Dead Heat

Dead Heat follows two Los Angeles detectives, Roger Mortis and Doug Bigelow, as they investigate a gang of robbers who appear to be unstoppable. When the bodies of the suspects turn out to have been dead for days, the case points toward a secret re-animation process developed by a chemical company. Mortis is killed in the line of duty, then brought back through that same technology, leaving him a limited window of time to solve the case before he dies for good.

The film is directed by Mark Goldblatt, his first feature behind the camera, followed by The Punisher in 1989. Terry Black wrote the screenplay, and Michael L. Meltzer and David Helpern produced. Treat Williams plays Mortis, with Joe Piscopo as Bigelow, Lindsay Frost as Randi James, Darren McGavin as Dr. Ernest McNab, and Vincent Price as Arthur P. Loudermilk. Released in May 1988, it runs 86 minutes and blends action and comedy with horror and science fiction.

Made for about 5 million dollars, the film took in roughly 4 million worldwide, falling short of its budget during its theatrical run. On IMDb it holds a 6.1 rating from around 10,000 votes, and on TMDB a 6.2 from 243 votes, while the critics' rating stands at 3.7 out of 10 from nine reviews, well below the audience scores.