CBS All Access
The Stand, Explained: We Need to Talk About Harold
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Radio Public | Stitcher | RSS At long last, Stephen King’s epic novel The Stand hits CBS All Access. Languishing for years in development hell, the journey from page to screen has been almost as long and arduous as the cross-country treks taken by its characters. Yet, it’s hard to think of a more perfect timing for this story of destruction and renewal than amidst a global pandemic. Beyond the pandemic parable, larger themes of taking a stand against persuasive evil are central to this story as well. The series opens with a dire warning and call to action from an unseen Mother Abigail (Whoopi Goldberg) that not only fits King’s story, but could easily be interpreted as a message to vi...
The Stand Reboot Is Christmas for Stephen King’s Most Constant Readers: Review
The Pitch: Based on Stephen King’s 1978 novel, The Stand is an apocalyptic epic that sees 99.4% of the world’s population decimated by a lethal strain of government-stamped influenza. What humanity remains is spiritually drawn into a climactic battle of good and evil. On one end is Mother Abagail (Whoopi Goldberg) and her ragtag team of survivors out in the Rockies. On the other is Randall Flagg (Alexander Skarsgard), a Canadian tuxedoed force who has amassed a devoted following nearby in Sin City. Place your bets. Danse Macabre: To say the road to this reboot has been long is an understatement. Prior to landing at CBS All Access, the project had been in development hell since the latter half of Obama’s first term. This is back when Warner Bros. initially envisioned it as a theatrical even...
Revisiting Mick Garris’ The Stand Miniseries In the Middle of a Pandemic
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Radio Public | Stitcher | RSS Our gift to you! In anticipation of CBS All Access’ The Stand, which debuts Thursday, December 17th, The Losers’ Club has released its complete rewatch of Mick Garris’ original 1994 miniseries. Stu, Franny, Flagg, they’re all in there. Spanning four episodes, this marathon listen finds the Losers making their way out West, setting up shop in Boulder, Colorado, and eventually making their stand against Jamey Sheridan’s Randall Flagg all the way in Las Vegas, Nevada. Together, they’ll discuss the eerie parallels of Captain Trips to Covid-19, go deep into why Corin Nemec just doesn’t work as Harold Lauder, the sad inevitability of Nadine Cross’ fate, the hun...
Stephen King’s The Stand Miniseries Unfolds In Exciting Comic-Con Trailer and Panel: Watch
Stephen King’s The Stand was on full display at New York Comic-Con. On Friday afternoon, CBS All Access’ highly anticipated miniseries adaptation took over the virtual convention with a star-studded panel that culminated in the reveal of a brand new full-length trailer. Unlike the teaser that dropped back in August, this trailer offers a true in-depth look at the apocalyptic epic. A few of the images should send a shiver down your spine, particularly as we deal with our own ensuing pandemic. We get shots of the principal characters, we get glimpses of the world-building at hand, and we see a ton of allusions to the original novel. If you weren’t hyped already, this should leave Constant Readers champing at the bit for December. Watch the trailer below. [embedded content] Hosted by Van...
Jordan Peele’s The Twilight Zone Returns with All the Same Issues of Its First Season: Review
Welcome (Back) Travelers: Last year, Jordan Peele, Simon Kinberg, and Marco Ramirez tried their darnedest to bring back the magic of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone for CBS All Access. They hid Easter eggs in every episode (clearly, they loved “Nick of Time”), they remade a fan favorite (see: “Nightmare at 30,000 Feet”), and they even digitally resurrected the man himself (see: “Blurryman”). Some of it worked, some of it flopped, but mostly, it went from arriving with a big bang to shuffling away with a soft shrug. Even so, it was an intriguing enough run for a second season, and naturally, CBS kept the series’ trademark door open for 10 more episodes. Looking at the slate ahead, there’s a lot to be excited about: Peele went solo at the typewriter for “Downtime”; award-winning genre writer...
Stephen King’s The Stand First Look and Details: Photos of Whoopi Goldberg, Alexander Skarsgård, and more
The world of Stephen King’s The Stand is inching closer to reality on CBS All Access. Today, Vanity Fair dropped another one of its trademark first looks, offering a number of details and glimpses of Josh Boone’s forthcoming miniseries. Below, you can see stunning portraits of Whoopi Goldberg as Mother Abigail, Alexander Skarsgard as Randall Flagg, Odessa Young as Frannie Goldsmith, Jovan Adepo as Larry Underwood, Owen Teague as Harold Lauder, Heather Graham as Rita Blakemoor, and Nat Wolff as Lloyd Henreid. In addition to the eye candy, there are a number of intriguing takeaways from the story. First off, the production wrapped four days early due to COVID-19. The show itself begins after the Captain Trips pandemic has taken effect with Lost-esque flashbacks to reveal the roots of th...
Jordan Peele’s The Twilight Zone Season 2 Sets Premiere Date and Drops Creepy First Trailer: Watch
The Twilight Zone is closer than you think. Today, CBS All Access announced that the second season of Jordan Peele’s reboot will arrive on Thursday, June 25th for what they’ve dubbed “National Twilight Zone Day”. Unlike last year’s run, however, all 10 episodes will be available at once, and you can get a preview of what’s to come in the new trailer. “You are not who you appear to be,” says Billy Porter in a voice over. From there, we get a smash cut of scenes that include a not-so-subtle reference to the Invader from “The Invaders”, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it nod to The Busy Bee Cafe from “The Nick of Time”, what appears to be an homage to 2001’s HAL, and essentially every star on payroll. As previously reported, many of those stars include the aforementioned Porter, Joel McHale, Top...
