Salem's Lot on The Big (and Small) Screen

'Salem's Lot is one of Stephen King's most popular tales. First published in 1975, the novel tells the story of Jerusalem's Lot, Maine, a town with a very dark history. King also penned a pair of short stories set in the town, "Jerusalem's Lot" and "One For The Road," which were included in his 1978 short story collection, Night Shift. In the novel, an antiques dealer named Straker, and his partner, a mysterious man named Mr. Barlow, move into Salem's Lot, and suddenly people start dying (and coming back) in mysterious fashion. It turns out Barlow is a vampire, and he's been feeding on the residents of the town, thereby creating more vampires. 'Salem's Lot quickly became a bestseller, and the book has inspired three film adaptations, an unrelated sequel, and a prequel TV series. Here's a brief look at them. 

Salem's Lot (1978): If you're a horror fan of a certain age, you probably recall being frightened by this eerie two-part television version of the novel, directed by Tobe Hooper of Poltergeist fame. The cast for the mini-series includes David Soul, Bonnie Bedelia, James Mason, and Lance Kerwin, with Reggie Nalder as a very creepy Barlow. Thanks to the extra running time allowed by the format, it's a solid version of the novel. Screenwriter Paul Monash made a few changes to the overall story, but retains much of the novel's dark tone and scary moments. Hooper's direction is excellent, and this atmospheric mini-series still stands out as one of the better adaptations of King's work. There's also a shorter version of the film, running about two hours, with more explicit violence, which was made for European theatrical release. Here's a look at the trailer for this terrifying mini-series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f27iJTxhPX0.

 

A Return To Salem's Lot (1987): A theatrical release and in-name only sequel which stars Michael Moriarty as an anthropologist who visits the town of Salem's Lot with his son, and encounters a group of vampires. Directed and co-scripted by Larry Cohen, who's probably best known for It's Alive, Q and The Stuff. This so-so film has a more comedic tone than the films covered here, and is an original story that doesn't include any of the characters from the novel. The cast also includes Andrew Duggan and Ronee Blakely. Here's the trailer for the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImfWpDwE9sk.

Salem's Lot (2004): This two-part mini-series adaptation of the novel first aired on TNT, and stars Rob Lowe (who also co-starred in the mini-series version of King's The Stand), Samantha Mathis, Donald Sutherland, and Rutger Hauer. This mini-series, scripted by Peter Filardi and directed by Mikeal Solomon, updates the story to the 2000s, and while it's not quite as good as the 1978 version, it features solid performances by a good cast, and some scary moments. Here's the trailer for this 2004 mini-series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJLTggoINtM.

Chapelwaite (2021): A prequel to the original novel, this MGM+ cable series, set in the 1800s, stars Adrian Brody as Captain Charles Boone, who returns to Maine with his children following the death of his wife, and encounters some strange events, which seem to be supernatural in origin. The show is largely based on King's prequel story "Jerusalem's Lot." It's a well-produced, slow burn horror tale that is worth checking out if you're a fan of King's work. Here's the trailer for the series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO-722xS9hg.

Salem's Lot (2024): The latest version of King's novel, written and directed by Gary Dauberman, was originally produced for theatrical distribution, and was shot in 2021 and 2022. The release of the film was delayed several times, and it finally premiered on the MAX cable channel in October 2024. This adaptation of the book stars Lewis Pullman, Makenzie Leigh, William Sadler, Bill Camp, and Alfre Woodard. The film is well-acted and directed, and features a couple of neat twists on the story, but the two-hour running time makes things feel a bit rushed. There's really not as much time for development of the characters. Still worth checking out, and it's a great-looking film as well. Follow this link to view the trailer for the movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtVzKkv03ic.

Piunti's Latest Shines with Power Pop Brilliance

Nick Piunti is a maestro when it comes to crafting catchy, hook-laden songs that embrace the aura of classic power pop, while also providing a fresh take on the genre. He and his band, The Complicated Men, delighted and impressed fans with their last two remarkable full-length releases, Downtime and Heart Inside Your Head. Their latest album, Up and Out of It, is yet another exceptional collection of scintillating tunes that you'll without a doubt add to your list of power pop favorites. If you dig melodic, guitar-centric rock and roll, this fabulous record will definitely have you smiling from ear to ear.

Up and Out of It kicks off with the one-two punch of “Seasick" and “Bottle It,” a pair of fantastic tracks which are effervescent expressions of the band’s love for pop-infused rock, which is also evident on songs like “Get The Feeling” and “Rejection Letter.” There are also several excellent tracks on the album which offer a slightly different vibe, including the edgy “Above Water” and the reflective “Long Way Down.” These terrific tunes sound just as compelling as the group’s signature pop/rock tunes. As usual, Piunti composed the lion’s share of the songs on the record, but guitarist Joe Daksiewicz co-wrote the rocking  “I’m Ready” and the pop-tastic “Mind Reader,” both of which are highlights of the album.

Piunti's marvelous lead vocals and guitar are complimented by the superb work of The Complicated Men, whose all-star lineup consists of the aforementioned Daksiewicz on lead guitar, Jeff Hupp on bass, Kevin Darnall on keyboards and Ron Vensko on drums. The band obviously loves playing together, and their top-notch talents and undeniable chemistry are fully on display throughout the album. By the time you get to enjoying “Eyelids” and “On The Ropes,” the scintillating tracks which close out the record, you'll absolutely be reaching for that replay button so you can listen to this incredible record again.

The excellent songs on Up and Put of It amply display Piunti's growth as an artist and songwriter. He has found a way to evoke the classic power pop and modern rock sounds of the 80s while also creating earworm-laden tunes that sound fresh and original. These songs will absolutely get stuck in your head, and touch your heart. If you're already a fan, or even if you're new to Piunti and The Complicated Men, you owe it to yourself to check out this brilliant record. Up and Out of It will be released on JEM Records on Friday, October 18. For more info go to: https://jemrecordings.com/ and https://www.nickpiunti.com/. Here are links to "Bottle It" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gahDSxsfEP0 and “Get The Feeling” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PCsM0ih-fE.

"Alien: Romulus" Explores Familiar Territory

Not many cinematic franchises have taken the kind of wild stylistic swings throughout their existence as the Alien series. Starting with 1979's eponymous original, the films have shifted gears from visceral horror to action-oriented sci-fi and on to cyberpunk, and explored concepts like cloning and genetic experimentation, tossing in a bit of philosophical and religious discourse along the way. Acclaimed directors such as Ridley Scott, James Cameron, David Fincher and Jean-Pierre Jeunet have put their stamp on the series, some more successfully than others. Throughout all of its iterations, those menacing (and very agile) xenomorphs have loomed large in the center of the Alien universe. Alien: Romulus, the latest entry in the saga, takes a deep dive into the body horror and weird science angles of the franchise. The movie also features quite a few homages and callbacks to previous films in the series.

Directed and co-written by Fede Alvarez, Alien: Romulus tells the story of a young woman named Rain, who's stuck in a dead-end job on a mining colony. When the Weyland-Yutani Corporation (remember them?) unfairly extends her work contract, she gets involved with a group of co-workers who have hatched a plan to salvage cryogenic pods from a derelict ship in orbit around their planet. The idea is to use the pods to put themselves in cryo-sleep, and travel to a planet where they have a chance at a better life. Rain brings along her adopted brother Andy, who’s an android the group will need to interface with the ship's computer systems. There are just a couple of obstacles standing (or slithering) in their way.  The ship, whose orbit is decaying, turns out to be a space station, and it’s infested with some deadly (and very familiar) creatures. There's also an artificial crew-member aboard the station who clearly doesn't have the group's best interests in mind.

Alvarez proved with his Evil Dead remake and the offbeat thriller Don't Breathe that he knows how to build suspense and amp up the onscreen tension. He and co-writer Rodo Sayaguez have created a story that leans heavily into the body horror aspects of the series, and they do introduce a couple of cool ideas into the mythology. Alien: Romulus features several exciting set pieces, but there's a sense of deja vu to the movie, as some of these sequences echo things we’ve seen in earlier entries in the series. There’s also a CGI recreation of a character from the original film that some viewers may find distracting. On the plus side, the movie is undeniably well-crafted, and the cinematography, production design and the special effects (many of which were achieved in old school practical fashion) are quite impressive.

Cailee Spenny as Rain and David Jonsson as Andy are quite good, but the rest of the cast doesn’t get to make much of an impression in their roles before they’re killed by the aliens. Alien: Romulus is exciting and well-produced, and in addition to the visual callbacks to other films, the score by Benjamin Wallfisch does an excellent job of quoting some of the musical motifs from previous composers such as Jerry Goldsmith and James Horner. The movie, which takes place between the first and second films in the series, is worth checking out, though it doesn’t quite propel the saga as far forward into new territory as it could have. The next chapter of the Alien story will be Alien: Earth, a TV show from Noah Hawley, the guiding light of the Fargo TV series. Here’s the trailer for Alien: Romulus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzY2r2JXsDM.