A Few Words About A few words about...™ Buffy the Vampire Slayer -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

Although I've always been aware of the Buffy projects, both feature as well as TV, I'd never had the time or inclination to visit them.

The release of Fox's Blu-ray of the feature last October, finally made it way to my screening room, and I found it an interesting conundrum.

The film was very much written and designed as a horror / comedy. As an early screenplay by Joss Whedon, and directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui, I couldn't help but wonder how it might have played upon its original release back in 1992?

Was it considered "hip," brilliantly funny?

Because today, 26 years later, it lays there like the veritable lox.

While Kristy Swanson does a credible job of giving her lead character life, many roles are horribly over-acted, and the film horrifically directed -- take one look at the background action during the final attack at the prom -- with everyone just running in circles.

Or was that humor?

I don't have the answers.

Only thing I can relate, is that Fox's Blu-ray is a beautiful representation of the film, and for Buffy fans everything, it will be akin to nirvana.

Beautiful color, grain structure, stability. It all works.

Dolby stereo has even been spread to DTS-MA 7.1.

For those whose eyes can take in very quick images, look for a shot of a very young Ben Affleck during the prom kerfuffle.

One positive attribute. Makes one long for a good dose of Valley speak.

Image - 5

Audio - 5 (DTS-HD MA 7.1)

Pass / Fail - Pass

RAH

 

[Wayne_j]

Joss Whedon hated the movie because he thought that the director got the tone wrong and ended up being too campy. So he rectified it by making the TV series under his control.

 

[TravisR]

Joss Whedon hated the movie because he thought that the director got the tone wrong and ended up being too campy. So he rectified it by making the TV series under his control.

Yeah, the bad movie shouldn't sour anyone on the good TV show.

 

[Will Krupp]

Yeah, the bad movie shouldn't sour anyone on the good TV show.

I would go so far as to say a "great" TV show, one for the ages. Terrible movie, though (especially when you consider what came after it.)

Funny story. Sarah Michelle Gellar was at a dinner party with Kefier Sutherland in 1996 and he asked her what, if anything, she was working on. She told him she had just signed for this TV series and he said, "Wait, wasn't my DAD in that MOVIE? Well, don't feel bad, you'll get something else next year."

 

[JohnRice]

Both the movie and TV shows deserve their respective reputations. The movie is a misfire, and the TV show really is one of the all-time greatest broadcast television shows.

 

[Bryan^H]

Buffy, was and will be one of the best television shows ever created. No joke. The film, it was Ok...I guess.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

The interesting thing is that the TV series is a sequel to Joss Whedon's original screenplay for the movie. So while the broad strokes of the events preceding her arrival in Sunnydale in the TV series track with the movie as shot and released, there are discrepancies: In the show, the events of the movie took place when Buffy was a high school freshman, but Kristy Swanson's Buffy was a high school senior. The vampires are portrayed differently, and the mythology of the Watchers is significantly different.

Dark Horse Comics released a three-issue comic book series called The Origin that adapted chunks of the original screenplay for the movie, using the likeness of the actors from the TV series: Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy, and Richard Riehle as Merrick (who played him in flashbacks to her time in LA on the TV show).

 

[Ahab]

Joss Whedon hated the movie because he thought that the director got the tone wrong and ended up being too campy. So he rectified it by making the TV series under his control.

He also hated it because of Donald Sutherland.
The director, Fran Rubel Kuzui, did go on to produce the tv series so I would assume there were no hard feelings between her and Joss Whedon.

 

[Wayne_j]

I always heard that Kuzui was contractually obligated to be listed as a producer and had nothing to do with the TV show.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I always heard that Kuzui was contractually obligated to be listed as a producer and had nothing to do with the TV show.

You are correct, sir. Her production company has an ownership stake in the franchise, resulting from the contractual agreements for the movie.

 

[dana martin]

One positive attribute. Makes one long for a good dose of Valley speak.

RAH

Robert , your wish will be here soon enough, channeled through delightfully attractive Deborah Foreman and a young Nicolas Cage, and i wait to hear your review of that film as well. I always thought this was campy, the TV series was much better.

 

[Ahab]

I always heard that Kuzui was contractually obligated to be listed as a producer and had nothing to do with the TV show.

Thanks for the correction.