I love Vampires. I love all monsters, really, but vampires are my absolute favorites. When I was 5, I saw the film Monster Squad and it changed my life. I was going to be a monster hunter, and began my life long journey into mythology and a deep love for horror films. Those of you reading this that knew me as a kid know exactly what I’m talking about (sorry, not sorry).
I was probably 10 or 11 when I got my hands on the 1979 version of Salem’s Lot. I can honestly say it was one of the first vampire films that scared the Jimminy Crickets out of me. It was refreshing because the vampires were more like the Strigoi of Romanian mythology (like Nosferatu with Max Shreck) instead of sexy beasts.
They were revenants that will rip you apart, luring you with grief.
The main character, Ben Mears, is haunted by the ghosts of his past, and has this very real human trauma response to facing the past in the form of entering his childhood home to encounter an even greater terror before the final showdown. Watching that house burn at the end was one of those morbidly romantic images that still sticks with me to this day as an adult. It was powerful.
The surviving characters are changed by their experiences in The Lot, and become both the hunted and the hunters….Epic, right? There is a reason Stephen King is a master of horror. He weaves broken people and horrifying unimaginable things into very human, very frightening stories.
The 1979 version of Salem’s Lot is not without its flaws, the main one being that it glosses over some of the most interesting characters in the book. However, this film (which still holds up by the way, I rewatched it this weekend) was unique for its time. It inspired films like Fright Night and more recently Abigail. The film, though not perfect, captured some of the feeling of King’s novel. When I saw it as a kid….it mattered.
All of this to say, when I sat down yesterday to watch the new 2024 Salem’s Lot, and I was prepared to absolutely hate it and rip it apart. I can be a snob about vampires, and even more so about remakes.
However, Lewis Pullman (who looks so much like his dad it’s not even funny) as Ben Mears and Makenzie Leigh as Susan, were so absolutely charming right from the start, and won me over almost immediately. Pilou Asbaek as Straker was a little over the top and had none of the elegance James Mason had in the role prior…. but ok… The violence involving the first missing child was unexpected and disconcerting…..but it’s Stephen King so that was really apprepo.
Then, the most unexpected thing happened, the film got really good. All the characters that were missing from the original film were there, and written and played with heart (pun intended). You actually really care about Mr. Burke, the wise teacher, and the caring but skeptical Dr. Cody. (I know these characters were in the 2004 version with Rob Lowe, but that is another rant for another time).
Most importantly, they introduce Father Callahan, who has one of the most human battles in the book, and his fate is very reminiscent of Cain in the bible. It’s probably one of the most haunting moments in the book.
Of all the characters in this 2024 version, however, Jordan Preston Carter as Mark, stole the whole show. He was everything I dreamed about being as a kid, wannabe monster hunter. His courage, compassion and moral compass are all beautiful to behold, especially as the character is only 11 ½ in the film.
This film pays such attention to details in the book. The crosses glow when used against the undead, the rabies vaccine works for Dr. Cody because of her faith in it. Like, seriously guys, this was a serious adaptation of the novel!!!!!
……and then the confrontation between big bad Barlow and Father Callahan happens. Instead of effectively cursing the Father for his lack of faith and ability to kill Barlow, Barlow just…..kills him. Let’s be honest, at this point in the film there are worse things than death. We then have Susan and the church. I can honestly say from this point on it’s like they threw the book out and just went in a completely other direction. Ben has no real confrontation with his past. There is no burning house, freeing him from the past and turning him into a man with a mission. Ben just basically turns into a wet noodle of a character, especially regarding Susan.
Instead, what we do have is a meaningless battle at a drive in (and not in the good, Joe Lansdale kinda way). I did make a Forever Knight “trunk space”....that I’m still amused by. Mark, on the other hand, despite all the other problems in the film, still manages to shine. He is the a stake wielding, monster hunting, bad a@# character through and through. It ends with Ben assuring Mark that all the vampires are dead, and the drive off into the night…there is nothing poetic, or human, or even heroic about this ending.
This film means nothing, destroying every chance it had of beauty.
This film made me sad. It actually managed to break through all of my stubborn notions about it…It made me care…it made me love it. This film was almost beautiful, and then….when it could have driven the stake home, it pulled a Father Callahan on itself.
