Stephen King's The Stand (1994)
2xDVD9 | VIDEO_TS | PAL 4:3 | Cover | 05:59:05 | 7,67 Gb + 7,65 Gb
Audio: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish - AC3 2.0 @ 192 Kbps
Subtitles: English (+SDH), French, German, Italian, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Finnish, Swedish
Genre: Sci-fi, Horror | Won 2 Primetime Emmys | USA
2xDVD9 | VIDEO_TS | PAL 4:3 | Cover | 05:59:05 | 7,67 Gb + 7,65 Gb
Audio: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish - AC3 2.0 @ 192 Kbps
Subtitles: English (+SDH), French, German, Italian, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Finnish, Swedish
Genre: Sci-fi, Horror | Won 2 Primetime Emmys | USA
After a government-spawned "superflu" wipes out more than 90 percent of the earth's population, the devastated survivors must decide whether to support or resist the advances of a mysterious stranger from way down South (heh-heh) who wishes to claim this new world order for himself. Although the six-hour length makes it nigh-impossible to digest in one sitting, this well-paced adaptation of Stephen King's apocalyptic magnum opus ranks among the best adaptations of the author's work, with strong performances from Gary Sinise, Miguel Ferrer, and especially Jamey Sheridan as a good-old-boy version of Old Scratch. The opening scene, set to the strains of Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper," is one of the most chilling things ever shot for television. Director Mick Garris is no stranger to King's world, having also helmed Sleepwalkers, the recent television remake of The Shining, and the upcoming Desperation.
IMDB
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DVD ONE:
Part 1: The Plague
When a deadly virus escapes from a government research facility, few prove to be immune to its effects. With symptoms similar to the flu, those who come into contact with it quickly die. One survivor is Stu Redmond, a gas station attendant from Texas, who suffers no ill effects whatsoever. Kept in a medical research facility in Vermont, doctors try to determine why he is still alive. Others that also survive include Frannie Goldsmith who lives with her dad; Nick Andros, a deaf-mute; a rock musician, Larry Underwood; and Lloyd Henreid, in jail for murder. Survivors begin to have dreams, either about an old Afican-American woman, Mother Abigail, or a much scarier evil man.
Part 2: The Dreams
The plague has taken its toll and only those immune to the virus are alive. The forces of good and evil are slowly taking shape. Those that have been dreaming about Mother Abigail are slowly making their way towards her in Nebraska. Stu Redmond joins up with Frannie Goldsmith and others. When Nick Andros and the first of the travelers arrive, Mother Abigail tells them they will soon be moving further west, to Colorado. Randall Flagg is gathering his own forces as he releases Lloyd Henreid from jail. Through her dreams, he also recruits Nadine Cross, who had been traveling with Larry Underwood.
DVD TWO:
Part 3: The Betrayal
Hundreds are now in Boulder, Colorado with Mother Abigail but Randall Flagg has sent Nadine Cross to infiltrate the group. Unable to seduce Larry, she then sets her sights on Harold. But just as the citizens begin to organize their lives, Mother Abigail leaves Boulder. The residents do become concerned about what Randall Flagg, based in Las Vegas, may be up to and decide to send three people west to find out.
Part 4: The Stand
The final confrontation between good and evil takes shape. Tom gathers information and tries to return to Boulder. With Mother Abigail gone and several members of the committee killed in an explosion, Stu, Larry, Glen and Ralph set off West as instructed. Nadine and Harold set off for Las Vegas but Randall Flagg has something special in store for both of them. Flagg's group starts to fall apart. Trashcan Man decides to set the biggest fire of his life.
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…
Special Features: None on the source
Many Thanks to Original uploader.
No More Mirrors.