Hello out there internet! Slick Dungeon here, back to review another Stephen King adaptation. This one is the under the radar television miniseries adaptation of the book Salem’s Lot. It’s a vampire story set in a small town. Since this one isn’t well known, I’m going to keep spoilers to a minimum. But, if any spoilers irk you, grab some holy water, find your monster movie makeup, watch the series and come on back here to read the review!
Background
Salem’s Lot is a novel by Stephen King about a small town which has to deal with a creeping threat. Originally, Warner Bros. acquired the rights and wanted to make a movie. But, the book is rather long and it was decided the project would be better as a TV miniseries. The series is directed by Tobe Hooper who you know from a little film titled, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
The series was made on a budget of $4 million. While it’s hard to gauge what kind of revenue this would have generated through television at the time, it has since turned into something of a cult classic and has certainly had some influence on the vampire genre.
It stars Lance Kerwin as Mark Petrie, David Soul as Ben Mears, Bonnie Bedelia as Susan Norton, and James Mason as Richard Straker
What is Salem’s Lot?
When a writer named Mark Petrie returns to his small town home, he finds he is obsessed with the supposed haunted mansion there. He has been somewhat successful in his writing career, having two books published already. But he’s not a breakout star in the way, let’s say… Stephen King was. This is one of many stories King does write about writers though.
Mark has been thinking through some of his past and believes the Marsten house is evil in the same way some humans can be evil. And what’s more, he believes there is an evil influence the house has on the town. The house has a new owner in the form of Richard Straker who plans to open an antique store there. It should be noted King also has more than one story involving antique stores.
A young boy named Ben Mears is also obsessed with monster movies and the Marsten house. Strange things happen around town and some of the people end up missing or dead. Ben and Mark meet each other and both realize something is wrong in this town.
Meanwhile, Mark develops a romantic interest in one of the residents named Susan Norton. As time goes by, things take darker and darker turns until it is undeniable there is a major threat.
Is it Worth Watching?
The series undeniably has its fans. At the same time, the adaptation changes several significant elements from the book. If you are looking for a perfect adaptation of the book, this is not the show for you. That doesn’t mean it is not enjoyable.
One thing to note is the series is incredibly slow paced compared to today’s standards. It is a full three hours long and there is a lot of dead space as characters get to know each other or are set up for later horror. The show looks and feels like something out of the 1970s because it is. Makeup is adequate but not striking in the show.
Overall, I much prefer the book to the series on this one. But it’s interesting to see how the adaptation deals with some of the themes in the novel. It wrestles with the possibility of inherent evil in humanity, the attitude of a small town to strangers, small town life, and creeping horror.
In Conclusion
If you haven’t watched the series I recommend it with a few warnings ahead of time. First, it’s three hours long so you have to be willing to commit. Second, the pacing is slow and the dialogue feels outdated. Finally, while there are some good scares here, there are much more terrifying adaptations of King’s work. You may find it preferable to watch one of those instead.
I will say, if you have not read the book, it’s an incredibly good vampire story and one of the least read of King’s early work. It’s a long book but it is worth every penny. And King can get away with horror in a book in a way no television show from the 1970s could possibly dream of.
Like Stephen King books and movies? Let me know which one is your favorite in the comments below!
Looking for a good King read? Check out this one!
Vampirically yours,
Slick Dungeon
I remember this movie scared the bejeepers out of me when I watched it on television. I was young, though. I’ve never watched it as an adult.
Yeah that’s the memory I have of so many Stephen King movies. They don’t always hold up as far as the effects but there are still some legitimate scares in a lot of these older movies.
I just watched this again last night. One of my favorite King adaptations. Still creepy after all these years!
Yeah this one definitely still has some good scares. And the tone is creepy for sure!
Hey Slick Dungeon! Salem’s Lot sounds like a great pick for a review. Stephen King’s vampire tales always bring that eerie small-town vibe. I’m curious to hear your thoughts on how the adaptation captures the essence of the book. Keeping spoilers minimal is a smart move, especially for a lesser-known series. Can’t wait to see what you think!
The 1979 version does a good job with the overall dreadful tone of the book but it does leave out some key subplots and characters. And the book is also much more bloody and gorey. The book will always be scarier than the adaptation but if you don’t have the time to read the book this is a decent replacement.
Okay I will !!