Salem's Lot

Starring: David Soul, James Mason, Lance Kerwin, Bonnie Bedelia, Lew Ayres
Directed by: Tobe Hooper
Rating: PG
Genre: Horror
1979

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A small New England village suffers when a vampire arrives, turning the townspeople into vampires, who in turn, turn more townspeople into vampires. A small band of survivors must stop the evil threat.

Review:

Tim: You should know by now how I feel about TV movies. If not, read more of my reviews. However, I made exceptions in the past for the great Stephen King, and from time to time, I will do so again. Besides, his better TV movies are often better than his weaker theatrical releases.

As far as vampire movies go, this one is pretty standard. The old vampire legends all apply, and a few survivors must search out the vampire's lair and drive a stake through his heart. The film isn't that spectacular in this area.

However, the real success comes from the portrayal as to what happens when a vampire is introduced into a small town. People begin dying (only to come back as vampires) and the entire town falls apart. It is very interesting to see how evil destroys the good around it. Here the film achieves its greatest success.

The cast is decent, but not great. Only Bonnie Bedelia stands out, giving a very good performance.

This is not King's best film adaptation, but it is far from his worst. I imagine that in the last 1970s, this film was probably terrifying to watch. Over decades, with much more gritty and gruesome films, especially more intelligent vampire movies, this film has decreased in status. Overall, though, the film is pretty enjoyable.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
The Stand, Dreamcatcher, Stand by Me, The Langoliers