First things first when it comes to Salem's Lot, make sure the three- hour extended version is watched for the full experience of a fabulous film. Otherwise any shortened version that exist out there will be choppy and convoluted. There is a vast amount of defined characters, who performed great for their part, and weren't silly to the point it would hamper the movie. There is a handful of recognizable actors and actresses that aren't mainstream (Bonnie Bedelia, Ed Flanders, Geoffrey Lewis, Fred Willard) but are fantastic with a shared role. What horror fans like most about Salem's Lot however is the effect of Kurt Barlow, the vampire. There are always the mimicked comments on message boards and reviews that say "This is how vampires are supposed to look" and "This is way better than the Twilight vampires", its frankly true. Tobe Hooper will be more always more well known for Poltergeist and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre but its Salem's Lot, which I personally find to be his best work.
Review of Salem's Lot
