The new Salem's Lot...

[JohnL]

Ok, I watched the first part of the new Salem's Lot tonight (last night if you want to get technical), or to be more accurate, I half-watched it. I just kept losing interest in it.

First, Rob Lowe's narration really started to get on my nerves. It didn't even sound like Rob Lowe. Maybe his voice has changed in the last few years, but even when the character is speaking, it didn't sound like him. I also didn't like the way the miniseries tried really hard to beat you over the head with the idea that the town might look normal, but underneath it's ***EVIL***. Then you have the way the Marsten family seems to be at the heart of everything bad in the town.

Why is it that the makers of modern miniseries always feel the need to make things overly complicated? I know it's supposed to give the characters depth, but all it really does is bog down the story with a lot of useless little subplots that ultimately just serve to make the story more confusing.

Of course they've pretty much completely changed the story from the book, except for the basic plot.

Although there were a few creepy scenes, I still prefer the original.

[dean]

Hehe, that was filmed in the country near us, and I know a guy who auditioned for a part in it.  Can't quite remember whether he got it or not [haven't seen him in a long while], but I'm sure it isn't a big part [he's not exactly the best actor so I don't think he got it]  So when I see it, I'll be picking up on all the terrain and whether this guy was in it or not.

[The Burgomaster]

Coincidentally, I just watched the 1979 version of Salem's Lot on Saturday night.  I bought the DVD at least a year ago and never even unwrapped it.  I finally got around to it and thoroughly enjoyed it.  I've seen it 5 or 6 times and I still think it is one of the best TV movies ever made.  The 3+ hours running time passes very quickly.  David Soul's 1970s haircut is priceless.  

I also think it is one of King's scariest novels.

[Dunners]

havent seen the new version but I remember seeing the 1979 version other than a few scenes the film sucked overall. was too cheesy and was also dull.

*the master killing the kids 2 parants by butting their heads together was beyond stupid*

*James mason just picking  the older guy and impaling him on the antlers  was so random. they never explained why he had the super human strength.

these 2 scenes really made me gag.

[trekgeezer]

The 1979 one had Nosferatu for the vampire, and now they have Rutger Hauer? I want to see the infeminate vampire King described in the novel.  The  book is way more scary than either one of these.

And what's with the jealous boyfriend turned vampire  imitating  the Eugene Toombs character from the X Files?

[JohnL]

>*the master killing the kids 2 parants by butting their heads together was beyond
>stupid*

If I'm not mistaken, I believe he was supposed to have broken their necks. The new one is actually worse; [SPOILER] Barlow is crawling on the ceiling, he grabs the mother by the hair (no father in this one), reaches down and kind of swats the mother's shoulder and her body spins around like two complete turns. It looks really stupid.

>*James mason just picking the older guy and impaling him on the antlers was so
>random. they never explained why he had the super human strength.

I always thought that was strange too. And what's with the wall full of spikes?Doesn't happen in the new one.

After having seen the whole thing I have to make one semi-retraction; I was skimming through the book tonight and it seems that this one follows the book a little better than the original. Some scenes are straight out of the book, like Barlow in the junk yard. It's been so long since I read the book, I guess I was remembering the original miniseries more. Unfortunately, while some scenes were faithful, they made some major changes to the plot.

Having said all that... I still prefer the original miniseries.

[Dunners]

thats really a shame though. I did have some expectations for this , I guess its just a mixed bag of a film. I heard abotu the mothers neck breaker from  a friend thats way too campy to have in a movie.

[Evan3]

I have not seen the series or the movie, but was a fan of the book. (Not my favorite Stephen King though). In any case, I distinctly remember him butting the kid's parent's heads together to kill them, the one thing I didn't understand was how the vampire got in without being invited.

I also love the character of the faithless priest who ends up drinking vamp's blood. Hope they didn't change that in the series too much. One question though:

Why is it always King's slower serious stories that are made so much better and truthful to the book (with the exception of Carrie).

His good films include: Shawshank Redemption, Green Mile, Stand By Me, The Stand

bad: Lawnmower Man, Cujo, It, The Shining