Memories *Possible Spoilers*

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Neil W

Well-Known Member
May 27, 2008
1,203
2,592
Isle of Wight UK
I remember watching Salem's Lot when it was first broadcast in the UK in 1981 in 3 one-hour episodes. This was horror that was scarier than what was being shown in cinemas. My main memories are:

Ralphie(?) Glick sitting up in his coffin
Dannie(?) Glick floating outside Mark's bedroom window (that was unbeLIEVably creepy!)
Ben's utter terror through much of it - possibly David Soul's best acting ever, I have never seen someone in a horror film so (apparently) genuinely terrified
Barlow
The vampires slowly waking up in the Barlow house basement

Brilliant source material, stunning job from Tobe Hooper.
 

Anthea M

Well-Known Member
Feb 1, 2014
69
320
61
I remember watching Salem's Lot when it was first broadcast in the UK in 1981 in 3 one-hour episodes. This was horror that was scarier than what was being shown in cinemas. My main memories are:

Ralphie(?) Glick sitting up in his coffin
Dannie(?) Glick floating outside Mark's bedroom window (that was unbeLIEVably creepy!)
Ben's utter terror through much of it - possibly David Soul's best acting ever, I have never seen someone in a horror film so (apparently) genuinely terrified
Barlow
The vampires slowly waking up in the Barlow house basement

Brilliant source material, stunning job from Tobe Hooper.
I too remember watching the TV series. James Mason brought the right amount of sinister to his role. I loved being scared by the show and couldn't wait for the next episode!
 

booklover72

very strange person
Jan 12, 2014
731
2,995
51
Dublin
I thought it was 1979 on BBC1. ah well still scared the daylights out of me. Dannie floating out the bedroom of mark. yes i recall very well. 9 years of age and watching vampires on in a dark room. lol. this was the start of a lifelong love of Steven King
 

Grandpa

Well-Known Member
Mar 2, 2014
9,724
53,642
Colorado
We lived in Denver at the time. I remember reading a review of it by a local (Denver Post, I believe) TV critic, and it was funny, because he kept talking about how he watched this part through his fingers, or this other part from peeking from behind the couch, or the next scary part looking through his almost-closed bedroom door.

It was a really pretty scary, good flick for the time, as good on TV as any suspese movie in the theaters.

Now, later on, we saw it in another venue without the commercial breaks, and it suffered. It had tense movements and freeze-frames that were obviously calculated for commercial cuts, and it lost some punch in a continuous showing.
 

Sunlight Gardener

Well-Known Member
Jul 22, 2013
375
1,273
Hell, I saw a commercial for it when I was about 7 years old and was scared to go to bed for weeks. That blue faced, bald headed, fanged mouth horror on my TV for one split second scared the daylights out of me lol. I wouldn't watch it for a long time and then I finally saw it in my 20's and then again not too long ago. Great flick and still scary.
 

raspberry2012

Active Member
Jul 21, 2014
26
125
60
NYC
This movie was what got me to read "Salem's Lot", my very first SK book. I was 15, and quite simply, I had a teenage girl's crush on both David Soul and Lance Kerwin, so I absolutely planned on seeing the movie when it aired. So my best friend said, "You really should read the book before the movie is on TV - it's really cool, and you'll have a better idea of what's going on." So I did, and I loved the book way more!

I wasn't crazy about the 2006 remake with Rob Lowe. I think Lowe did a great job, but the remake was just too "all over the place" for my liking. Too much stuff happened that had nothing to do with the book. And really, despite the fine job that Rob Lowe did, David Soul will always be Ben Mears to me! =D
 

Lily Sawyer

B-ReadAndWed
Jun 27, 2009
6,625
15,016
South Carolina
Danny Glick floating outside Mark's bedroom window

The "stacks" of vampires in Eva's garage, like stacks of cordwood

Marjorie Glick rising from the mortuary table in front of Jimmy Cody

Straker the Scary Antique Dealer

Mike Ryerson shoveling dirt on Danny Glick's coffin at sunset
 

not_nadine

Comfortably Roont
Nov 19, 2011
29,655
139,785
Behind you
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[SPOILER
I was very scared. I saw it when it came out and had read the book before.
 

mstay

Older than most, not as old as some.
Oct 13, 2007
6,022
5,554
Utah
I can't remember if I saw the movie first or read the book first but I did watch it when it first aired. I do remember how scary the show was. So scary but I loved it!!

And I don't like the remake at all. Rob Lowe was okay but it was just creepy in all the wrong ways. Nothing at all like good horror should be.