Salem's Lot (1979): The Ultimate Vampire Story

That town is swarming with vampires.

Salem’s Lot is a 1979 adaptation of Stephen King’s novel. Successful author, Ben Mears returns to his old town Jerusalem’s Lot. As townsfolk mysteriously fall ill, they are threatened by a blood-thirsty creature.

After hurting my brain watching the so-called new adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, I rewatched the worthy 1979 Salem's Lot miniseries. The miniseries translates King’s vampire nightmare into a slow-burn horror experience that illudes excellent character work and unforgettable horror scenes.

The most important aspect of Salem’s Lot is constructed on characterization. That’s what I loved most about the book. Although Salem’s Lot is about vampires, the side characters' stories emphasize the haunting atmosphere. Like King’s novel, the miniseries successfully delves into the characters' stories and personalities.

Several characters appear, playing townsfolk, neighbors, and mysterious shop owners. David Soul plays Ben Mears, the protagonist. Soul's performance is the standout, capturing the essence of his character. I didn’t realize until now that Bonnie Bedelia, who played Holly in Die Hard, plays Susan Norton. Mears and Bedelia had great chemistry.

Lance Kerwin does an excellent job portraying Mark Petrie, instantly becoming the character. Mark is an intelligent kid beyond his years whose appeal to the horror genre helps solve vampire matters. I liked the scene where he shows his father his passions.

The ensemble cast as a whole helps paint a picture of a close-knit community gradually unraveling under the insidious influence of evil. There are so many actors to talk about. Filmmakers did a good job casting the miseries. Credits include James Mason, Lew Ayres, Julie Cobb, Clarissa Kaye-Mason, Geoffrey Lewis, and James Gallery.

I was thirteen when I first watched the Salem’s Lot miniseries on DVD. My mom was worried about me having nightmares when the infamous scene of vampire Ralphie Glick (Ronnie Scribes) paid a visit to his brother. That sound of him scratching at the window is enough to send chills down your spine. The scene is haunting, along with the foreboding music.

Salem’s Lot is a slice of horror. Tobe Hooper knew the assignment and delivered a chilling horror film, which Stephen King approved of. It’s always a good sign that the master of horror likes something. He was also scared by the vampire window scene.

I was surprised to learn that Hooper directed the film, after his infamous film horror The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1973). These two films are very different from one another. Hooper had a unique style in his direction, but he had an eye for otherworldly horrors. He built the tension, more subtle than the loud terrors of Texas Chainsaw.

Unlike how the remake takes advantage of digital effects, the miniseries uses practical effects. I screamed when Barlow burst onto the screen in his first scene. The terrifying makeup needed constant touch-ups as it would fall off during takes. According to Reggie Naldar, who played the vampire, several of his scenes were cut.

The miniseries is a slow burn. It includes too many scenes from the book and some subplots weren’t necessary. Hooper also uses pacing to his advantage, building suspense slowly to let the terror sink in. In the last ten minutes when Ben and Mark defeating vampires was unnecessary and should have been left more ambiguous.

Salem’s Lot is a faithful adaptation of Stephen King’s novel. The miniseries is a timeless work of horror that pulls viewers into its haunting story.

If you were less than impressed by the 2024 Salem’s Lot, trust me, you won’t be disappointed by the 1979 miniseries. It’s three hours long, but worth every minute to binge.