Contrary to the other reviewers here, 'A Return to Salem's Lot' is a competent film by director Larry Cohen. If you have not seen Cohen's work, you will not understand this film. Cohen - director of such wacky, off-beat horror titles as 'The Stuff' and 'Q: The Winged Serpent' - religiously injects demented humour and strange characters into his work. He also seems to like the small-town theme (see 'The Stuff') where strange happenings are plentiful and the townsfolk are more than a little strange and scary. It is not surprising that Cohen picked up on Stephen King's small-town theme, then, creating his own 'Lot' for his own type of vampires.

The general plot is fairly simple. An anthropologist (Michael Moriarty) inherits a house from his aunt in Jerusalem's Lot. He takes his wayward son there to both check out the house and get to know his son better. It is soon apparent, however, that the 'Lot' is overrun with vampires who want the anthropologist to write a journal about their existence.

With the help of a war veteran-Nazi hunter, they try to rid the 'Lot' of its blood-sucking inhabitants.

Of course the original 'Salem's Lot' and the 2004 re-make are a lot more accomplished. But this film is all about Larry Cohen. His fans will get it, even if you don't.

Matt Lee-Williams.