Salem's Lot

This disappointing 2004 remake of Tobe Hooper's 1979 television miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's bestselling novel stars Rob Lowe as the journalist who returns to his hometown, Jerusalem's Lot, only to discover an infiltration of vampires. Long before the production starts to feel remotely scary, however, viewers are forced to suffer through a script that is frontloaded with a lot of psychological subtext and thick exposition (the idea apparently was to turn a perfectly straightforward horror chiller into a satisfyingly brainy experience), making it a rather tough slog, despite occasionally spooky touches worked in by director Mikael Salomon, an earnest performance by Lowe, and good character turns from Donald Sutherland and Rutger Hauer. The original (featuring David Soul) was no classic, but it's better than this one, which is presented on an extra-less discs. Not recommended. (T. Keogh)