An Exercise In Nonsense

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Conspicuous by his absence.Salem's Lot in Life & Death When in 1979 we heard James Mason was doing a Stephen King TV movie, we were appalled. We refused to watch one of our perennial favorites demean his career in its last years.Today we eagerly watch it and devour his every screen moment.Who would have guessed that James Mason slumming on TV could be so delightful? With Tobe Hooper directing like he is doing an imitation of Vera Miles approaching Hitchcock's Bates mansion, you throw in some performers we always liked: Lance Kerwin, Ed Flanders, Elisha Cook, Lew Ayres, Marie Windsor, Kenneth MacMillan and Fred Willard!! What a juicy little horror-just a tad silly around the edges.It's a little perverse too. James Mason is the procurer for some kind of Nosferatu in Maine, finding little boys for him to devour. Lance Kerwin seems ripe, but he has eyes only for David Soul. Their smoldering subtext is off the charts in its own way. Did anyone making the movie understand the word 'latent'?James Mason and Lance Kerwin share only a couple of glances in their scenes, but it may be that they saw something utterly disdainful in the other. With an uncut three-hour version of the old TV miniseries now available on streaming, you can sit back and wallow in low-rent horror that remains top-drawer compared to the junk of today. There is no needless blood and/or off-the-computer special effects. Here actors rely on their wiles, not on the blue screen.James Mason is the full show here, delivering lines with an inimitable throwaway snobbery. Wait till you hear him pronounce, "expertise."Most of the movie he is either entering or exiting doorways and looking askance. He clearly enjoyed making a movie with his wife, Clarissa Kaye, and chewing the scenery. You will enjoy it too.

One of the all time finest horror films ever. Such cool vampires, from the kid a the window to the Nos Feratu-esque main guy. Something about all their eyes still gives me chills and the occasional nightmare. This is truly a classic - just don't watch before bed.

Tobe Hooper's very memorable, very eerie and frightening adaptation Salem's Lot is a representation of a violent outrage that's an outward warmth. An external nature of gentleness is an actual nature of devastating hostility. A devastating hostility is a tranquility that's tranquil. A tranquil tranquility is a hate that's without reason. A hate that's without reason is being an external nature of gentleness.An external gentleness is a coldness that's internal. Internal is the soul, and the soul is the inexplicable. A hate that's without reason is being a hate that's without reason.A hate that's without reason, is a kindness that's logical. A kindness that's logical is a kindness that's logical. A repetition of kind logic can't be a kind logic - a kindness that's sane is forced to be unique. Logic is necessity. The necessity of kindness is dependent on uniqueness. The necessity of kindness is needlessness that's needless: the pointlessness of pointlessness is dependent on uniqueness.Pointless pointlessness is importance that has no reason. Uniqueness is the only thing that can create importance that has no reason. Inexplicable importance is the same as an unimportant explanation. Uniqueness is the only thing that can create an unimportant explanation. An explanation, is an exposure. In order for an exposure to be unimportant, a uniqueness is required. An exposure is a loss of mystery. A loss of mystery is a gain of identity. Uniqueness is the only thing that can create a gain of identity that's unimportant. A gain is a help. An identity is a distinction. A distinction that helps is a symmetry that's obstructive. In order for a destructive symmetry to be unimportant, a uniqueness is necessary. A destructive symmetry is a destruction of reality: uniqueness is the only thing that can permit a destruction of reality that's acceptable. Uniqueness isn't the destruction of reality. Uniqueness is the maintenance of reality - the maintenance of reality is the only thing that can permit the destruction of reality. Reality is destruction. The destruction of destruction can only be acceptable if given permission by the maintenance of destruction. The destruction of destruction is peace that has no reason: the maintenance of peace that has no reason needs the permission of the peace of destruction. The peace of destruction is peace that has reason - corrupt peace. Pure peace needs the permission of corrupt peace in order for pure peace to overrule corrupt peace. If corrupt peace doesn't let pure peace destroy corrupt peace, pure peace won't have the ability to live. Pure peace needs to live, but, it hasn't the corrupt heart to destroy another force without the permission of the other force. The 1979 adaptation, Salem's Lot, is a very beautiful, very peaceful and very memorable allegory about a corrupt peace (the vampire Barlow) having the decency and having the heart to sacrifice itself for the benefit of humanity

One of my favorite adaptations of any Stephen King work. Not because it religiously follows the book, that's for sure. In many ways this mini-series improves upon it. Tobe Hooper creates a wonderfully spooky old-school atmosphere. There are several memorably creepy set-pieces, particularly those involving the vampire kid and, of course, every scene with the Nosferatu-like Barlow. The makeup for Barlow is very effective. CGI can't touch this. The cast and direction are great. Love the location shooting and '70s TV look. I'll admit it's not perfect. The Soul/Bedelia romance feels contrived and rushed. The subplot about the cheating wife adds nothing to the overall story. But even though it feels a little padded in places, catch the original full-length mini-series, not the shortened version. It's one of the best made-for-TV movies ever made and possibly the best vampire movie to come out of the '70s.