On knockoffs of spoofs of B-movies
I watched the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie last night. The original one, from 1992. And what can I say? Hi-larious! Having seen all of the tv series, this movie "read" like a spoof.
The vampires weren't as developed or refined (they fly? they have pointy ears?) The historical sequences were equally bad. The students are very one-dimensional. Buffy herself and her "friends" all behave like unprofessional versions of Cordelia. And I never realized how much early '90s fashions owe to the '80s. I mean, I can tell when they're meant to look glamorous/hot/fashionable, but oi. And the party dress was really only good from the waist up. Is no one else bothered by the fact that there is no way that was Buffy's real hair? It was abundantly obvious that it would be way to short to get into any sort of bun, never mind one of those dimensions. Buffy went for the whole, "yes, I may be a creepy old man who wants to take you to a cemetery alone at night, but I understand your dreams, so it's all good" line from her Watcher. Yeah, ok, skeptical at first, but she still went for it. She's just lucky that it turned out to be true.
But, having said all that, there are a number of great things that this movie has going for it, most of which are only good if one has seen the series already.
The historical slayer with the big brown hair. The Halloween everyone turns into their costumes, Buffy dresses up looking like her, only she doesn't get to keep the slayer powers that came with the original.
The blue van. Almost certainly the precursor of Oz's blue van. Even comes with guitar.
The principal. Painful to watch, but still funny, mostly at the end sequence with the reporter.
The coach's inspirational clipboard: pyramid eye + men and women symbols = win.
The original creepy scene in the locker room. At this point, I get suspicious whenever that location turns up. It's never good. (Well, hardly ever.)
Best of all though? Pike. (yes, that's a fish.) It took me a while (as in, until he shows up at the dance) to realize it, but this is the original Spike. I mean, look at their names. Actually, I looked at their faces--Pike brushes his hair back when he gets dressed up (ugh) and then they have the same high forehead, hairline, and cheekbones. Not to mention the original leather jacket, flask, and crush-on-Buffy. But get this: not stupid! He doesn't let his old pal the vampire into his apartment. Even if he's usually being the victim, he still takes charge of his victimhood--ok, that sounds funny, but he fights back reasonably, without the usual victim-style flailings. And nice. I mean, if you crossed Xander or Oz with Spike, this is what you'd end up with. And, get this, not undead! which is really endearing.
I think this is like one of those alternate realities. Not the grim one where Willow's a vampire, or the "ordinary" one of the tv series, but the next level "up", one notch more overblown and silly. The one where Buffy and Spike do get to ride off into to the sunset on a motorcycle.
The whole thing is just so improbable. Everything set on edge, off kilter. And like I said, hi-larious.
The vampires weren't as developed or refined (they fly? they have pointy ears?) The historical sequences were equally bad. The students are very one-dimensional. Buffy herself and her "friends" all behave like unprofessional versions of Cordelia. And I never realized how much early '90s fashions owe to the '80s. I mean, I can tell when they're meant to look glamorous/hot/fashionable, but oi. And the party dress was really only good from the waist up. Is no one else bothered by the fact that there is no way that was Buffy's real hair? It was abundantly obvious that it would be way to short to get into any sort of bun, never mind one of those dimensions. Buffy went for the whole, "yes, I may be a creepy old man who wants to take you to a cemetery alone at night, but I understand your dreams, so it's all good" line from her Watcher. Yeah, ok, skeptical at first, but she still went for it. She's just lucky that it turned out to be true.
But, having said all that, there are a number of great things that this movie has going for it, most of which are only good if one has seen the series already.
The historical slayer with the big brown hair. The Halloween everyone turns into their costumes, Buffy dresses up looking like her, only she doesn't get to keep the slayer powers that came with the original.
The blue van. Almost certainly the precursor of Oz's blue van. Even comes with guitar.
The principal. Painful to watch, but still funny, mostly at the end sequence with the reporter.
The coach's inspirational clipboard: pyramid eye + men and women symbols = win.
The original creepy scene in the locker room. At this point, I get suspicious whenever that location turns up. It's never good. (Well, hardly ever.)
Best of all though? Pike. (yes, that's a fish.) It took me a while (as in, until he shows up at the dance) to realize it, but this is the original Spike. I mean, look at their names. Actually, I looked at their faces--Pike brushes his hair back when he gets dressed up (ugh) and then they have the same high forehead, hairline, and cheekbones. Not to mention the original leather jacket, flask, and crush-on-Buffy. But get this: not stupid! He doesn't let his old pal the vampire into his apartment. Even if he's usually being the victim, he still takes charge of his victimhood--ok, that sounds funny, but he fights back reasonably, without the usual victim-style flailings. And nice. I mean, if you crossed Xander or Oz with Spike, this is what you'd end up with. And, get this, not undead! which is really endearing.
I think this is like one of those alternate realities. Not the grim one where Willow's a vampire, or the "ordinary" one of the tv series, but the next level "up", one notch more overblown and silly. The one where Buffy and Spike do get to ride off into to the sunset on a motorcycle.
The whole thing is just so improbable. Everything set on edge, off kilter. And like I said, hi-larious.