The 1992 Buffy Movie

[Saturn 5]

Lets start off where it really all began, back with Kristy Swanson and Luke Perry back in 1992.

The Good
Kristy is lovely, perhaps even more so than SMG, especially in her nightie. Love the scene where she rides the motorbike and some of the valleytalk. Principal Murray is also funny as is the 'What time is it?' gag. Love the idea that 'PMS is our secret weapon'
Paul Ruebens is good especially his death scene. And that's pretty much it

The Bad
Personally I think both Merrick and Lothos are way over the top. The Buffy/Pike relationship lacks credibility although it's interesting to think about Buffy/Oz? Angel is sorely missed. Kristy's lovely but nowhere near as good an actress as SMG. The finale is also not up to much. It's an OK film but it lacks verve

The Other
Quite a cast, double Oscar winner Hilary Swank, Ben Affleck, Ricky Lake etc. Reputedly Seth Green has a small role but I've never spotted him. You can certainly see the beginnings of the Buffy characters here;
Pike=Oz
Jennifer=Cordy
Kimberly=Harmony
Andy=Xander
Cassandra=Willow (although she dies!)
Murray=Flutie
No Ford from 'Lie to Me' though. The only characters to cross from the movie to the series are Buffy, Joyce, Hank and Merrick (in flashback in Becoming pt2). Joyce's 'What time?' line to Buffy is also repeated there but in a very different context. Joyce remarks to Buffy in 'Fear Itself' that she's not the social butterfly she used to be and also in WTTH that she's read parenting books.
I saw Luke Perry in 'When Harry Met Sally' with AH and he was very good (and certainly still a hit with the girls). A shame we never see Pike again in the series although he does return in the comics. I don't really think the romance between him and Buffy works, we sorely miss Angel/Spike. If you look at the video cover it has both him and Kristy, by the time it comes out on DVD it's just her.
Buffy later describes her pre-Slayer personality as Cordelia-like and she is. Ironically Merrick quotes Corinthians about putting away childish things but it's by clinging to her non-slayer life that Buffy is the most successful Slayer ever. She does recall the memories of past Slayers just as Dana does in Damaged so this is presumably something shared by all Slayers
Buffy says she aims to graduate, go to Europe, marry Christian Slater and die. By the end of Angel she's done 3 out of 4 (wouldn't it have been cool if they got the Immortal to be played by Christian Slater?)
Now of course if Normal Again is real then Buffy's delusion starts at the point she 'meets' Merrick and ends at the final scene of Chosen (the Buffy comics her dreams and/or perhaps she writes them for a living?). On the plus side although none of her Sunnydale characters exist it means that folks like Cassandra she based them on are still alive so she still has her Scooby-Gang and both parents when she gets out of the asylum. And she can always find a new Faith and Angel/Spike and name her daughter Dawn.
Lots of continuity changes. Vamps don't dust and can fly. Buffy doesn't miss the heart first time out as she later claims. It's much more overtly christian with the Slayer clearly god's instrument. Buffy has a built in vamp-detector which is alluded to in the series but not so strongly.
More cruelty to cats!
Good soundtrack from the Divinyls, they also did 'I touch myself' which Buffy recalls listening to in 'Lie to Me'

Questions;
Merrick says he is reincarnated but is that just him or all Watchers?
Do Faith and co all have the birthmark Buffy had removed?

[Whedon Fan]

It is an okay film to watch now and again. There are a few nice Buffy moments in it. Joss worked on the script, handed it over to the netowork and they ripped it apart. They rushed it into production so it would be relesed in the summer rather than the winter. They cut important scenes out and re-wrote a lot of it. This all drove Joss to leave the movie at the end.

Joss has said countless times that the movie is not the origin for SMG's Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Though it does borrow a few things from the movie. There is a comic book for Buffy's origin story but I've heard even thats not that good

I do own the movie and series. Both have good qualtiles but I hugley prefer the series to the movie. I hate the California valley girls rubbish that is in the movie. The series seems more real and has better releatable charatcers.



Also 800 post. Woo!

[BenTaylor3907]

I hated how "Pee-wee Herman" wouldn't frickin' die. Seriously. I don't know if that was supposed to be funny or not, but it definitely wasn't funny. And Merrick, what a douche! He hands over all his slayers to Lothos even though he know they'll die? WTF? I know Giles thought Buffy would probably die against the Master but still... Merrick and Lothos seemed to be buddies.

[Hallow Thorn]

God, the movie is BAD... I still need to get in on DVD because I only have in on Video, but like you said, it's nice to see the beginnings of the characters like:
Pike-Oz, Jennifer-Cordy, Kimberly-Harmony and Murray=Flutie...

I think this needs to be moved to the 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer & Angel' board...

[buffyverseforever]

I think Seth Green's scene was actually cut but he is on the video box. I could be wrong about that though.



Best wishes,

Scott

[seryna]

That film is in my pile that if the Significant Other tries to toss, all of his Scrubs mysteriously vanish. I *love* this movie.

Except for Merrick. That first clip is good for teaching your daughter/little sister/ neighborhood girl you vaguely care about 'If you see that man or anyone resembling him approaching you, scream like a banshee and R - u -n a - w - a- y!

[zoelee]

i wasnt sure of what to make of the film when i first saw it, but i always find myself watching it if its on tv. is it just me that dose that? x

[deathisyourgift]

This movie is not one that I particularly enjoy, but as you said, zoelee, if it's on, I cannot turn it off.

I think the reason I do watch it is because, like S1 of the series, it is a timewarp back to the 90's. It's fun to watch all the goings-on of the valley chicks, the awkward style choices, and most importantly the slang. This movie does have a lot of character, though it isn't really cohesive to the series because of Joss's non-involvement. It's kitchy and quirky and lame, so yeah, I watch it.

I must say, I LOVE Rutger Hauer as Lothos, and Paul Reubens as Amilyn. Contrary to previous comments, his death scene cracks me up because it is so absurd and drawn out.

Now I want to watch this..I need the DVD.

And I take back my original statement--I DO enjoy watching this movie! hahaha

[Brian Lynch]

I think Luke Perry is awesome in it.

[Saturn 5]

Like the sideburns, huh?

[Hallow Thorn]

Lets not forget Merrick in the tv show lol...
buffy.wikia.com/wiki/Merrick

[zoelee]

Luke Perry was OK in it, i think over all the film was a bit bad, but if we didn't have that we wouldn't of had the TV show.
what was with with the vampire was dying at the end, with all the moaning with the music, that took to long, if my memory serves me i cant remember.

[●B E N]

I liked the movie... I thought it was awesome on a stick... but I was 6 when I saw it... I also thought Skydancers were real..

[Essentially Yours]

I found the movie and the series to be as far away from each other as possible.

I am glad that they didn't include the flying vampires in the series though. That would have been kind of annoying. Haha. Also, the vampires didn't go POOF after being staked in the movie. I'm glad Joss decided to go with the formula vampires + stake = pile ole dust

[Saturn 5]

Probably a question of cost, in 1992 they didn't have the technology for the dusting whilst it was too expensive for the vamps to fly every week

[Renée]

I've never seen that movie *shame*

[Saturn 5]

You should if only for completist's sake, The Phanton Menace etc may not be the best films but you wouldn't enjoy Star Wars etc so much without having seen them.
If you like discussing the movie and other old eps join us on the Slayalive TV thread where we're currently up to 'Never kill a boy on a first date'

[spurtyknowledge]

One of the greatest camp films of the early 90's, IMO. Hilariously bad and over the top, but it has its charms.

I saw the film before I watched the series, so it did at least inspire my ascension into Whedon heaven.

[alycat7]

Honestly, If I didn't watch the series before I saw the movie, I would not have finished watching it.

[randygiles]

I think the orginal movie's pretty funny. Mildly campy, lol but entertaining.