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Buffy the Vampire Slayer Before there was the TV show, there was the movie. Same idea, same writer (Joss Whedon), not nearly as good. Buffy Summers is a high school sophomore in L.A. who discovers that she has a higher calling than hanging out and shopping — she is the Slayer, the only one who stands between the world and the forces of darkness, and can she wield a stake! Actually, she can't so much here, partly because within the story she hasn't been trained yet and is learning as she goes, and mostly because the movie's pretty lame. On the good side, Kristy Swanson did do her own stunts, while Sarah Michelle Gellar uses a stunt double. Wait, maybe that's not a good side... Much more of a silly teen comedy than a serious dramedy like the TV show, the movie is mainly of interest as the back story to the show. It shows how Buffy learned of her calling, tells of her first watcher Merrick, and depicts just how she got kicked out of Hemery High for burning down the gym, an action which Buffy will often be reminded of by Sunnydale High School principals in seasons 1-3 of the TV show. See the movie if you're a Buffy fan, just to see the beginning, but realize that there's a reason that Whedon was so unhappy with it that he wanted to do it as a TV show, the way he originally envisioned Buffy. Laugh at the fake-looking vampires (just kids with long teeth), be disappointed that they don't turn into dust. Lament the absence of any scary villains or outstanding supporting characters. Then watch episodes of the TV show to remind yourself how much better it is. **1/2 out of **** Cast Directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui Year of Release: 1992 Page last updated 9/30/04. |
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