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Summary: I was about a town that was attacked by vampires
Review: I was about a town that was attacked by vampires. And the town didn't know who or what made them come there. So one man thougth he should do something about this. He searched for the leaders nest. And the nest was in a house on a hill. But to his surprise a human was helping the vampire master in return for imortality.
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Summary: One of the better King films
Review: "Jason, do you believe a thing can be inherently evil? The Marsten House, for instance...can it be evil in its stone foundations, in its wooden beams, in the glass of its windows and the plaster of its ceilings...I think that an evil house attracts evil men..." Ben Mears (David Soul) theorizes on what's really happening in "Salem's Lot"Just as Stephen King will occasionally mention that "'Salem's Lot", his second published novel, is one of his favorites, he has similar kind words for this TV version of his work. Shortly after the film version of "Carrie" became a surprise hit at the box office, Warner Bros. bought the rights to King's second novel, intending to make it a big-screen event. Virtually everyone who was anyone in horror film directing was at one time or another considered, from George Romero ("Night of the Living Dead"), to Larry Cohen ("It's Alive!"). (Cohen would later produce his own version of the film, the awkwardly titled "A Return to Salem's Lot.") In the end, Tobe Hooper ("The Texas Chainsaw Massacre") was put in the director's chair, and the producers chose to make a TV mini-series instead of a feature film, citing the book's length. All in all, "Salem's Lot" is a fairly pedestrian, yet surprisingly shocking film. It was fairly groundbreaking for its time, (the producers violated two strict censorship rules in the production, but no one noticed), and its influence can be seen in later vampire films, such as "Fright Night" and "The Lost Boys". If you're looking for "Interview with the Vampire", though, you'll be disappointed; "Salem's Lot" owes more to "Dracula". Basically, it's an old-fashioned Hammer flick with some new gloss and modern themes. Although it's not entirely fair to compare the film to the novel, some points should be made: for obvious reasons, almost all of the novel's underlying sexual themes were left out of the film. The cast was composed almost entirely of '70's TV character actors, only a few of whom bothered to learn a New England-style accent; on top of that, the film was shot entirely in California, so almost all of King's local atmosphere was lost as well. Finally, the biggest controversy from King fans (and from King himself) involves the filmmakers' decision to turn Barlow, the master vampire, from a suave European nobleman into a hideous, "Nosferatu"-type creature. Nonetheless, "Salem's Lot" is still a fine, above-average horror film. I would recommend it to any fans of King's work, vampires, or just someone looking for a good old-fashioned scary movie.
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Summary: Spend a little extra money and buy the miniseries
Review: Don't waste your time or money with this. This is just a hacked up version of the great miniseries. There is over an hour of miniseries footage missing from this 'movie', therefore the scenes jump and jump and you have no idea what is going on and it changes the ending!! Cough up a little extra cash and buy the miniseries. You will be glad you did.
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Summary: Scary!!
Review: A truly scary mini-series! I am referring to the mini-series, not the hacked up movie that cuts everything out and changes the ending! I watched this the other night and it still gives me the chills after all these years! Don't watch it alone or with the lights out.
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Summary: Outstanding
Review: Quite possibly the best adaptation (with the exception of "The Stand")of a Stephen King novel ever. But let me make it perfectly clear that I am referring only to the original 184m. miniseries, not the video version, which is known as "Salems' Lot: The Movie" and has 71m. of footage cut. The story takes place in the small Maine town of Salems' Lot, where a novelist has returned after years of absence. But upon his arrival, many strange things start to happen. First of all, a child disappears. Later that night, his brother mysteriously dies. A dog is found dead. And then the town residents begin to tell of terrible dreams. As the town constable begins to suspect the writer as the source of the trouble, the writer himself begins to suspect something of his own...that the deaths have been caused by a creature of the undead, a vampire, who now threatens to turn the entire town into a city of the dead. The film unfolds with an eerie grandeur, with many ! terrifying moments along the way. Certainly one of the best examples of its type, leaving you with a lasting case of the shivers. Don't miss it. END
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Summary: An imagination grabber that'll hold you to the end!
Review: Salem's Lot is one of the best stories on this genre that I've read. King doesn't take up a lot of space getting into the story...your hooked by the first page. The story line itself is believable and deliously chilling as you're visually led through the dark plot. The reader's tension will continue to mount as King unfolds his vampirish tale in a manner that leaves you skipping words to catch up with your pounding heart....it's really that good. If your really brave, read it alone, away from all distractions where just you and your imagination can run amuck. Believe me, they will! END
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Summary: The brings back memories.....
Review: I saw this when I was a kid and it FREAKED ME OUT. I found it, the entire 2 part movie, in a video store and immediately snatched it up. Sure, it's a bit cheesy, but what do you want from a TV movie made in the 70's? Just take it for what it is and have fun. It's not very bloody but there are still a few great chilling moments in it: "Look at me.....look at me, teacher!" Don't watch it with the lights off!
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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: I was 9 when Salem's Lot first aired. It has always been the prototype of a scary movie to me. For years I could give myself the willies thinking about those glowing eyes, that kid at the window, and Mr. Barnes. Buying the VHS about 10 years ago was a bit of a disappointment. The editing is terrible and leaves many holes. Was it that bad on TV, or was it shortened for the VHS? The effects are a bit hoakie and look really old in these days of CGI. I also understand that a new DVD is less butchered. But let's give this fun movie the credit it deserves. For network TV, this had to be pretty racy material. Who else but Steven King would kill all those kids? And what's creepier than that kid scratching on the window? Plus, it's fun to see how much things have changed in 25 years. Its a hoot to look back at all the funny clothes, cars and phones. If you watch the TNT remake, you see that the new version is a little closer to the novel and goes deeper into detail. But the original is still the best and gives more goose-bumps for the buck. Enjoy it on a night you want to feel a little creeped-out and revel in it's 70's TV charm.
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Summary: Classic
Review: Everything clicked on this ratings smash mini-series adapted from Stephen King's visionary novel. The purposely slow and steady direction of Texas Chainsaw Massacre director Tobe Hooper the original, and best, Salem's Lot, in which Ben Mears (David Soul) returns to his childhood home, and soon finds that a powerful vampire has taken up residence and is preying on the town. What helps make Salem's Lot so effective is the same formula that helped make Hooper's original Chainsaw movie so great: giving the atmosphere an intense sense of dread and fear, almost without having to shed a single drop of blood. Not to mention that the cast does terriffic work, including a creepy James Mason as the mysterious Straker who serves as the vamp's henchman. With knowing nods to classic films of the genre, including the classic german silent film Nosferatu, the original Salem's Lot is lightyears beyond the recent TNT remake, and is by far the best Stephen King adapted TV mini-series of all time.
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