Salem's Lot
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Salem's Lot

Salem's Lot

Salem's Lot

1979
Drama, Suspense/Thriller
TV Mini-Series
3h 20m
A novelist and a young horror fan attempt to save a small New England town which has been invaded by vampires. (imdb)

Directed by:

Tobe Hooper
Tobe-Hooper
39 total credits
Hooper achieved fame with the 1974 horror classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which changed the genre forever and had audiences vomiting as they ran from theaters. He went on to Hollywood, enjoying great success with Salem's Lot and Poltergeist.

Writers:

Stephen King
Stephen-King
129 total credits
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies which have been made into many movies and television films. As of 2011, King has written and published 49 novels, including seven under the pen name Richard Bachman, five non-fiction books, and nine collections of short stories. Most of his stories are set in his homestate of Maine...(Wikipedia)
,
Paul Monash
Paul-Monash
12 total credits
Credits include: Touch of Evil, Salem's Lot, The Friends of Eddie Coyle, All Quiet on the Western Front and Stalin

Starring:

Fred Willard
Fred-Willard
79 total credits
Fred Willard is an American comedian, actor and voice over actor known for his improvisational comedy skills. He is known for his roles in the Christopher Guest mockumentary films This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration as well as television series D.C. Follies. He is an alumnus of The Second City comedy troupe. He received three Emmy nominations for his recurring role on the TV series Everybody Loves Raymond.. (Wikipedia)
,
George Dzundza
George-Dzundza
41 total credits
Credits include: The Deer Hunter, Basic Instinct, Dangerous Minds, Species II and Instinct
,
Bonnie Bedelia
Bonnie-Bedelia
50 total credits
Credits include: Die Hard, Die Hard 2, They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, Presumed Innocent and Salem's Lot
,
Geoffrey Lewis
Geoffrey-Lewis
86 total credits
Credits include: The Devil's Rejects, The Lawnmower Man, High Plains Drifter, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and The New Guy
,
James Mason
James-Mason
132 total credits
James Neville Mason (15 May 1909 - 27 July 1984) was an English actor who attained stardom in both British and American films. Mason remained a powerful figure in the industry throughout his career and was nominated for three Academy Awards as well as three Golden Globes (winning once)...(Wikipedia)
,
Elisha Cook Jr.
Elisha-Cook-Jr
100 total credits
Credits include: Rosemary's Baby, The Maltese Falcon, The Killing, The Big Sleep and Shane
,
Julie Cobb
Julie-Cobb
5 total credits
Credits include: Defending Your Life, Salem's Lot, Lisa, Brave New World and To Find My Son
,
Lew Ayres
Lew-Ayres
83 total credits
Credits include: All Quiet on the Western Front, Battle for the Planet of the Apes, Holiday, Damien: Omen II and Salem's Lot
,
Ed Flanders
Ed-Flanders
18 total credits
Credits include: The Exorcist III, Salem's Lot, The Ninth Configuration, True Confessions and MacArthur
,
David Soul
David-Soul
31 total credits
Credits include: Magnum Force, Johnny Got His Gun, Salem's Lot, Appointment with Death and Starsky and Hutch
,
Lance Kerwin
Lance-Kerwin
16 total credits
Credits include: Outbreak, Enemy Mine, Salem's Lot, A Killer in the Family and The Fourth Wise Man
,
Clarissa Kaye-Mason
Clarissa-Kaye-Mason
6 total credits
Credits include: Salem's Lot, Age of Consent, The MacKintosh Man, Frankenstein: The True Story and Ned Kelly

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Salem's Lot

1979
Drama, Suspense/Thriller
TV Mini-Series
3h 20m
Your probable score

Ratings & Reviews

Compact view
Compact view
Average Percentile: 44.34%
01 Jun 2023
82
66th
Easy to see why this is so fondly remembered. Although it's marred by tv-movie pacing, plotholes (why didn't the vamp do this decades ago?) & contrivance (why is the lock to his bolt hole on the outside?), this is filled w/ things slashers gave up: great performances & dialogue (esp between the cop & Mason), characters who don't exist solely to be killed, memorable imagery & some great direction from Hooper. Bedelia's entry into the house is a masterclass in suspense, music cues & sound design.
19 Jul 2016
66
51st
This scared the shit out of me when I saw it as a young child. We had a window that opened out like where the little shit tries to get in. Awful memories. As an adult its merely ho hum and you might as well read the book instead.
24 Sep 2024
56
9th
This suffers from the early TV movie/mini-series problem of having to fill time for broadcast, so the adaptation is too thorough without enough visual flash or immediacy to keep the audience from yawning. There's a wonderful 2-hour vampire flick in here. Though most of it no longer holds up in the scare department, the window scenes remain timeless and indicative of how the simplest effects age the best.
13 Nov 2020
59
24th
Familiar faces but soooo slooooow.
15 May 2018
55
12th
As with most King adaptations this takes scenes from the book but doesn't develop a sense of cohesion; the book is about this community slowly turning to vampires and how the various characters are affected. Yes it's a movie and you need to cut things for time, but it's 3 hours long! Not only that but some arcs begin and don't finish, others end in unsatisfying ways, and the entire thing is paced SO SLOWLY. The effects are cheap but still creepy, but that's all this movie has going for it.
20 Jul 2017
70
72nd
While some shortcuts work -- Susan showing up pregnant in time to be killed by Ben, way less characters and some others amalgamated (Cody and Susan's dad) --, the fact that Tobe worked under a very restricted PG-13 condition supressed a lot of makes the book a masterpiece -- the gore, ultraviolent and edgy elements are gone and the family ties easily destructed by the vampires, such as the McDougalls. Still good for Tobe's skillful visual solutions and the cosy neo-gothic atmosphere.
04 Oct 2016
65
46th
Reasonably enjoyable reworking of the King story, with some very memorable moments. Of the various versions I've seen, the shorter European version is probably paced best, but completists might prefer the bulkier mini-series cut. Takes a few liberties with the source material, which I guess is to be expected; the re-styling of Barlow is a significant change, but it works. The cast is fine; if Soul and Kerwin are a bit dry and earnest, Mason's playing is a lot more fun.
26 Jun 2011
75
54th
Definately would've benefited from a Starsky-style hood slide or two.
31 Mar 2007
40
23rd
*shrug* The book is way better. Believe it or not, the two-hour cutdown of the miniseries that was theatrically released in Europe is actually much better than this. (I'd rate that thing a 60, if you care.) The series as it stands comes across as "The Brady Bunch with vampires", and is further evidence that "horror television" is an oxymoron
18 Mar 2024
55
23rd
A small town drama with a mystery about a house that a writer slowly investigates. It doesn't have much horror, at least in the first part as not much happens. It's slow, country-side looking, and not particularly interesting. The characters are weaker than other Stephen King series. If King wrote this then he could have injected more flair into the characters. As he doesn't, they feel a bit rote, but more flair wouldn't have saved this miniseries anyway. Dropped after the first part. Bored.
11 Dec 2023
38
60th
The 2004 version was better.
16 May 2023
60
48th
It's hokey but what do you expect from a 1979 tv movie? It wasn't scary but it had some great atmosphere at times and some of the scenes - kids in the window, last fight in the house - are pretty great. The fact that something this old and small scale kept my interest through 3 hours is a huge deal.
24 May 2022
33
7th
Just ridiculously overlong and slow.
20 Nov 2020
43
23rd
Some charm, surprises, and iconic images rise out of this overlong, plodding movie. There is not enough here to recommend it, and the runtime kills the rewatchability factor.
31 Jul 2020
52
52nd
Obviously the floating vampire kid outside the window/Barlow scenes are strong, and Mason is a delight, but it suffers from the typical King adaptation bloat. Best experienced if you saw this on TV way too young in the 80's/90's, which I sadly did not do.
27 Nov 2019
52
18th
Didn't age well. Really dull. Maybe I shouldn't have watched it all at once since it's supposed to be a TV mini-series.
17 Nov 2017
90
67th
Quality adaption of a great King novel. Feels a bit overlong yet is still worth a view.
14 Oct 2017
68
35th
Hooptober is a great catalyst for starting movies previously collecting dust in the watch list. The 3-hour runtime is what made Salem's Lot one of these films, but I am glad I finally watched it. The small town and characters within were treated with the perfect amount of depth. It's nods to Nosferatu were endearing. Being from Maine, I had a lot of fun hearing some of the actors try their best at a Mainer accent. Thankfully only the side characters chose to talk like this so it never turned
13 Oct 2017
75
65th
Don't get the hate at all. This is mostly amazing stuff. It takes the feel of classical horror films and tosses in that late 70's charm. Hooper really knows his colour schemes. lol at Fred Willard . James Mason was an excellent casting choice as well.
07 Oct 2017
4
51st
Hooper really nails the surburban paranoia of foreign intruders. Where everyone new is a suspect in the crimes. I also read an interpretation of this film that said it was an attack on small town views on homosexuality, which I can definitely see. As usual Hooper cares more about aesthetics than really frightening you and even packaged inside of a TV movie he is able to pull it off(those clear cut to commercial moments are a little grating, but you get used to it). It's a real slow burn of a fil
09 Jul 2017
69
50th
For such a long movie, the action seems to escalate extremely quickly, to the point that it's out of control before you even know it. Though I seem to remember the book having very similar pacing.
23 Apr 2017
68
66th
(3 hr cut): Hooper's slow burn made for TV horror has atmosphere to spare, but it probably takes too long to get going, especially as the characters are not particularly interesting apart from Mason's. It's certainly a product of the 70s, and the medium's formal traits of the time occasionally interfere with the mood (e.g. the constant fades to black). The acting isn't great--only Mason really seems to relish his role--but there are a handful of frightening moments, and Barlow is still creepy.
06 Mar 2017
30
11th
Boring, period.
22 Feb 2017
70
58th
Such a slow, slow burn itd never hold up to repeat viewings, but i enjoyed the immersion and it allowed the creepy bits to hit harder when they came. James mason was perfect.
28 May 2015
76
53rd
75.500
12 Dec 2012
94
74th
Great vampire movie overall.
07 Jun 2012
70
44th
69.875
07 Feb 2012
70
66th
Tobe Hooper plus Stephen King would be hard to not satisfy to some degree. Luckily they have a creepy vampire to help.
02 Jul 2009
63
40th
This rating is for the exhausting 3 hour version. Some nice shots and some quality creepy moments made this bearable.
30 May 2009
30
16th
Actually sat and watched the uncut version of this. Three hours of my life wasted. The only thing horrific about it is the boredom it induces. It's Tobe Hooper's first serious misstep.
07 Feb 2008
82
72nd
Scared the bejesus out of me when I was 8 (the dead-eyed child absently scratching at his friend's window stayed with me for years)..not so much anymore. But the reveal of "Barlow" remains a truly shocking moment and James Mason as Straker is hilariously smarmy and evil. "Throw down your cross, holy man! Face the Master! Your faith against his faith!!!"
15 Sep 2007
70
63rd
Dated, but with some unsettling images.
13 Aug 2007
45
6th
Adapted from a decent early Stephen King novel, this movie has a cheesy TV-movie quality to it that really kills the complexity of the source material.
21 Feb 2007
50
35th
Pretty good.

Cast & Info

Directed by:

Tobe Hooper
Tobe-Hooper
39 total credits
Hooper achieved fame with the 1974 horror classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which changed the genre forever and had audiences vomiting as they ran from theaters. He went on to Hollywood, enjoying great success with Salem's Lot and Poltergeist.

Writers:

Stephen King
Stephen-King
129 total credits
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies which have been made into many movies and television films. As of 2011, King has written and published 49 novels, including seven under the pen name Richard Bachman, five non-fiction books, and nine collections of short stories. Most of his stories are set in his homestate of Maine...(Wikipedia)
,
Paul Monash
Paul-Monash
12 total credits
Credits include: Touch of Evil, Salem's Lot, The Friends of Eddie Coyle, All Quiet on the Western Front and Stalin

Starring:

Fred Willard
Fred-Willard
79 total credits
Fred Willard is an American comedian, actor and voice over actor known for his improvisational comedy skills. He is known for his roles in the Christopher Guest mockumentary films This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration as well as television series D.C. Follies. He is an alumnus of The Second City comedy troupe. He received three Emmy nominations for his recurring role on the TV series Everybody Loves Raymond.. (Wikipedia)
,
George Dzundza
George-Dzundza
41 total credits
Credits include: The Deer Hunter, Basic Instinct, Dangerous Minds, Species II and Instinct
,
Bonnie Bedelia
Bonnie-Bedelia
50 total credits
Credits include: Die Hard, Die Hard 2, They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, Presumed Innocent and Salem's Lot
,
Geoffrey Lewis
Geoffrey-Lewis
86 total credits
Credits include: The Devil's Rejects, The Lawnmower Man, High Plains Drifter, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and The New Guy
,
James Mason
James-Mason
132 total credits
James Neville Mason (15 May 1909 - 27 July 1984) was an English actor who attained stardom in both British and American films. Mason remained a powerful figure in the industry throughout his career and was nominated for three Academy Awards as well as three Golden Globes (winning once)...(Wikipedia)
,
Elisha Cook Jr.
Elisha-Cook-Jr
100 total credits
Credits include: Rosemary's Baby, The Maltese Falcon, The Killing, The Big Sleep and Shane
,
Julie Cobb
Julie-Cobb
5 total credits
Credits include: Defending Your Life, Salem's Lot, Lisa, Brave New World and To Find My Son
,
Lew Ayres
Lew-Ayres
83 total credits
Credits include: All Quiet on the Western Front, Battle for the Planet of the Apes, Holiday, Damien: Omen II and Salem's Lot
,
Ed Flanders
Ed-Flanders
18 total credits
Credits include: The Exorcist III, Salem's Lot, The Ninth Configuration, True Confessions and MacArthur
,
David Soul
David-Soul
31 total credits
Credits include: Magnum Force, Johnny Got His Gun, Salem's Lot, Appointment with Death and Starsky and Hutch
,
Lance Kerwin
Lance-Kerwin
16 total credits
Credits include: Outbreak, Enemy Mine, Salem's Lot, A Killer in the Family and The Fourth Wise Man
,
Clarissa Kaye-Mason
Clarissa-Kaye-Mason
6 total credits
Credits include: Salem's Lot, Age of Consent, The MacKintosh Man, Frankenstein: The True Story and Ned Kelly

Country:

USA

Language:

English
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