Salem's Lot (2024)

Last night as I prepared for the alien invasion that apparently isn’t happening, I did put some horror on as a backdrop. After hitting a werewolf film earlier in the week, I decided to go with another traditional creature, the vampire. My selection was the 2024 remake of the Stephen King classic Salem’s Lot. 

Plot: An author returns to his hometown of Jerusalem's Lot in search of inspiration for his next book, only to discover that the townspeople are being attacked by a bloodthirsty vampire.

Being a fan of the original, I went into this with some rather low expectations. There was something with the grittiness of the original that made it memorable. As I feared, this one lacked that. While the movie as a whole was entertaining, it lacked the atmosphere, character development, and tension of the original and came across rushed and unrefined. The performances were good, there were some decent scenes, and there were positive elements. Unfortunately, the modernization of this one fell flat and lacked the execution that could have taken it to another level. Maybe if this was a mini-series or a limited series it could have achieved something more. In the end, this one was average and not worth more than a single watch. 

Salem's Lot (1979)

While I have been splitting time between Fringe and Ancient Aliens, I did find my way to Pittsburgh to hand out with my cousin Jennifer (visiting from Seattle) and her brothers, Jonathan and Jason, as they performed with their band, The Dumplings last night in the city. It was so awesome watched Jennifer hit the stage for an Alice Cooper cover to close the show. Today, I decided to venture back to my youth while doing some homework with the 1979 classic Salem’s Lot.

Plot/ Young novelist returning home to Salem's Lot after many years is disturbed by the strange behavior of its people. He begins to believe that the source of the trouble may be the eerie old Marsten House that overlooks the town.

Its funny, I had remembered much of Salem’s Lot, but almost forgot just how good this miniseries was. It is amazing to see exactly how much the quality put on our televisions has dropped over the past few decades. This was a solid entry that featured outstanding performances, solid scripting, dark and heavy atmosphere, and a soundtrack that backed it up perfectly. Sure, as a made for television entry, it lacks gore and nudity, but that does not bring this one down at all. In fact, it makes for a perfect vampire primer for the younger generation as it depicts the genre in the way they should be portrayed (sparkling vampires suck). In the end, Salem’s Lot may be one of the better King adaptations from the 1970s or 1980s, and it is a movie that must be seen. If you have not watched it, find it and check it out!