Rating: 3.5/5
Hooptober 9.0 | 31/34 | Tobe Hooper
Salem’s Lot, Maine
Ben Mears returns to his hometown to write a story about the Marsten House, a creepy house on the hill that he always felt was inherently evil. He has a childhood memory of breaking into and seeing the ghost of Hubie Marsten.
Ben tries to rent the house but learns that Richard Straker has already bought it. Straker intends to open an antique shop with his business partner, Kurt Barlow.
Ben stays at a boarding house instead and meets Susan Norton. The two hit it off, though Susan seems to have a past. He also connects with an old teacher who helped foster his writing path.
One night, two men deliver a large crate to the Marsten House. The crate spooks one of them for how cold it feels and how it seems to move without them.
Soon, folks disappear, and Ben is the primary suspect: he and Mr. Straker.
The floating effect looks pretty cool! And the makeup/glowing eye combo is creepy as hell.
I also like the revelation of Kurt Barlow — the Nosferatu angle works for me.
The pacing is slow as we wait for the leads to catch up. The finale suffers from the commercial breaks. By the end, the movie makes rules and obstacles to fill the time. Still, it has its moments.
Tobe Hooper proves his versatility by making a horror movie that is television-friendly. He chases a claustrophobic atmosphere over overt violence and horror. It doesn’t always land, but there are captivating scenes throughout.
Where can one find those small crucifixes?