'Salem's Lot (2004) (TV)

Director:

Mikael Salomon

Writers (WGA):

Stephen King (novel)
Peter Filardi (teleplay)

Release Date:

20 June 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

In a small town, evil spreads quickly.

Plot:

Writer Ben Mears returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem's Lot and discovers that it is being terrorized by vampires.

Plot Keywords:

Vampire | Priest | Antique Dealer | Hospital | Head Spin

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 2 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Rob Lowe	...	Ben Mears
Andre Braugher	...	Matt Burke
Donald Sutherland	...	Richard Straker
Samantha Mathis	...	Susan Norton
Robert Mammone	...	Dr. James Cody
Dan Byrd	...	Mark Petrie (as Daniel Byrd)
Rutger Hauer	...	Kurt Barlow
James Cromwell	...	Father Donald Callahan
Andy Anderson	...	Charlie Rhodes
Robert Grubb	...	Larry Crockett
Steven Vidler	...	Sheriff Parkins (as Steve Vidler)
Penny McNamee	...	Ruth Crockett
Brendan Cowell	...	Dud Rogers
Christopher Morris	...	Mike Ryerson
Todd MacDonald	...	Floyd Tibbits

Also Known As:

Salem's Lot (USA) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

Argentina:181 min | USA:181 min (DVD version) | Finland:174 min (DVD)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | Finland:K-15 | Brazil:14 | Canada:14A | USA:TV-14 | Germany:16 | Argentina:13 | Singapore:NC-16 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Creswick, Victoria, Australia

Company:

Coote Hayes Productions

Trivia:

Approximately 300 extras were used during the production.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Richard Straker confronts Susan Norton and Mark Petrie in Straker's house for the first time, Straker takes Norton's gun with his left hand, then Petrie's stake with his right hand. The stake then disappears and reappears in Straker's hand between shots.

Quotes:

Floyd Tibbits: Crockett's paying us a hundred bucks to deliver this crate. If I said to you, Mike, I'd pay you two hundred bucks to come into the Marsten House, alone, at night, would you do it?
Mike Ryerson: Hell no.
Floyd Tibbits: Me neither. I find that humorous.

Movie Connections:

References Stand by Me (1986)

Soundtrack:

Paint It Black

POORLY DONE

I expected this remake to be much closer to the original (much like the TV remake of The Shining much more closely followed the book than the 1980 version). In this case, both the 1979 and the 2004 versions of 'salems Lot deviated from the book to a large degree. First of all, the filming locale in either version does not even closely resemble southern Maine. In this 2004 version, it takes place in November with obviously fake snow everywhere. The book took place in September and October of 1975. They should not have had it set in 2004--the book took place in 1975, and should have stuck with the time. So many other deviations from the book bothered me.... so many that I can't even go into each individual one.