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Summary: Atmospheric, afternoon delight
Review: Something's not right in a present-day New England village...but it's not witchcraft. It's something else, even more sinister. Excellent miniseries, highly recommended for those long, rainy afternoons.
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Summary: Brilliant Made-For-TV Movie!
Review: This horror film is simply one of the best made-for-TV horror films of all time! The acting is good and the vampire makeup is great! The movie also has its fair share of scares. Also, a great story by Stephen King.
Rent it for sure!
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Summary: the best version
Review: this is the only salems lot to buy dont waste time with that new mini series it wasnt scary and the acting bordered on pro wrestling anyways salems lot is the story about a writer returning to his small hometown called salems lot to write a new book when he was young him and some kids thought they saw somebody hanging in an old house thats supposed to be haunted while back in his town he notices all the people that have dissapeared or died and he suspects the old house and is curious about its new owner an antique dealer named mr straker and his partner who never seems to be around mr barlow this movies 1 of my top 10 vampire films alltime its truly scary unlike many vampire films these are more traditional vampires of folklore not models in 3 piece suits like in ann rices movie these vampires tear into you and when u die you are cursed to roam the countryside as 1 of these ghastly spectors this movie has great makeup and good effects making these vampires much more sinister than the ann rice age crowd is accustomed to buy this today it belongs in your collection
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Summary: AWESOME yet underrated film!!!!
Review: To me, this film exemplifies everything genuinely creepy and atmospheric of late 70's early 80's horror. Seeing it as a kid around Halloween for the first time just made it even better. The overall acting with support cast is pretty much that of what you would expect from that era. The story, even better! Main characters Ben Mears played by David Soul, Mark Petrie played by Lance Kerwin and Richard Straker played by James Mason made for a good combination. Lance did a really great job of playing Mark. What may standout most in this film is the main Vampire Barlow for his haunting presence ode to the German vampire Graf Orlok? From his entrance into the very beginning and ghastly appearance through the film to the end shows how a good vampire film should be done. Tobe Hooper outdid himself here! Now the book enthusiasts will come to find the faults and notice part of the story shortened down for the screenplay but you can't deny it's capable sense of dark suspense. The key scene or at least what I came to find as a standout scene involving Mark Petrie and his first encounter with his now undead friend Danny Glick. Long but worth the viewing for its build up alone. Hands down my favorite film of the horror/suspense genre. If you can be a bit open-minded and allow a film to gradually build, well this is for you!
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Summary: Mason shines in this one
Review: "Salem's Lot" is one of the better Stephen King-based films, though it suffers from excessive length (three hours in the original TV version) and a lead performance by David Soul that brings new meaning to the word "limp." Soul virtually sleepwalks through his role of middle-class fiction writer who returns to his home town to investigate the "haunted house" of his childhood, and finds, instead of ghosts, a mysterious antique dealer and his Nosferatu-like colleague. The devious and clandestine exploits of the latter gradually lead to an outbreak of vampirism that threatens to bring the entire town within its clutches.The film boasts a good seasoning of veteran actors in supporting roles, several of whom ---- Elijah Wood, Jr., Lew Ayres, and Marie Windsor ----- appeared in a number of film noir classics of the forties and fifties. (For a treat, see Windsor in the 1952 version of "The Narrow Margin"). But while it's fascinating to see these old pros in their various roles, it's James Mason who truly impresses. Indeed, "impressive" may be too mild a word for Mason, who plays the recently-arrived antique dealer with such impeccable style that he single-handedly transforms "Salem's Lot" from an overextended B movie into something worth remembering. Observe his reactions, for example, when informally interrogated by the town constable as suspect in the killing of a small child. Or later, when he meets Soul during a gathering in his antique shop and the former broaches the question of "evil." Says Soul: "Do you believe a house can be evil in its very boards and windows? In its stone foundations? Evil?" "Oh, you're the writer," answers Mason with mocking insouciance --- the words are neutral, but his entire manner and inflection create a devastating put-down. Here is an embodiment of "cool" that would do justice to any jazz musician, but Mason does it quietly, slowly, with the limitless patience of a man who knows he can do anything. The other outstanding element in "Salem's Lot" is Reggie Nalder as the vampire under Mason's control (though just how this control came about, and how it is sustained ---- is never explained). Some older fans of the Karloff-hosted "Thriller" series may recognize Nalder from that TV anthology, most notably in the episode, "Terror in Teakwood," where he played the sinister "Kaffke." Here, by contrast, his face is half-buried in makeup, but Nalder's cadaverous bone structure assists the illusion and makes his image of the vampire "Barlow" one of the most frightening since Max Shreck. He's not on-screen more than a few minutes, but, as Mason's character amusingly prophesizes in an early scene: "I'm sure you'll enjoy Mr. Barlow. And he'll enjoy you. Oh yes. Oh yes." "Salem's Lot" is not a great horror movie, since, along with the problems mentioned, it's burdened by lack of originality. Some scenes are atmospheric, such as those where child vampires are shown floating and beckoning through moonlit windows ---- hackneyed, but effective. These are offset by many sequences that are silly or adventitious (e.g., the one where students are acting out a historical play, so poorly directed it recalls Ed Wood or Bert I. Gordon). The film could have been better with a good lead actor, as well as more conviction from the supporting cast generally. Otherwise, it's more than worth watching for the tour-de-force performance of James Mason and the sheer scare-value of Nalder.
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Summary: RC in Dallas
Review: First off, this DVD is your best bet with the full version. Back in the day, I bought the condensed version on video which butchers a good 70 minutes of footage. I had the liberty of seeing the TNT remake of this the other night and was rather disappointed. Although it was slightly more faithful to King's novel, I found a lot of it laughable and the effects were idiotic. This is much better. The story centers a writer returning to his hometown just as a vampire and his servant take up residence and begin preying on the townspeople. The vampire Barlow is very Nosferatu-ish in thsi when actually in the book, he was basicly an average man that happened to be a vampire, but oh well. The vampire make-up and everythingis actually pretty scary and convincing *which is more than I can say for the recent remake.* Overall, highly recommended. It's not what you would call scary, but it's good for a creepy night-time viewing. And don't miss out on the book!
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Summary: Salem's Lot
Review: Salem's Lot was kind of a dissapointment.I love vampire movies and stuff like that , but this T.V. mini-series just wasn't that impressive.I had heard many good things about it too but I don't agree with any of them.Okay this movie isn't all bad; the storyline and screenplay is written fairly well and it does offer some chilling scenes that may make shivers run down your spine.On the other hand this movie is filled with bad acting and ridiculous dialogue.I haven't read the book but I don't think Stephen King was real impressed either.If you are able to sit through 3 hours of this and think it is good then you are a true vampire addict.This movie is overall borderline rotten/fresh.Only check this one out if you are A TRUE VAMPIRE ADDICT. Salem's Lot deals with unresolved pain and fatal curiosity. Now a successful writer, Ben Mears (David Soul) returns to his childhood town of Salem's Lot in Maine. Mears wants to rent a house for six months to investigate the strange and disturbing happenings at a creepy house in the town. Mears himself carries the haunting childhood memories of this Marsten House - a "monument to evil" - a house where young kidnapped. boys where taken.Mears believes that evil places attract evil men, and a mysterious and smug Mr Straker (played with delicious enthusiasm by James Mason), has recently purchased the house for an elusive antiques dealer, Mr Barlow. With the help of his former English school teacher, his new girlfriend Susan (Bonnie Bedelia) and her father, the local doctor, Mears sets about investigating the house and the bizarre events that unfold.
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