Salem’s Lot – REVIEW

As a seasoned cinema devotee who has witnessed the evolution of Stephen King adaptations since the 70’s, I must say that the recent remake of Salem’s Lot leaves me with a mixed bag of emotions. On one hand, it faithfully captures the small-town Americana charm and eerie atmosphere that made the original so memorable. The image of a vampire boy floating outside a bedroom window still sends chills down my spine.

The 1970s served as a productive era for Stephen King’s novels, with many notable adaptations arising during that time. For instance, ‘Carrie’ was the first significant adaptation featuring one of cinema’s most memorable shock endings; ‘The Shining’, elevated by Stanley Kubrick, surpassed the book in quality, and the 1979 TV two-part version of Salem’s Lot left audiences, particularly children who secretly watched it on portable TVs, feeling genuinely terrified. The image of a vampire boy floating outside his friend’s bedroom window is now an iconic scene within King’s body of work. Currently, there’s a big-screen remake of Salem’s Lot underway, with Gary Dauberman at the helm – he’s best recognized for his James Wan spinoff films ‘Annabelle’ and ‘The Nun II’.

Returning to my childhood hometown of Salem’s Lot, I found myself back in that quaint American small town where the newspaper boys would toss papers onto driveways – something our milkman tried, less successfully. As a returning resident, I was the new face among familiar ones, but Richard Straker and Kurt Barlow were the real enigmas. They had recently opened an antiques shop in town, almost like Renfield to their respective Draculas. Pilou Asbæk delivered his lines with the flair of a 18th-century dandy. It wasn’t long before children started disappearing and fear cast its shadow over the town.

Mears, accompanied by Susan (Makenzie Leigh), Matthew (Bill Camp; a local teacher), the tipsy minister Callahan (John Betjeman), Dr. Cody (Alfre Woodard), and the newest student in school, Mark (Jordan Preston Carter), band together to confront the growing number of vampires invading their town.

This novel, similar to an early King work, is filled with recurring elements found in his later books, such as the struggling writer, small-town settings, rebellious children, and skepticism towards religion. Though these themes have since become familiar over the years, they were fresh and unique at the time of its publication. Remarkably, this book highlights why some of King’s stories translate exceptionally well to mini-series or two-part films, as demonstrated by ‘It’, although it should be noted that the second chapter fell short compared to the first. The story includes a chilling child abduction depicted in silhouette, a jump scare in the dimly lit basement, a vampire attack at a drive-in cinema during sunset, and of course, the ominous presence of a floating vampire boy outside a bedroom window – elements that King has never shied away from incorporating even in stories involving children.

This adaptation of King’s novel has had a rocky journey – initially slated for a 2022 release, it was postponed due to COVID-19 and eventually debuted in the US on MAX and cinemas worldwide. However, at two hours long, there are indications that some scenes were trimmed or shortened to reduce the runtime, which has left the characters and plot development feeling underdeveloped. The sense of impending dread leading up to the vampire scenes seems missing as a result. Faubermann has created a good film overall, but it seems likely that an extended, uncut version will be available for home entertainment release, potentially offering an even better viewing experience.

Here’s the Salem’s Lot trailer….

2024-10-10 02:23

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