Reasons Why It's Good

The Humor:

This is one funny movie. Really. Joss has a great flair for humor, and almost every line in Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a classic. Off hand, I can think of few (if any) movies which I actually find funnier. (But then... I liked 8 Heads in a Duffel Bag - another Kristy starrer - so what does that say about me?) Each one is crafted perfectly, and delivered with impeccable timing.

Okay, so no-one's gonna accuse this of being a horror movie, but it can be fairly dramatic when it wants to be. Joss was upset with the lack of drama in it (the director, Fran Rubel Kuzui, 'camped it up' a bit) but it still has plenty. For one, Lothos and Amilyn are allowed to appear creepy - unlike the other vamps - although they, too, are funny. Merrick's death scene is quite moving, and Buffy's emotional arc is believable. By far the best (dramatic) scene is when Buffy lays down into Lothos' arms - and then wakes up with a start. Not only is this disturbing and gorgeous, but there's a nice touch - her bed can be seen to be empty in the mirror (except for her teddy bear) but when she moves over to it (one continuous take) Lothos is there. It's subtle but quite impressive.

Several top actors made it into here. They add much to the movie.

Kristy is the star, and deserves to be. She handles the role perfectly. While many people have accused her Buffy as being less intelligent than the series version (played wonderfully by Sarah Michelle Gellar) remember that the movie Buffy had to start out vapid, but she has a nice arc: ending up serious and focused. Kristy Swanson can handle all the emotional levels of her character while delivering comic lines perfectly, and she does the physical stuff well, too.

Donald Sutherland. What else needs to be said? The guy's terrific, and remains so in this film. While many have criticized his performance as 'sleepwalking through the role' I think they've missed the subtleties in it. Sutherland has described Merrick as being 'in slow motion'. He has lived through 100 lifetimes, and so everything takes on a different significance to him. I love his distracted moments like tugging on the handkerchief with his mouth, and staring at the spinning teabag. These moments reveal a little about the eternal nature of the character just in his expression.

Rutger Hauer, star of genre classics like Blade Runner, has little, unfortunately, to do here. He gives Lothos some dignity and creepiness but the character is poorly defined. He gives it his best, though.

The role of Benny is played by the wonderful David Arquette. He gives a typically memorable performance - portraying a quirky, mischievous, and funny vampire. He isn't in the movie much, but his character sticks out in the memory.

Although Luke Perry has been put down for his peformance by almost every single critic, I feel his was perhaps the best performance in the movie. He delivers every line with a calm but purposeful rhythm, similar to Seth Green's Oz character in the series. Each word he speaks is timed perfectly to humorous or dramatic (and often both) effect. His relationship with Kristy's Buffy works very well, and is totally believable.

The songs are discussed in my review of the soundtrack.

I also, however, love the movie's score, by Carter Burwell. He refuses to acknowledge the campier aspects of the movie, and reinforces the dramatic themes. In fact, I may go so far as to say Burwell saves the movie from Kuzui's excesses. (Discuss.) The scenes with Lothos and Amilyn are backed up by a wonderful (synthesized?) chanting that adds to the mythic and eerie nature of the characters. His haunting tune as Buffy lies into Lothos' arms is also moving. (The music here, and in other places, 'wobbles' on my tape - is this specific to my tape or a world-wide phenomenon?)

Yes, it may be campy, but I love the 'silly' feel to much of the movie. It's just something about me. I like little, cute movies. If you want a serious vampire flick, watch Near Dark or Bram Stoker's Dracula. If you want an all-out gore-fest horror, try the wonderful From Dusk Till Dawn. If you're looking, however, for a wonderful, touching, romantic comedy (with dramatic undertones) look no further than Buffy the Vampire Slayer!