Dr.William Russo 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.

moonspinner55 Famous writer returns to his hometown in Maine to complete a new project: a book about the Marsten House, a creaky, rotting mansion on the hill with a dark past, one that has haunted the author since he was a young man. It turns out the house still casts a dark spell, one that may be responsible for the deaths or disappearances of several local boys. Horror-veteran Tobe Hooper directed this made-for-TV miniseries, adapted from the early Stephen King novel ('Salem's Lot short for Jerusalem's Lot). Hooper does good work here, particularly in the climax, though for the first hour he dawdles over the material. The 184-minute running-time may have convinced the filmmaker he could allow the story to unfold slowly; if so, the gambit doesn't quite pay off. With a main character who isn't very exciting (he fills us in on the house's history and introduces us to the rest of the cast), a midsection involving the Catholic Church (complete with a child's funeral and a priest staring down evil) and too many trips to the hospital and morgue, the narrative goes into a depressive rut. One of the most intense sequences, an unhinged man finding another man in bed with his wife, isn't topped by the supernatural happenings (a fatal flaw) and nothing imperative comes of this story thread. James Mason has a devilishly good time playing the mysterious new owner of the Marsten House, but mostly the performances are solid if unspectacular. Hooper's spooky visuals will give fans of the occult what they're hoping for, though the picture has cheesy tail-ends to most of its big scenes. Also, the interiors are too bright, the sets are disappointing, the art direction is dull and the prologue is unnecessary. Followed by "A Return to Salem's Lot" in 1987.

Rainey Dawn Can you believe this a made for TV movie?! This movie is awesome - extremely scary vampires in this one. These vampires are not your modern day vamps - this movie is a good example of how mean and vile vampires are - just like the old folklore and legends about them. Within this film contains the way vampires should be on film - evil. The vampires in Salem's Lot will remind you of the old 1922 film Nosferatu - yes they are that scary.And the story of Salem's Lot is so damned good too! If you like vampire stories, along with mystery and thriller films and a lot of horror then Salem's Lot is a movie you will not want to miss.Yes this movie is a must see for all Vampire fans - and it's hard to believe that this movie was made for television but it was. I was 7 years old when it aired on TV - I was completely terrified then and the movie still creeps me out today.9.5/10

nlangella1 This was an excellent miniseries. I use to own the full length miniseries on VHS as a kid. Idk why so many fans had a problem with making Barlow look more like Nosferatu? Honestly, I preferred this version over the 2004 one and the novel written by Stephen King himself. It just makes more sense. Barlow's appearance in the novel and in the 2004 version wasn't scary. I don't find a vampire with a more human like appearance like Dracula to be frightening. David Soul portrayed a better Ben Mears than Rob Lowe. I also liked the actor who played Mark. I found this version satisfying. Sure, it's not exactly like the novel. But then again it's Hollywood.