In SALEM’S LOT, writer Ben Mears (David Soul) returns to his childhood home of Salem’s Lot (Jerusalem’s Lot in the novel), drawn there by the Marsten House, a house that watches over the town like a demonic gargoyle. Reggie Nalder as the vampire Barlow in SALEM’S LOT (1979).Īnyway, it had been years since I had seen the film version of SALEM’S LOT, and so I thought it was time to watch it again and place it IN THE SPOOKLIGHT. In the film, he was changed to a mute Nosferatu clone, and while he did indeed look frightening, the fact that the make-up resembled the classic 1922 Nosferatu make-up on Max Schreck was a let-down. Barlow was creepy and terrifying in the novel, with lots of dialogue to back up his evil presence. The biggest disappointment for me at the time was the film’s interpretation of the story’s vampire, Mr. I just couldn’t shake my feelings for the novel, which I felt was vastly superior.

And while it was well-received by critics and fans alike, I was somewhat disappointed by it. It was that book that got me hooked on reading.Īs such, my expectations were high when four years later the film version of SALEM’S LOT (1979) arrived as a TV movie directed by Tobe Hooper and starring David Soul and James Mason.

More importantly, as someone who spent his childhood watching Hammer Films and the Universal monster movies, it was the first book that ever truly entertained me. I read Salem’s Lot by Stephen King shortly after it was first published when I was in the 6th grade, and it was the first novel that ever truly scared me.

Shadow of a doubt (1943) robert quarry