Some say this is the scariest made for T.V. movie ever, which is saying a lot considering how many Steven King movies alone have been adapted for television. At 183 minutes long this is not for the casual viewing, There is a lot of time invested in plot and character development. The question is... is all that time worth it? Are the rumors of this being the scariest T.V. movie ever made true? Salem's Lot was directed by Tobe Hooper after Texas Chainsaw Massacre but before Poltergeist, right in that period of coming up and perfecting his craft as he goes. There s an abundance of tension and effective jump scares. This may be my first example of a real jump scare where Barlow shows up for a jump scare but he is the scare, it is not just a fake out the jump scare is the scare. For being a little goofy looking the main vampire Barlow has a uniquely monstrous look. The three hours this film spans goes by fast. This is an easy 8.5 of 10, It has all the atmosphere and mood to engulf you in it's expansive story. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a spooky movie with the caveat being the length of run time.
