'Salem's Lot [movie]

[Felix]

I think I remember having seen a thread about this a while back, but since I just saw the flick, I'll have to chime in on my own.

This is a long movie, but it never drags.

It is faithful to the book in all the important parts, and moves away when it makes cinematic sense.

Donald Southerland is friggin creepy.

Rutger Hauer is also friggin creepy.

Rob Lowe plays a believeable good guy, and is someone you can root for.

The rest of the cast does their jobs well, and they portray the usually well-detailed Stephen-King-Small-Maine-Town, and it works well.

I very much liked this move. Good suspense, good pacing, good cinematography, good lack of complete reliance on CGI for scare effects.

I recommend this movie for those who like suspenseful horror-ish flicks.

 

[EricNoah]

Is this a recent film? Something that was on TV?

 

[The Serge]

It was on TNT back in June. It's probably a closer adaptation to the novel than the TV/film special that came out back in the 70s in terms of the narration and the complexities of the characters. However, it didn't convey the same kind of horror as the 70's adapation or the book.

The performances were okay, although I think there were some severe miscastings. Donald Sutherland's casting as one of the two new town arrivals was a very poor choice... And, although I like Rutger Haur, I also think he was a poor choice. They completely reworked the young kid that ends up becoming a major protagonist, stripping him of much of the power as a symbol he needed to have to have the necessary impact as portrayed in the novel. There were plenty of cheesy parts in this as well, particularly towards the end after Mears and the kid leave the Lot. The entire denouement was completely different from what happens in the novel and doesn't really work at all, IMO.

I'm sad to admit it, but I actually prefer the 70's adaptation to this one due to that version's ability to evoke such dread. This one didn't have the same impact, although it was more faithful to the novel in most areas.