Salem’s Lot (1979)
1979, US, Directed by Tobe Hooper
Colour, Running Time: 106 minutes
VHS, PAL, Warner Home Video, Video: 1.33:1, Audio: Mono
Returning to the town of his upbringing, author Ben Mears intends to write a book about a solitary house that sits on the outskirts of town, a place that has intrigued him since breaking into it as a child. Due to what he thinks he saw inside Mears has come to believe that the Marsten house is inherently evil and therefore attracts evil people; complying with his theory it has recently been purchased by the apparently malevolent Mr Straker, an outsider who is opening up an antiques shop in town. After a study session one night two schoolboys are walking home via a short cut through the woods. Becoming separated one of them manages to reach home but not before something has happened to him to result in hospitalisation. During his stay his missing brother makes a nocturnal visit to his room window where, upon entering, the deathly child bites his brother’s neck draining him of blood and life. Soon the town is in the grip of a vampire curse which begins multiplying and Mears reasons that it has something to do with Straker and his associate, Mr Barlow, a man nobody has actually seen.
This is the theatrical cut of the original 3 hour made-for-TV version of Stephen King’s novel. They basically took the full version, removed a large portion of material (notably the vials that glow in the vicinity of the undead), inserted a couple of gorier shots and sent it out to cinemas. I always felt it was a tight and concise edit though the rapid pace of character introduction and development early on betrays the fact that footage has been excised - fans of the novel may be disappointed. 70s pop and TV icon David Soul plays the obsessive lead role well and the presence of James Mason brings a touch of class. The vampires are suitably inhuman and remain a near definitive rendition of cinema’s extensively-used bloodsuckers, in particular Barlow himself, who might just be the most repulsive and frightening vampire on celluloid. All traces of the romanticism that often pervade the sub-genre have been eliminated resulting in creatures that are uncanny and unnerving because of their utter lack of humanity - rotting shells devoid of souls. The score is reminiscent of an earlier era and aptly supports the material; Salem’s Lot is innately an old-fashioned chiller that relies on atmosphere rather than shocks (although there are a few) and outright bloodshed. The fact that it was made for TV possibly worked in its favour - nowadays, because film-makers can show everything they often do, sometimes forgetting about what else might make a project work in the process. One of the better King adaptations, this is also one of Tobe Hooper’s finest hours, a man who perennially seems unable to repeat the success of his groundbreaking first movie (Texas Chainsaw Massacre). Surprisingly there was a ’sequel’ in 1987, A Return to Salem’s Lot: it’s elusive nowadays and, whilst obviously a cash-in, it wasn’t too bad if my memory serves me well.
Why hold on to this ailing video cassette? Well, Warner have been kind enough to grant us with the full length TV version but there is no sign that the theatrical edit will ever make it to DVD. The ideal disc package would obviously contain both. While people often want the longest version of a film possible I believe that in this case the shorter version provides a satisfying way to experience the film. There was also ostensibly a European cut that incorporated a couple of slight differences. Full-frame picture quality on the UK tape leaves something to be desired as does the sound, but until this becomes available on disc (whether it be SD or HD) I’ll be holding on to this tape.
I have to admit to liking the TV version more - it takes a while to get going, but you do see all the character development and what makes the heroes tick. When it was shown over here, I remember being absolutely terrified by it - the kid at the window, which looks ridiculous now, was horrendous at the time.
As for A Return to Salem’s - bobbins, as I recall.
June 11th, 2007 at 8:27 pm
I’ve only watched this version once and I have to say I was a little disappointed as it all seemed to move too fast. I preferred the original TV version, which, if I remember correctly, was shown in two parts. I watched this long before reading the novel, but believe me there’s plenty of stuff not included even in the longer version. This was probably the most meandering Stephen King novel of them all, and contained many trivialities and extraneous information. So even the longer version feels trimmed down considerably.
But you’re right about the vampire. I don’t know of a more frightening depiction of the subject. I particularly remember a scene involving the priest which scared the living p*ss out of me as a kid.
I always liked the fact (in the film and in the novel) that Barlow’s background is never known. In today’s films, it’s likely he’d get the full sympathetic “origin of a vampire” back-story and completely blow all the mistique.
I want to see this again now!
June 12th, 2007 at 6:28 pm
Seems I’m outnumbered about the theatrical version! It may well be because this is the cut I got to know most (because it was available for years before the full-length if I recall correctly). I remember many scenes scaring the piss out of me in SL, even as an adult! This was the first time I’d really watched it where many of those scenes didn’t have the same effect unfortunately. I think that’s a good point about Barlow, Cal, it definitely adds to the impact of the character.
You may well be right about the ’sequel’, Mike, but it’s been so long since I saw it that I can’t make critical comments.
June 13th, 2007 at 7:20 pm