Where Is Everyone?
Come on folks; lets keep the conversation going. Or start it once more.
shareFrom the archived posts, it looks like you were the Imdb Stand loremaster. So here's two questions for you -- if you had one criticism of the 94 miniseries, what would it be? Also, if they ever do move forward with a feature film or films, what do you think the best format would be, i.e. one long film, or multiple films?
shareFrom the archived posts, it looks like you were the Imdb Stand loremaster. So here's two questions for you -- if you had one criticism of the 94 miniseries, what would it be? Also, if they ever do move forward with a feature film or films, what do you think the best format would be, i.e. one long film, or multiple films?
~ ~ ~
Thank you--I think!!! Yes, I am Gary Overman. And while I was a frequent poster on the IMDb board for The Stand, I think of myself as a dedicated reader of the book and watcher of the mini-series.
There are a couple of things I'd criticise about the series. One was the casting of Molly Ringwald as Frannie. She is a competent actress and an attractive lady, and her acting here was adequate, but I (and numerous others, it seems) feel that she was miscast. To put it simply, she just was not Frannie.
The over-morphing of Flagg's face. Once or twice was enough; there was no need to run it into the ground.
Another thing I'd change, would be some of the female costumes. Long flowing dresses are not, at least in my view, the most practical garment to wear while riding a motorcycle. If I think about it I could probably come up with others but these three were all I could come up with at the moment.
Since The Stand is a very long book, a single film could not do it justice, so either multiple films or a season-long series on a premium cable channel would be the way to go. Also, a single film would be forced to change too much of the story.
In any event, it's good to get this board going once more. I hope it becomes more active.
I'd put the same questiion to you.
Thanks for the reply. I was entranced by the novel and I remember being very excited by the prospect of seeing it come to life on the screen.
I was pretty disappointed in the series. To me it felt and looked like an overblown soap opera. Too obvious in its exposition and somewhat cheesy at times. I don't know if I'm describing this correctly, but visually it had an uncinematic, "tv movie of the week" look. (lol I'm totally dating myself with that reference.) I was also not a fan of the music, other than "Don't Fear The Repear".
I thought the casting was pretty good overall and, in some cases, perfect (Gary Sinise, Ed Harris), but I also didn't like Molly Ringwald or the actor who played Flagg. To be completely fair, I didn't much like Frannie as a book character either, so maybe I'm unfairly taking it out on Molly.
I agree that an HBO series would be the best way to go and I hope it happens at some point.
To be completely fair, I didn't much like Frannie as a book character either, so maybe I'm unfairly taking it out on Molly.
~~~
It's all right to do that. She is (or was) a fictional character so she can't be hurt. I have heard from some posters on the old board that King was trying to 'force us' into liking the Frannie character. Do you think there is anything to that? FTR, she was not my favorite character--that would be Stu, even though King made him a bit too perfect-- but she is far from the character I loathed the most. That would be The Kid. Thankfully he was not in the mini-series.
How about you?
I don't know, but if King was trying to force us to like her, he failed! I thought she was pretty cold to Jesse in the beginning and I guess she never got of my doghouse.
Stu and Larry are great characters but my favorite by far is Glen. Smart, moral and fearless. I loved how he just straight up laughs at Flagg.
I was thinking of re-reading and now I see that there is an extended version, so there will be some new stuff for me to discover there.
I don't know, but if King was trying to force us to like her, he failed! I thought she was pretty cold to Jesse in the beginning and I guess she never got of my doghouse.
Stu and Larry are great characters but my favorite by far is Glen. Smart, moral and fearless. I loved how he just straight up laughs at Flagg.
I was thinking of re-reading and now I see that there is an extended version, so there will be some new stuff for me to discover there.
Glen is good and so is Lloyd. King's portrayal of Lloyd is quite sympathetic; almost as sympathetic as that of Trashy. You can almost like both of them.
Your point about Fran's treatment of Jess is very well-taken. Granted, she was concerned about the pregnancy, but her treatment of Jess was, as you say, 'cold', and that possibly turned a lot of readers against her right at the start.
From what you said here, I gather that you have just read the 1978 version. There are actually three versions of the book, the original 1978 hardback, the 1980 paperback, and the 1988 complete and unedited edition. The 1978 version is set in 1980; the paperback is just the 1978 hardback set in 1985 with a few minor changes, and the 1988 C & U is set in 1990 with about 400 additional pages. share