Reception
Salem's Lot has received generally positive reviews. Review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes reports 82% of critics gave the film positive write-ups based on 11 reviews, with a rating of 6.5/10. British film critic Mark Kermode has called it "very scary" and "one of the very best screen adaptations of a Stephen King novel to date." Helen O'Hara of Empire Magazine gave the film three out of five stars. American critic Leonard Maltin called it "A well-made hellraiser." Time Out praised "Hooper's fluid camerawork, creepy atmospherics, and skilful handling of the gripping climax." Salem's Lot was also placed on Time Out's list of best vampire films. The Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Film Review called it "one of the most underrated of all King adaptations". Brian McKay of eFilm Critic wrote "Although I'll admit it is incredibly dated, it still manages to be thoroughly creepy."
Salem's Lot was featured on AMC's list of Remembering Made-for-TV Terrors and Reggie Nalder's Nosferatu-like portrayal of Kurt Barlow was ranked #8 on Entertainment Weekly's "20 Greatest Vampires". Ronnie Scribner's infamous "window" scene as the child vampire Ralphie Glick was ranked #4 on Empire Magazine's list of "Top 10 Scariest Movie Scenes" and was ranked #42 on the UK Channel 4's 100 Greatest Scary Moments (2003).
The 112-minute "movie" version of the miniseries has been mostly disparaged in recent years, though it was preferred by some people including Stephen King himself.
Read more about this topic: Salem's Lot (1979 TV Miniseries)
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