Where To Watch Every Version of ‘Salem’s Lot’
With the new Salem’s Lot finally on Max, I figured I should find a way to turn this into a nerdy hitlist. I have pulled media about, referencing, or inspired by The Lot. After all, this beloved Stephen King novel holds a special place in so many of our hearts.
Countless shows mention Salem’s Lot or heavily draw inspiration from the terrifying tale. So, I am here to help you figure out how to prioritize them before or after you see the newest version. Maybe you’ll have yourself a merry little Halloween season and try to watch them all. To which I say, good for you!
Salem’s Lot (1979) (dir. Tobe Hooper)
Where You Can Watch: AMC+ and Shudder
The first attempt to capture King’s novel on screen is the one most people remember. It holds a weird piece of my heart because I read the book as a kid so I could catch the movie on TNT. This was also how my tween brain discovered adaptations are sometimes drastically different from the source material. However, now that I am not an ungrateful 90s kid, I can contextualize this a little bit better. As an adult, I understand that miniseries made in the 70s had limitations. So, my complaints about the few scares have turned into admiration for pulling off what they could during that time and with that budget. I also can now fully appreciate the pull of a Tobe Hooper adaptation of a Stephen King novel that includes vampires.
Looking at it after watching all three versions this month has also driven home that this story is seemingly impossible to translate to the screen. While I think each Salem’s Lot iteration has its moments, none capture the magic of the novel. I’ve seen countless King adaptations by various directors, and few of them have figured out the special ingredient that makes his stories get under your skin. Some of them gain respect as a separate entity sharing a title and some character names. Others are fun for the wrong reasons. However, few resonate with me as a former Constant Reader. So, with that grading curve in place, this first stab at the story looks even better every year.
A Return to Salem’s Lot (dir. Larry Cohen)
Where You Can Watch: VOD
Larry Cohen’s Salem’s Lot script getting rejected by Warner Brothers didn’t stop him from getting the last laugh. He went on to direct and co-write this forgotten sequel to Tobe Hooper’s miniseries. A Return To Salem’s Lot follows a dad and his troubled teen as they return to the father’s hometown only to discover it is now a vampire colony. Because these movies always pull the most random casts, Michael Moriarty and Tara Reid (in her first film) are along for the ride. Interestingly enough, critics at the time were not kind about this entry. To continue making it awkward, I have to point out that only one of the three people brave enough to submit reviews to Rotten Tomatoes liked it.
I vaguely remember watching this as a kid because I assumed it would follow Ben and Mark from the miniseries. I recall something that felt like a vampire PTA meeting, a couple of bad jokes, and vampires drinking cow blood. Obviously, I have never felt compelled to go back into A Return To Salem’s Lot. Although, I wonder if it’s as bad as I remember. If you ever wondered what happened to the town after our heroes left, you might want to dedicate some of your Saturday to this 1987 moment.
Salem’s Lot (2004) (dir. Mikael Salomon)
Where You Can Watch: Apple TV VOD
This more modern adaptation of Salem’s Lot is the hardest to find, so I willingly forked over four bucks when I saw it on Apple TV last month. This version is the most fun and chaotic iteration to air on TV. This two-part TNT Original knew it was a bad made-for-TV project that happened to have quality actors, and it embraced that energy. Nothing makes sense! When the women turn into vampires they rise with crimped hair like they are auditioning for Full House. This adaptation of Salem’s Lot also needs you to know that Ben (Rob Lowe) is a writer, so he over-narrates the movie and comes across as an author who likes the sound of his voice. What it lacks in scares, it makes up for in wild swings that miss almost every time. It is endearing in its quest to do whatever it thinks it is achieving.
This miniseries has titans Rutger Hauer as Barlow, Donald Sutherland as Straker, Andre Braugher as Matt Burke, and James Cromwell as Father Callahan. Sutherland is electric and gives his Straker a vibe that makes me wish he had so much more screen time. Seeing him get mean in his antique shop always makes my brain wonder what he would have done in a similar role in another Stephen King story, Needful Things. Braugher was always a sight to behold, and this was him in his pre-Brooklyn Nine-Nine peak dramatic era that many of us grew up watching. However, it was seeing Hauer dressed like Rex Manning rolling across a kitchen ceiling to kill Mark’s mom that caused me to leave my body. Salem’s Lot may never get the adaptation it deserves, but this one is the most rewatchable.
Castle Rock
Where You Can Watch: Hulu
Castle Rock was a tapestry of Stephen King stories woven together to give us a weekly dose of bad vibes and chills. The show only ran for two seasons but boasted a dream cast. What other anthology series has names like André Holland, Melanie Lynskey, Bill Skarsgård, Jane Levy, Sissy Spacek, and Lizzy Caplan attached? These 20 episodes go by too quickly, and I spend tons of time wondering where it might have gone in future seasons. While season one flirted with Salem’s Lot, season two asked the cursed town to define the relationship and refused to leave without an answer.
I was embarrassingly late to this psychological horror show that let so many of Stephen King’s characters play together. One of the most fun parts of this short-lived series was picking up the Easter Eggs from various novels and short stories. Because the series is set in Castle Rock, I didn’t expect too many Salem’s Lot locations. However, in the first season episode, “Past Perfect”, we get a glimpse of present-day Jerusalem’s Lot. Season two cranks it up several notches and even features the Marsten House. Seeing the evil home was like getting a call from an old friend.
Chapelwaite
Where You Can Watch: MGM+
This ten-episode series is based on Stephen King’s short story “Jerusalem’s Lot” and serves as a prequel to Salem’s Lot. It was set in the 1850s and followed Captain Boon as he moved his family to his family’s ancestral home. While it was originally renewed for a second season, that fell through in 2023 when it was abruptly canceled. The series starred Adrien Brody and Emily Hampshire and was one of the more popular shows on MGM+ before the juggernaut known as From arrived on the app. This show might be a fun watch for people who love period pieces. Or people who want to learn more about the cursed land important to the vampire-filled story we have gathered here to celebrate. Or it might simply be something to toss on because you have the app and need something to fill the time between episodes of From.
Midnight Mass (dir. Mike Flanagan)
Where You Can Watch: Netflix
Hear me out: Midnight Mass is the best adaptation of Salem’s Lot. I know I’m not the only one who thinks that, especially since series creator Mike Flanagan is the master of the Stephen King adaptation. Midnight Mass is also Flanagan’s most personal work to date as it deals not only with alcoholism but the guilt that comes from being an alcoholic, whether it be around one major event or several small ones. Flanagan uses that personal experience to craft an absolutely heart-breaking vampire story that’s bursting with love and also a lot of blood.
Like Salem’s Lot, Midnight Mass isn’t necessarily about one character. Instead, it’s about an entire town that’s full of kindness, guilt, love, and hatred. It’s complicated and messy, which makes the Netflix series feel all the more grounded—at least until the vampire element comes into play.
Bonus
Salem’s Lot (Radio Drama) (dir. Adrian Bean)
Where You Can Listen: Internet Archive
Do you want off the beaten path? Then this 1994 BBC radio drama might be a fun way to spend more time in Salem’s Lot. Gregory Evans wrote this audio adaptation. Evans sets the entire narrative up as Ben Mear’s confession to a priest who occasionally interrupts him with questions. Because this one is from 1994, it has an undeniable charm. I know it’s not for everyone, but I dig this version and am painfully aware it might be because I’m weird. Whatever the case, hearing the different actors and the sound effects sparks so much joy for me.
Let me know which is your favorite title inspired by or based on Salem’s Lot at @misssharai. You can also drop your rankings for the three films that bear the title because I’m nosey.
Categorized:Editorials Streaming Guides
