Justin's Rating: Excellent... and the book is even better.
Justin's Review: I wasn't too pleased with my earlier review of this great miniseries (MRFH Reader's Tip: If Justin did a review in only a paragraph, that's an old review, probably from the first year of MRFH, 1997). So here I goes again!

What better subject for a cult miniseries than one of the most beloved cult books of all time? Stephen King's The Stand is one of my all-time favorite books, and for a good reason. Instead of dickering around with saving the world from a deadly virus (a la Outbreak), King goes right ahead and kills off 99.9% of the world's population within a few weeks. The survivors find themselves congregating into two camps: the "good" people, who follow prophetess Mother Abigail to Boulder, and the "bad" people, who gather forces in Las Vegas under the demonic Randall Flagg. On one hand, it's about the death and rebirth of America and civilization; but more ultimately, it's the ultimate showdown between good and evil in the apocalyptic sense.

The miniseries, which spans 4 one-and-a-half hour episodes, is as faithful an adaption of this book as I could ask for. Released on ABC in 1994, The Stand holds up quite well even to today's standards, approaching movie-like level instead of mere TV-adaption. I first experienced The Stand when it came on TV in '94, when it popped on after a show I was watching. I promised myself, "I'll just watch the first ten minutes" and then, "ten minutes more." After that, I couldn't wait until the next night, to find out what happens after the end of the world! It is kind of hard to give you an impression of the genre this falls in, because it's really a mix of quite a few. At the beginning, it's a sci-fi apocalyptic fantasy. Then you have some romance, quite a bit of moving drama, a Tolkein-esque adventure odyssey, and (of course!) horror smattered in with good measure. It's the ultimate haunted house: a world populated by the dead. There's some pretty freaky moments, particularly when Stu (Gary Sinese) is trying to escape from the disease clinic; then again, some of the horror (the devil morphing didn't convince me of foul terror) does fail on the small screen. Something for everybody, that's for sure.

Anyone who's a true fan of King will tell you that his true skill lies in his characterizations, in creating believable people with interesting depths. Add to that a number of terrific actors and actresses, and therein lies the strength of this miniseries. I'll point out my favorites first. Gary Sinese, as the main hero, does an excellent job of portraying the world-wise Texan who does more with a grimace than most actors do with main billing. Watch in the first chapter for the military disease control commander, played by Ed Harris, who really gives a knockout performance in his grief and helplessness. Surprisingly, Rob Lowe forgoes being a jerk goofball to fill the shoes of Nick Andros, a deaf-mute who says little but becomes one of the most unforgettable characters of the story. It was hard to recognize Lowe at first in this role, he was that good. I'd also like to extend kudos to Miguel Ferrer (who plays Flagg's second-hand man with a mixture of resolve and conflict), Bill Fagerbakke (the dumb guy on Coach who plays even-dumber yet supernaturally knowing Tom Cullen), and Matt Frewer (as the explosive-loving Trashcan Man). Of course, with a cast this large (and it's big!), almost everyone is going to find roles that they hate. I wasn't too personally fond of Molly Ringwald, who sneers and pouts in her role as Fran like she was back in her 80's heyday. Molly, go into retirement! It was also a bit of a let down that the morally conflicted character of Harold was not presented as a largely overweight greaseball as in the book; merely, he has pimples, a bad haircut, and glasses, all of which speed his transformation in mid-story.

I can't burble on long enough about my love for The Stand, and it's because I can't narrow it down to just one thing. The sense of scope, of an epic quest, is breathtaking. They filmed in dozens of states and locales, and that allows for a huge range of... well, everything. You got prisons, disease clinics, New York city, cornfields, Las Vegas (boy, that makes my day), and Colorado! Actually, a major secret I'll let you in on is that The Stand really infected me with a desire to move out here, and I'm glad I did. I'll be near the survivors when the holocaust comes! Anyway... what keeps me coming back to The Stand is how much it makes me think. There are endless questions that a dead world and few survivors bring up, and what I would do in that situation?

I will end with a totally random observation. The best moment of this miniseries is one of its most quiet. The plague has ended and two survivors -- Fran and Harold -- listen to an LP of that Crowded House "Don't Dream It's Over". As the song plays, numerous scenes are shown, giving a terrific impression of the stillness after death, and the small hope that remains. This is the human race, signing off...

Didja Notice?
In the military base, the TV is playing a game show called "Blackout"
Larry's car's license plate reads "DIGYOMAN"

The Movie Store!
The Stand: Movie [VHS]
The Stand: Movie [DVD]
The Stand: Complete and Uncut: Book
The Stand: Soundtrack [CD]

Intermission!
The Stand was filmed on over 225 locations across the US, including Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, and Boulder, CO.

Groovy Quotes:

[opening lines]
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang, but a wimper.
- T. S. Eliot

Mother Abigail: You must make a stand!

Mother Abigail: I'm Mother Abigail, I'm a hunre' an' sis yeahs ol' an' I still make m'own bread.

Randall Flagg: Pleased to meet you, Lloyd. Hope you guess my name.
Lloyd: What?
Randall Flagg: Just a classical reference.

Nick: [written] I don't believe in God.
Mother Abigail: That's okay, Nick, God believes in you!

If you liked this movie, try these:
Outbreak
Twin Peaks -- the TV series

DVD Review:
This one-disc, two-sided DVD holds all six hours of this great miniseries. Probably the best feature is an extended commentary over most of the six hours, featuring Stephen King, the director Mick Garris, and various actors (including Nick Lowe and Miguel Ferrer). There's a lot of stories to be told, and although this is the longest commentary I ever sat through, it's quite enjoyable; the only complaint is that Ruby Dee (Mother Abigail) goes on these extremely fragmented and long-winded stories that just aren't interesting at all. Special features include a "Making of The Stand" documentary, a freeze-frame storyboard comparison, photos from the makeup effects, info on the cast and crew, and production notes. Basically, it's great to have all four episodes on one DVD, and while most of the extras are of the so-so variety, the commentary is very much worth it.

Soundtrack Review: I've got to pick this one up some day. There are a couple great songs -- including "Don't Fear The Reaper" by Blue Oyster Cult (this plays over the opening credits) -- and a suprisingly decent score by W.G. Snuffy Walden. Snuffy is also responsible for a lot of the background music for Sports Night and The West Wing.

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