Stephen King’s iconic 1975 foray into vampire lore received a makeover with 2024’s ‘Salem’s Lot, as did the narrative’s main antagonist, the purely evil vampire Kurt Barlow. The original novel is widely considered to be one of King’s scariest stories, and it has acted as a foundational building block for the rest of his interconnected literary universe.Barlow is played by Alexander Ward in ‘Salem’s Lot, and his incarnation sticks closely to the version seen in Tobe Hooper’s 1979 miniseries.
The ending of ‘Salem’s Lotin 2024 is vastly different from the 1979 version, and more different still than King’s original novel. Both versions of ‘Salem’s Lotmake changes from the book, but none is more significant than their changes to the appearance of Kurt Barlow. Most of the vampires in ‘Salem’s Lothave the typical vampire characteristics and tropes, including long fangs, glowing eyes, flight, and needing to be invited inside. Barlow, on the other hand, looks completely different from the other vampires, and doesn’t operate under the same rules.
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Kurt Barlow Is A Far More Ancient Vampire Than The Others In ‘Salem’s Lot
Barlow Is A Completely Different Type Of Creature From The Vampires He Creates
In both the 1979 and 2024 versions of’Salem’s Lot, Kurt Barlow’s appearance is reminiscent of Max Schreck’s Count Orlok from 1922’sNosferatu.He has a pale countenance, long, razor-sharp fangs, a completely bald head, and glowing yellow eyes in both versions, although the 1979 Barlow has two overly long incisors as opposed to the 2024 Barlow’s more even mouthful. This appearance is vastly different fromthe vampires that he creates in the town of Jerusalem’s Lot, most of whom maintain their normal human appearance but add glowing eyes and fangs.
Gary Dauberman’s ‘Salem’s Lotremake was originally intended to hit theaters in 2022 before being delayed, and then removed from the release calendar completely. It took lobbying from Stephen King himself and a few other factors to get the movie released direct-to-streaming on Max.
The reason that Barlow looks so different in the 2024 movie is related to his age. Barlow is capable of hibernating for hundreds of years, and by the events of ‘Salem’s Lothe is literally ancient. He is centuries removed from whatever humanity he might have once possessed, and so the vampiric traits are far more exaggerated in him versus “new” vampires. It’s implied that Barlow might actually just be an original vampire, and never evolved into one from a human, making him a completely different kind of creature from the other vampires of ‘Salem’s Lot.
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Barlow Is Among The Most Powerful Vampires In King’s Connected Universe
‘Salem’s Lotis not the only novel in which vampires appear in Stephen King’s connected literary universe. His magnum opus series,The Dark Tower, reveals much more background about vampires and other evil servants of The Crimson King, Stephen King’s overarching antagonist. Father Callahan from’Salem’s Lotreappears in the fifth book inThe Dark Towerseries, The Wolves of the Calla, and as part of a flashback to his past reveals that he learned of three different kinds, or “types” of vampires.
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Father Callahan reveals that Kurt Barlow is a “Type One” vampire, the strongest of all vampires. As a Type One vampire, Barlow has a remarkably long lifespan, super strength and speed, and can even overcome religious objects should the faith of their bearer falter. In the novel, Barlow, as a Type One vampire, appears human, except for long fangs and occasionally glowing eyes. Tobe Hooper opted for a much more distinct look for Barlow in 1979, and Gary Dauberman’s 2024 remake of ‘Salem’s Lotmaintained the monstrous appearance to maximize the terror incited by Barlow.
Salem’s Lot
Cast
Salem’s Lot is a 2024 remake of the movie of the same name released in 1979. The latest adaptation of Stephen King’s 1975 novel stars Lewis Pullman, Makenzie Leigh, and Bill Camp, with Gary Dauberman writing and directing the Max original film. The plot revolves around a writer who discovers a vampire in his hometown of Jerusalem’s Lot upon returning home for inspiration.
