Underplayed Gems

Salem's Lot (1979)

Salem's Lot poster
Directed by
Tobe Hooper
Genre
drama television series, vampire television program, mystery television series
Country
United States
Length
1 season, 2 episodes
Rated
TV-PG
Rating
6.8 of 10 from 543 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this series is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A writer returns to his small hometown and learns that many of the residents are being turned into vampires. He works with a few others to stop the spread of the undead.

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What happens

Salem's Lot (also known as Salem's Lot: The Movie, Salem's Lot: The Miniseries and Blood Thirst) is a 1979 American horror television miniseries directed by Tobe Hooper, and adapted by Paul Monash from the 1975 novel 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King. It stars David Soul, James Mason, Lance Kerwin, Bonnie Bedelia and Lew Ayres. The plot concerns a writer who returns to his hometown and discovers that its citizens are turning into vampires. After Warner Bros. acquired the rights to Salem's Lot, several filmmakers developed screenplays but none proved satisfactory. Producer Richard Kobritz decided that, due to the novel's length, Salem's Lot would work better as a television miniseries than as a feature film. He and screenwriter Monash followed the general outline of King's novel but changed some elements, including turning the head vampire Kurt Barlow from a cultured human-looking villain into a speechless demonic-looking monster. With a budget of $4 million, principal photography began on July 10, 1979, in Ferndale, California. Salem's Lot first aired in two feature-length installments on CBS in November 1979, and received positive reviews, earning three nominations at the 32nd Primetime Emmy Awards. In the years following its broadcast, it has accumulated a cult following and has had a significant impact on the vampire genre. It was followed by a 1987 theatrical sequel, A Return to Salem's Lot, directed by Larry Cohen. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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