'Salem's Lot (2004 TV mini-series)

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'Salem's Lot
Directed by Mikael Salomon
Produced by Jeffrey M. Hayes
Brett Popplewell
Marc van Buuren
Mark Wolper
Written by Novel:
Stephen King
Teleplay:
Peter Filardi
Starring Rob Lowe
Andre Braugher
Donald Sutherland
Samantha Mathis
Rutger Hauer
James Cromwell
Distributed by Warner Bros.
TNT
Release date(s) 2004
Running time 181 min.
Language English
Budget 23,000,000 $
IMDb profile

'Salem's Lot was a two-part miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's classic vampire story 'Salem's Lot. The story set out to bring the 1975 novel into modern times. Characters now use cellphones and the internet. There are also a number of small inside jokes to other King works. (A dog is named Cujo, and "Stand by Me" is sung at a karaoke). Large portions of film were shot at Creswick and Woodend, in Central Victoria, Australia.

The movie received mixed reactions from both critics and fans. Most praised the lavish production values and the casting, but many were put off by the major changes to both the novel's plot and characters. For example, Father Callahan, rather than being the tragic character whose faith fails him, now turns into Barlow's new apprentice after Straker is slain. At this time the fifth Dark Tower novel, Wolves of the Calla, had come out, which featured the return of Father Callahan's character and the start of his redemption. This made his turn to villainy in the film all the more blasphemous to the fans. Some were also critical of some of the unnecessary attempts to modernize the story, with the inclusion of cell phones, etc.

Contents

[edit] Plot

The story opens with Ben Mears (Rob Lowe) attacking the priest, Donald Callahan (James Cromwell) in a homeless shelter. They fall together from a high window into the street. In the hospital, Ben Mears tells his story and the reasons behind his fight with the priest. This takes the form of a flashback in which the miniseries' central plot unfolds.

In the flashback, Ben is a successful writer. He returns to his hometown, Jerusalem's Lot (also known as 'Salem's Lot), intending to write a novel while he deals with the demons of his past. He tells Susan Norton (a waitress and former art student whom he has befriended), that as a child he accepted a dare to enter the house of Hubie Marsden. Local legend said that there was something wrong with the house and/or its owner, suggesting that he tortured and murdered children. That night in the house, Ben overheard something horrible — including Hubie begging for his life before committing suicide. Ben believes that he also heard Hubie Marsden's last victim crying for help, but Ben was too afraid to find or help him and fled. Ben plans to rent and investigate the house to bring catharsis to himself and to gather material for his novel, but he discovers that the owner, Larry Crockett (Grubb), has sold it to a pair of antique dealers, Richard Straker (Donald Sutherland) and Kurt Barlow (Rutger Hauer).

Shortly thereafter, the dark secrets of the town's residents begin to emerge. Crockett is sexually abusing his daughter Ruthie (McNamee). When she spends time with a cripple named Dud (Cowell) whom Crockett employs, Crockett fires him. Evie (Blake), who runs the boarding house where Ben stays, played evil games with Hughie Marsden when they were teenagers. The school bus driver is a bully who loves to torment the children he transports, forcing those he doesn't like to walk home. These painful revelations increase in frequency and magnitude up until the arrival of the mysterious Barlow. Barlow, a master vampire, is influencing some of these occurrences as a prelude to "recruiting" more vampires to serve him. A child vanishes, and his brother then sickens and dies. Laborer Mike Ryerson (Morris) buries the boy, then also gets sick and dies. He returns from the grave (complete with autopsy scars) to tempt high school teacher Matt Burke (Braugher), who is rescued but suffers a heart attack. Ben is persuaded by the mounting evidence that the town is plagued by vampirism. He and his allies, Dr. Cody (Mammone), Father Callahan and Mark Petrie (Byrd) begin acting as vampire hunters, although they balk upon finding that Susan Norton has become a victim. Ben insists upon targeting Barlow in the hopes that Barlow's victims might be restored upon his destruction.

The characters face their own psychological demons as the physical demons surround them. Father Callahan, trying to confront Barlow by himself, finds his faith is not strong enough. Callahan is forced to drink Barlow's blood, turning Callahan into Barlow's servant. Larry Crockett, who invited the vampire into town, sees his daughter willingly join the vampiric Dud in the night. Most of all, Ben still wrestles with his own guilt and personal failures.

Cody and Burke are killed. Mark Petrie and Ben manage to destroy Barlow, but not before he taunts Ben. Barlow likens Ben to himself, describing him as another parasite who preys on the tragedies of others.

Ben's hypothesis is disproven: though Barlow is destroyed, Susan is still a vampire. She tells him that the boy he failed to rescue all those years ago was already dead when Marsden died, and Ben was never to blame. When Susan turns to attack Mark, Ben is forced to destroy her.

Ben concludes his flashback. The nurse is deeply moved and frightened by the story. He realizes Ben wasn't acting alone. When he leaves to assist with Father Callahan (who has died), Mark slips into Ben's room to tell him it is over. The Nurse sees Mark, realizes what has happened, but lets him go.

In his hospital room, Ben passes away, feeling at peace.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Main

[edit] Supporting

Rutger Hauer has played very powerful vampires at least twice before in Dracula III: Legacy and in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Donald Sutherland appeared with Rutger Hauer in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Samantha Mathis, Christopher Morris and Martin Vaughan also appeared in Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King, written by Peter Filardi.

Rob Lowe played Nick Andros in the TV adaptation of The Stand.

Andre Braugher appears in the 2007 film adaptation of The Mist as Brent Norton.

[edit] Deviations from the novel

This list is not exhaustive, but intended to convey a sense of the differences between the film and the novel. The main overall difference is the cutting down of characters from the novel, i.e. characters in the film will take on multiple roles that were occupied by two or more characters in the original story. For example, the fling between Dr. Cody and Sandy (the abusive mother) takes place between two other minor characters.

In the novel:

  • The plot is not recollected through flashback; instead with a prologue and epilogue of Ben and Mark's life after the events of the story.
  • The story is set circa 1970 as opposed to around 2004.
  • Father Callahan does not become an actual servant of Barlow, only damned and forced to flee. He does not re-appear in the story.
  • Mark's father is not absent and the Petries are more comfortable financially.
  • Ben's death does not occur in the story.
  • Kurt Barlow gets younger and younger like Dracula, but in the film he has a constant age.
  • Matt Burke dies of natural causes related to his heart attack.
  • Susan, Weasel and the other vampires appear not to possess much of their former personalities unlike in the film.
  • There is no mention of Larry Crockett's relationship with his daughter or Dud Rogers.
  • Sheriff Parkins is a constable around 70 years old and seemingly less competent, leaving town in fear, rather than partially in hopes of spending time with his daughter and grandchild. In the film he assumes the role of another country Sheriff.
  • Ben saw what he believed was a ghost of Hubie Marston in the Marston house. His troubled sense of personal guilt from a belief he allowed a child to die (and to some extent by turning in some US Marines who had saved his life) is absent.
  • When destroyed, vampires do not disintegrate to dust but remain as corpses.
  • The character of Matt Burke is of untold race, and is assumed to be much older.
  • Dr. Cody has nothing to do with the McDougal family. His death is of similar circumstances, but instead he falls onto a set of upturned knives.
  • Ralphie Glick does not become a vampire in the novel, and he does not turn his mother into a vampire.
  • Dud Rogers is older and less sympathetic.
  • Richard Straker is British and completely bald.

[edit] Soundtrack

  • Australian punk band The Disables also has two songs featured in the film, "The Lackey Country" (at 0:44:15 in the film) and "All Bets Are Off" (1:04:00)

[edit] References

[edit] External links