Stephen King’s 1975 novel, Salem’s Lot, was adapted into a two-part miniseries of the same name in 1979. The positively received series won over the audience, but Quentin Tarantino was among those who were unimpressed. The Pulp fiction director described the film as a dull watch and he revealed that he was unable to sit through the entire movie.
Warner Bros. acquired the movie rights from King. Due to the length of the novel, the producers believed it would work better as a two-part television series. Paul Monash worked on the screenplay, striving to maintain King’s core horror elements while changing some details.
Quentin Tarantino Was Disappointed With Salem’s Lot
Salem’s Lot released in 1979 was one of the earliest book-to-screen adaptations of Stephen King’s 1975 novel. The film was directed by slasher film fame Tobe Hooper, who is renowned for films like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Eaten Alive, and The Fun House. The film gained a cult following and influenced many hit films and series in the vampire genre.
However, the miniseries left some viewers feeling that it had lost its way in translating the book. Critics believed the movie lacked the memorable impact of King’s novel. For many, the film felt like a throwback to the Gothic horror and fantasy films from the 1960s Hammer era. Quentin Tarantino was among the film’s critics, deeming it stretched-out and dull.
The Hateful Eight director released a non-fiction book Cinema Speculation in 2022 where he delivered his verdict on Salem’s Lot. The book was a commentary on some of the ‘70s American films that influenced the film industry, where Tarantino dedicated a section to Tobe Hooper. Tarantino even added that he couldn’t bring himself to finish watching the film on his second attempt. The Django Unchained director wrote in his book:
“When I finally saw it, I was prepared for something great. And man was I disappointed. To me, it just seemed like a stretched-out TV movie done in a very TV-style (and I like TV movies)…I tried to watch it again a couple of years ago and it was just too dull. I turned it off after about twenty-five minutes.”
Hooper himself admitted that the film was a lot different from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and clarified that a television project had its limitations when depicting horror and violence.
Salem’s Lot Inspired Many Horror Films And Series That Followed
The film’s success led to a theatrical sequel, A Return to Salem’s Lot, directed by Larry Cohen. While Salem’s Lot failed to impress Quentin Tarantino, it served as an inspiration for director Joss Whedon‘s hit TV series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Certain sequences from the film influenced other creators as well. Bryan Fuller, the writer of the Hannibal series, drew inspiration from Salem’s Lot for a scene featuring a character impaled by deer antlers.
Audiences familiar with Netflix’s hit miniseries, Midnight Mass, may draw connections between both projects. A theatrical film adaptation of the novel was announced in 2019, with It fame Gary Dauberman directing the film. However, there have been no further updates on the project since its initial announcement.
Salem’s Lot is now available for rent on AppleTV+. Cinema Speculation is now available for purchase on Amazon.
