Mikes Film Talk

Watching the 2024 remake of Salem’s Lot, I had to ask the question: Was this a class? “How to Make Vampires Boring: 101?” Disappointingly this does seem to be the case.

Stepping away from my site’s template here.

I was both parts excited and dubious about the Max funded “original” take on King’s classic homage to all things vampire. The book, read so many times that the pages are thinner, is a favourite. *Although not the favourite that title belongs to The Stand.* **And, yes, I am punning my arse off here.**

King’s uber visual style makes his books difficult to transfer. There is also that irritating Hollywood template/Canon (?) that dictates the adapting party must change the source material. A lot.

A few filmmaker have opted to not follow this golden rule. Clint Eastwood made The Outlaw Josey Wales from what felt like a direct take on the source book “Gone to Texas” by Forrest Carter.

Ira Levin tells an amusing anecdote about Roman Polanski and Rosemary’s Baby. No one, apparently, told the newish director to ignore the source material. Polanski contacted Levin. He wanted to ask what page in The New York Times the shirt advertisement appeared in. Ira relates that he was embarrassed to admit that he’d “fudged” it. Levin says it seems no one told Polanski about existing Hollywood canon.

Back to the Point

Salem’s Lot contains a lot of, now, iconic scenes and characters. I am talking about the book here, not the 1979 mini-series. The casting choice of the main vampire in the “Lot” was asinine. As was the character’s appearance and almost total lack of verbal dexterity.

At the time, I was excited to learn that James Mason was to be cast in the series. I was over the moon. One of my favourite actors was going to play the lead vampire; not.

The mini-series and now the new version of Salem’s Lot choose instead to make actor Reggie Nalder up to look like Nosferatu.

A terrifying creature to be sure but not the charismatic and erudite Barlow from the book. This move alone dooms the Max remake from the very start.

Casting may not be everything

There were some cast changes that were not disagreeable at all. Changing Jimmy Cody to a woman made no real difference at all to the proceedings. The move to make Mark Petrie a young black lad work admirably. Removing the special relationship between Ben Mears and Susan’s dad, by having the parent die before the story starts hurt.

The main cast

Lewis Pullman is Ben Mears

Makenzie Leigh is Susan Norton

Jordan Preston Carter is Mark Petrie *This y0ung actor knocked this one out of the park.*

Alfre Woodard is Dr Cody

Bill Camp is Matt Burke

Cameo: William Sadler as Parkins Gillespie

Re-writing the script

Writer/director Gary Dauberman loses sight of what makes Salem’s Lot so special.

The set pieces.

The knives in the basement. *King says this scene was supposed to be rats. A lot of them.* Susan’s lonely “calling” in another basement. The terror of the Glick boy and his desperate flight through the woods; at night. Cody being bitten and his reaction.

A long list lays at the feet of Dauberman. His replacements, oversights, and revisions take so much from this film.

The move to keep Salem’s Lot in the ’70’s worked.

But.

The rest of the film fizzles out, like a spent 4th of July sparkler.

The Verdict

A poor effort by everyone. The cast performed as best they could but Salem’s Lot earns a meagre 2 stars for effort and less than that for story. It is, of course, streaming on Max. Watch it if you have not read King’s book or know very little about vampires. Or if you want to catch the actor playing Petrie, otherwise; read the book.

The trailer