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Studio: Arrow Video
Release Date: 3/31/2026
Rating: NR
Film Grade: C+
The Story: Author Ben Mears returns to his hometown of Salem’s Lot to start his next book. Memories of a sinister house have continued to haunt him, pushing him to investigate just what evil might lurk inside its foreboding walls. Reaching town, he stops by a local real estate office only to find that the house isn’t for sale, but there is a boarding house where he can stay while writing his next book. There are secrets in the sleepy little burg which are about to be uncovered.
My Take: Somehow, I missed this mini-series when it was shown on TV. It was up against The Love Boat and Fantasy Island, so my mom may have picked those instead, or I may have been out doing stuff with friends. We didn’t have the luxury of a VCR, so it was a big disappointment to hear my classmates talk it up days later. I kept an eye out for it in reruns, but never managed to catch it if it was ever rebroadcast.
It took almost 50 years, but I was finally able to watch it, and thanks to Arrow, in the best quality possible. The vampire’s Nosferatu-inspired image had long been spoiled, eliminating some of the mystery behind the story. That said, there’s a lot more to this production than a simple vampire tale. The first half start slowly as we’re introduced to a boatload of characters that populate the town. Each is given a remarkable amount of focus, one might even argue too much, in that the pace slows down every time the story shifts away from Ben. The good news is that the mini-series had an absolutely amazing cast.
The screenplay was written by prolific TV scripter Paul Monash, best known for his work on the primetime soap opera, Peyton Place. His background is put to good work on establishing the many melodramatic stories for the assorted characters. Handling the directing chores was Tobe Hooper, who had gained fame from catching audiences off guard with the notorious Texas Chainsaw Massacre, released five years earlier. While he may have seemed like an odd choice for a TV production, most of the violence in Chainsaw happens offscreen, with the viewer’s imagination filling in the gaps. In that way, he was the perfect choice for this project, and did a fine job with directing the extensive cast.
David Soul, yes, Hutch himself, starred as Ben Mears. Audiences may have expected to see a clone of his police detective character, but he’s far different in this role. Sharp in mind and quick witted, he makes a convincing author as opposed to an action-oriented cop. His playfulness with others sticks out, but he can easily shift to a serious demeanor as he begins to dig below the surface of the town. We also get the incomparable James Mason as the aloof and sophisticated Mr. Straker, who has recently moved into the old Marsten House where he lives with his unseen business partner, a Mr. Barlow. The two are about to open an antiques shop filled with carefully procured items from across the globe. Mason adds a definite touch of class and understated menace to the production, elevating it far beyond movie-of-the-week territory and into something remarkable.
Others of note are Bonnie Bedilia, as schoolteacher Susan Norton, adding an element of romance for Ben. She’s the embodiment of a modern 70s woman, living life on her own terms; someone that Ben can easily connect with. And we have Lance Kerwin, best known for James at 15 (later 16), playing the young horror enthusiast, Mark Petrie. He was the perfect stand in for all of us teenaged fans of the macabre, with a room full of monster masks, Aurora model sets, classic movie posters, magic tricks, and a modified ventriloquist’s dummy. Making him one of the main characters was a stroke of genius.
Beyond those actors, there are appearances by Elisha Cook Jr., Ed Flanders, Geoffrey Lewis, George Dzundza, Kenneth McMillan, Lew Ayres, and comic actor Fred Willard in a completely deadpan role of a real estate agent, and many others. Most of these faces will be familiar to movie and TV fans, and each adds a memorable role to the cast of characters.
The production itself featured some major achievements. The imposing Marsten House façade was built off site and transported to the filming location, assembled around an existing actual house. The result is stunning, positioning the overbearing structure on the perfect lot to overlook the town, appearing as though it had been there for centuries. The makeup effects were convincing and downright chilling for TV at the time. With nightmarish dental appliances and custom contact lenses, the undead creatures appear in limbo, somewhere between vampires and zombies, a trait carried forth by a recent blockbuster film.
The set designs are decidedly mixed. While some are adequate (a hospital interior, various households, a school stage) others are lackluster. Mark’s room has plenty of the right props, but the space appears huge with a wide wall expanse, large desk, and bed but with an abundance of room to walk around. The result is that it looks sparce, when it actually should have felt almost claustrophobic, crammed with all that treasured memorabilia. The highlight is the interior of the Marsten House. A gigantic entryway makes one feel like they’ve entered an isolated, dilapidated void cut off from the outside world, vast and confining at the same time. It may be the most reflective of Hooper’s work on Chainsaw, leaving a palpable feeling of uncomfortable anxiety every moment we spend there.
By the time the movie gets there, it has partially run out of gas. Perhaps this is where it would be best played out over two nights, rather than in one sitting as I had viewed it (both options are on the disc). All of the individual side stories have come together or concluded, but we have a solid idea of where things are headed once we step foot inside that oppressive structure, which leads one to wonder what took so long to get there.
There is an edited movie version included with this set that cuts it down to just 110 minutes from the mini-series runtime of 183 minutes. It drops many of the secondary characters’ backstories, as well as the impactful opening and closing bookends, leaving it choppy and disjointed. While the broadcast version has some scenes that went on too long, the secondary version just leaves out important chunks of the story. I can’t recommend the shortened copy for anything other than a curiosity piece, although the commentary by Chris Alexander is definitely worth listening to for his perspective.
Visuals: Shot on 35mm film and presented in the original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, there’s a surprising amount of grain in outdoor scenes, which is unexpected considering how much daylight there was to work with. That’s not a bad thing, as I’d rather see the grain than a wax-like appearance. It’s not something that would have been noticed by TV viewers at the time. In contrast, indoor shots are surprisingly clear, if a bit hazy in some instances. There are good black levels, skin tones look natural, well, except for the undead. The colors are mostly muted, in line with the time period and perfectly fitting for the subject matter.
Audio: Both discs feature the original mono soundtrack. I didn’t find that it needed to be expanded, as the single point source drew more attention to the movie, but one can’t help but wonder how extra channels might have been used. All of the dialog is easy to understand, although it did seem odd that of all the actors, Geoffrey Lewis was the only one featuring a strong New England accent, making him feel almost out of place. That’s an actor/director decision however, and not reflective of the production itself. There are a few obvious instances of foley and ADR work that drew attention to themselves but were easy enough to dismiss.
Then there’s the musical score by Harry Sukman, which ended up being his final work. Loud and brash in places, there are occasional moments of sweeping romantic tenderness. It’s a throwback to the classic film scores of old, with full horns, strings, and pulse pounding percussion. At times I was reminded of the Dark Shadows TV show, with an alluring, dreamy, and mysterious melody that lingers in one’s mind. I loved absolutely every moment of it, only disappointed by the CD being out of print, but I’ll keep looking for it. It’s a must have for a horror music lover.
Special Features: Arrow is known for packing in extras, and this one features an overabundance. I loved and appreciated the archival commentary by Tobe Hooper. While there are some stretches of silence, the anecdotes and natural delivery make you feel like you’re watching the story with him sitting in the same room. He’s extremely commentary of the cast and production crew, which is always good to hear. As mentioned earlier, Chris Alexander’s thoughts are also worth listening to. The other commentaries range from mildly insightful to those drawing thematic conclusions that stretch credibility. Of special mention is the 100(!) page insert that contains a cornucopia of interviews and articles that are the perfect primer for newbies or a packed reminiscence for old fans. Some opinions I agree with and others feel off track, but they all offer additional food for thought.
4K ULTRA HD LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
- Brand new 4K restorations of both the original two-part miniseries and the shorter theatrical cut distributed internationally
- 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentations in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of both versions of the film
- Original lossless mono audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Reversible sleeve featuring two original artwork options
- Collectors' perfect-bound booklet containing new writing on the film by critics Sean Abley, Sorcha Ni Fhlainn, and Richard Kadrey, plus select archival material including interviews with director Tobe Hooper, and stars Lance Kerwin and Julie Cobb
- Salem's Lot town sign sticker
- Double-sided foldout poster featuring two original artwork options
DISC 1 - ORIGINAL TV MINI-SERIES VERSION
- Two viewing modes: Play as miniseries in two parts as per the original broadcast or as extended movie
- Brand new audio commentary by film critics Bill Ackerman and Amanda Reyes
- Archive audio commentary by director Tobe Hooper
- Alternate TV footage: commercial bumpers and original broadcast version of the antlers death
- Original shooting script gallery
DISC 2 - THEATRICAL VERSION & EXTRAS
- Brand new audio commentary by film critic Chris Alexander
- King of the Vampires, a new interview with Stephen King biographer Douglas Winter
- Second Coming, a new appreciation by author and critic Grady Hendrix
- New England Nosferatu, a new interview with filmmaker Mick Garris
- Fear Lives Here, a new featurette looking at the locations of Salem's Lot today
- We Can All Be Heroes, a new featurette with film critic Heather Wixson, co-author of In Search of Darkness
- A Gold Standard for Small Screen Screams, a new featurette with film critics Joe Lipsett and Trace Thurman, co-hosts of the podcast Horror Queers
- Trailer
- Image gallery
Final Verdict: I haven’t read the original novel or watched the subsequent sequel, 2004 mini-series, or the 2024 film that was shown on MAX, so my comments are only based on what was on these discs.
I regret that the 15-year-old me missed the chance to watch this when it originally aired; it would have gotten a solid A. Viewing it almost five decades later and with the additional perspective that comes from those years, I see flaws that my younger self would have easily overlooked. The TV film would have filled a void from that time. There’s still a lot to recommend here, with solid performances, good makeup, an impressive ending set, and thrilling score. And the movie has influenced and inspired subsequent productions; I was startled by how many match up with the 1985 classic Fright Night.
At the same time, the pacing drags in spots, which I’ll attribute to the need to fill a specific time slot over two nights. The heavily edited movie removes far too much to remain cohesive. I’d say there’s probably a version around two and a half hours that would tighten things up without cutting out key elements. Lacking that, the full mini-series is the one to watch.
Fans will want to snap this up, knowing that they’re getting the best representation available. All of the extras included with the set just increase its value.
Intriguing Dialog: “The Marsten House for instance? Can it be evil in its stone foundations, in its wooden beams, in the glass of its windows, in the plaster of its ceilings, evil?”
https://youtu.be/3Xf1h5lPzM0
This review was written by a human without the use of AI.
My Review System:
JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
Elite Screens Sable Frame B2 117” Width with Infinitely Variable Height
Monolith by Monoprice HTP-1 16 Channel Processor with Dirac Live
Monolith by Monoprice 7x200 Watts Amp
Monolith by Monoprice 3x200 Watts + 6x100 Watts Amp
JBL Studio 590 for Left, Center, Right, Wides, and Rears
JBL Studio 580 for Side Surrounds
JBL Studio SCS 8 for Tops
JTR Captivator 1400 Subwoofer X 4
Panasonic DP-UB420 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
NVIDIA Shield Android TV - 4K
Xbox One X
HTPC Running madVR (work in progress)
Remote: URC MX-780
Mini DSP 2X4 HD controlling all subwoofers
APC S15 Power Conditioner with Battery Backup