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Tarfumes.com - Return to Salem's Lot
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List Price: $14.98
Our Price: $24.50
Availability: N/A
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
Starring: Michael Moriarty, Ricky Addison Reed, Samuel Fuller, Andrew Duggan, Evelyn Keyes
Directed By: Larry Cohen
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786302814767
Format: Closed-captioned
ISBN: 6302814766
Label: Warner Home Video
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Warner Home Video
Release Date: 1993-12-13
Running Time: 100
Studio: Warner Home Video
Theatrical Release Date: 1987-05
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Editorial Reviews:
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A man returns to his small Maine hometown to find it overrun with vampires.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: A Satire on Horror Films
Comment: The credits list some actors who were well-known in the 1940s. This story is based on the Stephen King novel. Are some savages about to sacrifice a human? It's a cultural thing. There are gunshots to announce messengers with news from the States. [Is that Newark airport?] There is a funny scene at the used car lot! They arrive at the old house. "Thanks a lot Aunt Clara." The welcome wagon greets them. Then night falls. Teenagers learn to respect the residents. Children take care of the homeless. "Tell it to the judge." Is their welcome too good to be true? Where is Jeremy going?
They raise cows for milk and other products. Human blood can be infected with hepatitis, drugs, AIDS, etc. They want an anthropologist to record their society for the future. The children attend school at night. Kathy waited for Joey all these years. "Good Day, Dear." The people love their cows very much. An old geezer rolls up in his old jalopy asking for directions. Are those people the descendants of the "Speedwell"? [Those are Holstein cows (black and white), not Jersey cows (brown).] Has Jeremy developed a sensitivity to sunlight? There is a fight in the stream, and Joe is captured. The vampires are very wealthy, they've lived for 300 years and have grown wealthy from real estate. [What about taxes?] Is Van Meer looking for a Nazi? Van Meer knows how to cut out the red tape! Why did a Short Line bus stop at Salem's Lot? The townspeople entertain the tourists and travelers. Jeremy learns how to whittle to make a point. Is Kathy "one of them"?
So Van Meer and Joe Weber go about their task of saving humanity from the vampire menace of Salem's Lot. Shots are fired, they keep rolling up a body count. Will Van Meer step into a trap? His P-38 saves him, along with some Holy Water. Will fire consume the vampires? There is a showdown at the school. There are more gory effects in their escape. Many coffins burn. [Does the EPA approve?] Is there any safe place in town? Ever wonder why the flag poles of yesteryear have a spear point? The sun comes up and Van Meer and Joe and Jeremy leave. Now Jeremy has can write a winning essay on what he did on his summer vacation.
Aside from "Salem's Lot" there are echoes of "Night of the Living Dead", "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", and other films. This is one of the funniest horror films since "Love at First Bite". This is an entertaining fast-paced film but it won't be appreciated by everyone. There are shocking words in the beginning; they would be censored on broadcast TV. The story line is so crude is had to be done for comic effects. And it worked for me!
Customer Rating:
Summary: For the 80's B-Movie lover only.....
Comment: If your a fan of 80's B-Movies like myself, this one is a must-have in your collection. While this doesn't compare to the original Salem's Lot, there is still entertaining humor to be had in this one. Most will rate this film terrible, but as the title of my review goes, it's only for the campy B-Movie collector only. too bad it's not officially on DVD....
Customer Rating:
Summary: If you are looking for a high quality sequel, you may want to think about looking somewhere else
Comment: This is a slap in the face to the original and even to the remake with Rob Lowe, not to mention Stephen King.
They even have a picture on the cover of Barlow who died in the first one. The acting is terrible, the film sucks. That's right it sucks!! I wish they had a negative star, because this deserves -5 stars..
Customer Rating:
Summary: Spirited, High Energy, Overcomes Low Budget, Needs DVD
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Completely unlike the big budgeted original Salem's Lot (a 1979 TV movie), this movie has lots of spirit and spunk and is slightly campy at times. The action seldom slows down and there are enough plot twists to keep one interested. Director Cohen is a master of making credible low budget flicks (Black Caesar, Q) and having strong overall casts. The beautiful young woman who played actor Michael Moriarity's love interest just one example of this. The movie deserves to be on DVD!
Fifteen years after this movie's release it was still a prime time feature on the Sci-Fi channel.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Sequel in name only, but it has redeeming value.
Comment: 'A Return to Salem's Lot' was filmed and released many years after the original Tobe Hooper movie/mini-series, 'Salem's Lot', based upon Stephen King's original book. Unlike most King books, 'Salem's Lot' is one that you could imagine a full-length sequel to. To date, there never has been a sequel in print, aside from a short story in King's 'Night Shift.' However, it shared no common characters from the full-length book, so it was pointless. For this reason, it is easy to see the curiosity value and interest in a cinematic sequel. This Larry Cohen film stars Michael Moriarty, Samuel Fuller and Tara Reid. Moriarty is the main character, Joseph, a self-absorbed career man who has spent too many years ignoring his son. You'll find none of the stars from the original mini-series, though you shouldn't be surprised. Such is often the case with sequels, particularly in the horror genre. Writer Stephen King does not approve of this particular sequel in any shape or form. It only exists, in the first place, because somehow he signed a contract along the way allowing for sequel rights to 'Salem's Lot.'
With that said, 'A Return to Salem's Lot' has nothing to do whatsoever with the first movie. The story just happens to take place in Salem's Lot, but it could have realistically been any other small town in America, or abroad. There is no reference to the original film or any of its characters. This is good, though, in that somebody has no need to watch the original 'Salem's Lot' to understand this sequel.
In some ways, this movie is a slap in the face to the original. Here, the origin of the vampires is briefly explained during a schoolhouse scene. It is suggested these vampires came over on a ship that was thought to have sunk, around the same time as the Mayflower. A purist of King's book or the 'Salem's Lot' movie may find their stomach turning right about here, if it wasn't already before. It is also explained that these vampires (led by Judge Axel) have inhabited the town of Salem's Lot for hundreds of years. This is in contrast to the original movie where an outsider invades Salem's Lot, proceeding to slowly feed on the town and gradually build an army of the undead.
In other ways, this has some stark similarities to the original. Like Ben Mears from 'Salem's Lot', Joseph is also a successful professional in his field who returns to Salem's Lot, a town he has not visited since his childhood. You will also notice there are humans (called "drones") who protect the head vampire, Judge Axel, in 'A Return to Salem's Lot'. They are active in town during the day and play a role similar to Richard Straker who protected the head vampire, Barlow, of the original story. The boy in this sequel, Jeremy, nearly mirrors the role of Mark Petrie from 'Salem's Lot.' At the risk of spoiling the ending, the fate of the vampires in this film also matches that of the first movie and the book it was based on.
The storyline is standard b-film fare, with Joseph, and his son Jeremy, being protected by the vampires of Salem's Lot long enough for Joseph to write a chronicle (bible) documenting their existence. Over time, the two get drawn closer into the circle of vampires which prompts them to attempt an escape. One thing leads to another and Joseph angers Judge Axel. What follows is a race to destroy the vampires, as it is the only chance they have to leave Salem's Lot alive. There are very few twists or surprises in 'A Return to Salem's Lot', making it a predictable movie. While numerous humans are killed during this movie, you don't actually see anyone who is killed return as a vampire. This is never explained. Meanwhile, in 'Salem's Lot' several characters died and later came back as vampires.
There are still some nice touches here that would have been appreciated in the original. The town of Salem's Lot appears to be far more isolated in 'A Return to Salem's Lot', almost like a long-lost town. The music is very well done, with a mesmerizing title theme which plays during the opening and closing credits. You will also find that the demise of the key vampires here, such as the son Jeremy's love interest (Tara Reid), is much sadder than the original 'Salem's Lot.'
Viewers mistakenly refer to this as a stab at comedy, which isn't entirely accurate. It is more campy or quirky than laugh out loud funny. Moments like the vampires sucking blood from cows or Judge Axel's undead wife explaining to Joseph how life as a vampire leads to financial security are cringe-worthy, but won't be taken by everyone as funny. The directing is steady and the acting isn't top-notch, but the characters and script are strong enought to carry the movie. There isn't anything mind-blowing or spectacular, but nothing in this movie falls flat, either.
I wouldn't ever recommend 'A Return to Salem's Lot' for a devoted fan of the movie, 'Salem's Lot.' Most of them who saw this will tell you they hate it. However, fans of vampire films like 'Graveyard Shift', or Larry Cohen's other work, might appreciate this a little more. I will openly say that 'A Return to Salem's Lot' would be more fondly remembered if it had a different title and didn't rely on the Salem's Lot moniker. It stands very well on its own. However, I also imagine far fewer people would have been aware of its existence.
You'll notice this is only available for VHS, a stark surprise given the number of years since its release. It is more than a minor oversight that this film, which has its own charm, has never seen release on dvd. Someday, you'll likely see it get a limited release in a budget priced line, perhaps to capitalize on the involvement of a young Tara Reid. 'A Return to Salem's Lot' also has the potential to be lumped into a two or three dvd package of other Michael Moriarty and/or Larry Cohen movies.
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