Reggie Nalder pisses all over Rutgers performance. Far from striking fear in to me I found him to be a rather laughable villain, there was nothing menacing about him. When he entered the Petrie house-hold he looked like he was dressed for a dinner-date. Overall the 2006 version is one long clunk-fest from start to finish. Barlows death was particularly pathetic and underwhelming.
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Reggie Nalder's "performance" was hardly a performance at all. That version of Barlow was just all make-up and editing. He never said anything, and (to be honest) didn't really do much.
Hauer's version of the character was a proper character with a personality and plenty of dialogue. I will readily admit that he wasn't quite as frightening as Nalder's version of Barlow, but it was a far better performance that didn't rely on make-up. Hauer's version was far closer to the Barlow in the novel, a cultured ages-old "gentleman" who is all about tempting people into becoming vampires rather than just going around scaring the crap out of them. It's a totally different approach, but both are valid. Perhaps if they ever make another version of Salem's Lot at some point, they will merge the two versions of Barlow together, which I think would come out something like The Master from "Buffy The Vampire Slayer". It might be more interesting if he could morph between the two guises much like the other vamps in Buffy too. He tempts you in with his charms and bright eyes, then turns into a grotesque monster and bites you.
Reggie Nalder's "performance" was hardly a performance at all. That version of Barlow was just all make-up and editing. He never said anything, and (to be honest) didn't really do much.
He had that beer gut thing going, and I like Hauer, esp in Nighthawks.
shareRutger Hauer's Kurt Barlow is much closer to the book than Reggie Nalder's Nosferatu like Kurt Barlow.
shareI agree.
The problem with Reggie Nalder is that he was simply made into a Nosferatu like bogeyman. He didn't come across as the cunning master vampire.
If anything, it looked like Straker was the real boss and Barlow was his attack dog.
I think that's the way Tobe Hooper handled it.He let James Mason do the dialogue for Barlow and Straker.
shareAgreed!
When I saw this I was like "okay let me get this straight, they take one of the most fiendish-looking vampires in history, one that made me piss my pants from cold-blooded fear as a kid...and replaced him with Rutger Hauer???"
Don't get me wrong Rutger was awesome in The Hitcher but to give him the part of Barlow was a colossal mistake!
"Mr. Treehorn treats objects like women, man."
Reggie Nalder's Barlow was terrifying and he didn't have to say a word. When he attacked Ned Tibbets in the jail cell was more scary than any scene Rutger Hauer's Barlow had.
I say that as a big fan of Rutger Hauer as an actor. But he didn't look scary and despite a good attempt he wasn't terrifying. Nalder did more with less effort. Showing that sometimes less is more.
The difference is they are two totally different versions of vampires the original from the old school movie is a nosferotu silent vampire he cant be compared with rutger who played the standerd dracula which is actually more true to the book then the old one your right the old one is more frightening but the rutger version is more charming
shareHis death was the best of what he did in the whole shebang .. As he was dying he turned into all the people that he was all through his history .. To me that was the best thing in entire mini series ... I prefer the older one BIG TIME over this one .. But to each his own .. and some people liked " It " .
"A man that wouldn't cheat for a poke don't want one bad enough".
Yeah. Someone said Nalder didn't have much of a performance at all. Well to me that just means he hardly had to do any acting to overshadow the 2004 version. Same deal with the Halloween movies. I'll take John Carpenter's simple "walking and breathing" Michael over Zombie's more "fleshed out" character any day.
Semi related point: I seem to remember Stephen King criticizing them for plagiarizing the Nosferatu design. He's one to talk considering he copied his own version Barlow from Stoker's literary Dracula.
It was the original Barlow's mannerisms, look and demeanour that made him frieghting. The jaul scene from the original was scarier than anything this had to offer.
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