Not all adaptations are created equal, and Stephen King’s second novel, ‘Salem’s Lot, his vampires meet Peyton Place yarn, is a prime example.
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Since its 1975 debut, the novel has become a fan favorite for Constant Readers (King’s affectionate name for his fans). It has been adapted for the screen three times, with varying degrees of success.
Still, King’s classic vampire novel (eclipsed in popularity perhaps only by Anne Rice’s sexy vamps, the sparkly Twilight crew, and the OG king of vampires, Dracula) is a favorite revisited by (and discovered by) readers every year. For those Constant Readers itching to check out the adaptations spanning the decades, here’s a handy round-up of the adaptations and where to watch them.
‘Salem’s Lot (1979)
Ah, yes, the Golden Age of TV miniseries! Back when prestige TV meant serious dramas like Roots, Shogun, and The North and the South, 1979’s ‘Salem’s Lot clawed out a niche for King adaptations. This single act of terror would go on to dominate the airwaves for decades with offerings like The Stand (twice!), The Tommyknockers, and the nightmare-fuel that was the ’80s TV adaptation of It.
Directed by Tobe Hooper of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre fame, this CBS two-part miniseries is widely considered a classic. It starred David Soul as Ben Mears and James Mason as the menacing servant Straker.
How This Version Gave a Generation Nightmares… Including King’s Son
Hooper took some liberties with the source material. He portrayed the master vampire Barlow as a feral, mute creature akin to Nosferatu rather than the cultured aristocrat in the book. Still, the miniseries is celebrated for its terrifying atmosphere and unforgettable, creepy sequences.
In the introduction of the 50th anniversary edition of ‘Salem’s Lot (the novel), King’s son, also a popular horror/genre novelist, Joe Hill (NOS4R2), provides quite a bit of context for those of us who weren’t around when the miniseries first dropped. He speculated that the scene where a hideously vampiric Danny Glick begs the young hero Mark Petrie to come into his bedroom, hovering outside his second-story bedroom window, was something of a shared trauma for younger members of Generation X, and that the scene had him nightly nightmares right up until he saw The Empire Strikes Back, which replaced the terror with hope and wonder.
So, where can Constant Readers revisit this shared trauma?
If you don’t mind ads (hey, it originally aired with commercials back in the day!), you can stream the 1979 mini-series for free on Tubi.
‘A Return to Salem’s Lot’ (1987)
The first mini-series was followed by 1987’s A Return to Salem’s Lot, which is a bit too odd not to mention…
Directed by B-movie guru Larry Cohen (The Stuff) and starring his frequent collaborator, Michael Moriarty, the R-rated outing was actually released to theaters, which seems odd for a sequel to a TV mini-series. This one is more a sequel in name only, and has no returning characters from the first outing (to include vampire baddy Barlow, who is included all up in the artwork for the film despite being a no-show).
According to the aforementioned Joe Hill, his dad told him to skip it.
However, for the ‘Salem’s Lot completist, A Return to Salem’s Lot is available to rent most anywhere that you prefer to stream movies, including Apple TV for $3.99.
TNT’s ‘‘Salem’s Lot’ (2004)
Another two-part miniseries for TNT, 2004’s ‘Salem’s Lot looks fantastic on paper. It boasts an absolutely stacked cast of actors who’ve appeared in other, greater King adaptations (Rob Lowe from 1990’s The Stand, James Cromwell from 1999’s The Green Mile, Andre Braugher in 2007’s The Mist). It also features Donald Sutherland as Barlow’s human familair, the creepy Richard Straker.
Plus, with a less restrictive 2000s basic cable format and 20 years of effects experience over the 1979 version, it promised more brutal thrills…
However, the adaptation, directed by Mikael Salomon (who helmed episodes of Band of Brothers) and adapted by The Craft screenwriter Peter Filardi, is a bit of a bloody mess.
How the 2004 Version Stumbled While Shuffling Out of the Grave
The adaptation plays fast and loose with King’s original story, shuffling plot points between characters. The town’s noble doctor, James Cody (Robert Mammone), is demoted to a debt-ridden adulterer blackmailed at gunpoint (a plotline that goes nowhere). The novel’s struggling priest, Father Callahan (James Cromwell), is inexplicably turned into a sneering villain. Meanwhile, Ben Mears (Lowe) gets a major glow-up, going from a moderately successful author to a Pulitzer-winning war journalist. The book’s slow-burn terror, which unfolds over weeks, is crammed into what feels like a long weekend, giving viewers a serious case of whiplash.
The scenes are bogged down by cheesy visuals reminiscent of a ’90s CD-ROM game, and the soundtrack is a non-stop barrage of jump-scare stingers that do all the heavy lifting the script can’t.
However, this is the only adaptation that has the master vampire Barlow (Rutger Hauer) as a charismatic, human-like vamp rather than a lecherous, sallow-skinned grotesque. And while Lowe feels miscast, other actors turn in pretty solid performances that nearly elevate a clumsy script and direction.
As of this writing, like a vampire in torpor, this version of ‘Salem’s Lot is currently unavailable to stream. However, you can still find DVDs on Amazon if you want to see Rob Lowe glower like an emo kid, a solid performance from Andre Braugher, and some gleeful scenery-chewing from Donald Sutherland.
‘Salem’s Lot’ (2024)
After the massive success of It in 2017, every Stephen King property was getting fast-tracked to the big screen. The vampires of Jerusalem’s Lot were prime candidates for a cinematic resurrection, especially with the 50th anniversary of the novel’s 1975 publication creeping up. While this Constant Reader would’ve preferred a prestige HBO miniseries, what we got was a seemingly rushed movie that felt like a missed opportunity to truly sink our teeth into.
Directed by Gary Dauberman (who directed Annabelle Comes Home and penned the screenplays for the recent It films), this adaptation stars Lewis Pullman, Makenzie Leigh, and the always-great Alfre Woodard. After being yanked from its theatrical release date, the movie was banished to the Max streaming service.
While it’s a pretty faithful and earnest take on the novel, it crams the story’s action into a feature-length runtime at a breakneck speed. This leads to some awkward pacing, a bit of plot hand-waving, and character bonds that form almost instantly.
Still, Dauberman’s version leans into 1970s vibes and features some fun sequences, like a horde of vampires lurking at the small town drive-in. It’s a fun creature feature yarn, even if it’s more of a quick bite than a full meal.
2024’s ‘Salem’s Lot is still streaming on HBO Max.
It seems King’s tale of vampires taking over a sleepy Maine town gets a new adaptation every generation or so. Does this mean we’ll have to wait until 2044 for another stab at a TV series or movie that finally sticks the landing? Then again, things move fast these days, so maybe it’ll creep back onto our screens sooner than we think. Until then, keep the faith, Constant Readers…