James Cromwell
 A Conversation with James Cromwell
(Father Donald Callahan)

Q: How would you describe SALEM'S LOT?
A: I would say it's a scary movie. I might say it's about vampires. I might say it's a piece of entertainment. On the other hand, if you take a look a little closer you might see the concept which is actually expressed in one of my lines, "Evil comes from inside all of us." The original idea of vampires, or any externalized evil, is the projection of our fear of what we feel lies within all of us, because we are hiding behind a mask.

Q: What affect do the vampires have on your character, Father Callahan?
A: Father Callahan has a crisis of faith when push comes to shove and is seduced by Barlow. That's really what it is; it's not a debate about good verses evil. It's not rational. It's a seduction. It preys on something Father Callahan manages to repress through the use of alcohol, which is his lack of spiritual connection to God.

Q: What elements are necessary when creating a scary film?
A: To make a great scary movie, you have to surprise people. This has become increasingly difficult in this day and age when we seem to have exhausted all the possible ways of scaring people. I think there is terror in everyday reality. The question is how do you photograph it and conceptualize it in such a way that people sense there is something really wrong. You have to create a strong enough pull that people are taken out of ordinary reality into an extraordinary reality.

Q: What was it like working with Rob Lowe?
A: It was very nice working with Rob. I think he's very intelligent and competent and Lord knows attractive. He has many of the same political interests that I do.