Tobe Hooper’s “Salem’s Lot” (1979) was the primary televised miniseries primarily based on the 1975 Stephen King novel and a profitable, influential one at that.
Actually, regardless of content material restrictions for Seventies tv and having various spinoffs, sequels and remakes, it’s nonetheless among the best long-form films primarily based on any King guide.
After a short prolog, establishing the place the story goes ultimately, we’re delivered to the city of Jerusalem’s Lot, two years earlier. David Soul stars as Ben Mears, a profitable novelist who returns to his childhood residence and is stuffed with dread over his reminiscences of the looming Marsten Home.
Although Ben is planning to write down about the home for an upcoming novel, he turns into distracted by his rekindled emotions for Susan (Bonnie Bedelia).
In the meantime, David Straker (James Mason) the brand new proprietor of the Marsten Home, is planning to open an vintage store (shades of “Needful Issues,” King’s forthcoming 1991 novel). He casually drops the information that he’s working for a mysterious fellow named Barlow.
When two native boys vanish and just one reappears, the city turns into paranoid. Their fears are justified, significantly when the lacking baby is noticed by his brother in his bed room window, floating, smiling and hungry.
FAST FACT: TNT aired a two-part “Salem’s Lot” remake in 2004 starring Rob Lowe as Ben Mears.
Hooper’s miniseries premiered in November of 1979 and was a fascinating attraction for home-viewing audiences. Having simply re-read King’s novel, I can report that the movie is trustworthy to the guide’s construction, with the made-for-TV restrictions current, however not in how one would count on.
The issue isn’t the dearth of profanity or vivid gore, however how the cinematography captures the boxy compositions of the period.
Soul has a powerful presence however is form of aloof as Mears. Bedelia shines in an early position and it’s amusing to see Fred Willard, seen right here at the start of his lengthy profession, in a task devoid of his comedian brilliance.
Mason is fashionable and authoritative as anticipated, even in scenes the place he does little or no. Mason is the movie’s most compelling character – Renfield as a chic, well-spoken public determine who, however, bought his soul way back.
There’s additionally George Dzundza in a supporting position and King alumni Kenneth MacMillan (who’d later star within the 1985 “Stephen King’s Cat’s Eye”) and Bedelia (who stars in 1993’s “Needful Issues”).
Ed Flanders additionally turns up and is authoritative in any position (although his best hour continues to be 1980’s “The Ninth Configuration”) and Geoffrey Lewis can also be available and very efficient. This can be a stable line-up of actors for a 1970’s TV-movie, particularly one which isn’t a lush costume drama (like juggernauts of their day “The Thorn Birds” or “The Winds of Warfare”) however a vampire thriller.
“Salem’s Lot” is a sluggish burn, similar to the novel, providing the nice pleasure of seeing so many actors of their ingredient. On this TV model, the locals at the moment are extra folksy. They had been largely abusive behind closed doorways in King’s guide.
The scene of a gun-toting Dzundza, terrorizing his spouse and her lover, is a gritty exception and a powerful holdover from the guide.
Hooper could also be coping with TV content material requirements, however his film nonetheless maintains an edge. Essentially the most legendary scene – that nighttime encounter between two brothers continues to be chilling.
What makes it nonetheless so scary in any case these years? Straightforward. That little boy seems so gleeful to be among the many undead.
There are some surprisingly aggressive leap scares and the unhappy discovery of a deceased canine. Regardless of how legendary the bed room window encounter has turn into, a second simply as scary is when Lewis inspects a coffin he’s burying – the lengthy construct as much as the massive reveal is properly completed.
This can be a 1970’s “Dracula,” if Bram Stoker’s novel had been fused with “Our City” and “Peyton Place.” There’s additionally a pleasant nod to “Psycho” (1960), as Flanders ascends a staircase like Martin Balsam as soon as did, full with an overhead shot.
Soul, who we misplaced earlier this yr on the age of 80 and had the #1 hit tune “Don’t Give Up on Us” in 1977, offers an particularly fascinating flip as a result of he’s ostensibly enjoying King. Sure, I described his appearing as “aloof” earlier, however he’s additionally efficient.
His eyes recommend years of anguish.
Hooper honors his horror historical past with “Frankenstein” and “The Wolf Man” posters prominently hanging within the boy’s bed room. As in Hooper’s infamous “The Texas Chainsaw Bloodbath” (1974), the jolts and sharp cutaways are efficient.
Whereas the violence was underneath cautious community scrutiny, Hooper nonetheless manages (at the least within the full three-hour model that’s accessible, in addition to a two-hour “Salem’s Lot: The Film,” which acquired a theatrical launch in 1980) to push the restrict. Recall an impalement on a set of deer antlers.
Various poster for Tobe Hooper’s Salem’s Lot by Christopher Shy pic.twitter.com/3WznL3WqpY
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As soon as we lastly get a take a look at our central antagonist, Barlow the vampire proves to be extremely scary, significantly for his lack of class. Not like Straker, Barlow is a senseless killing machine.
The class we count on from a Dracula-like character will be present in Straker, not Barlow, who is solely a monster.
This proved to be a great artistic interval for Hooper, who adopted it up with the great “The Funhouse” (1981) and “Poltergeist” (1982). It ends because the novel did with a powerful epilogue. Nevertheless, should you’re studying the novel for the primary time or re-reading it, I extremely advocate the complete, three-hour miniseries model and never the truncated theatrical launch.
Hooper’s movie won’t ever garner the form of horror infamy longevity that’s completely scrawled to his notorious “The Texas Chainsaw Bloodbath” however, even with these pesky community restrictions, his “Salem’s Lot” nonetheless has enamel.
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