I am sure many readers are familiar with the story One for the Road – Stephen King's short story sequel to Salem’s Lot. This 2020 production of the story as a film is actually the fourth short I’ve looked at based on the story, previously we had: Wrong Way, One for the Road (2011) and For the Road.
This version was directed by Joseph Horning and comes in at 43 minutes, and my thanks to Gary Smith, who spotted it and posted it in Facebook Group Crypt of the Undead. It starts, after some voiceover work that tells us of the Lot burning down but the curse still being there, with the Lumley family going on a trip for grandma’s birthday. There is dad Gerry (Eric Slodysko), mom Janey (Sandy Lawler) and their daughter almost sixteen Francie (Veronica Garrubbo). Francie doesn’t want to go and dad seems a tad frazzled all the way through.
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| entering the Lot |
After some travelling suddenly his sat-nav starts trying to recalculate the route and he has lost gps signal (and Francie’s phone losses signal). He sort of knows the route (mostly the family come to them) and he stops at a garage to get a map or directions. Whilst inside Francie notices the crosses painted on the building. The proprietor (Louis DiPilla) shows him a map and suggests a route but Gerry spots a shorter one. He is warned off it, no one takes that road as it goes through the Lot. Gerry leaves, the proprietor still warning him.
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| vampire eyes |
It is night by the time they pass the Salem’s Lot sign and the roads become poorer and poorer. He takes his turning and comes to a sudden stop at a ‘bridge out’ sign. He tries to turn but Janey sees something (the glowing eyes of a vampire floating behind the sign) and he ends up with the rear wheels in a ditch. Unable to get the car out, freezing cold with snow threatening to fall, and with no cell reception he decides to leave wife and daughter in the car as he goes to get help. However, even if he reaches civilisation would someone from the area go to the Lot at night to help? As he leaves, he doesn’t see the figures with glowing eyes moving towards the car…
This follows the story and so if you are familiar with that, or another filmed version, you’ll know what happens. But, if you don’t, you can find out below…
The imdb page is here.
2 comments:
I think I have asked this before, and there was a reply, but my memory is playing tricks. How do SALEM'S LOT the novel, and its short-story sequel 'One for the Road' relate to the short story 'Jerusalem's Lot' which, I think, deals with the history of the same town?
'Jerusalem's Lot' is a prequel in location only. The story is set in nearby Preacher's Corner and Jerusalem's Lot is a deserted village and a place where supernatural evil ha taken place. It is rather Lovecraftian in tone and content.
There is apparently going to be a TV series based on the short
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