Directed by Mick Garris
Starring Gary Sinise
Jamey Sheridan
Laura San Giacomo Molly Ringwald
Stephen King's kick-ass teleplay based on his own 800-plus-page novel makes this one of the best miniseries ever to hit television. King had originally agreed to support a film version of his classic "The Stand," to have been directed by George Romero, and written by Excalibur scribe Rospo Pallenberg. This screenplay, still available on the Internet, cut down the novel's excess material into a 3-hour running time, and took many liberties with the material. But the projet never happened, despite the success King and Romero had together with "Creepshow."
Eventually, the popularity of big-budget TV miniseries in the 1990s made the project possible. The film was pretty gory considering it was made-for-TV. The story follows a band of survivors who do battle with the anti-Christ following a plague that wipes out most of the world's population. The cross-country adventures of the survivors puts some of them on the side of good, following an old woman who is a messenger of God, while others fall for the devil, who has finally shown up on Earth for the final battle of the Apocalypse.
Jamey Sheridan is great as Randall Flagg (the devil) who builds an army and makes Las Vegas his headquarters. Rudy Dee is Mother Abigail, the old woman with a direct connection to God. And the gorgeous Laura San Giacomo is Flagg's main squeeze.
More than any other movie or miniseries I've encountered, this captures the true spirit of the King work upon which it was based. Deeply religious, scary and with a well-paced story that slowly, unrelentingly builds and builds, it's an absolute viewing pleasure. There are some unfortunate special effects at the end of the film, but nothing unforgiveable.
A number of King novels had been adapted into TV movies or miniseries before, including an excellent adaptation of "Salem's Lot" starring David Soul. Garris also directed other King TV projects, like "Desperation." But nothing ever came close to matching "The Stand" again.
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-- Review by Lucius Gore
Posted by tigerT on December 25, 2008 a pure masterpiece!!!
Posted by k on April 30, 2009 PERFECT IN EVERY WAY! it kept me up the entire time and on the edge of my seat! hoping to read the book this summer! if its anything like the book i'll be done in a week max!
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