Salem’s Lot

Salem’s Lot
Cast: Rob Lowe, Donald Sutherland
Studio: TNT
Rating: 5/10

THE LINE: SALEM’S LOT, an original dramatic miniseries event based on the best-selling Stephen King novel, is coming to Turner Network Television (TNT). Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Rob Lowe, Emmy® and Golden Globe®-winner Donald Sutherland (The Italian Job, Cold Mountain), Emmy®-winner Andre Braugher (Homicide), Golden Globe® winner Rutger Hauer (Escape from Sobibor), Oscar nominee James Cromwell (Babe) and Samantha Mathis (TNT’s The Mists of Avalon) are set to star in SALEM’S LOT.

TNT and Warner Bros. Television co-produce the four-hour miniseries, with Mark Wolper (TNT’s The Mists of Avalon, The Thornbirds) executive-producing for The Wolper Organization, and Jeff Hayes executive-producing for Coote/Hayes. Mikael Salomon (Band of Brothers) directs from a script by Peter Filardi (Flatliners, The Craft), based on Stephen King’s best-selling novel.

In SALEM’S LOT, King’s vicious take on the perfect All-American community, Lowe will play Ben Mears, a journalist who returns to his hometown to research the mysteries surrounding the memories that have haunted him since his childhood. The close-held secrets of small-town life turn into unimaginable terror when a mysterious stranger arrives in town and ultimately reveals himself to be a vampire looking to sink his teeth into a new home.

Sutherland will play Richard Straker, a mysterious antique store owner who is actually the evil partner of head vampire Kurt Barlow, played by Hauer; Braugher will portray Matt Burke, Ben’s former grade school teacher who teams up with him to uncover the town’s secrets; Mathis will play Susan Norton, a small-town waitress who falls for Ben and Cromwell will portray Father Donald Callahan, a priest who helps Ben investigate the mysterious deaths of his parishioners.

THE FILM: The casting of Rob Lowe and Rutger Hauer is not bad. The problem is that the entire adaptation is not very good. You won’t watch this more than once—just like most of us can’t watch the first one more than once. It’s long and boring. Remakes almost never go well and Salem’s Lot tries hard not to be as good as the original.

FRANKLY: The original Salem’s Lot was creepy. Instead of going for the creepy factor, this version of Salem’s Lot goes for gore instead. The production level isn’t very high and you can’t help but wonder why it was even made.

+ Charlie Craine


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