Poll of the Day > Re-reading The Stand.

(+) Yeah! (+)

Man, I forgot how much they changed in the mini-series!! It's been so long since I read the book. I still
see all the movie characters as I read the book again though lol.

Such a great book, I forgot it switched from character to character, but did it well (actually Steven King was always good at that).

Terry Pratchet was decent as well, but I never liked Robert Jordan's method (past the first bunch of books) or George Martin's (or a few other authors). I grew to hate authors who would switch from one characters perspective to another over time.

But "The Stand" reminds me that it didn't always such when an author did that.

Also man, re-reading it really makes me wanna re-see the mini series so bad. Loved the sound track as well. Best intro EVER!!
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wolfy42 posted...

It's been so long since I read the book.

Are you reading the original version, or the unabridged/uncut version (with like 400 extra pages)?

I remember reading the uncut edition around the same time the miniseries came out, it was definitely good. Though I preferred the earlier Dark Tower books, and the later Castle Rock stories (mainly Dark Half and Needful Things).



wolfy42 posted...

Loved the sound track as well. Best intro EVER!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy4HA3vUv2c

I also liked the opening to the second episode:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qJk4nzBIJg&t=0m36s

Shame there's no version of the first episode's intro on YouTube with the music intact (I'm assuming it's rights-related BS). I remember watching that for the first time on TV when it debuted and thinking it was pretty much the most appropriate song for the show ever.
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Yeah, I still think it's the most appropriate intro ever, loved the whole Mini-series, but that intro...just totally started it off great. It's my favorite Steven King adaptation by far.

I'm reading the version with the extra 400 pages, perhaps for the first time (or perhaps not, pretty sure I did re-read it at least once after the movie came out, so I probably read this version then).

I can't even remember things I read 3 months ago at this point, so pretty much impossible to tell, and doesn't matter anymore since I won't remember things in the book that were not in the miniseries.

Totally tripped that Larry didn't meet Nadine in NY in the book, forgot about Rita all together in fact.

Still wondering when she is gonna turn up (just at the part where Nick and Tom meet pretty much).

I really want to re-watch the mini-series and I probably will after I finish reading it. Just glad I have
a book I'm really into as it's been awhile. Been waiting for the next Dresden book and just basically
coasting off meh authors since the last pretty much.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjBwAYIxUso
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One of my favorite books

The part where the guy has to walk through the tunnel in the dark while its filled with all the cars with dead bodies sitting inside spooked me so hard when I read it when I was younger
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IT (clown) is still my favorite book.
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Cows btw, got the plague and died...which explains why BOC's Don't fear the reaper....seriously needed more cowbell.
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Mead posted...

One of my favorite books

The part where the guy has to walk through the tunnel in the dark while its filled with all the cars with dead bodies sitting inside spooked me so hard when I read it when I was younger

Nog that was Larry Underwood, who was a pretty great character, so was Stew Redmon...played by Garry Scenise (sp)....first time I ever saw him. The mini series had a great cast. Gave Molly Ringwald a chance to get back into acting as well which was great.

I can almost count the number of movies/mini series based on a book that I enjoyed as much or more then the book on one hand, and The Stand is probably my #1 over all. I feel like it was a masterpiece personally.
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Well they're making a new series, and its gonna be shit! woo!
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Kimbos_Egg posted...

Well they're making a new series, and its gonna be shit! woo!

What really? Why? Jeez why do they gotta keep remaking great stuff. First The PRincess bride and now The stand?

The mini series was freaking epic!!
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Jesus.......thank you for making me feel seriously old casting Heather Gram (my age) as Rita in the remake.

*sigh*

Rita, in case you don't remember, is an elderly woman, much older then Larry that he meets in NY and basically has to try and take care of. I just literally read about her and pictured her as oh, 60 or so...but nope, she's played by a 50 year old actress who I still think of as young/hot.

When I saw she was going to be in the movie, I thought she was going to be Fran!!!!!

OMG.
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Odessa Young is pretty cute, and at least she was born before 2000 (she plans Fran).

Most of the casting seems ok (though I don't think they will replace the originals for me) but 2 kinda irk me.

Randal flag ....doesn't come close to comparing to the original Jamey Shiriden *sp*, who was freaking iconic as him in the original. I don't see the new guy comparing.

And I'm sorry, but Whoopi as Mother Abegal, just no. She's to well known and I think she'll take away from the role personally. I just don't see it.

They all look so young to me as well. Also huge age diff between the new stew redman (40 something) and Fran (21) in real life, which is slightly icky (not as bad as when I thought it was James Marsters (who is 57)).

Well, I guess I'll watch it and it's new and it's a story I really like, but man, the first one was sooo good.
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Hmmm Larry is also now black, which isn't too bad, but kinda doesn't jive with his original story/history. Shouldn't be too hard to change it though. Actually his mother was kinda a bit racist in fact in the book (or at least unhappy with him playing "black music", so maybe that is why they changed his race.

I really liked his character in the original, the way he progressed etc, so I hope they do a good job altering him. They also aged his character (or at least the character playing him is older) so it's not as much of a diff between him and rits (31 and 50...which is still significant).

I really liked Stew, Nik and Larry initially the most honestly, although Nadine was also pretty cool, and Randal was played so well.

They are going to need to hit this out of the park to come close to competing with the original though, seriously not sure why they are remaking it.
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The original series was extremely well cast and had its moments but it just didn't capture the book very well. Probably was time, budget and what was allowed at the time.

The uncut book is fantastic. You have a character that was cut from the shorter version.

Probably one of my favorite books ever.
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We get it

You read books

I read the Stand in high school about 20 years ago, good book.

And loved the miniseries. You are referring to the 90s one with Gary Sinise, right?

Stand is a great book, although I wasn't a huge fan of the end. I read that Stephen King himself is writing a new ending for the upcoming series. Shame I will have to subscribe to a new service to watch it, but this will probably get me to do it.

wolfy42 posted...

Totally tripped that Larry didn't meet Nadine in NY in the book, forgot about Rita all together in fact.

Yeah, they basically fused the two characters together to save on casting/make things slightly less confusing for viewers.

There's a number of other characters who were similarly fused in the same way.
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I wish HBO would pick up the Dark Tower. And cast Daniel Craig as Roland.

I would also love to see an adaptation of The Talisman and Black House

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I'd be down for The Talisman for sure:)

Pretty much only Fantasy book by steven king (even kinda urban fantasy before it was a thing).

I only really liked the first book in the Dark tower series TBH, although I did like Wizard and Glass a bit since it touched on The Stands universe briefly hehe.
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Great book.


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wolfy42 posted...

I only really liked the first book in the Dark tower series TBH, although I did like Wizard and Glass a bit since it touched on The Stands universe briefly hehe.

I liked The Gunslinger, but felt like the next two books slowly declined in quality. Wizard and Glass was probably the best book in the series for me. Wolves of the Calla was easily the worst. The last two books are mostly meh, but The Dark Tower has some great moments.
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ParanoidObsessive posted...

wolfy42 posted...

I only really liked the first book in the Dark tower series TBH, although I did like Wizard and Glass a bit since it touched on The Stands universe briefly hehe.

I liked The Gunslinger, but felt like the next two books slowly declined in quality. Wizard and Glass was probably the best book in the series for me. Wolves of the Calla was easily the worst. The last two books are mostly meh, but The Dark Tower has some great moments.

Pretty much my exact take as well. I may have liked W&G more then gunslinger but it's been so long, all I remember from it is them going through The Stand Universe at some point.

I didn't like the drawing of the three and the second or third one that wasn't the drawing of the three and Wolves was my least favorite as well.

Also didn't like the movie.
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I only read the first 3 books and got like halfway through the 4th one before losing the book.
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I love so much about the Stand, book and series. And I'm interested to see a Flagg that I don't think is an absolutely hideous chud in the new version. :P

Wizard and Glass was my least favorite part of the Dark Tower by a painful degree. I wince when I get to it every time I reread the story.

Currently reading It for the first time. That one slipped through the cracks for a long time in spite of liking the movies. It starts out pretty slowly, but once it started getting into the creepy stuff it's been fun.
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Wizard and Glass was kind of a grinding halt to the ongoing story, but the story that it does tell is a good one.

I liked Wolves of the Calla and the last book, but both of them had unsatisfying climaxes

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It was good, but not one of my favorites.

If you have not read Firestarter, it's way better then the movie. Was one of the few adaptations I really didn't like.

The shining of course was a great adaptation but the book was still quite good as well.

Still wish they would make a movie out of the Long Walk, but I guess the content is a bit too dark.
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wolfy42 posted...

It was good, but not one of my favorites.

If you have not read Firestarter, it's way better then the movie. Was one of the few adaptations I really didn't like.

The shining of course was a great adaptation but the book was still quite good as well.

Still wish they would make a movie out of the Long Walk, but I guess the content is a bit too dark.

How would it be too dark? Just make it rated R.
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People tend to get more squeamish when a lot of kids are tortured and/or killed

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Revelation34 posted...

How would it be too dark? Just make it rated R.

Metalsonic66 posted...

People tend to get more squeamish when a lot of kids are tortured and/or killed

This, also nudety/sexual content etc...but primarily all the killing of kids etc. I mean, it's more likely to be made today (and they could just remove the sexual parts or cover it up mostly), but yeah, I don't know if you could make it into a film even today, even rated R....which is sad considering how much violence we have in many movies etc.

But in this case SK basically lets you get to know the characters well, and then kills em, and I don't know if that would fly (would be cool though).
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