Salem's Lot

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Familiar faces but soooo slooooow.

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.

Definately would've benefited from a Starsky-style hood slide or two.

*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

Salem's Lot? More like Salem's Little (of Interest Happening the Majority of the Time)