There are few movies that were as formative to my youth as Tobe Hooper’s adaptation of ‘SALEM’S LOT. I wasn’t even familiar with the book at that point. I just knew I was scared to death of those yellow-eyed vampires that would float around and knock at your window, begging to be let in. Then there was Barlowe, the lead monster who was like a more nightmarish Nosferatu. It terrified me. So of course I watched it whenever it was on. After reading the book I appreciated the changes made to it even more and I even enjoyed the Rob Lowe miniseries from awhile back that was set in the present day. With both of those available, I was surprised that there was a movie version coming out. Then I promptly forgot about it until I saw it on HBO this week.
If you’re unfamiliar with the story, it’s about a writer named Ben Mears (Lewis Pullman) who comes back to Jerusalem’s Lot as he used to live there as a kid and wants inspiration for a new book. The Marsten House, a large house on the outskirts of town is of particular interest to him, but isn’t available to rent. He catches the eye of Susan (Makenzie Leigh), a single girl who works at the realtor’s office, so they start wooing each other. Also new in town is Mark Petrie (Jordan Preston Carter), an 11 year-old boy who is a big horror fan and makes friends with the Glick boys, Ralphie and Danny, when standing up to a bully. The last newcomer is Mr. Straker, who is opening an antique store in town and is waiting for his partner to arrive, which coincides with a strange box being delivered from the port to his basement.
Gee, I wonder what that is?
As you might guess, people start disappearing and anemia is running rampant in town. It doesn’t take Ben, Mark and a few others to put together that it vampires are behind it. Now they must arm themselves and try to take out something they’ve only read about and seen in movies, and some of those undead might just be their friends and loved ones. Will they be able to do it? Who will fall along the way? You’ll have to watch it and see.
In terms of adaptations of Stephen King books, it’s not bad, but once everything gets started, it moves at a breakneck pace, leaping from creepy vampire encounter to creepy vampire encounter without much room to breathe. Which explains why the movie clocks in just under two hours. I don’t say it often, but ‘SALEM’S LOT’ could use about thirty minutes more to help build some tension and let us get to know the characters before some of them are sent off to die. In a lot of ways, it’s like a slasher. We find out the bare minimum about someone and then they are killed/turned.
Writer/director Gary Dauberman does a fine job with it, and there are some truly creepy and awesome setpieces in the movie, including a finale that honestly should have been in another movie so people could see it and appreciate it more because it is inventive and amazing.
The cast is solid, too. I’ve seen Pullman in a bunch of stuff but didn’t realize he was in this one. He works well in the Ben Mears role. Alfre Woodard pops up as the town doctor and is solid in the role. Bill Camp as Matt, the local school teacher who helps hunt the vampires is great as well. We also get a good turn from William Sadler as the sheriff and he does great with what lines he is given. This is where more time would allow us to get to know them a bit better and maybe give them a little more to do as well.
The FX are good and the vampires are suitably creepy. Honestly it feels like less a new adaptation of the book and more of the original series, right down to being set in the 70s. It’s just a shame that it all ended up kind of middling when a little more effort means it could have been great. Apparently there was a longer cut and there was some studio meddling, so it can’t fall on the director this time around. Maybe one day we’ll see the longer cut as I have a feeling it would be a solid adaptation then. Until then, it’s not a bad way to kill a Saturday night.
Check it out.
