MovieChat Forums > Salem's Lot (1979) Discussion > Let me see if I get the order of events ...

Let me see if I get the order of events of Barlow's arrival correct...

posted 8 years ago by sbattey
13 replies | jump to latest

So Straker's first act (aside from carefully unpacking antiques he's planning on selling to ... the vampires they're planning on creating out of the citizens of Salem's Lot?) is to hang out in the graveyard the night Barlow is being picked up to, uh, kill a dog? Is he simply biding time to wait for Ralphie and Danny Glick and killed the dog for kicks? Is he casket shopping or grave robbing? Ok, so Barlow is delivered and Straker is clearly heard walking around upstairs while he is simultaneously hanging out in the woods getting a snack ready for Barlow. He grabs Ralphie, and Danny stumbles home, dizzy apparently from having been bitten by a Barlow who is in the basement at that moment, in a crate. Barlow busts out of the crate before Straker gets home, leaves and kills Larry Crockett. Then, Barlow DRIVES Crockett's corpse to the lake, apparently followed by Straker in his own car (who had just returned home with Ralphie's body). Barlow hops into Straker's car (instead of, let's say, turning into a bat and flying) to hightail it out of there before Ben and Susan can catch them switching cars and heads back to the Marsten house to feast on Ralphie.

And who wrote the script for this?

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a hater, quite the contrary. This film scared the excrement out of me when I was 8 years old and I think it's a great 70's classic, but how could a screenwriter, producer and director not see how absurdly the first night of Barlow's arrival was written?

[–] stones78 8 years ago

I'll admit I've had questions to some those you just mentioned, but I'll do my best to give educated answers, although some here are more detail-savvy than me. Regarding the dog(this assumes you read the book), a black dog with white "angel eyes" apparently aren't the best friends for vampires. Most on here think Straker probably conked Danny on the head, causing a concussion maybe? Sloppy scene in my opinion, but it is what it is, and there were time constraints given by CBS, I read. As much as I enjoy the Crockett death(Barlow?), the assumption is that the Sawyers' drove him to the lake AFTER they found him dead outside their house. I think the scene with Larry behind the wheel probably should've been edited, as it wasn't really needed. Lastly, I'm not so sure Straker was inside the house when the movers were delivering the crate, as we see him pulling him up in the car just AFTER the men leave scared. Feel free to disagree with any of these.

[–] gary_overman 8 years ago

From another thread on this board:

All right; here is the sequence of events in the film. To see it, move your cursor over the blanked-out parts.

Ned and Mike go to Portland for the crate. Danny and Ralphie go home through the woods and are cold-cocked by Straker. The evidence for this is that Straker later shows up at the Marsten House with Ralphie. Danny returns home. The crate with Barlow is delivered to the Marsten House, and soon after, Straker carries Ralphie down to the basement. Barlow bites Ralphie, who is then turned into a vampire. Ralphie shows up at Danny's bedroom window. Barlow then confronts Larry and literally scares him to death. Danny is then rushed to the hospital and Ben returns Susan to her father.

Do I have anything wrong?

ETA: a couple of the events described within the spoiler tags are not actually shown, but are implied or deducted. These are in red.

Hope this helps.

[–] jangoq 8 years ago

But what happened to Danny on his way home, how did he get hurt? Also, I believe Barlow confronted Crockett before Ralphie shows up at Danny's bedroom.

Those two points are a part of what made this sequence confusing to me.

[–] gary_overman 8 years ago

But what happened to Danny on his way home, how did he get hurt? Also, I believe Barlow confronted Crockett before Ralphie shows up at Danny's bedroom.
Those two points are a part of what made this sequence confusing to me.

From what I gather, he was cold-cocked by Straker, recovered sufficiently to get home and then collapsed once there. IIRC, in the book, Ben and Matt speculate that this is what might have happened. This is also possible. I'd have to go back to the film to be certain.

[–] jangoq 8 years ago

Wasn't there some discussion about whether or not Hooper might have included an additional evil spirit in the movie? Some attribute this to be the noises upstairs while Mike and Ned are in the basement because Straker was out "cold-cocking" the Glick boys at that time. Also, it showed up when Straker got Ralphie and caused the wind and Danny to fall down and get sick.

Not that I agree with those but it seems that I read that somewhere.

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] gary_overman 8 years ago

Wasn't there some discussion about whether or not Hooper might have included an additional evil spirit in the movie? Some attribute this to be the noises upstairs while Mike and Ned are in the basement because Straker was out "cold-cocking" the Glick boys at that time. Also, it showed up when Straker got Ralphie and caused the wind and Danny to fall down and get sick.

Not that I agree with those but it seems that I read that somewhere.

Now that you mention it, I think that there was some discussion about it, but it was not settled with any degree of certainty.

There could be a conventional explanation for the things you bring up, but this being a Stephen King story, I doubt that that would be the case. Another evil presence is not mentioned in the story, and that Straker was human argue against a random breeze blowing up and the noises Ned and Mike heard in the house. I don't think it was rats, because the sound was too loud for that. What was it then? It couldn't have been Straker because he was getting Ralphie, nor could it have been Barlow, because he was still in the crate. Could it have been Hubie Marsten?

It seems like you have opened a can of worms here. I say that in an entirely complementary way.

[–] stones78 8 years ago

I would love Crockett's death(sorry Larry)to not be by Barlow. For the longest time, I never assumed it was him.

[–] jangoq 8 years ago

It could be just a plain old-fashioned ordinary plot hole as well.

[–] gary_overman 8 years ago

It could be just a plain old-fashioned ordinary plot hole as well.

It could be.

[–] Cult_of_Kibner 8 years ago

It's been several years since I read it but I seem to remember the general story sequence making more sense in the book. For some reason in the miniseries they jumbled up the order of events somewhat.

[–] TheSolarSailor 8 years ago

is to hang out in the graveyard the night Barlow is being picked up to, uh, kill a dog? Is he simply biding time to wait for Ralphie and Danny Glick and killed the dog for kicks?

I remember a thread discussing the strange death of the dog, and it was said that there is something to do with preparing the way for Barlow to enter the town. It is an interesting premise that I can't remember too much about, but I really don't know why it is included in the movie with no explanation. It would have been better to avoid it entirely if they weren't going to offer up something to make it relevant to the film.

Ok, so Barlow is delivered and Straker is clearly heard walking around upstairs while he is simultaneously hanging out in the woods getting a snack ready for Barlow.

The Marsten House is evil all on it's own. There were evil things that happened there when Hubie lived in it. Ben is afraid because the house is inherently evil, but he wants to explore and write about it. An evil house attracts evil people, thus is attracted Barlow. I think what they hear creaking around is an evil spirit. It is definitely NOT Straker.

He grabs Ralphie, and Danny stumbles home, dizzy apparently from having been bitten by a Barlow who is in the basement at that moment, in a crate.

Not sure where you get the idea that Danny was attacked and bitten by Barlow. Yes, Danny comes stumbling home and may have been hit or knocked out by Straker, but NOTHING suggests or even hints that Barlow was involved. Danny isn't attacked by a vampire until his brother Ralphie appears at the window.

Then, Barlow DRIVES Crockett's corpse to the lake, apparently followed by Straker in his own car (who had just returned home with Ralphie's body). Barlow hops into Straker's car (instead of, let's say, turning into a bat and flying) to hightail it out of there before Ben and Susan can catch them switching cars and heads back to the Marsten house to feast on Ralphie.

LOL, did you even pay attention? Sorry. At no point is Barlow and Straker seriously considered to be the ones who drove the car. Cully and/or Bonnie Sawyer find Larry dead on the lawn. Cully thinks he may have scared him to death when he ran Larry out of the house after scaring him with the gun, and he doesn't want to be in trouble with the law. He and and Bonnie drive the car to the lake, well, one of them obviosuly driving the second car. They set it up to make it look like Larry drove out there and died mysteriously, then they leave town. Yes, this is not spelled out explicitly, but everything is there for the viewer to connect the dots.

This film scared the excrement out of me when I was 8 years old and I think it's a great 70's classic, but how could a screenwriter, producer and director not see how absurdly the first night of Barlow's arrival was written?

Yes, it does come across as a bit muddled, especially the death of the dog which serves no purpose to the on screen story at all. A few lines of dialogue could have fleshed it out better.

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I am not a fan. I just happen to enjoy movies. Fans are embarrassing.

[–] jangoq 8 years ago

This is a good response to those questions Sailor. Very thought out and accurate.

See, I gave you a complement.