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Salem's Lot

  • TV Mini Series
  • 19791979
  • PGPG
  • 3h 20m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
24K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,065
30
Episode guide
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Salem's Lot (1979)
Salem's Lot
Play trailer1:03
1 Video
99+ Photos
  • Horror

A novelist and a young horror fan attempt to save a small New England town which has been invaded by vampires.A novelist and a young horror fan attempt to save a small New England town which has been invaded by vampires.A novelist and a young horror fan attempt to save a small New England town which has been invaded by vampires.

IMDb RATING
6.7/10
24K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,065
30
  • Stars
    • David Soul
    • James Mason
    • Lance Kerwin
Top credits
  • Stars
    • David Soul
    • James Mason
    • Lance Kerwin
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 255User reviews
    • 85Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys
      • 4 nominations total

    Episodes2

    Browse episodes
    TopTop-rated
    1 Season
    1979

    Videos1

    Salem's Lot
    Trailer 1:03
    Salem's Lot

    Photos138

    Salem's Lot (1979)
    Salem's Lot (1979)
    Bonnie Bedelia in Salem's Lot (1979)
    Bonnie Bedelia in Salem's Lot (1979)
    Robert Lussier in Salem's Lot (1979)
    Clarissa Kaye-Mason in Salem's Lot (1979)
    Clarissa Kaye-Mason in Salem's Lot (1979)
    Reggie Nalder in Salem's Lot (1979)
    James Gallery in Salem's Lot (1979)
    Barbara Babcock in Salem's Lot (1979)
    Robert Lussier in Salem's Lot (1979)
    Joshua Bryant in Salem's Lot (1979)

    Top cast

    Edit
    David Soul
    David Soul
    • Ben Mearsas Ben Mears
    2 episodes2 eps • 1979
    James Mason
    James Mason
    • Richard K. Strakeras Richard K. Straker
    2 episodes2 eps • 1979
    Lance Kerwin
    Lance Kerwin
    • Mark Petrieas Mark Petrie
    2 episodes2 eps • 1979
    Bonnie Bedelia
    Bonnie Bedelia
    • Susan Nortonas Susan Norton
    2 episodes2 eps • 1979
    Lew Ayres
    Lew Ayres
    • Jason Burkeas Jason Burke
    2 episodes2 eps • 1979
    Julie Cobb
    Julie Cobb
    • Bonnie Sawyeras Bonnie Sawyer
    2 episodes2 eps • 1979
    Elisha Cook Jr.
    Elisha Cook Jr.
    • Gordon 'Weasel' Phillipsas Gordon 'Weasel' Phillips
    2 episodes2 eps • 1979
    George Dzundza
    George Dzundza
    • Cully Sawyeras Cully Sawyer
    2 episodes2 eps • 1979
    Ed Flanders
    Ed Flanders
    • Dr. Bill Nortonas Dr. Bill Norton
    2 episodes2 eps • 1979
    Clarissa Kaye-Mason
    Clarissa Kaye-Mason
    • Majorie Glickas Majorie Glick
    2 episodes2 eps • 1979
    Geoffrey Lewis
    Geoffrey Lewis
    • Mike Ryersonas Mike Ryerson
    2 episodes2 eps • 1979
    Barney McFadden
    • Ned Tebbetsas Ned Tebbets
    2 episodes2 eps • 1979
    Kenneth McMillan
    Kenneth McMillan
    • Constable Parkins Gillespieas Constable Parkins Gillespie
    2 episodes2 eps • 1979
    Fred Willard
    Fred Willard
    • Larry Crockettas Larry Crockett
    2 episodes2 eps • 1979
    Marie Windsor
    Marie Windsor
    • Eva Milleras Eva Miller
    2 episodes2 eps • 1979
    Barbara Babcock
    Barbara Babcock
    • June Petrieas June Petrie
    2 episodes2 eps • 1979
    Bonnie Bartlett
    Bonnie Bartlett
    • Ann Nortonas Ann Norton
    2 episodes2 eps • 1979
    Joshua Bryant
    Joshua Bryant
    • Ted Petrieas Ted Petrie
    2 episodes2 eps • 1979
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    The successful writer Benjamin "Ben" Mears returns to his hometown Salem's Lot, Maine, expecting to write a new novel about the Marsten House. Ben believes that the manor is an evil house that attracts evil men since the place has many tragic stories and Ben saw a ghostly creature inside the house when he was ten. Ben finds that the Marsten House has just been rented to the antique dealers Richard K. Straker and his partner Kurt Barlow that is permanently traveling. Ben meets the divorced teacher Susan Norton that is living with her parents and they have a love affair. Ben also gets close to her father Dr. Bill Norton and his former school teacher Jason Burke. When people start to die anemic, Ben believes that Straker's partner is a vampire. But how to convince his friends that he is not crazy and that is the truth? —Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
    • vampire
    • writer
    • antique shop
    • child murders a child
    • cult film
    • 62 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Iconic terror from the No 1 bestselling writer.
    • Genre
      • Horror
    • Certificate
      • PG
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      James Mason jumped at the chance of playing a servant of evil, loving the script. This was fortunate as he was producer Richard Kobritz's first choice for the role of Mr Straker.
    • Goofs
      When the younger Glick brother is abducted (and later presumably murdered by Barlow) he's wearing a jacket, t-shirt, dungarees and sneakers. After which, he appears to his brother wearing pajamas.
    • Quotes

      Straker: You'll enjoy Mr. Barlow. And he'll enjoy you.

    • Crazy credits
      The text of the opening credits appear and dissolve piece by piece into each other in a jigsaw puzzle fashion.
    • Alternate versions
      Salem's Lot originally aired as a 2-night mini-series with the first episode airing on November 17, 1979 and the second episode airing the following week on November 24, 1979.
    • Connections
      Featured in Stairs (1986)

    User reviews255

    Review
    Top review
    See the mini-series version if at all possible
    First let me suggest to see the original miniseries version if at all possible. The "movie" version is horribly chopped. The remaining pieces don't fit together and leave gaping holes (such as, "what happened to Susan?")

    Salem's Lot is an almost unknown milestone in horror films. This superb combination of the talents of Tobe Hooper and Stephen King bridges the gap between the Hammer-style films of the 60's and the modern vampire films. Two things to especially note:

    (1) This takes place in Everytown, USA and the cinematography reflects the ordinary turned extraordinary (which is the same effect achieved by Bram Stoker's original writing for the audience of his time.) It begins looking almost like a Rockford Files episode and goes dark from there. But even the climax in the evil Marsten house looks *real*, just as you would imagine an old decrepit house to look. You can almost smell the dust. Hey, this was the seventies, the decade of naturalistic lighting. Everything coming out of Hollywood now looks just that - like Hollywood.

    (2) It is a shame that anyone today viewing Salem's Lot already knows that is about vampires because when it first aired on TV, the unknown aspect is what made the first half so creepy. Now you just sit there waiting for the vampires to show up. (If I thought that even one person might read this without knowing it was about vampires, I wouldn't write this.) The advertising for the show made no mention of vampires and the effect worked well. I was ten years old when I first saw this. I had seen at least a dozen other vampire flicks - Noseratu, Lugasi, the Hammer films - and I had no clue that this was about vampires. All I knew was that something creepy was going in this town and it was getting creepier and creepier. Only in the second episode when you see someone get bit in the neck did it finally click, "Oh my god, they're vampires." You realize it right about the same time that the main characters do. Highly effective.

    Also, superb performances by David Soul, Lew Ayres, James Mason.
    helpful•19
    2
    • t_pellman
    • Jul 2, 2002

    FAQ5

    • What are the differences between the Movie Version and the TV Version?
    • Any recommendations for other movies where the evil entity is the house itself?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 17, 1979 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Blood Thirst
    • Filming locations
      • 850 Bluff Street, Ferndale, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Warner Bros. Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      3 hours 20 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono

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