NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Paramount Blu-ray (September 2019): Paramount have transferred Stephen King's The Stand to Blu-ray. The 6-hour mini-series is on one lone dual-layered disc with a very modest bitrate. Director Mick Garris, in the commentary, states that The Stand was filmed in 16mm. So as not emphasize that format weaknesses they had no filtration, or smoke in shots that would diminish sharpness, and as much movement as possible. I can only assume it was printed in 35mm as this transfer doesn't have excess grain but does have some crisp moments in static shots. Frankly, it looks a lot like video. Its softness is more understandable - it can look weak - waxy and digitized but that may also be an effect of cramming the entire 6-hoirs on one disc as opposed to two or even three. This appears to be the 'TV cut' with about 2-minutes removed (possibly a scene of a truck dumping bodies). It is divided into the original 1.5 hour four parts (The Plague, The Dreams, The Betrayal and The Stand) with a 'Play All' function via the menu. It look okay in-motion with even some minor depth.

On their Blu-ray, Paramount use a a lossy Dolby 2.0 channel track in the original English language. There are optional German or Spanish DUBs. Effects exist but carry no intense depth and there is a score by W.G. Snuffy Walden. There is song sampling including Baby Can U Dig Your Man, composed by Al Kooper & Stephen King, The Sylvers' Boogie Fever, Blue Öyster Cult's (Don't Fear) The Reaper, ZZ Top's Sharp Dressed Man, Ruby Dee's What A Friend We Have In Jesus as well as some Crowded House (Don't Dream It's Over). Paramount offer optional English and a few other foreign language subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Paramount Blu-ray includes an audio commentary by author Stephen King and director Mick Garris joined briefly by editor Patrick McMahon and later Ruby Dee (and possibly others - I have not completed listening to it.) I enjoyed Garris' frankness about the production (creaking dollies, editing challenges, flash-bulb cut, cranes in the wind etc.), casting (impressed with Sinise joining the project) and budget and camera limitations. He puts on no airs and I found it refreshing with a few gaps passing it back and forth to King who loved getting his friend Ed Harris to act in it - even as a brief cameo. It seems to run the entire 6-hours. There is also a generic 5-minute 'Making of' with input from King and others.

The original mini-series of The Stand is quite a long viewing - not meant to be binge-watched, imo. I divided it over two nights but it, probably, should have been four. I loved the apocalyptic themes but strayed when it came to the demonic 'dark man' angle. I did enjoy seeing it - and was anxious for the second night's viewing. I expect this holds some nostalgia value for some - it is 25-years old! It has some strong actors and King's textured characters and imagination. The Blu-ray will be welcomed by the author's following and horror fans in general. With the commentary there is a massive amount of value here.

Gary Tooze