The Stand
By emeraldisle
@emeraldisle (13138)
United States
April 11, 2007 10:34pm CST
I happen to really enjoy watching this movie. I read the book as well and I thought they did a fantastic job of converting it over to film. The casting it was also well done. They really got the right actors for the characters. The book for anyone interested is by Stephen King and if you have seen the movie you might have seen the author in there :) He does play a small part.
For those of you who have not seen the movie or read the book The Stand deals with a superflu bug that the government was developing. It gets lose and 99.9% of humanity (and many animals) die because of it. Now you end up with the survivors who split into two camps really. One group is drawn to Abigail Freemantle, a 108 year old woman who is guided by God. The other group is drawn to Randal Flagg who is also known as The Dark Man or evil. Of course during all this you have them dealing with survival, getting things back like electricity, and then the fight between good and evil.
So my question is do you think something like this is possible? Not necessarily the fight of good vs. evil but the superflu and the death of most of humanity. If you think it's possible would you want to be a survivor? Do you think you'd be able to and if so how would you feel about it? Give me your thoughts on if faced with something like this what you'd do and how you'd do it.
7 people like this
11 responses
@nowment (1756)
• United States
12 Apr 07
The Stand was a great movie, I became a Gary Sinese fan from that movie. Though I don't like Stephen King's books, as I think he is to wordy, I just don't like his style of writing to much, but he does come up with good stories, which is why they are so often being translated into movies.
The Stand's premise of the superflu bug, is it possible, yes, I think it is possible simply because there is so much the goverment does that we don't know about, and likely never will. I do think that despite the fact that so many are against germ warfare, that science still experiemnts and plays with such dangerous things.
[one extremist friend of mine insists that the goverment developed and created the AIDS virus]
Would I want to be a survivor should most of the world be devestated in this way, I am not sure, part of me wonders if rather than finding a good society such as the one group that Stephen King wrote of, those that followed Abigail, would there instead be more of society that has fallen into anarchy. Would be more devestated and more I don't know Mad Maxx like societies?
So I am not sure I would want to see this. At the same time, I am curious as to what may happen, and what people may do.
2 people like this
@emeraldisle (13138)
• United States
12 Apr 07
Yeah I've heard some say that about the AIDS virus as well among other things. I'm sure they are experimenting on things and personally I wouldn't want to know, I'd be even more scared if I did. Yeah I'm not sure if I'd want to be or not especially since it would be doubtful if anyone I knew would. It would be very scary and so much would be uncertain. I would be curious as well as to what life would be like afterwards but not sure if that's enough.
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
12 Apr 07
I have never seen this movie so I really cannot answer your question. I have not even heard of this movie. What is it rated. i never watch movies that are rated above a PG-13 rating.
@emeraldisle (13138)
• United States
12 Apr 07
It was a made for tv movie actually. It was a mini-series over 4 nights. It's not rated above PG-13 and it is out on DVD. It's over 2 DVD's actually due to the legnth. It's a great movie and I would highly recommend it. Has some great stars in it: Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, Jamie Sheridan, Robe Lowe, Ossie Davis, Ray Walston and so many more are in there. Even a small part played by Stephen King and if you look closly you'll see Michael Lookingland (yes from the Brady Bunch). It's an excellent film.
@kitchenwitchoftupper (2290)
• United States
13 Apr 07
No way in the world would I want to be a survivor of this "Day of Reckoning" as you describe it. In my life I have already seen way too many splits, rifts, divisions, hate crimes, wars against humanities, etc. I would not want to continue to see the final episode and play a part in the drama ~Donna
2 people like this
@gypsylady28 (945)
• United States
15 Apr 07
I loved The Stand! I think it was one of Stephen King's best books, and the movie was great! I do think it is possible for a virus to wipe out most of humanity. All you have to do is look back in history and remember the plaques and such that have happened in the past. It also doesn't help with the governments of the world fooling around and mutating virus for germ warfare. I don't know if there is anything we could do. I would probably try to find a remote area with no one else around and wait it out there with my family. We are pretty self sufficient and I think we could survive off the land if we had too. I grew up on a farm and no how to hunt if I have to. But I think alot has to do with how much warning you have ahead of time.
1 person likes this
@emeraldisle (13138)
• United States
15 Apr 07
Good point, it would depend on how much warning you have before hand. If I had plenty of warning I'd barricade myself inside someplace and just wait for the worst to be over and then try to deal. I think we could survive off the land as well, it would depend though on how much was damaged. In the Stand dogs and some other animals were effected as well. That would make hunting a lot harder if the animal population was cut down too.
@chaygylmommy (2469)
• United States
12 Apr 07
This is one of my favorite King books! And, yes, the movie was done pretty good. I love to read the book first so I can form my own opinions and thoughts on what the characters look like and sound like. You are right that the actors chosen for the parts all were pretty close to what I imagined.
Your questions are hard...I think that most people would definately just get up and work hard to survive no matter who they are, but it really depends on the person and their attitude. Me, I think I would definately fight the whole time and I would be on the side of good, but I know that evil side sure would be tempting. A lot of what Flagg offered is really tempting to most people espcieally those he preyed on...those with nothing to lose...those who were already on the wrong path...those with little hope. I would hope that I would be strong enough to follow my heart and go with Abigail even when Randall offered the easier path. The book is wonderful. King is great...he weaves stories full of all kinds of themes...religion, horror, end of the world, etc. There is just so much you can take from this book. Thanks for the reminder...now I have to go dig The Stand out of my closet and read it again. :)
2 people like this
@emeraldisle (13138)
• United States
12 Apr 07
When I saw the previews for it and saw Rob Lowe for Nick I had my doubts but he really brought that character to life. I was pleasently surprised.
Flagg would be tempting I agree. He did offer a lot and had the semblence of being in control of it all which for many would seem great especially after losing so much. Still I'd like to think I'd be in Boulder with the others and not with Flagg in Vegas.
2 people like this
@66jerseygirl (3877)
• United States
13 Apr 07
Not only is "The Stand " my favorite King book,it's one of my favorite movies. I thought it was so superp and loved Rob Lowe's acting even though he never spoke a word. I do believe that it is possible for this country to be devastated by such a bug. To tell the truth ,I don't know if I would want to be a survivor but if I were I would certainly like to have a stab at the "walkin dude" (randal flagg)
1 person likes this
@emeraldisle (13138)
• United States
13 Apr 07
Actually Rob Lowe did speak in a couple of the dream sequences. I thought he was fantastic as Nick, it really surprised me at how good he was.
Yeah he was known by a few names in that. Yeah don't sure I'd want to try and take a stab at him. Most who did didn't survive. I'd want to stay clear to be honest. He's scary.
@sherry_navilla (420)
• Slovak Republic
13 Apr 07
well, i guess that is really possible if we continue to abuse our mother earth... our resources are running low and global warming is now at its peak.. it wouldn't be too impossible... but the fight between good and evil has been evident since time immemorial! we are even fighting it amongst ourselves.. :D
1 person likes this
@crimsonrose (147)
• Bangladesh
13 Apr 07
If the same situation at all happens to earth than ofcourse there will be no choice left but to take part as a surviver for my own existance and to save the mankind for the good cause. Where there is will there is way..when there is no way to survive I have faith God will show a light in the end of the tunnel.
1 person likes this
@emeraldisle (13138)
• United States
12 Apr 07
If you get the chance read the book. It does have a lot more to it then what was in the movie. They did a great job of adapting the movie but it still doesn't have all the book did.
