News

Lewis Pullman, whose father is critically acclaimed actor Bill Pullman, has started to carve out his own path to Hollywood success. Pullman has showcased his acting range in various projects, from independent works to blockbuster mega-hits, and has developed his own unique acting style. His career is just starting to blossom, and while having a famous father in the industry doesn't hurt, Pullman's acting ability and dedication are what have brought him into starring roles.

He started his acting career back in 2013, acting in a series of short films before landing a role in the feature-length production, The Ballad of Lefty Brown. Since then, Pullman has racked up films, including a breakout performance in Bad Times at the El Royale and in the box-office smash hit Top Gun: Maverick, marking him as one of the best young actors of his generation. In every role he plays, he brings a commitment...

The highly anticipated adaptation of Stephen King's iconic horror novel, Salem's Lot, has finally landed on Max. Originally set for a theatrical release on September 9, 2022, the film was subjected to numerous delays due to Covid-related issues, which eventually led Warner Bros. to opt for an Ott release. The decision was also influenced by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, which affected distribution, but fans nonetheless remained eager to see how the latest horror adaptation would turn out. However, the film proved to be a letdown for those who read the novel or watched the previous adaptations of the franchise.

Certainly, a Salem's Lot film can never achieve what the original novel could, but the most recent adaptation falls short in many aspects, making it one of the weakest entries in the franchise. So, what exactly went wrong, and why is it considered a flawed take on Stephen King's renowned horror story?

3.5/5 Salem's Lot...

The following contains discussions of child abuse, sexual assault and animal cruelty that some readers might find disturbing.

The King of Horror doesn't sugarcoat his stories. Many of Stephen King's books include disturbing scenes. While some are well-justified for the purpose they serve in character building, others can feel random.

Kings books, often being very intense, include things from child orgies to animal cruelty. Film and television tend to have a different standard in terms of censorship than books, and what might be acceptable in a book may not be fit to view on screen.

Salem's Lot Has Abusive Parent Scenes That Might Upset Readers

Certain scenes are better left off of the big screen. This particular scene isn't in any of the Salem's Lot adaptations. The depiction of abusive parents can be very upsetting, and it's truly disturbing when such scenes involve an infant. While Salem's Lot is a book about vampires,...

Max has just launched 'Salem's Lot, an all-new adaptation of the original Stephen King story from 1975. Making the new vampire film was not without its challenges, particularly when it came to filming with real morgue equipment.

In an interview with Horror Geek Life, some of the stars of the new 'Salem's Lot addressed the authenticity of the props used for the morgue scene. Alfre Woodard (Dr. Cody) shared that she was creeped out by filming with genuine equipment which had previously been used by a real morgue. She also commented on how it was tough filming her vampire fight scene with such a strong co-star on a hard, wet floor.

Related Glen Powell's Reboot of Stephen King's The Running Man Sets Release Date

Paramount announces the official release date for Edgar Wright and Glen Powell's The Running Man remake.

"It was fun sometimes. It was painful physically sometimes,...

After two years of delays, Salem's Lot has landed an early Rotten Tomatoes score, but it's quite a mixed bag for the wait. The upcoming movie marks the third direct adaptation of Stephen King's 1975 novel, in which writer Ben Mears returns to his titular hometown in the hopes of landing on an idea for his next novel, only to learn that a nest of vampires has begun preying on the locals. Written and directed by The Conjuring Universe vet Gary Dauberman, the Salem's Lot cast is led by Thunderbolts*'s Lewis Pullman as Ben alongside Alfre Woodard, Makenzie Leigh, Bill Camp and Nicholas Crovetti, among others.

Following its world premiere at Beyond Fest on September 25, Salem's Lot has found a debut Rotten Tomatoes critical score based on 19 tabulated reviews. The latest adaptation of the iconic Stephen King novel is currently maintaining a 63% approval rating on the review aggregate, indicating...

Out of the many names of fictional small towns in Maine that Stephen King created, Jerusalem's Lot (shortened to Salem's Lot) might have the nicest ring to it. The subject of his acclaimed eponymous novel (and a pair of short stories published thereafter), the small town in Maine somehow becomes a tourist destination for a bloodthirsty vampire in his acclaimed book of the same name. The film industry seems to like the name as well, with the book being adapted multiple times, including a new film being released on Oct. 3.

While adaptations of Salem's Lot have been resigned to television with two miniseries, many of us thought that the latest adaptation would finally grace the big screen in theaters. Alas, the film is now relegated to streaming (on Max), but it's better than nothing. Written for the screen and directed by Gary Dauberman (Annabelle Comes Home), it's certainly got some...

At this moment, it's hard to disconnect the new Salem's Lot from its nearly two-year release delay, during which many feared the film would never, ahem, see the light of day. That's an unfortunate situation. On the one hand, it clearly didn't deserve to sit on the shelf for so long, caught up in the leadership change at Warner Bros. On the other, it doesn't quite live up to the expectations that inevitably built as Stephen King pressured the studio to release it.

Salem's Lot (2024)

Director Gary DaubermanRelease Date October 3, 2024Studio(s) Atomic Monster, Vertigo Entertainment, New Line CinemaDistributor(s) HBO MaxWriters Gary DaubermanCast Avery Bederman, Fedna Jacquet, Mike Bash, Rebecca Gibel, Kellan Rhude, Debra Christofferson, Jordan Preston Carter, Makenzie Leigh, Nicholas Crovetti, Cade Woodward, Alfre Woodard, Lewis Pullman, John Benjamin Hickey, William Sadler, Bill Camp, Spencer Treat Clark, Pilou AsbkRuntime 113 MinutesGenres Thriller, Horror

I hope, with time, it can exist on its own terms.

The past year — and even the events of the past week in this country has been a struggle for a lot of people. More specifically, the pandemic and Covid-19 has claimed the lives of over 360,000 people and there are thousands of families in mourning. They are grieving — and this includes children. The virtual release of Katrine Philp’s documentary, Beautiful Something Left Behind speaks to this exact topic.

Beautiful Something Left Behind was filmed long before the pandemic and debuted at SXSW in 2020 where it won Best Documentary Feature under the title An Elephant in the Room. The film from MTV Documentary Films is timeless as it puts a heartbreaking spotlight on the lives of several young children who have recently lost one or both parents.

The Good Grief community in New Jersey focuses on a holistic approach to mourning, where children can give in to rage in “the volcano...

In today’s film news roundup, Kristen Stewart’s “Happiest Season” gets backed, Sarah Hyland’s “The Wedding Season” is sold, “Apollo 11 – The Immersive Live Show” has a new cast and “Sleeping in Plastic” goes up for sale.

Rom-com Backing

Entertainment One will co-finance TriStar’s holiday-themed romantic comedy “Happiest Season,” starring Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis.

The rom-com centers on a young woman whose plan to propose to her girlfriend while at her family’s annual holiday party is upended when she discovers her partner has not yet come out to her conservative parents.

TriStar has set a U.S. release date of Nov. 20, 2020. EOne will handle distribution for the United Kingdom and Canada with TriStar Pictures distributing in all other territories.

“Happiest Season” is scheduled to begin production in January with Clea DuVall directing from a script she wrote with Mary Holland.

Acquisition

Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures has...

The men of Rosewood took matters into their own well-moisturized hands this week — but were they successful?

Apparently it was ‘accuse of everybody of stuff they probably didn’t do’ week on Pretty Little Liars, as Ashley (Laura Leighton) remained in prison on suspicion of Wilden’s murder — orange is so not the new black, unfortunately — and Mike (Cody Christian) essentially took the blame for going all Michael Jackson on that kid’s car. Fortunately, Ezra (Ian Harding) was able to come to one of their rescues! Spoiler alert: It wasn’t Ashley.

In his most casual t-shirt and flannel button-down, Ezra stood up to the fat school principal — I don’t know his name, Principal Fatty? — and got Mike off the hook. Mike celebrated by getting dinner at Sausage King, which I’m pretty sure was a reference to The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Remember that show?...

Beneath Contempt, written and directed by Benjamin Brewer, opens with a tragic car crash, then chronicles a slow, but engrossing, moral collision.

After staying out all night drinking and partying, Sean Beckett (Colin Janson) lights up his pipe for one last toke on the way home and ends up crashing his car, killing his three passengers, but leaving him alive. Flash forward four years later and Sean is released from prison with time off for good behavior.

Before the accident, we don’t know much about Sean. The film’s early scenes focus more on Mason Barnes (Mark Nimar), one of Sean’s victims. Mason is a nice, good kid who is comfortable having long talks with his mother. His last moments on Earth are spent happily in the backseat of Sean’s car, joking around with a girl.

Have You Seen This Movie?(Leave Your Own Review)

Post-prison, the film tracks two parallel storylines.

[1] Slamdance has officially announced the 2011 Feature Competition slate for the 17th Annual Slamdance Film Festival taking place January 21-27, 2011 in Park City, Utah. For those of you who don't know, the festival was founded in 1995 by filmmakers whose movies didn't get into Sundance, and has since become a yearly film festival spotlighting "emerging filmmaking talent and their new work." Slamdance touts that their festival is "programmed by filmmakers for filmmakers." While Sundance is still the big show in Park City, big filmmakers like Christopher Nolan (Memento), Marc Forster (Monster's Ball) and Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite) are often mentioned as Slamdance discoveries. Hit the jump to read the full press release which includes the full line-up for the 2011 Festival. For Immediate Release Slamdance Film Festival Announces 2011 Feature Film Competition “All Is Not Lost” for Filmmakers in Park City and Commercially Year-Round Los Angeles - December 7, 2010 – Slamdance today announced the 2011 Feature Competition...

The lineup for the 2011 Slamdance Film Festival has been announced. The festival runs concurrently with the Sundance Film Festival and usually has its own gems. Recent films that have played at Slamdance include The Slammin’ Salmon and Steven Soderbergh’s Spalding Gray documentary And Everything Is Going Fine. This year looks to have its share of interesting titles including Beneath Contempt, Snow On Tha Bluff, and the documentaries Fordson: Faith, Fasting, Football and Superheroes.

Hit the jump for the full line-up. The 2011 Slamdance Film Festival runs from January 21 – 27th.

Lineup via THR:

Narrative Competition (all films are from the U.S. unless otherwise noted)

Atrocious – directed by Fernando Barreda Luna. (Mexico, Spain) World Premiere, 75 min. Recorded evidence of the “Quintanilla Murder Investigation.” Cast: July Quintanilla, Cristian Quintanilla

Beneath Contempt – directed by Benjamin Brewer. World Premiere, 101 min. A young man returns to his hometown after serving a prison sentence for killing...

The Slamdance Film Festival wasn't that far behind The Sundance Film Festival in releasing their film line-up, and it's a compelling mix of titles. For those of you who don't know, Slamdance is another film festival that is going on at the exact same time, and in the exact same place as Sundance, and that's in Park City Ut, from January 21-28th. Slamdance focuses more on genre type indie films.

Check out the list below and tell us what you think! Do any of you plan on attending? I always try to catch a few of these films while up up in Park City.

Slamdance Film Festival Announces 2011 Feature Film Competition

"All Is Not Lost" for Filmmakers in Park City and Commercially Year-Round

Los Angeles - December 7, 2010 - Slamdance today announced the 2011 Feature Competition slate for the 17th Annual Slamdance Film Festival taking place January 21-27, 2011 in Park City,...

With the complete Sundance lineup now out in public you had to know that Slamdance couldn't be far behind. And it wasn't. The complete list of competition selections for Slamdance 2011 was announced today and it's a compelling mix of titles.

On the genre front Fernando Barreda Luna's found footage shocker Atrocious is the festival's one true horror entry while Simon Arthur's Silver Tongues also sounds like it could delve into dark thriller territory. Experimental effort The Beast Pageant is probably worth a look as well and I've been hearing growing buzz about inner city crime moc doc Snow On The Bluff as well.

On the real documentary side of things there are a couple music themed pieces - Road Dogs and Last Fast Ride - cranked up to 11. Stephan Wassman's Scrapper - the story of a group of men who collect scrap from a Us military bombing...

The Slamdance Film Festival which takes place each year in Utah at the same time as the Sundance Film Festival has just announced its program for the 2011 edition. The festival was founded in 1995 by Dan Mirvish, Jon Fitzgerald, Shane Kuhn and Peter Baxter and has since become a year-round organization championing emerging filmmaking talent and their new work. The aim is to provide what its supporters consider a truer representation of independent filmmaking).

The fest has earned a solid reputation for premiering films by first-time writers and directors working within the creative confines of limited budgets. Festival discoveries have included directors such as Christopher Nolan (Memento), Marc Forster (Monster’s Ball) and Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite).

The 17th annual fest will screen 10 narrative films and eight documentary features in competition from Jan. 21-27. Fourteen of the movies are world premieres. As part of this year’s festival theme — “All Is...