CinemaClown One of the first screen adaptations of a Stephen King's novel, Salem's Lot is a spooky, suspenseful & sinister piece of work from the mind behind The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and finds him making brilliant use of the foreboding atmosphere & ominous setting to create a sense of uneasiness and although the story takes a while to find its footing, it's a thrilling ride once that happens.The story of Salem's Lot follows a writer who returns to his titular hometown after years to pen a novel about an old, dilapidated manor which he believes to be haunted. But soon after his arrival, people begin disappearing or dying under strange circumstances, only to reanimate as vampires. As the sickness spreads at an alarming rate, he enlists the help of few locals to save the town.Directed by Tobe Hooper, this miniseries appears to be heading nowhere at first, for it indulges in characters & subplots that it could've done without as they only slow down the narrative. However, once the board is set, it doesn't take long for a menacing quality to permeate its images and from that point onwards, Salem's Lot remains tense & gripping until the end.The teleplay could've used a bit more refinement as the characters aren't interesting enough to be worthy of any emotional investment and the plot needed a trim or two every now n then. The horror elements are expertly executed by the director, and the film's excellent production design, stellar make-up effects, eerie ambiance & gloomy score further magnifies its grim aura & sinister tone.Made for TV audience, the violence & gore is kept to minimum, and mostly takes place off-screen but that doesn't diminish its scare factor by much as the story relies on its environment to deliver the chills. Performances are mediocre as best as none of the characters leave a lasting impression while most of its creative choices, inspired from earlier works of horror, are effectively utilised.On an overall scale, Salem's Lot commences on a drowsy note but becomes alive once the demon steps into the town. Its 3 hours runtime is felt on several occasions, especially in the beginning but things do get better as plot progresses. To sum it up, this miniseries may appear somewhat dated today but it still has some unexpected shocks & surprises in store for newcomers, and is definitely worth a shot at least once.

utgard14 One of my favorite adaptations of any Stephen King work. Not because it religiously follows the book, that's for sure. In many ways this mini-series improves upon it. Tobe Hooper creates a wonderfully spooky old-school atmosphere. There are several memorably creepy set-pieces, particularly those involving the vampire kid and, of course, every scene with the Nosferatu-like Barlow. The makeup for Barlow is very effective. CGI can't touch this. The cast and direction are great. Love the location shooting and '70s TV look. I'll admit it's not perfect. The Soul/Bedelia romance feels contrived and rushed. The subplot about the cheating wife adds nothing to the overall story. But even though it feels a little padded in places, catch the original full-length mini-series, not the shortened version. It's one of the best made-for-TV movies ever made and possibly the best vampire movie to come out of the '70s.

dworldeater Terrific vampire epic based on a novel by Steven King and directed by Tobe Hooper. Very classy, but suspenseful and atmospheric horror production. When writer David Soul returns to his hometown to write a novel inspired by a creepy old house that terrified him in his youth, a creepy antiques dealer moves in. Then strange and horrific events begin in the small and quiet town known as Salem's Lot. James Mason is great and has a brooding, diabolical presence as the evil antiques dealer. David Soul is great as author turned hero and did well as the lead in this film. The rest of the cast is solid and it is nice to see frequent Clint Eastwood collaborator Geoffrey Lewis in a supporting role here. Salem's Lot is an epic production clocking in at nearly three hours long, but the story flows well with tension, suspense and terror throughout. All and all this is truly a classic and in my opinion the team of Tobe Hooper and Steven King did an excellent job in crafting this masterpiece. Great stuff.

nlangella1 This was an excellent miniseries. I use to own the full length miniseries on VHS as a kid. Idk why so many fans had a problem with making Barlow look more like Nosferatu? Honestly, I preferred this version over the 2004 one and the novel written by Stephen King himself. It just makes more sense. Barlow's appearance in the novel and in the 2004 version wasn't scary. I don't find a vampire with a more human like appearance like Dracula to be frightening. David Soul portrayed a better Ben Mears than Rob Lowe. I also liked the actor who played Mark. I found this version satisfying. Sure, it's not exactly like the novel. But then again it's Hollywood.