Salem's Lot

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3:17

Salem's Lot

PG

1979

1h 52m

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

21 Reviews

65%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Based on the Stephen King novel, Ben Mears (David Soul) has returned to his hometown of Salem's Lot to write a book about the supposedly haunted Marsten House that resides on a hill overlooking the small town. His project is curtailed, however, when he finds out that someone has bought the long-empty property. But when people around the Marsten House start dying mysteriously, Mears discovers that the owner of the mansion is actually a vampire who is turning them into an army of undead slaves.

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Critics Consensus

Director Tobe Hooper and a devilishly charismatic James Mason elevate this television adaptation of the Stephen King novel, injecting the vampiric tradition with fresh blood and lingering scares.

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Budd Wilkins

Slant Magazine

2d

Salem’s Lot is a masterclass in televisual terror.

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Derek Adams

Time Out

06/24/2006

It places the emphasis on Hooper's fluid camerawork, creepy atmospherics, and skilful handling of the gripping climax.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Jan 1

3.5/4

Small-screen restrictions require the bloodletting be kept to a minimum, but director Tobe Hooper and scripter Paul Monash nevertheless manage to construct a first-rate chiller out of King's fertile source material.

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Gregory Nussen

Screen Rant

Oct 1

8/10

Tobe Hooper's 1979 adaptation of Stephen King's Salem's Lot gets 4K restoration, highlighting its timeless horror and relevance to today's small towns.

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

01/06/2024

3/5

..works as a compulsive three-hour series, watered down from the book, perhaps, but still strong meat...

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Kevin Carr

Fat Guys at the Movies

05/27/2022

3/4

It's a little bit long, but it's worth checking out... It holds up much better than I remembered.

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Bigbossbalrog T

@Jigokju 2d

The best Vampire movie ever. Better than Dracula, better than Carmilla. The best version of Stephen King's classic! A great, awesome experience!

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Brandon K

@TheKeizer Mar 14

A bit cheesey and unrealistic, but it does hold up and is still entertaining. Some fun moments.

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Duke A

@I.am.me Feb 22

Glacially slow snooze fest.

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Eddie M

@RT15122139 Oct 12

The absolute best! I found it extremely scary in 1979 and still do in 2025.

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Josh H

@LazyZombie25 Aug 30

Basically a Universal Monsters movie directed by Tobe Hooper, with the scope of a Cecil B DeMille epic.

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Anastasios G

@TasoG Aug 16

Hokey. Disjointed script. Discontinuities galore. Unconvincing acting. Not scary in the least bit. A waste of time, especially at over three hours.

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Tobe Hooper

Director

David Soul

Ben Mears

James Mason

Richard K. Straker

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Tobe Hooper: 1943-2017

Salem's Lot: Trailer 1

3:17

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Synopsis

Based on the Stephen King novel, Ben Mears (David Soul) has returned to his hometown of Salem's Lot to write a book about the supposedly haunted Marsten House that resides on a hill overlooking the small town. His project is curtailed, however, when he finds out that someone has bought the long-empty property. But when people around the Marsten House start dying mysteriously, Mears discovers that the owner of the mansion is actually a vampire who is turning them into an army of undead slaves.

Director: Tobe Hooper
Producer: Richard Kobritz
Rating: PG
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 20, 2016
Runtime: 1h 52m

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