Review #236: 'Salem's Lot' (1979)

In the late 1970's and early 1980's Stephen King was everywhere. His books were churned out like so much burger meat, and these were being very quickly greenlit for both film and television. Carrie (1976) of course was the springboard for this trend. Following the huge success of Brian De Palma's cinematic version, Warner Bros, who had the rights to King's vampire tale, decided after failing to get the screenplay correct (even the great Larry Cohen had a stab at it), to make the film for TV in two feature-length episodes (a mini-series), which could stay quite faithful to the source material - i.e. they could extend the film to 3 hours. But as a child this did not matter. I was unaware that it was made-for-TV.

As with practically all of King's work, the main character of the film is a writer: Ben Mears (David Soul) is new in the small town of Salem's Lot, where he has come to research a book he plans to write about the house of evil in the town - it's not really expanded upon that Mears was originally from the town. Also new to town is James Mason's Richard Stracker, who is opening an antiques store; but his sinister and mysterious character is seemingly just a custodian of the elusive Kurt Barlow (Reggie Nalder). As townsfolk begin to die, then become resurrected as vampires, the story unfolds, and the standard vampire hunt begins.

This is quite a languid but effective shocker. It is one of those films that I fondly remember form my childhood. The sequences where people are attacked by the vampires also sticks in my mind - and produces a knowing smile to my face - as the action is paused as the camera zooms into the teeth and the entrance wounds. What is also effective are the scenes where the young boy who was first victim, floats up to a friends window, smoke billowing behind him, as he taps on the window with a sound effect that gets to your teeth. The head vampire is an image I remember well as a child, but with hindsight (and a lot more film knowledge) it is clearly just a mimic of 1922's Nosferatu's Max Schreck rat-like vampire.

Directed by Tobe Hooper of Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) fame (he never has made a film close to his seminal debut), and he retains some interesting flourishes within the parameters of the television format. Whether this is still effective to a more modern audience is unknown. It certainly has it's many flaws, but holds it's charm for someone who watched it several times as a pre-teen.


Directed by: Tobe Hooper
Starring: David Soul, James Mason, Lance Kerwin, Bonnie Bedelia, Reggie Nalder
Country: USA

Rating: ***

Marc Ivamy