If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

One of the first screen adaptations of a Stephen King's novel, Salem's Lot is a spooky, suspenseful & sinister piece of work from the mind behind The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and finds him making brilliant use of the foreboding atmosphere & ominous setting to create a sense of uneasiness and although the story takes a while to find its footing, it's a thrilling ride once that happens.The story of Salem's Lot follows a writer who returns to his titular hometown after years to pen a novel about an old, dilapidated manor which he believes to be haunted. But soon after his arrival, people begin disappearing or dying under strange circumstances, only to reanimate as vampires. As the sickness spreads at an alarming rate, he enlists the help of few locals to save the town.Directed by Tobe Hooper, this miniseries appears to be heading nowhere at first, for it indulges in characters & subplots that it could've done without as they only slow down the narrative. However, once the board is set, it doesn't take long for a menacing quality to permeate its images and from that point onwards, Salem's Lot remains tense & gripping until the end.The teleplay could've used a bit more refinement as the characters aren't interesting enough to be worthy of any emotional investment and the plot needed a trim or two every now n then. The horror elements are expertly executed by the director, and the film's excellent production design, stellar make-up effects, eerie ambiance & gloomy score further magnifies its grim aura & sinister tone.Made for TV audience, the violence & gore is kept to minimum, and mostly takes place off-screen but that doesn't diminish its scare factor by much as the story relies on its environment to deliver the chills. Performances are mediocre as best as none of the characters leave a lasting impression while most of its creative choices, inspired from earlier works of horror, are effectively utilised.On an overall scale, Salem's Lot commences on a drowsy note but becomes alive once the demon steps into the town. Its 3 hours runtime is felt on several occasions, especially in the beginning but things do get better as plot progresses. To sum it up, this miniseries may appear somewhat dated today but it still has some unexpected shocks & surprises in store for newcomers, and is definitely worth a shot at least once.

Vampires are invading a small New England town. It is up to a novelist and a young horror fan to save it.Producer Richard Koblitz said, "We went back to the old German Nosferatu concept where he is the essence of evil, and not anything romantic or smarmy, or, you know, the rouge-cheeked, widow-peaked Dracula. I wanted nothing suave or sexual, because I just didn't think it'd work." "Salem's Lot" had a significant impact on the vampire genre, as it inspired horror films such as "Fright Night" (1985) and the scenes of vampire boys floating outside windows would be referenced in "The Lost Boys" (1987). Not to mention the antler impalement which was in both "Lost Boys" and later in "Hannibal".Sadly ,the film seems to be hard to come by. Despite being a modern classic, my library system did not have it, so I had to purchase the DVD for $15. And, frankly, that is way too much for a DVD with no special features -- not even a menu! This movie is in desperate need of a blu-ray upgrade.

Terrific vampire epic based on a novel by Steven King and directed by Tobe Hooper. Very classy, but suspenseful and atmospheric horror production. When writer David Soul returns to his hometown to write a novel inspired by a creepy old house that terrified him in his youth, a creepy antiques dealer moves in. Then strange and horrific events begin in the small and quiet town known as Salem's Lot. James Mason is great and has a brooding, diabolical presence as the evil antiques dealer. David Soul is great as author turned hero and did well as the lead in this film. The rest of the cast is solid and it is nice to see frequent Clint Eastwood collaborator Geoffrey Lewis in a supporting role here. Salem's Lot is an epic production clocking in at nearly three hours long, but the story flows well with tension, suspense and terror throughout. All and all this is truly a classic and in my opinion the team of Tobe Hooper and Steven King did an excellent job in crafting this masterpiece. Great stuff.

The successful writer Benjamin "Ben" Mears (David Soul) 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 (James Mason) and his partner Kurt Barlow that is permanently traveling. Ben meets the divorced teacher Susan Norton (Bonnie Bedelia) that is living with her parents and they have a love affair. Ben also gets close to her father Dr. Bill Norton (Ed Flanders) and his former school teacher Jason Burke (Lew Ayres). 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?"Salem's Lot" is a long movie of 183 minutes running time with a deceptive conclusion. The story is slowly developed but the problem is the silly conclusion. Susan goes to the Marsten House knowing how dangerous the place is following Mark in an irrational attitude. The clumsy Ben has the whole day to go to the vampire lair but he goes near the sunset. Ben drops the glass of holy water in an awful cliché. Bill goes with him totally unarmed in another stupid attitude. The end of the story in Ximico, Guatemala has no explanation. Why are the vampires chasing them? My vote is six.Title (Brazil): Not Available