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Okay, so Salem’s had it’s moments –
and had a good make-up artist on hand – but The Shining?
Entertaining sure, but essentially only related to the book
via name.
A couple of years back The Shining was remade as a
mini-series. No offence to the visionary late Stanley Kubrick,
but he clearly didn’t understand King’s book –
the guys behind the redo did. It lacked the maniacal presence
of Jack Nicholson, but the screenplay was more of a headline
act anyway – and unlike that maze-y original, it captivated
us.
Now Salem’s Lot gets the mini-series redo treatment.
And you know what? You’ll actually want to sit through
this one. Next to the original, it’s a ripper.
The always dependable Rob Lowe stars as Ben Mears, a young
writer who returns to his hometown of Jerusalem’s Lot
– the ‘Jeru’ is missing from the town sign,
leaving only the words ‘Salems’ – to pen a
book. As if he didn’t think some of the locals were weird
enough – part of the reason for returning to pen the
book – he starts to suspect that the town’s new
antique dealer (Donald Sutherland) might have something to
do with the sudden disappearance of a couple of folks.
And he’d be right – the Santa Claus-looking merchant
and his imperceptible partner (Rutger ‘Can you say typecast?’
Hauer) are robbing the populace for their vampiric needs.
In addition to the strong cast, the filmmakers haved paced
the film fittingly – using half the film to introduce
us to the populace, then strip them away and get the human
vs. vampire bout happening in the second half. And although
the special effects budget is perceptibly low, some of those
cheapish effects are actually quite effective.
There are a few problems with the show. The plot holes
are substantial and forthcoming (Vampire’s can’t
enter your house without being asked, though Hauer’s
character can smash right through the kitchen of anyone’s
abode?), there’s some noticeable goofs (car steering
well on right-hand side, then the left-hand side, then the
right-hand side), and Australian viewers might be a little
put off by some of the local performances in the film.
Robert Grubb (SeaChange) has a good stab at an American accent
and Rebecca Gibney too, for the most part, but a few of the
local actors in there don’t even seem to be trying. Their
accents sway between Ocker Aussie and American at the best
of times. Most of the Aussies look quite at ease in the film,
there’s just a few that seem to struggle – forgetting
they’re not in a local Aussie soap, but a fluffy U.S.
horror picture.
But it’s something you overlook once the story kicks
in.
Salem’s Lot isn’t quite as good as The
Shining mini-series, but it is good. And like the latter,
the best news is that it's better than the original.
DVD Extras
No extras to sink your teeth into, unfortunately.
Conclusion: Movie 70% Extras: 0%
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