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Date Posted: 19:35:01 06/27/04 Sun
Author: BDM
Subject: 'Salem's Lot

Anybody catch the new mini-series on TNT this past week? I had seen the original mini-series as a kid back in 1979 & it scared me. That image of the adolescent boy vampire floating outside another kid's room & calling "let me in" stuck with me. I saw it again more recently & saw it was a bit cheesy. I also read the novel & saw how much it was changed.

The new version starring Rob Lowe is closer to the book in parts but also adds stuff. I think the cast does a more credible job than the original cast but there's still that made-for-TV-itis. The FX are subtler, the ads & previews don't spoil that it's about vampires so anyone unfamiliar might get a nice surprise near the end of part 1. They updated the story to the present from the 70s so there are cell phones & mentions of the war on terrorism. But the small town stuff remains timeless & cliche as hell. Overall, OK but not great. Entertaining, vampires are getting to be old hat & not shocking anymore.

Some stuff I read on the internet made me realize that King's work is actually interconnected via the Dark Tower series. That has never been (& probably never will be) adapted for TV or film as it's 7 novels long. A character from Salem's Lot shows up there, a character killed off in this mini-series. One wonders if King ever watches or cares for any adaptations of his work. We just had a Carrie remake a couple of years back, are all of his works up for remakes now?

Most have disappointed. When reading King's work, it makes sense & is scary. On screen, they tend to be cheesy & over the top. Cujo might have been a good read (never got to that one) but on film a St. Bernard isn't frightening. This new Salem's Lot tried not to be so corny, took things more seriously. I know the Kingdom Hospital mini-series from a while back was a bomb in the ratings but that was King adapting someone else's work so he can't take the full blame. 10 hours is a bit much to ask.

Some other King TV I saw & liked: The Stand (8 hours), The Langoliers (4 hours)& The Shining (6 hours-version #2). Can you believe the short story Children of the Corn has spawned at least 4 feature films? Even Lawnmover Man got 2 films & that was a 20 page story. King must cry all the way to the bank.

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Replies:

BTW Det, nice pic of Angel, gonna miss him (NT) -- BDM, 19:38:25 06/27/04 Sun
I watched Salem's Lot -- SMH, 22:00:46 06/27/04 Sun