The devil wears double denim
The poster (very similar to 1998’s awful City of Angels, a remake of Wim Wenders’ Wings of Desire) makes The Stand looks like a romantic drama, rather than post-apocalyptic horror.
The Stand | 1994 | USA | 6 hour mini-series in 4 episodes
A good time to rewatch this 1990s Stephen King adaptation (especially when there’s an awful new series out on Prime) about a killer virus that wipes out 99% of the population. Which is when the series really begins – ostensibly a fable of Good versus Evil, with good being an old black woman strumming a guitar on her veranda in Nebraska, and evil being a corny-looking guy wearing double – maybe even triple – denim (shirt, jacket, jeans).
Of the 1% of humanity remaining, Gary Sinise (fresh from Forrest Gump), Molly Ringwald, Rob Lowe (both former brat packers fallen on hard times) and Laura San Giacomo (Sex, Lies and Videotape) are just some of the familiar faces who feature in a series which has over 125 speaking parts (Ed Harris, Kathy Bates, Stephen King and directors John Landis and Sam Raimi also make appearances). The number of characters gives the series an epic feel, as does the fine 16mm photography, featuring the stunning scenery of Utah and Colorado.
A touching if unlikely friendship develops between illiterate Tom (played by Bill Fagerbakke) and deaf-mute Nick (Rob Lowe). Indeed, the most moving aspect of the series is the friendships. There’s a lovely scene out in the desert with Gary Sinise (Stu) and three other guys on their way by foot to Las Vegas – not much goes on in the way of plot but there’s a natural camaraderie between them which is quite touching. The plot and characters seem to grow almost organically at a leisurely pace, allowing the series to breathe.
If those guys are in the good camp, Lloyd (played by George Clooney’s cousin, Miguel Ferrer) is definitely in the bad, being a petty criminal who sells his soul to the devil so he doesn’t have to eat rats in his jail cell. Fair enough. Actor Miguel Ferrer played FBI Agent Albert Rosenfield in Twin Peaks (reprising his role in the 2017 series, which would be his last acting part before he died the same year), and there’s something about his role in The Stand which reminds me of a David Lynch production.
His scenes in Las Vegas are in the sort of hotel room where beautiful women in lingerie are draped on beds with satin sheets. There’s something of Blue Velvet or Twin Peaks in the mise en scène, in the misogyny and in the weird, evil, menacing characters lurking around.
The characters are all faced with choosing Good or Evil in the form of vivid dreams, where the aforementioned old black woman, Mother Abagail Freemantle (played by Ruby Dee) and/or cheesy demon denim dude, Randall Flagg (played by Jamey Sheridan, though I would have liked Kris Kristofferson to play the part for some reason), make appearances to help them decide.
There are people who think the town of Bedford Falls that features in It’s a Wonderful Life is a lot more exciting in its alternative guise without the existence of George Bailey; that is, a place full of gambling and debauchery. Likewise, the vision of Hades that is Las Vegas, where all the evil folk are hanging out, looks a lot more happening (girls, guns, gambling) than life back in suburbia with the goodies (meetings, committees and barbeques).
The deus ex machina conclusion in Las Vegas strikes many critics as contrived but works for me. A bomb is better than it’s all been a dream.
Watch it for free on YouTube here.