4 star restoration of this epic apocalyptic thriller.
The Stand is a multi award winning teleplay written and directed by Stephen King (Cujo, Pet Sematary, Castle Rock, The Dark Half) and based on his best selling novel of the same name. It was originally released in 1994 and is presented here for the first time on Blu-ray, restored in high definition courtesy of Paramount Home Entertainment and CBS Home Entertainment.
“The Beast is loose in the streets of Bethlehem. The rats are in the corn…”
The Stand is a mini series consisting of four parts, The Plague, The Dreams, The Betrayal and The Stand, each approximately 90 minutes long.
The American government have been tinkering with nature again, this time creating a weaponized version of the flu. When it is accidentally released from it’s laboratory, a guard at the facility loses his nerve and runs without ensuring the site is secure. He ends up crashing into a petrol station in Arnette, Texas.
Unfortunately for pretty much everybody, he is already infected and has spread the disease halfway across America before it can be contained. 
It kills extremely quickly and despite the best efforts of the military, lead by General Starkey (Ed Harris – The Abyss, Apollo 13) it has soon wiped out most of the world’s population in just two weeks.
But scattered across America are a handful of survivors, immune to this new and terrifying disease. Stu Redman (Gary Sinise – Forrest Gump, Of Mice and Men) was at the petrol station when the crash occurred. Other survivors include Larry Underwood (Adam Storke – Mystic Pizza), an up and coming musician, Frannie Goldsmith (Molly Ringwald – The Breakfast Club, Pretty In Pink) and Nick Andros (Rob Lowe – The Outsiders, Wayne’s World) a deaf mute.
All of the survivors have shared dreams. Half are called to Hemingford Home, Nebraska, to an old lady named Mother Abigail (Ruby Dee – American Gangster), who lives in a small house in a corn field. The other half are called to Las Vegas, Nevada, to a dark and sinister man named Randall Flagg (Jamey Sheridan – Sully, Spotlight). As everyone assembles there begins an epic battle between the forces of good and evil.
The Stand is a great watch. It’s well written and with an amazing cast, the acting is just as good as you would expect. You can tell that it has a large budget and it was well spent. True to the novel, it’s atmospheric and creepy, with inventive lighting effects and has stood the test of time well.
The restoration has worked wonders and this release is a must own for fans of Stephen King.
“For two people from the same town, two people who know each other, to both be immune to something this big, it’s like winning the megabucks lottery. It has to mean something.”
The Stand is available to buy now on Blu-ray.
| Director | Stephen King |
| Author | Stephen King |
| Genre | Horror, fantasy, thriller |
| Starring | Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, Rob Lowe, Jamey Sheridan, Ruby Dee |
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