Salem's Lot (2004 TV miniseries)

Salem's Lot
Directed by	Mikael Salomon
Produced by	Jeffrey M. Hayes Brett Popplewell Marc van Buuren Mark Wolper
Written by	Novel: Stephen King Teleplay: Peter Filardi
Starring	Rob Lowe Andre Braugher Donald Sutherland Samantha Mathis Robert Mammone Dan Byrd with Rutger Hauer and James Cromwell
Distributed by	Warner Bros. TNT
Release date(s)	June 20, 2004
Running time	181 min.
Language	English

Salem's Lot is a 2004 American television mini-series which first aired on TNT from June 20 to June 21, 2004. It is the second television adaptation of Stephen King's 1975 vampire novel of the same name (the first version was made in 1979), though this version updates the story to take place in modern times rather than the 1970s.

Though the story is set in a small Maine town, the mini-series was shot on location at Creswick and Woodend, in Central Victoria, Australia.

Cast

Main

• Rob Lowe as Ben Mears
• Andre Braugher as Matt Burke
• Donald Sutherland as Richard Straker
• Samantha Mathis as Susan Norton
• Rutger Hauer as Kurt Barlow
• James Cromwell as Father Callahan

Supporting

• Robert Mammone as Dr. Jimmy Cody
• Dan Byrd as Mark Petrie
• Andy Anderson as Charlie Rhodes
• Robert Grubb as Larry Crockett
• Steven Vidler as Sheriff Parkins
• Brendan Cowell as Dud Rogers
• Christopher Morris as Mike Ryerson
• Todd MacDonald as Floyd Tibbits
• Paul Ashcroft as Royce McDougall
• André De Vanny as Danny Glick
• Bree Desborough as Sandy McDougall
• Elizabeth Alexander as Ann Norton
• Julia Blake as Eva Prunier
• Martin Vaughan as Ed "Weasel" Craig

King casting connections

Samantha Mathis, Christopher Morris and Martin Vaughan also appeared in Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King, written by Peter Filardi.

Rob Lowe played Nick Andros in the TV adaptation of Stephen King's The Stand.

Andre Braugher appeared as Brent Norton in the film adaptation of Stephen King's The Mist.

James Cromwell played Warden Hal Moores in The Green Mile.

Plot

The story opens with Ben Mears (Rob Lowe) attacking the priest, Donald Callahan (James Cromwell) in a homeless shelter. They fall together from a high window into the street. In the hospital, Ben Mears tells his story and the reasons behind his fight with the priest. This takes the form of a flashback in which the miniseries' central plot unfolds.

In the flashback, Ben is a successful writer. He returns to his hometown, Jerusalem's Lot (also known as 'Salem's Lot), intending to write a novel while he deals with the demons of his past. He tells Susan Norton (a waitress and former art student whom he has befriended), that as a child he accepted a dare to enter the house of Hubie Marsden. Local legend said that there was something wrong with the house and/or its owner, suggesting that he tortured and murdered children. That night in the house, Ben overheard something horrible — including Hubie begging for his life before committing suicide. Ben believes that he also heard Hubie Marsden's last victim crying for help, but Ben was too afraid to find or help him and fled. Ben plans to rent and investigate the house to bring catharsis to himself and to gather material for his novel, but he discovers that the owner, Larry Crockett (Grubb), has sold it to a pair of antique dealers, Richard Straker (Donald Sutherland) and Kurt Barlow (Rutger Hauer).

Shortly thereafter, the dark secrets of the town's residents begin to emerge. Crockett is sexually abusing his daughter Ruthie (McNamee). When she spends time with a cripple named Dud (Cowell) whom Crockett employs, Crockett fires him. Evie (Blake), who runs the boarding house where Ben stays, played evil games with Hughie Marsden when they were teenagers. The school bus driver is a bully who loves to torment the children he transports, forcing those he doesn't like to walk home. These painful revelations increase in frequency and magnitude up until the arrival of the mysterious Barlow. Barlow, a master vampire, is influencing some of these occurrences as a prelude to "recruiting" more vampires to serve him. A child vanishes, and his brother then sickens and dies. Laborer Mike Ryerson (Morris) buries the boy, then also gets sick and dies. He returns from the grave (complete with autopsy scars) to tempt high school teacher Matt Burke (Andre Braugher), who is rescued but suffers a heart attack. Ben is persuaded by the mounting evidence that the town is plagued by vampirism. He and his allies, Dr. Cody (Robert Mammone), Father Callahan and Mark Petrie (Byrd) begin acting as vampire hunters, although they balk upon finding that Susan Norton has become a victim. Ben insists upon targeting Barlow in the hopes that Barlow's victims might be restored upon his destruction.

The characters face their own psychological demons as the physical demons surround them. Father Callahan, trying to confront Barlow by himself, finds his faith is not strong enough. Callahan is forced to drink Barlow's blood, turning Callahan into Barlow's servant. Larry Crockett, who invited the vampire into town, sees his daughter willingly join the vampiric Dud in the night. Most of all, Ben still wrestles with his own guilt and personal failures.

Cody and Burke are killed. Mark Petrie and Ben manage to destroy Barlow, but not before he taunts Ben. Barlow likens Ben to himself, describing him as another parasite who preys on the tragedies of others.

Ben's hypothesis is disproven: though Barlow is destroyed, Susan is still a vampire. She tells him that the boy he failed to rescue all those years ago was already dead when Marsden died, and Ben was never to blame. When Susan turns to attack Mark, Ben is forced to destroy her.

Ben concludes his flashback. The nurse is deeply moved and frightened by the story. He realizes Ben wasn't acting alone. When he leaves to assist with Father Callahan (who has died), Mark slips into Ben's room to tell him it is over. The Nurse sees Mark, realizes what has happened, but lets him go.

In his hospital room, Ben passes away, feeling at peace.

External links

• 'Salem's Lot at the Internet Movie Database
• 'Salem's Lot at RottenTomatoes.com
• Online Review of the DVD with screencaps
• Official Website
• Another review with pictures

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