriter, host. Dino has played in comedy films for over 30 years. Some of his films include the “Star and the Snowman”, “Eroded” (2011) and “Theater” Night Owl with Fritz the Night Owl (2010).
Dino Tripodis spent twenty-four years as the morning co-host on WSNY 94.7 FM, nicknamed Sunny 95 in Columbus, Ohio. He is also a headlining comedian, podcaster, actor, producer, writer, published author, professional speaker, and philanthropist. Dino is the co-writer, co-producer, and actor in the 2017 movie, The Street Where We Live.
Soon after leaving the radio world, Dino started a successful podcast, Whiskey Business, a podcast that is not so much about whiskey as it is one with whiskey.
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Eric Swelstad
Director | WriterEric is known for his work on Frankenstein Rising (2010), Heartland of Darkness (2021), and Lucky 13 (2005).
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Nick Baldasare
Actor | ‘Donovan’Nick Baldasare lives in Ohio where he has worked in films since the 80’s.
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Linnea Quigley
Actress | ‘Julia Francine’Barbara Linnea Quigley was born in Davenport, Iowa, on May 27, 1958 to Heath and Dorothy Quigley. Her Mother was a housewife .
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Dino Tripodis
Actor | ‘Paul Henson’Dino Tripodis is an actor and producer, known for Star and The Snowman, Eroded (2011) and Nite Owl Theatre Starring Fritz the Nite Owl (2010).
Trailer of the movie
F.A.Q
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Deeper into the Darkness is a short documentary about the making of the Heartland of Darkness feature. Interviews with Eric Swelstad, the writer/director, Scott Spears, the cinematographer as well as Associate Producer Tom Bauman and star Nick Baldasare (‘Donovan’) discussing the production and upcoming release – after all these years.
ericswel@aol.com
