Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Salem's Lot Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 25, 2021

Salem's Lot was the second novel now prolific, and iconic, Author Stephen King had published, now four-and-a-half decades ago in 1975. It followed on the heels of his Supernatural debut hit Carrie (itself later adapted for the screen in a fine film from Brian De Palma). Only four years after publication, Director Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre) brought this sprawling story of a small town and its big vampire problem to the small screen with commendable fidelity to King's source novel. Yet as with the vast majority of page-to-screen adaptations the film is not entirely faithful, and some of the retooling may not please fans of the novel, but as an essential retelling that hits all of the high points it's rather good and a good bit of filmmaking in its own right.

Widower and Writer Ben Mears (David Soul) arrives in the small town of Salem’s Lot, a familiar stomping ground, the place where he spent his youth. He’s returned to work on his latest novel, looking for seclusion and, perhaps, inspiration, particularly from the old, supposedly haunted Marsten House that sits on a hill at town’s entrance, a house of which he has none-too-fond – scarring, in fact, -- memories. It’s been sitting vacant for two decades but only recently sold prior to Mears’ inquiry. As a fallback, he moves into a long-term rental at a boarding house run by Eva Miller (Marie Windsor). No sooner does he settle into the boarding house does he meet Susan Norton (Bonnie Bedelia), a young lady he catches reading his book and who quickly catches his eye. As that relationship blossoms, so too does a bloodsucking darkness brew in the Lot's shadows.

Meanwhile, the Marsten house's new occupant, a peculiar yet proper gentleman known as Straker (James Mason), slowly sets in motion his master's heinous plans. And in short order strange things begin to happen. Local boys Ralph and Danny Glick (Ronnie Scribner and Brad Savage) run afoul of something terrible, tearing the family apart and putting the town on edge. But their deaths are only the beginning. The body count quickly mounts and it soon becomes apparent to Ben, Susan, and the Glick boys’ friend Mark Petrie (Lance Kerwin) that a sinister evil looms over, and through, the town. Dangerous investigative legwork leads them to believe that Straker is a front man for a terrible vampire known as Barlow (Reggie Nadler) that has its eye on converting the townsfolk into his bloodthirsty minions.

The source novel is a hefty one, full of vivid portraits of small town life in classic King fashion. King, beyond his mastery of the art of essential storytelling, is perhaps even more adept as a man better equipped than most to craft a living, breathing organism on the page, here building a town where every character, big and small, is granted a full picture of life and purpose to the plot, no matter how broadly significant or minor in the grand scheme of things to the larger story elements they may be. King's worlds are alive and full and even at three hours Salem's Lot cannot hope to replicate it all with anything resembling the same fullness and attention to detail. Hooper and screenplay Writer Paul Monash have no choice but to cut corners to fit even a three-hour runtime but they do so effectively, leaving the essential story beats intact while trimming for time but not for necessarily content.

With that in mind, the filmmakers also rearrange critical plot points. Those who watch after reading the novel (as has this reviewer; on to Mr. Mercedes now) will note some significant departures, particularly in the order in which critical events occur. Best not to spoil either the book or the film but suffice it to say there are some key liberties taken with character presentation and major event timeframes, not necessarily for the better but understandably restructured for peak dramatic effect for the film format. Perhaps most jarring is the fate of one particular character whose demise is a punctuating moment midway through the novel but is, here, left for the climax. It works both ways, but there's something to be said for that foundation shaking gut punch as it is in the novel. Some of the other major changes are less critical to the story's shape. Some location changes and some reworked characters are obvious to the viewer who is familiar with the book but nothing's otherwise so drastically rearranged so as to alter the dramatic flow and visceral impact of the story's fangs, so to speak.

Salem's Lot Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Warner Brothers brings Salem's Lot to Blu-ray with a striking 1080p transfer. The then-standard TV aspect ratio of 4x3 is retained here, placing vertical "black bars" on either side of the modern 1.78:1 high definition display. The picture is quite sturdy. It's firm and finely filmic, retaining its natural grain structure and proving well capable of presenting all of the detail with first-class textural accuracy. Whether the wear and tear outside the Marsten house, storefronts around town, drab hospital room interiors, fine merchandise and appointments in the antique shop, or creepy cellars, there's always plenty of textural yield on display, with each element perfectly sharp and finely defined. It's a feast for the eyes that also extends to skin and clothing details, which are assuredly sharp and unwaveringly so. Vampire makeup is terrific; the sudden change to not just elongated teeth but also filthy mouths and decaying flesh – all the way up to Barlow himself, grey and decrepit yet still believably strong and rigorous – is of no challenge for this well capable Blu-ray. Colors are likewise well saturated. Contrast is perfect, capturing a tonal neutrality that holds in every location and condition: day or night, inside or out, high or low light. There's no color manipulation here to give the material a more surreal or reality dethatched look; the film blends accessible everyday coloration with supernatural, horrific narrative elements to fine effect. Clothes, natural greens, storefronts, blue skies, anything and everything enjoys sure coloring and deep tonal yield. Whites are crisp and black levels are terrific, neither appearing too pale nor crushing out necessary detail. The picture is essentially free of print wear and encode issues are nonexistent. This is a handsome, well rounded picture from Warner Brothers; fans will be well pleased.

Salem's Lot Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Salem's Lot arrives on Blu-ray with a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack. It's not particularly engaging, but considering the time in which the film was made (mid-1970s) and the context (for television) the net effect is positive enough. There's little in the way of range along the front; the sound comes across as relatively cramped in the center, seeming to stretch no further than the screen's confines, much of the time, rather than extend to the further, or furthest, reaches. Essential clarity to music, sound effects, and dialogue is fine if not underwhelming at the source. There are a few moments of amplified sonic output to match narrative and on-screen intensity. These moments are effective, though certainly were the movie made today the sound design would be much more substantial and critical in enveloping the listener into the story. As it is the sound design is fine and the Blu-ray output seems perfectly reflective of the source and well capable of bringing the best out of it. It does not stretch or test sound systems in any way, but it's a fine, if only essential, reproduction of the original source elements.

Salem's Lot Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

It's pretty slim picking as far as supplements go, but Salem's Lot does include a three-hour audio commentary track.

• Audio Commentary: Tobe Hooper gets right down to business, discussing the LA-for-Guatemala scene to open the film and shooting in Northern California and on Warner Brothers soundstages. Hooper moves on to cover his attachment to the project and getting it off the ground, production design cues, audience involvement in the film, his directorial style, cast and characters, and much more. The track is slow paced, at times laborious, and with some intermittent gaps. But it's informative.
• Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 3:23)

Salem's Lot Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

As Vampire films go, Salem's Lot is still one of the better ones, thanks in large part to the excellence of its source material. But it's also thanks to Tobe Hooper's effectively atmospheric filmmaking. He holds back on the gore and works more in the domain of the suggested and the implied, but also still much in the way of physical violence, simply watered down for television purposes. But effective Horror films need not gore to make a point, and Salem's Lot is proof positive of the power of story, suggestion, and the supernatural to sell the scares. Warner Brothers' Blu-ray may be a bit thin on extras -- the commentary is great but there's really nothing else of note -- but the video presentation is first-class and two channel audio track is well capable of recreating the somewhat minimalist sound design. Highly recommended.