Customer Reviews

Salem's Lot: The Miniseries (Full Screen)

5 star:		(58)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I saw this mini-series when it aired in 1979. I was 12. It was by far the most terrifiying vampire movie I had seen and to this day it is still the BEST. It doesn't present the vampire as some suave and irresistible Christopher Lee or Peter Sarandon. This vampire is not looking to charm you into giving up a neck bite. He is vicious and will kill you in a heartbeat to get your blood! I still watch it annually around Halloween to get a good scare. It is pure horror. No frills,no BS. It is SCARY !

First of all 'Salem's Lot is a fantastic book, Stephen King's follow up to Carrie, the book cemented his status as a blockbuster novelist, and well, the rest is history. However, for many Stephen King fans his let downs have come in the form of movie adaptations. But with 'Salem's Lot the film is so much a complimentary companion piece that it's almost like watching the novel, almost. The movie was unfortunately made for television and therefore limited what could be shown on screen. Director Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Poltergeist) more than adequately compensated for these limitations by distilling much of the overt violence in the novel down to menacing atmospheric techniques and subtle implications. Which for some reason is scary as hell. There are some scenes that should be down right laughable (the hospital scene for instance) but instead provoke a jump from the viewer, and yes, I'll admit it, even a scream. For all the horror movies I've seen this was the first to make me sleep with the lights on (of course I don't recommend letting an eight year old watch this movie, thanks Mom). I saw this before I read the novel and although I would have to say hands down that the novel is above and beyond better in the depth of its description and characterization, the movie can stand alone as a masterpiece. The only other vampire movie that can even come close to the scare factor of 'Salem's Lot is the original 1922 Nosferatu starring Max Schreck (and that's a silent film folks). If you like horror movies and you haven't seen this yet you've been kidding yourself. True horror fans know how great this movie is, Stephen King fans couldn't be more appreciative. One of the top 10 horror movies of all time. It will make you wonder about your neighbors more than you already do. Perfect for Halloween viewing and any old time you would dare question the existence of the supernatural!

Ben Mears is a novelist who has come back to his hometown of Salem's Lot (formerly known as Jerusalem's Lot) to write about the old, abandoned Marsten place, an eerie construction at the top of a hill which once housed a deranged child killer. When enquiring however, he finds that the house is newly inhabited; sold to two men from Europe who intend to open an antique shop in town. One of the men is a Mr. Straker; a very well-mannered, well-dressed, well-educated, and highly suspicious fellow. He speaks to everyone with an air of superiority that hardly seems as friendly as he thinks. The other man is a Mr. Kurt Barlow, whom no one has ever seen. Oh well, Ben probably didn't want to actually stay in that house anyway. He finds a room at the local boarding house, and in no time is dating one of the town's most beloved daughters, the lovely but constantly spaced out Susan Norton. Before we know it, the two are in love. But all is not well in Salem's Lot. A local boy has turned up missing, and everyone is getting very nervous. The boy's brother becomes suddenly anemic, and dies shortly after. Soon, others begin to get sick. It seems as though the town is falling into the grips of a plague, but in fact, things are much, much worse.

In case you didn't know, Salem's Lot is a vampire movie. Not just a vampire movie, one of the very best, and probably the scariest to date. Yes, I know it was made for TV in 1979, but this is truly one of the scariest movies out there, and that's because they chose to make a vampire that actually looks like a vampire. The "Master" in Salem's Lot is a blue version of Count Orlok from "Nosferatu," and that's scary, man! But the horror doesn't stop there. All the lesser vampires are scary too! I'm talking SCARY! There are some scenes in this film you will never forget, like the summoning at the window, or the "Look at me, teacher!" scene. You may scoff if you watch this with friends, but I warn you not to try watching it alone! For the most part the cast is perfect (not making a comparison with the book, that is), especially those great old 70's/80's staples like Geoffrey Lewis and Fred Willard. James Mason is his usual, creepy self, and that's very creepy, but not as creepy as Reggie Nalder who played the horrific Mr. Barlow. The least stunning cast members were the two starring lovebirds, David Soul and Bonnie Bedelia. David was adequate, but not that inspiring, while Bonnie seemed anesthetized most of the time. On the other hand, Lance Kerwin did an excellent job as the magic and monster obsessed teen, Mark Petrie. I have to disagree with reviewers who felt he was too old to play as a kid interested in monsters and magic. They sound just like the boy's father asking, "When are you going to grow out of this stuff?" If he's truly interested in such things, he's not going to grow out of it. Where do you think magicians and movie effects guys come from? Anyway, Director Toby Hooper outdid himself again with this modern masterpiece; easily one of the all-time scariest movies out there, complete with great effects and a haunting score, despite being a TV miniseries from the 70s. This DVD keeps the entire two-nighter intact, along with one bonus feature: the foreign theatrical trailer. "Salem's Lot" was the first DVD I bought when I got my DVD player, and I'm glad of that. It's A LOT of entertainment for a VERY reasonable price! Definitely one of the best Stephen King films, alongside Silver Bullet, The Shining, and Carrie.

This is the scariest movie I've ever seen (That's the mini-series, not the director's cut). The first part is more suspense, but the second part has a very simelar feel to The Exorcist and chills you to the bone. The scariest part is where a man goes upstairs to his bedroom to find a pale-faced man with yellow eyes, sitting on a rocking chair and whispering "Look at me!" Although this film is visually dated, it is a terrifying movie. It seems that the early 70's to the early 80's was a great time for horror films, whereas 'nowerdays movies are spoiled by needless special effects. If you like scary movies, watch this!

This is fun and scary stuff from an equally fun and scary film maker, Tobe Hooper. The performances by David Soul, James Mason, Bonnie Bedelia, and the rest of the supporters are all first rate. This brilliantly uses music, atmosphere, and tension scenes to scare the viewer rather than graphic violence or gore. These scenes include: a corpse coming to life in front of Soul, Goeffrey Lewis' transformation, Mason and Nalder's attack of a family in their home, and the child vampire tapping on his friend's window in the middle of the night. Hooper provides plenty of action as well as scares. If fans enjoy this film, they should definitely seek out the very similar Needful Things. Caution: Seek out the longer 180 minute version of Salem's Lot, not the 112 minute cut. Well done and highly recommeded.

Definetly worth seeing at least once in your life! I disgree with the stateent that David Soul is only so-so in this movie. I feel his acting was very good, especially when he was scared out of his wits. I like the fact that it has no blood and gore. This is the ONLY scary movie I have seen that has actually sent shivers up and down my spine. I watched this when I was 11 and still frightens me today!

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

Like a lot of the reviews on this site, I was introduced to Salem's Lot as a kid....My standards weren't too particular in those days...As long as it had vampires and a spooky story I was intrigued...So in 1979, I, along with countless other viewers, entered the world of Salem's L, not really prepared for what I was in store for.... A few of the scenes , especially the classic one of the child vampire beckoning his older brother to open the window, were so terrifying that they left me with memories that would, even until this day, haunt me late at night. However, It wasn't until I was in my 30s, and a friend of mine introduced me to the miniseries again, that I truly understood the majesty of this masterpiece....As a kid, I recall enjoying the bells and whistles of the haunted mansion ( so meticulously designed), the graveyard scenes (so creepy) and of course the vampires (so terrifying)...but as an adult I am able to look at it from the perspective of a great story being told in a masterful way...Firstly, the screenplay is first rate...Some would even argue it's better (in some ways) than the actual book...The pace is excellent...Neither hurried nor slow....Each scene has a set purpose...Carefully weaving a story and fleshing out the characters...providing suspense, terror and even comic relief in just the right doses The dialogue is first rate and has countless great lines ..Which brings me to the second great aspect of the book...The casting and acting is phenomenal. David Soul, holding his own here, brings a dignified gravitas to his character ...James Mason...Perhaps one of the greatest actors of all time lending his services ...Watching him deliver his lines with such contemptuous, sardonic wit is watching a true genius at work....He brings so many layers to the characters that I find myself admiring ,despising him, and being terrified of him all at the same time....
The supporting cast is made up of all first rate actors in the own right...including Fred Willard.... Bonnie Bedelia, George Dzundza, Ed Flanders, Julie Cobb...The sub plots that intertwine in the story are all captivating and relevant...It is a veritable smorgasbord of treasures waiting to be found...

Of course you could have all of these elements in a story but it would still all go down the toilet if it weren't for the beautiful handling of this project byTobe Hooper ((Texas Chainsaw Massacre). In the end, what you have is such a beautifully made movie that you can actually watch it over and over again and get something new from it each and every time.... Salem's Lot is now a staple and perennial favorite at my household....especially around Halloween.
I can't recommend this movie enough.

"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.

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.