Salem's Lot Review

Review of 'Salem's Lot (1979) by screenqueeen: 👍 4/5

Scarecrow Video Psycho Challenge #25. Vanishing Cities

Stephen King adaptations are a difficult thing to pin down. Despite the simple nature of his books (well, most of them) there are quite a few things going on in the story's history, its characters, and community (or communities) that brush his narratives over with detail and context that few other writers can do with his simplistic yet effective style.

SALEM'S LOT achieves his literary approach in film form in the closest possible style to King's own pacing and aforementioned stylistic and narrative contributions. Tobe Hooper really has a feel for the story and you can tell he has a passion for King's body of work too. This isn't to say that SALEM'S LOT doesn't have its problems.

Barlow has a great look but despite the too-obvious NOSFERATU influence he can't be anything other than a face or figure we cut to and from for effect, kind of eliminating him as a real character. So that's a bummer. But this doesn't mean the central horror of the story is stunted, the community is still very much the scariest thing about this, as was in the book. I also don't doubt Hooper had his issues with the television station regarding how explicit his images could be.

At certain points you can spot the very same Tobe Hooper who would move on to contribute his vision to POLTERGEIST with Spielberg (and SALEM'S LOT has quite a bit of Spielberg in it too). All in all, a great time to be had here.