Salem's Lot (1979 miniseries)

Salem's Lot
Television release poster
GenreHorror, Fantasy
Based on'Salem's Lot
by
Stephen King
Screenplay byPaul Monash
Directed byTobe Hooper
StarringDavid Soul
James Mason
Lance Kerwin
Bonnie Bedelia
Lew Ayres
Theme music composerHarry Sukman
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes2
Production
Executive producerStirling Silliphant
ProducerRichard Kobritz
CinematographyJules Brenner
EditorCarroll Sax
Running time183 minutes
Production companyWarner Bros. Television
BudgetUS$ 4,000,000[1]
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseNovember 17 (1979-11-17) –
November 24, 1979 (1979-11-24)
Related
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Salem's Lot (also known as Salem's Lot: The Movie, Salem's Lot: The Miniseries and Blood Thirst) is a 1979 American two-part vampire miniseries based on the 1975 horror novel 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King. Directed by Tobe Hooper and starring David Soul and James Mason, 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 Paul 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 on CBS in November 1979 and received positive reviews. 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.

  1. ^ Cinefantastique magazine vol. 9 #2