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Kurt Barlow is the main antagonist of the 2004 adaptation of Stephen King's 1975 novel, 'Salem's Lot. Like his original novel counterpart, he is an ancient and highly intelligent vampire who seeks to turn the town of Jerusalem's Lot into his own personal vampire colony.
The vampire's current Barlow form looks like a middle-aged man with a beard spot on his chin, blond hair, and old time Austrian clothing. He has blue eyes in his human form, but has opaque eyes when he reveals his true nature as a vampire, with simples fangs. He progressively becomes younger as time goes on, like in the novel. In his final moments, as he gets staked by Ben Mears, Barlow rapidly and uncontrollably shape shifts into all of the previous human forms he has taken before over the centuries. Some of the previous forms Barlow had taken that were shown where that of a soldier in the old US Navy, a bald old man from the Renaissance period, a young knight from the Middle-Ages, and a young woman from the ancient Chinese culture.
Powers and Abilities[]
Barlow has the same abilities as his novel counterpart, but has even more abilities. He can climb on walls like a spider, can ignite claws out of his hands, and can fly through a window during daytime. He is also implied to be some entity that is more than a vampire, as it is revealed that throughout the centuries, Barlow shapeshifts into different human vampire forms.
Biography[]
In this version, Barlow is heavily implied to be an evil spirit manifesting as a vampire through many different human forms throughout the centuries, his backstory is unknown. Eventually, the demon manifested as a vampire human named Kurt Briechen, who later changed his last name to Barlow. At some point, Barlow made a human named Richard Thomas Straker into servitude, and made a deal with a Satanist and serial killer named Hubie Marsten. Hubie made a deal with Barlow that he could come to Salem's Lot. Years later, in the early 2000s, Barlow was shipped to 'Salem's Lot in a box. The box was transported to the Marsten House.
There, Barlow dwelt, while in the day his servant Straker watches the house and goes on his daily business. One night, Barlow goes to the dump, where he meets a hunchback man named Dud Rodgers. Barlow promised Dud that he will grant him the ability to be more important than he ever was before, and infected him into a vampire. Eventually, Straker captured a woman named Susan Norton, and a teen named Mark Petrie. Mark managed to escape and beat up Starker. But before leaving the house, Mark went to check where Susan went, and heard her voice in the basement. Barlow's voice came and told Mark to come down, however, Mark rebukes him and escapes. Barlow eventually drained Straker of his blood for his failure, and killed him. It is unknown whether it was Barlow or the spirit of the Marsten House that hung Straker upside down from the ceiling.
Later, Barlow crashes into Mark's house, where Mark was meeting with his mother and the local church priest, Father Callahan. Barlow grabs and snaps Mrs. Petrie's neck, killing her, before proceeding to try to kill Mark. Callahan, however, challenges Barlow in a duel between their faiths. Barlow agrees and lets Mark go. Barlow challenges Callahan's faith, and tells him of all the wrongdoing he has done. This made Callahan lose the battle, and Barlow, using a glass shard, slits his hand open, and forced Callahan to drink his blood. This corrupted and twisted the church priests' mind, making him turn evil and becoming Barlow's new servant, to replace Straker.
Eventually, all of the town of 'Salem's Lot turned into vampires, and Ben Mears, the boyfriend of Susan Norton, seeks to destroy Barlow so that his reign of terror would end. Ben and Mark eventually reach Barlow, and open his coffin, which was located beneath Eva Miller's boarding house. Barlow hypnotizes Mark to kill Ben, but Ben knocks Mark out. Before Ben could stake Barlow, Barlow bribes Ben into giving him fame, money, power, if he spares him. Barlow tells Ben that he would always be flawed until he embraces evil. Barlow tells Ben that in reality, he is metaphorically the vampire. Ben tells Barlow that he isn't anymore, and stakes Barlow in the heart. Barlow cries out in pain and anguish, and constantly shape shifts into all of the human forms he has taken throughout the centuries. Barlow rapidly decays, until he was dust. Afterwards, Barlow was no more.
Gallery[]
Barlow arriving in Salem's Lot.
Barlow's hypnotic eyes.
Barlow revealing his fangs.
Barlow decomposing after being impaled.
A publicity photo of Rutger Hauer as Kurt Barlow and James Cromwell as Father Callahan, respectively.
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