It's October, and you know what that means. A bunch of horror films on the market. With today's Versus article, we have two horror flicks released exclusively on streaming platforms and both are reiterations of existing IP's. We have "Apartment 7A" on Paramount+, which is a prequel to "Rosemary's Baby" (1968). That will be stacked against "Salem's Lot" on Max, based on the Stephen King novel. This book was previously adapted as a TV miniseries in 1979. We'll judge these two in the usual categories listed below.
Round 1) Presentation
Unevenness aplenty to be found with the visual quality in both films. Maybe you have some nice costumes and makeup in "Apartment 7A". But you also get some fuzzy background shots that try to be historically accurate to the time period at the expense of clarity. "Salem's Lot" may have had the more noticable advantage for showing off some nice scenery of Maine, alongside clearer 4K photography in specific shots.
This film loses points however for its lackluster CGI, which comes straight from the 1990's and 2000's. Granted, horror movie monsters such as vampires or zombies were never meant to be attractive to look at. That being said, they should at least be convincing. And when the central monsters in question are all computer generated, it's not at all difficult to notice. It's the color of the vampire's eyes especially that look blurry and tacked on. In the end, I can't in good conscience pick a winner in this category.
Round 1 Winner) DRAW
Round 2) Audio
This is a category that's much more important in a horror film than you might think, even when it's quiet. The absence of sound, save for small creaks, is enough to create tension and suspense with what's bound to come out of the fog and shadows. Given that more unfolds within the narrative of "Salem's Lot", it already has the advantage in this category. Granted, the soundtrack is forgettable all around and the sound effects are fairly standard.
But it's at least in line with what you'd expect from the genre. "Apartment 7A" doesn't have much of anything horror related going on with its audio. No, there aren't any absent sound effects. But I think it's narrative doesn't do much with traditional horror elements, hence why it's hard to remember. Both films repeat licensed tunes with their soundtracks, which I didn’t care for. "Salem's Lot" has more audio elements on offer that it automatically earns its victory here.
Round 2 Winner) Salem's Lot
Round 3) Content
Narrative wise, it's clear why both films went straight to streaming as opposed to hitting theaters. Neither film evolves the horror genre in any meaningful way. They're just going through the motions providing the scares and cookie cutter formula audiences are attuned to receiving. "Salem's Lot" is hardly that distinctive from any horror film about vampires. The characters are fairly forgettable and bland, save for one or two. Some of them are even tired stereotypes, namely the black lady.
Yes, there's plenty of dead bodies and the plot is efficient at its core, but it never resonates or stands out from the rest of the genre. "Salem's Lot" is a formulaic run of the mill vampire flick, but at least it moves along okay. The same can't be said for "Apartment 7A", which takes forever to get going. If the main character's goals of getting back into dancing after a bad injury wasn't dull enough, what we have with "Apartment 7A" is basically a dream sequence simulator.
Anyone who's known me well over the years knows how much I loathe the dream sequence. It is my most hated cliche and this film uses it multiple times as a plot device to toy with its protagonist on what's real or not. It's intended to toy with the protagonist, when in reality it's testing my patience to the point that I can't take the remainder of the film's storytelling seriously in the slightest. It's an unforgivably frustrating experience watching "Apartment 7A" because of this. It ruins any good will going forward with watching it.
The actress playing the main lead was fine, but she clearly deserved to star in a better movie than this. I didn’t even care for "Rosemary's Baby" the first time I watched it many years ago. In comparison to this however, I'm willing to give it another chance. At least I'm sure it wasn't a dream sequence simulator like this film was. It should be apparent that there's no contest in the story department. "Salem's Lot" supplies the better narrative content, even without much to stand out from the crowd.
Round 3 Winner) Salem's Lot
At the end of the day, neither horror film is worthy of your valuable time, especially in comparison to what else is being offered on Paramount+ and Max. However, if I'm being asked by film preservationists on which of these two should be spared from being destroyed, my automatic reply would be "Salem's Lot". "Salem's Lot" is just another mediocre vampire flick, but "Apartment 7A" was such an insufferable slog to get through.
Final Verdict) Apartment 7A: 3.5/10
Salem's Lot: 5/10
WINNER) SALEM'S LOT
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