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Salem's Lot (1979)

TV Movie  |  PG  |   |  Horror  |  17 November 1979 (USA)
6.8
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Ratings: 6.8/10 from 13,657 users  
Reviews: 200 user | 55 critic

Vampires are invading a small New England town. It's up to a novelist and a young horror fan to save it.

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(novel), (screenplay)
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Title: Salem's Lot (TV Movie 1979)

Salem's Lot (TV Movie 1979) on IMDb 6.8/10

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Nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 nomination. See more awards »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Bonnie Sawyer
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Gordon 'Weasel' Phillips (as Elisha Cook)
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Cully Sawyer
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Dr. Bill Norton
Clarissa Kaye-Mason ...
Majorie Glick (as Clarissa Kaye)
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Barney McFadden ...
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Storyline

The successful writer Benjamin "Ben" Mears returns to his hometown Salem's Lot, Maine, expecting to write a new novel about the Marsten House. Ben believes that the manor is an evil house that attracts evil men since the place has many tragic stories and Ben saw a ghostly creature inside the house when he was ten. Ben finds that the Marsten House has just been rented to the antique dealers Richard K. Straker and his partner Kurt Barlow that is permanently traveling. Ben meets the divorced teacher Susan Norton that is living with her parents and they have a love affair. Ben also gets close to her father Dr. Bill Norton and his former school teacher Jason Burke. When people start to die anemic, Ben believes that Straker's partner is a vampire. But how to convince his friends that he is not crazy and that is the truth? Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Do you believe in vampires? See more »

Genres:

Horror

Certificate:

PG | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

17 November 1979 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Salem's Lot: The Movie  »

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)
 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (theatrical) | (uncut) | (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

In an interview with Reggie Nalder, the actor said that the contact lenses and heavy makeup work he had to wear for the role of Kurt Barlow was quite painful and took some time to get adjusted to. See more »

Goofs

During the dinner at the Norton house, a boom microphone is visible at top of screen over the dinner table. See more »

Quotes

Constable Parkins Gillespie: Not bothered by yowens?
Straker: Yowens?
Constable Parkins Gillespie: Kids. Local word. You know how kids like to devil new folks.
See more »

Crazy Credits

The text of the opening credits appear and dissolve piece by piece into each other in a jigsaw puzzle fashion. See more »

Connections

Referenced in Film Geek (2005) See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
I'm trying to figure out why so many horror fans don't like this show...
9 September 1998 | by (Maryland, USA) – See all my reviews

As it really is a wonderful and suspenseful vampire tale! Stephen King - not normally my favorite horror writer - has created one of the absolute BEST modern vampire tales in this story, and this mini-series translation is absolutely true to the feel of his tale! Instead of splatterfest effects , this show hinges itself on a high-tension spiderweb of plotlines and sets up the vampire more as a behind-the-scenes controlling evil. The terror here is not in seeing the monster, it is in NOT seeing him and knowing that he and his minions are out there, somewhere, plotting and planning with the heros stumbling blindly after them like toddlers in the dark. Give this show a chance! It may just scare you!


52 of 56 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

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Recent Posts
Scary movie when you're young. joker4252
Count Yorga is the best version to portray Kurt Barlow. nmrj
The Glick Boys dimsung_09
Should Ben have burned down The Marsden House at the start of the movie? elmadman_99
Danny Glick. bassgoilius
Script notes on Salem's Lot elmadman_99
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