Salem's Lot ***1/2 (1979)

The 1979 TV adaptation of Stephen King's second novel Salem's Lot made a memorable impression on audiences, especially young people who were scared out of their wits. King's tale of a New England town being taken over by vampires drew upon a variety of influences: Bram Stoker's Dracula, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Peyton Place. Tobe Hooper's direction is sure and steady, effectively building up suspense with an array of characters, in direct contrast to his legendary exploitation flick The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

David Soul stars as a writer who returns to his hometown to research a novel and discovers something is rotten in the state of Denmark. The new owner of the antiques store, devilishly played James Mason, wants to remake the town in his own image. 

There's a charming quality to Salem's Lot: the production is rickety and well acted. The cast is full of great television actors including Ed Flanders. Bonnie Bedelia, and many more. The deliberate pace will annoy younger audiences (I've not seen the two hour version), but the payoffs are worth it. The jump scares are unforgettable.

I doubt there will ever be a motion picture made of Salem's Lot since the Tobe Hooper version is so unique, imagine a horror movie directed by Norman Rockwell. The town looks great and there's a perverse pleasure in watching the rot gradually being revealed: that's the world of Stephen King. Maybe not the best adaptation, but one of the most loyal to the source material.