Originally an ABC miniseries, The Stand may now be seen on DVD and does an admirable job of trying to capture the grandeur and epic scope of King's novel. On many levels, the film works, especially a chilling opening sequence that uses Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper" to memorable effect. What follows are a series of ups and downs, and those familiar with the novel will find the film a wonderful Cliff's notes to the novel. And, many of the actors in the film are old friends from movies and television, some woefully miscast. Molly Ringwald as Frannie Goldsmith and Matt Frewer as the Trashcan Man are often painful to watch, while Rob Lowe as Nick Andros and Miguel Ferrer as Lloyd Henreid are a delight.

More importantly, the war of good and evil rages well in the film, and Jamey Sheridan is fine as the Walking Man. The final moments of the film are shackled by a made-for-television budget and do not pack the dramatic punch that the novel does, but what the film does do is give a classic horror novel a fair treatment.

If you have a Sunday afternoon that begs for a film of this size and scope, one could do a lot worse than to travel in the plague-ravaged landscape of The Stand.