Any DISers out there fans of Stephen King's "The Stand?"

[Poohnatic]

The Stand is my favorite King book, followed very closely by Dead Zone. I liked most of his up until Misery.

There are two editions out-the original release, in which he was strongly encouraged to edit down the book. It was too long. Then, on the 10th anniversary of it's release, the unedited version was released.

Personally, I much prefer the longer version.

I used to participate in a group on *P years ago in which we'd try to cast the movie. They did a pretty good job with the mini series. Gary Sinise was about 8-10 years younger than I pictured Stu Redman, but he did an awesome job in the role. Even with an 8 hour miniseries, there is so much that had to be left out.

Suzanne

 

[TDC Nala]

Huge fan of the book. The miniseries was just okay. I could never get over the fact that Molly Ringwald was riding around on a motorcycle after the apocalypse in a cute little floral dress.

 

[mick67]

I thought it was like many other Stephen King books...GREAT story with a poor ending. The bad guy disappeared for crying out loud! After 1000 plus pages I was downright po'd. But the storytelling was fantastic and I enjoyed the mini-series too.

 

[Sylvester McBean]

I never watched the TV version because I didn't want to see how the characters were cast. I had my 'versions' of them in my head already. it was a good novel, but I always preferred his compilations of short stories better like Skeleton Crew.

 

[Poohnatic]

Loved it also, it was the first huge book I ever read, made everyone crazy because I couldn't put it down and took it everywhere with me, and would say, "hey listen to this part" !! It has been years since I read it. Lately I have moved to Dean Koontz, I feel close to the characters similar to the way I felt about them in The Stand. - Twilight Eyes and Odd Thomas were great books (Odd Thomas was apparently such a hit, that a sequel book is coming out soon if not out already). Just started reading Koontz - Life Expectancy. Enjoy The Stand!

Midnight is probably my favorite Koontz book, although there really isn't one that I didn't enjoy. Because of that book, I ended up rescuing a black lab and he got the personality of the breed so well in that book.

Suzanne

 

[mick67]

For Koontz, I'm weighing in with The Bad Place.

 

[beachblanket]

Well, if we're going off on the tangent of effective/ineffective film treatments of King novels, I have to politely disagree with those who don't have Carrie on their short list of the winners. It's inarguably one of the best King adaptations ever made, certainly one of the saddest, most poignant, and frighteningly bitter. Pyschological horror just doesn't get better than this.

That started with the novel: Carrie is perhaps one of the most powerful portraits of a teenage girl ever written (and by a man at that!) Throw in the operatic approach of early Brian DePalma, and you've got a great story backed up by a director during his most creative era.

Few actresses have the stuff to handle the character King created, but the job a young Sissy Spacek does with Carrie is incredible, literally the definition of "born to play the role;" she makes the haunting storyline of youth, yearning and the horror of suppressed anger completely believable. So much so, she was nominated for an Academy Award (Best Actress) for this performance.

Piper Laurie (who also got an Academy award nomination for best supporting actress for her role in Carrie) is also unforgettable; she takes an abhorrent character and makes it her own, in a thoroughly convincing and unsettling performance. Creepy doesn't even begin to describe it.

Even the secondary supporting performances are fantastic. Amy Irving (remember her?) does an engaging job as the one sympathetic character with a streak of compassion and guilt. This is wonderfully contrasted by Nancy Allen (below, in a scene from the film with John Travotla, who plays her slimy boyfriend). Nancy delivers a frighteningly effective perfomance as the nightmare of every high school nerd: the "Popular Girl" with no morals, no feelings and no mercy.

Perhaps the worst thing you can say about the film is the very mid 70s feel - the pastel tuxedos at the prom and the somewhat "Captain and Tennille-ish" score. But the story line of bullying and revenge is timeless, and supported by the performances the viewer never worries about the era in which the film is set.

And to add frosting to the cake, the films ends with an "epilogue dream" the viewer will never forget. If I had to pick the one scariest jolt in all filmdom, this is it. Even watching it repeatedly, knowing what's coming....it still makes the hairs on my neck stand up uncontrollably.

 

[SetzKitten]

Another book you might want to try is Swan Song

Agreed!! I thought this book was even better than The Stand.

 

[Magickndm]

Yes, I totally agree about Carrie, and thought I had listed it.

I also really loved Kingdom Hospital, even though it was a remake of a British show. I thought he did it wonderfully. I just hated all those commercials.

 

[bigmerle1966]

The Stand is my all time favorite of his and I have both copies, the original and the extended. I have just about every one of his books. I liked the mini-series but really didn't like the person they had for Randall Flagg, Jamie Sheridan (I think) just wasn't evil enough for me.

My next favorite is the Green Mile and every time I watch that movie I bawl my eyes out at the end. A good portion of his books have translated to the screen pretty well, including Stand By Me, which was based on a short story he wrote called The Body. I just saw his Biography on A&E and that was about something that happened when he was young.

 

[grimley1968]

I liked the mini-series alright, but the book is unbelievable! It's King's best book, IMHO. A must read.

 

[MARY-IN-OH]

Yes, I totally agree about Carrie, and thought I had listed it.

I also really loved Kingdom Hospital, even though it was a remake of a British show. I thought he did it wonderfully. I just hated all those commercials.

I bought the Kingdom Hospital DVD set. I happened to catch the first episode while I was in WDW with my sister, we were supposed to go to PI that evening, and we just couldn't go anywhere. sunburned and exhausted, we cracked a beer and watched the show. I watched every week after that EXCEPT THE LAST EPISODE! I know, crazy. I'm waiting for my daughter to get to the last episode and we are going to watch it together.

Also, thanks to everyone for the suggestions regarding Koontz books to read!!
-Mary

 

[Magickndm]

I bought the dvd set too....I loved the German Shepherd with a German accent!

 

[MARY-IN-OH]

And his owner with the thick glasses!

 

[Magickndm]

Otto and Blondie.

Sorry for getting off track OP, when it comes to King it's an easy thing for me to do.

 

[deelam]

What's sad is that Stephen King's books pretty-much went downhill from there, and while it was a pretty good amount of room to drop, he managed to get all the way down to the bottom with some of his later books.

I have to agree. His books were pretty bad for a while. But I just read CELL. and it is a great book. It reminded me of the stand. Has anyone else read CELL? If so, do you think it is simular?

 

[bigmerle1966]

I have to agree. His books were pretty bad for a while. But I just read CELL. and it is a great book. It reminded me of the stand. Has anyone else read CELL? If so, do you think it is simular?

Yes I did and I think it was too.

 

[Magickndm]

If you think his books have gone downhill, then I'm assuming you aren't a Dark Tower fan since his last 3 books prior to Cell were from that series (not counting his short story The Colorado Kid for the Hard Case Crime series).
I absolutely love the Dark Tower series.

 

[eclectics]

I have to agree. His books were pretty bad for a while. But I just read CELL. and it is a great book. It reminded me of the stand. Has anyone else read CELL? If so, do you think it is simular?

Very similar, but a poor imitation, I thought. Sorry, it didn't wow me. I had hoped for so much more. The Stand was so much better on a lot of levels.

 

[Beth E. (NJ)]

I am a huge King fan. I read the original Stand when it came out then went and got the unabridged version when it was published. Love, love, love that book!

Saw and enjoyed the miniseries -- but the book was indeed better -- how could it not be with so many more details included.