Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a 1992
action-
comedy-
horror film about "
valley girl"
cheerleader Buffy (
Kristy Swanson) chosen by fate to fight and kill
vampires. The movie is a light
parody which plays on the clichés of typical
horror films. It also led to the darker and much more popular
TV series of the same name, which starred
Sarah Michelle Gellar and was created and executive produced by screenwriter
Joss Whedon. Whedon often detailed how the TV series was a much closer rendering of his vision than the movie, which was compromised by commercial concerns and differences in interpretation. The film is now considered a relatively minor chapter in the broader
Buffy legacy. When the film was first released, it was moderately successful
and received mixed reviews from critics.
Plot
In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer.
Buffy (
Kristy Swanson) is a popular cheerleader at Hemery High School in
Los Angeles. She is a care-free popular girl whose main concerns are shopping and spending time with her friends. She is soon approached by a man named
Merrick Jamison-Smythe (
Donald Sutherland). He informs her that she is
The Slayer and he is a Watcher that has been sent to train and guide her. At first she refuses to accept her duties, but eventually sees there is no other way. She admits that she has dreams of past Slayers and reluctantly acknowledges that she is the Chosen One. She runs into Pike (
Luke Perry), who is seen as a loser in her school. He becomes the "damsel in distress", being rescued by Buffy many times.
After brief training, she is drawn into conflict with a local vampire king called Lothos (
Rutger Hauer), who has killed a number of past Slayers. Lothos kills Merrick, giving Buffy the motivation she needs. In a climactic battle set at the senior dance in her high school, Buffy defeats Lothos and his minions by being true to her own contemporary style and ignoring the conventions and limitations of previous Slayers.
Contrary to popular belief Buffy does not burn down the gym at the climax of the film. That element existed in Joss Whedon's original script but was not incorporated into the final production. In the Buffyverse it is his script, not the film, that is considered canon; thus the references in the television program to Buffy having burnt it down.
Cast
Continuity
Many of the details given in the film differ from the
continuity of the later television series. For example, Buffy's history is dissimilar, and both vampires' and the
Slayer's abilities are depicted differently. Joss Whedon has also expressed disapproval with the movie's interpretation of the script
[Bronze VIP Archive - January 17, 1999], stating
VHS and DVD releases
The movie was released on
VHS in the U.S. in 1993 from
Fox Video and re-released in 1995 under the "Twentieth Century Fox Selections" banner from
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. The movie was released on
DVD in the U.S. in 2001.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was released on
July 28, 1992.
Track listing
- C+C Music Factory featuring Deborah Cooper and Q-Unique – "Keep it Comin' (Dance Till You Can't Dance No More)"
- Dream Warriors – "Man Smart (Woman Smarter)"
- Matthew Sweet – "Silent City"
- Susanna Hoffs – "We Close Our Eyes" (originally by Oingo Boingo)
- Toad the Wet Sprocket – "Little Heaven"
- The Divinyls – "Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore"
- Ozzy Osbourne – "Party with the Animals"
- The Cult – "Zap City"
- Mary's Danish – "I Fought the Law"
- Rob Halford and Pantera – "Light Comes Out of Black"
Additionally, Lothos plays on his violin the theme from the 2nd part of
Schumann's
Piano Quintet Es-dur op. 44, and Buffy sings "
Feelings", whilst slaying.
Other songs in the film not on the soundtrack album include:
See also
- The Origin, comic book reinterpretation of movie script
