Salem's Lot (1979)

Salem's Lot (1979)
Warner Brothers
Television Miniseries Movie Air Date Fall 1979
Director: Toby Hooper

Review by Adam Bielawski

"Boom Boom Bonnie" that is the one thing that sticks in my head from Salem's Lot. I just cannot keep a chuckle from happening since I watched the move for the first time. Yes, I really thought it was great; it kept me captivated for what seemed to be like 3 hours. Since I never seen it I had no idea what it was about, I first thought it was about witch burnings, how wrong was I.

Salem's Lot originally aired back in 1979 as a movie miniseries adapted from Stephen King's 1975 novel about vampires nesting in a small New England town.  The 1970s were a wonderful time, from the short tennis shorts, to the hair, but the one item in this classic vampire thriller that lasted from more than 70 years is the Jeep.  Yes I'm a Jeep lover and when I see one on film I smile knowing that this vehicle brings to me only fond memories of ownership (upkeep is very costly). Our main character Ben Mears, an author researching a new book, played by 1970s icon David Soul (Hutch from Starsky and Hutch television series) pulls up to town of Salem's Slot, his boyhood town, in a yellow jeep.

As most strangers depicted in film to a small town, everyone wants to know what Mears is up, suspicion breeds, to reveal that his subject for his new novel is the house on top of the hill, the old Marsten House.  Mears portrays the house as something evil, not knowing that there something evil is coming soon.  Mears wanted to rent the home in order to research for his book; however he was beaten to the opportunity by another stranger in town. After more than 20 years of vacancy now hot on the market (can’t say that in 2011), the Marsten House has been purchased by an Englishmen who also opens up an antique shop in town. Is it coincident that two strangers are now interested in the home that sits on top of the hill overlooking the town. Richard Striker (played by James Mason), our other stranger, is setting up for the grand opening of his antique shop with his partner who has not YET arrived. Striker recruits the town real estate agent Larry Crockett to pick up a large crate which we later learn contained the mysterious partner, our ancient vampire who feeds on the town inhabitants.  But let's get back to Crockett, our real estate agent is having an affair with "Boom Boom Bonnie" his secretary.  Her husband is hired by Crockett to pick up the crate, however Boom Boom Bonnie’s husband has different ideas, and he hires the local plumber and grave digger to do the job,

while he stays behind, with shotgun in hand, to catch the two in their deed during a night time romp.

Back to our story, the crate is delivered and people start arriving at the hospital and dying mysteriously.  Mears tells the  local physician for the suspicions about what is happening to folks in town. The physician with all his background cannot believe such stories of vampires, and later comes to know then to be very true when confronted by the vampire. The first disappearance occurs when Mark Petrie and his two friends go out in the wood and one of the boys disappears.  Later the boy comes back to his brother and he is taken by the new vampire.  If you know of vampires they cannot come in without an invite, so how can you say no to your own brother. The dead are now adding up quickly.  Our young Petrie is a horror buff and when he is approached by his now undead friend, he knows not to let him into the house, he grabs a crucifix off one of his models and the undead friend disappears. Lucky that Petrie is Catholic. Now we have two folks in town that know vampires exist. During prayer meeting with the local Catholic priest, the young Petrie and his parents, the vampire shows himself for the first time, and kills his parents. (Thanks mom and dad for the invite) It was a bit of a small jump for me I was not expecting it. The vampire was the likeness of Nosfaratu.

Some side stories in this movie, Mears gets involved in a love relationship, a grave digger looses his dog, people die, and the vampires are still out there…. But not the hunted are hunting the vampires, Mears and  Mark Petrie.  If this was made today, I would assume this was a build up for a sequel.

You have the best in this television movie miniseries, the town cop, a bit overweight but on the ball. But being a smart cop, he packs up his family and high tails it out, he knows folks are dying mysteriously and he is out of there!  This little scene, although made to be serious, was a great bit of comedy.