Buffy is the One. Bloody hell...

Cafe Society
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Or:

A Love Letter to Josh and the Mutant Enemy Gang…

I never saw a full episode of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” before it ended, just one half of one episode of the last season. Willow was in some kind of freak but that’s all I can remember. Something spoke to me a little bit though, didn’t know why.

I know why now. As it happened the very first episode was being repeated on FX the following day and I’ve Tivo’d the series ever since. I was equally lucky in that FX finally aired the last season chronologically with the first six. It’s over now and I’m likely to just do it again. The show, especially in its entirety, is the most moving thing I’ve ever seen. I am so sorry it’s gone.

I’m a 43 year old male. I’ve never, EVER found anything on television that consistently affects me so hard emotionally. The characters have so much depth, the writing is so consistently great and frequently brilliant, the story lines are so compelling, the actors and their direction so largely terrific. The show has so much humor, but at the same time I can’t watch too many episodes at once or I just start bawling. The darkness is one thing. But it’s the consequences of all the maymen just make you CARE.

Yeah, it’s a cult thing. Lots of folks just don’t get it, never will. But wanna introduce someone to the show and get them to pay attention? Give them just a little bit of backstory then put on “Once More With Feeling.” It’s grabbed everyone I’ve showed it to. “Hush” would be nearly as good.

The entire run is close to genius. 130 hours of it. On television!! How did they DO it?? Something is happening here. I read an interview with Joss Whedon and he spoke of wanting so much to make theatrical films early in his writing career, hence the reason BTVS was made first into a completely forgettable Hollywood teenager film. He now wonders why he ever had such aspirations; TV is where his heart lies now.

I hope that changes. I’ve spent this sad summer watching one “Explosion Man 3” after another 'cause I’m a guy and I do like to see Arnold save the world (God help us here in CA). Yeah, ok, I’m a spoiled goon to be complaining about something so unimportant. But man, BTVS is nothing short of art. I want more of the same.

I am tired of this truism: 90% of EVERYTHING is CRAP. Something has to be done. Maybe if our standards were higher…

Mark my words: Just as Star Trek never found much beyond its cult audience in the late '60’s, Buffy is not dead. The stars are still young, JW is still brilliant and for better or worse, BTVS conventions are just around the corner. Buffy theatrical film(s) WILL happen, and this time they’ll know what they’re doing, and this time everyone involved will make the money they deserved while the show was still running.

Anyone…anyone?

Big Joe from San Jose, CA

Which is SOUTH of Sunnyvale. (Sunnydale) Gilroy is too. Get it?

care

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It has always been one of lifes great questions, why do all those Vampires hang arround so close to Gillroy? During the Garlic festival you can smell the devil’s onions from Sunnyv(d)ale.

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On December 9th, the complete run of Firefly is being released on DVD. Buy it. Learn it. Love it. Had it been given a chance, I have no doubt that it would eventually have blown Buffy completely out of the water. And, while there may not be a Buffy movie (I kinda hope not, actually: the TV series did all that could be done with the concept, and then went on for another year afterwards) there is currently a Firefly movie in the works.

And have you checked out Angel yet? Also very, very good. Season four should be out in about a year, and is one of the highlights of episodic American television.

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Hey! The lead guy on Firefly is Caleb from Buffy. Nifty.

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As much as I appreciate the thanks, I assume you mean to thank Joss Whedon the creator of Buffy.

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And his second-in-command was Jasmine on Angel.

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Not counting the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer, of course, right?

Actually, I think it would be interesting to see a sequel to the original movie, completely removed from the series continuity, set however many years later it’s been since that was made.

Imagine: Buffy the Vampire Slaying Soccer Mom.

Or something like that.

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D’oh. Having read your post more carefully I see you already knew that.

I just started watching Buffy two years ago and was immediately hooked. The scary part was watching two episodes in a row on FX and still wanting MORE. It’s the television version of Crack I tell you!
A couple of notes: The FX versions of some of the shows are slightly edited for time. This is especially true with Once More With Feeling, which I believe was several minutes longer than a normal episode on it’s initial run. But if you get a chance to see the DVD version you’ll have a chance to see the entire thing.

In my opinion Television has a tremendous amount of potential for epic stories and really getting inside a character in a way that movies can’t. And yet this potential is only rarely realized. But when it does, as with BtVS the results are magical.

You should definitely check out Angel if you haven’t already. It is in many ways a very different show, but it has the same sharp writing that made Buffy great. (Also even better fights scenes, and a great visual style)

Another show that “gets it right” is Firefly, Joss Whedon’s space show. Great while it lasted, I would recommend renting the DVD if you have the chance.

While I am making television recommendations I suggest Babylon 5, the only show that I consider better than BtVS. Brilliant character development and epic plots that were carefully crafted years in advance by J. M. Straczynski the writer of 90% of the episodes.

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If you like the show on FX, rent the DVDs. FX cuts lines from the episodes to make space for extra commercials.

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Buy! You recommend that he buy the DVD. Every Firefly DVD set sold is a kick in the collective nuts of the Fox executives who cancelled it. This Xmas, everyone I know is getting the Firefly DVDs.

[sub]Okay, not EVERYONE…[/sub]

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I disagree. I think the show went to crap in the second half of season six, and never recovered. I should also mention, “Firefly” was so bad it made my eyeballs bleed. I consider it to be, to Joss and BtVS, as “Howard the Duck” was to George Lucas and the original Star Wars trilogy.

The first five and a half seasons of Buffy, though…yeah, that was something. Something amazing…

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As John Stewart would say: “Whhaaaaaaaa??!!”

Firefly crappy? Oy vey! Are you sure you weren’t accidentally watching a documentary on fireflies? 'Cause Whedon’s Firefly is, without a doubt, the best thing TV’s ever seen.

Excellent storytelling, non-predictable plot, and awesome use of language combine to make this a more-than-memorable series. I have yet to see such vibrant characters in any show.

“I was aimin’ fer his head!”
“We gotta go to the crappy town where I’M a hero.”