BUFFY, THE VAMPIRE PLAYER (1992)

Directed By: Fran Rubel Kuzui 
Written By: Joss Whedon 
Cinematography: James Hayman 
Editor: Jill Savitt & Camilla Toniolo 


Cast: Kristy Swanson, Luke Perry, Donald Sutherland, Rugter Hauer, Paul Ruebens, Andrew Lowery, David Arquette, Candy Clark, Hillary Swank, Stephen Root, Sasha Jenson, Natasha Gregson Wagner, Thomas Jane, Randall Batinkoff, Mark DeCarlo, Paris Vaughn, Michele Abrams 

Buffy Summers has the lifestyle any young woman could want. Cheerleading, dating the captain of the basketball team, and copious amounts of time spent shopping with friends. She had no idea of her true calling until a mysterious man named Merrick approached her and told her that she is the Slayer; one woman called to defend the world from vampires. Reluctant to concede to the fact, Buffy soon learns that Merrick speaks the truth and so begins to take her new life seriously while trying to maintain the sense of normality her life had once been. With her best friends slowly abandoning her, Buffy finds solace in the town outcast, Pike, who knows very well the terrors that have arisen. Together, they combat the forces of the old and powerful vampire, Lothos, who has his eyes set on Buffy.

The history of this project is well known. Screenwriter Joss Whedon wrote it and as it went into production it became more of a comedy then a genre film as the director took over and changed the script and tone of the film.

Which was supposed to be a spin on the Idea of the girl who usually gets killed first in a horror film is the actual hero of the film. He later got his vindication by making the idea into the the tv-series that was popular and got a cult following around it. Just as this movie does.

When I was a teen this film came out and I excitedly went to see it. If not for anything else hopefully it would be as exploitive as it’s title intended to hint at. As far as exploitation goes this film is very tame, very of it’s time period as far as trends, fashion and humor go. As a huge fan of the television series i ,ight in fact have a soft spot for this film.

It does have inspired casting. It’s not as funny as it could be. It plays more or less chuckle worthy with broad humor. The action scenes aren’t as exciting as they should be.

Everything seems fake and plastic. The locations feel like sets, it feels like an almost movie. A film that almost feels good to decent but just falls a bit short. At the time it feels like it had little to no teen culture to grab onto or be defined by so that it feels a bit random.

It was the beginning of a short stardom for lifelong actress star Kristy Swanson. As well as containing early screen appearances by uncredited stars such as Ben Affleck, Ricki Lake, Slash, Alexis Arquette

It’s an interesting midnight movie that was made for mainstream teenagers. That has left me personally with plenty of material for trivia questions.

I even got the soundtrack of the film for the C & C music factory single. Dance until you can’t dance no more. Which seemed to take anything that was kind of hip and throw it in.

The first film of a teen heartthrob Luke Perry who tried to rebel a little against his image staying the bad boy but with a bad haircut, until the end and a little dirtier then usual. He always had the talent. 

The film carries an air of promise but seemed afraid to offend. So hence never really put it’s foot down. As this was the politically correct 1990’s. Where as the teen films of the 1980’s and even now to a certain aspect gives the audience what it wants and is full of excess and still manages to get seen by Teenagers. In fact the rated R’s seem to be more successful but even the PG-13 give the audience what they want but as calculated but still full of naughty fun.

The film doesn’t feel genre nor teens. It plays more like a pure comedy with genre elements. So it feels like a film with a string tittle but no personality.

That might be the problem here as the film is never really sure who it’s audience is exactly or who it is trying to entertain. So it plays more goofy and middle of the road.

Which is why I partially plays prequel to the television series. The series is where screenwriter Joss whedon got to put in what was cut and explore the character and the world in which he created. Eventually releasing his version in comic book form as “The Origin” He was so frustrated by how much of his vision was being mishandled, and how much of it was being re-written, that he eventually left the set during production and never came back.

Joss Whedon also maintains the movie should be considered stand-alone, and that any of the events, characters, or character traits in the movie should not be referred to as canon for the television series of the same name.

GRADE: C