Salem's Lot (2024)

[Cremildo]

It scribe Gary Dauberman is taking on another Stephen King bestseller. The screenwriter is attached to pen the film adaptation to King’s 1975 horror novel Salem’s Lot, which James Wan will produce along with Roy Lee and Mark Wolper. SOURCE

[thecooldud]

Oh f**k.

[Cremildo]

Originally Posted by thecooldud

Oh f**k.

That was my reaction to Dauberman's name.

(The Nun was the worst film I watched last year, and I'm probably the only person in the world who was unimpressed by It. Annabelle was pretty mediocre, but at least Creation was decent.)

But the novel is so good. Here's hope they hire a decent director to balance things out.

[AKORIS]

the problem here is that this is a novel that needs a 3 hour plus running time to cover everything. A theatrical release will most likely be 2 hours or less.

It will be like the abbreviated version of the original 1979 Salem's lot... it played like a highlight reel of the "horror" moments with no build up or tension between them.

I suppose it could be like IT with 2 movies but unlike that film, Salem's Lot does not have a clean stopping point for people to wait a year or so for the second part....

I do like James Wan though and he clearly understands and has a talent for scary images and atmosphere-- the movie would have much stronger potential if he personally was directing.

[oilers73]

Originally Posted by Cremildo

I'm probably the only person in the world who was unimpressed by It.

Make that 2. I thought It was truly awful.

[therealjondoe]

Originally Posted by oilers73

Make that 2. I thought It was truly awful.

I wasn't a fan of it either

[oilers73]

I enjoyed the TNT mini-series from 2004 (Rob Lowe, Andre Braugher, Samantha Mathis, James Cromwell, Donald Sutherland, Rutger Hauer). If a theatrical version leads to a Blu-ray release of that one, bring it.

[JEDGAR1000]

Sigh, always get so excited when I hear Wan's name, but being honest, it only means anything worthwhile if he's directing. Compare Insidious 1 & 2 to the others, Saw 1 to its sequels, The Conjurings to the Nun, etc.

[MJD64]

SALEM'S LOT is one of my favorite early King novels, and as neither of the TV adaptations quite captured the book (though I like the '79 version), this has me curious. I figured the mega-success of IT would usher in all these new stabs at erstwhile King adaptations (and rather liked the new PET SEMATARY), and I'm curious to see the results in most cases; would love to see a new version of CHRISTINE in particular....but please, no more adaptations of CARRIE.

[EvaDK]

Originally Posted by JEDGAR1000

Sigh, always get so excited when I hear Wan's name, but being honest, it only means anything worthwhile if he's directing.

Yep, same.

I've only seen the James Mason version, which was creepy as hell.

[Hedji]

They can do whatever they darn well please, and try as hard as they might...

And yet nothing they present will scar an entire generation of kids the way the 1979 Barlow and Glick Boys at the window did.

[cynatnite]

Originally Posted by Hedji

They can do whatever they darn well please, and try as hard as they might...

And yet nothing they present will scar an entire generation of kids the way the 1979 Barlow and Glick Boys at the window did.

To this day, I still find those scenes with the boys unsettling. As a kid, it scared the hell out of me.

I'll always love that Salem's Lot more than the miniseries.

It'll be interesting to see what they do with it this time around.

[thecooldud]

Originally Posted by cynatnite

To this day, I still find those scenes with the boys unsettling. As a kid, it scared the hell out of me.

I'll always love that Salem's Lot more than the miniseries.

.

The 79 version is a mini-series (they just released a cut down version theatrically as well).

[cynatnite]

Originally Posted by thecooldud

The 79 version is a mini-series (they just released a cut down version theatrically as well).

I have both.

Still own the DVD and I have a steelbook release, too.

[Demented D]

Originally Posted by Hedji

They can do whatever they darn well please, and try as hard as they might...

And yet nothing they present will scar an entire generation of kids the way the 1979 Barlow and Glick Boys at the window did.

[Zivouhr]

I hope they go for the gray, dead looking skin of the vampires along with those green/yellow piercing, reflective eyes in the Tobe Hooper TV Mini series Salem's Lot which is the version combined as a single 3 hour or so epic movie.

They were almost like possessed monsters in that original film. Nothing like many vampire movies where they're just normal looking people but with fangs.

Also, any fan of sick looking, monster like vampires, definitely check out del Toro's series, The Strain season 1 being the best IMO. It went for 4 seasons but lost its story a bit by the end. The Master Vampire is a horrific monster in the first 2 seasons or so.

[Jennifer Lawrence Fan]

And the James Wan bashing in 3...2....1....

[The Debts]

Originally Posted by Jennifer Lawrence Fan

And the James Wan bashing in 3...2....1....

I think he's a better action director than horror tbh. Aquaman is probably the best thing he'll make thus far in his career imo.

[L.J.]

Have always liked the 79 version. Has great pacing and like how it made the Marsten house a character. What a great design on the house to. Never really cared for the version with Rob Lowe, it didn't capture the feel of the book. Book is exceptional, one of two books have autographed by Stephen King. Would rather see Wan direct this, but do look forward to seeing what they do with this.

[Hedji]

Originally Posted by L.J.

Have always liked the 79 version. Has great pacing and like how it made the Marsten house a character. What a great design on the house to. Never really cared for the version with Rob Lowe, it didn't capture the feel of the book.

It has so much going for it that doesn't get discussed much, like the score. Which reworks the Dies Irae into a pulsating, driving ostinato. And the theme for the Marsten house, which really builds a sense of dread while using classic horror movie sounds. The pizzicato strings for the Glick window scenes. Very underrated and underappreciated.

I've watched the Rob Lowe version at least 3 times, each time hoping it'll impress me, because I'm such a fan of the book and Tobe Hoooper version, but I just can barely recall the tone of that one.

I suppose the one thing I'd like to see done better is the assembly and effort of the team of vampire hunters... ordinary people from different walks of life forced to collaborate under extraordinary circumstances.