Salem's Lot (1979)

The DVD contains the 184-minute version of the film.

New Version of an Old Legend

The opening scene says Ximico, Guatemela. A man and a boy collect bottles of Holy Water from a font. Then one bottle glows blue! What does it mean? Then we see the past where the man Benjamin Meers drives to an old mansion on a hill. Who would buy an old house with need of a paint job? Somebody with a profound need for privacy? The Marston house has been sold; the owners will open an antique shop in this small rural town. The story runs on with various characters showing up to introduce themselves. Benjamin is writing about the Marston house. "Let's go to the lake." Mr. Straker asks Mr. Crockett to pick up a crate from the docks at night. Are those children carrying guns in school? Times have changed.

The two men find the strange crate on the docks. "Its cold in here." Does every town have a haunted house? Can a thing be inherently evil? Why is Mark interested in weird subjects? The two men deliver the package and leave. What happened to that young boy? Are the bedroom scenes overplayed? Who parked that car? Who is outside the window? What is happening to those boys? "You learns something new every day." What could cause sudden anemia in town? Is the stranger a little odd? Will something happen in the graveyard? [Does it seem incredible?] Now Mike is sick after Danny Glick's funeral.

Mark's hobby has a practical value. How did Mike get those marks on his neck? Now the marks have disappeared at death! "There soon will be." Benjamin is attacked by Ned and put in the hospital. [Do some of the scenes seem funny rather than horrible?] Not when Ned is attacked in jail! What plague is killing people in town? Can Father Callahan do something? Some power creates a disturbance in the kitchen! Can no one stop the monster? "Its unbelievable!" "Funny dream." Others have them too.

Will they invade the Marston house to stop the plague? What will the Chief of Police do? [Is it time to call up the local Militia?] Where is Father Callahan? Will running away solve the problem? Ben stops Straker with his pistol, then searches the house. They find a coffin. You know what will happen next. The house of evil is cleansed by flames. But Ben and Mark are on the run, an odd ending. Were you shocked by the ending? "We'll always be together. Forever." What about the others? Will they have to move on?

This film runs slowly until the last hour. The credits don't list the roles for the actors. Some were famous in the 1940s. Does the ending show horror? Ben travels with a teenage boy then kills his former girlfriend when she meets them! Is there a message here? This film is based on a Stephen King novel which follows the story of Bram Stoker's "Dracula".

December 19, 2008

VAMPIRES

ONE OF THE NEXT TO THE BEST VAMPIRE MOVIES MADE FOR TV. ALMOST 3 HOURS OF BLOODSUCKERS. WHO DOESN'T LIKE A GOOD SCARY VAMPIRE MOVIE? THIS IS ANOTHER SATURDAY NIGHT MOVIE, WITH THE POPCORN AND FEET UP ON THE SOFA, WATCHING WITH FRIENDS. December 6, 2008

Salems Lot

Clearly Stephen King didn't have anything to do with the making of this,
it was Cheesy and Boring November 22, 2008

A little gem!

Superb modern vampire thriller. A must see for all vamipre-movie lovers. No more words needed. This is really a great film and very well worth watching more than once. November 8, 2008

"Youll enjoy meeting Mr. Barlow"

Teaser: Not many Stephen King novels hold up well on-screen, and made-for-TV vampire movies aren't known for good values but this version of Salem's Lot defied the odds and is top-notch.

Plot: David Soul plays a successful writer, drawn back to his native village in Maine by lingering childhood memories of the evil 'Marsden House.' Just at that time, Barlow (James Mason) and Straker also arrive. They are actually a human front man and an old vampire, drawn by the same house, and by the petty sins and intrigues of the small, isolated town.

Acting: Soul is good but doesn't have to carry the film himself. Veteran character actor Kenneth MacMillan does a great police constable, and a young Bonnie Bedila does a good love interest. Others such as Lew Ayers fill in well.

The rest: Directing, cinematography, and editing are obviously for-TV but not bad. The effects are still pretty scary and not too cheesy even at the worst moments. The plot is generally, but not always predictable. Real structures and places, not sets, make the film more believable.

In short- Still scary, creepy, nightmare-inducing. A real value price, too. If you like scary movies, this is a must-have.

Actually, I enjoyed this version way better than the Rob Lowe re-make of a couple years back. And I thought this version exceeded the novel in some ways.

Best parts: James Mason just crackles with British irony throughout, especially when he tells eager townspeople how much they will like meeting Mr. Barlow (the vampire). Also (small spoiler) Barlow is made up to be the virtual clone of Max Shreck as Count Orlock in Nosferatu!

Oh, yeah; you gotta have this one.
November 4, 2008

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