A Lifetime of Happiness: Movies, TV, and Video Games

Buffy: The Vampire Slayer (1992)

August 17, 2022 Steve Bennet-Martin Season 1 Episode 133
A Lifetime of Happiness: Movies, TV, and Video Games
Buffy: The Vampire Slayer (1992)
Show Notes Transcript

The Steves discuss the 1992 camp-classic movie, Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, along with what's making them happy in pop culture today!

What's Making Us Happy??

  • Ru Paul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race (VH1, Paramount Plus)
  • Love on the Spectrum US (Netflix)

Movie Discussion Includes

  • Whedon vs. Everyone
  • How is Buffy 'campy'
  • Why does it make us happy?
  • Differences from the show- for the better or worse
  • Would you follow a creepy man to a graveyard if he called you special?
  • The brilliance that is Paul Ruebens
  • Blink and you'll miss it cameos with Ben Affleck and Seth Green
  • And much more!



Ending- Any music or audio clips were borrowed from the original source material.

Support the show
Steve:

Hello, returning happys and new listeners. This is Steve Bennet-Martin, and this is

Stephen:

Stephen Martin-Bennet. And welcome to a lifetime of Happiness!

Steve:

The podcast where we take you on our journey through some of the movies shows and other bits of pop culture that are helping to keep us happy will hopefully bring a smile to your face along the way.

Stephen:

And today we're celebrating the summer by going to camp and watching the camping 1992 comedy horror movie Buffy the vampire Slayer.

Steve:

Yes, yes, indeed. We are. But before we get into that, my love what's been making you

Stephen:

happy. So it is no secret on this show. That we are fans of drag and RuPaul's drag race. Yes. Queen. Exactly. So RuPaul, like, because we ask for it is making sure that we have drag on almost all year round these days. Yeah. Which I'm okay with. Yes, I certainly am too. Yeah. And so now we have. RuPaul's take on the mask singer. Yes. Doing RuPaul's secret celebrity drag race. Now, technically this is season two because we had RuPaul's celebrity drag race last year where we watched three celebrities become stratified perform. And one of them was named the winner each week, this year RuPaul and the audience don't know who The drag Queens are, that are, or the celebrities are, that are becoming drag Queens. They're filmed from the back. Unlike the mass singer, they don't hide their voice. So like we hear their voice and that's how we were able to peg a couple, a couple people immediately. One of them, for sure, because. Goodness. She just has a very distinctive voice and she ended up being the first person to go home. We're not gonna say that because just in case you haven't watched it yet.

Steve:

But go watch it. It's on VH one, VH one. Yep. On demand.

Stephen:

And so you can watch it there. You can watch it on prime time on demand or you can watch it on paramount plus. Perfect. Yep. What's been making you happy. My

Steve:

darling, I recently continued my reality show. Netflix binge. And watched love on the spectrum us and it made me so happy.

Stephen:

We had originally watched love on the spectrum that was in Australia.

Steve:

It was Australia or Britain somewhere. And so there's still a full season of that, that we haven't watched yet, but I watched the us version. And so many times I feel like when the, you watch these shows, you're not really watching it to route four people, as much as watching the, the train wreck happen. This is just a hundred percent different and genuine. And I think what the genre is supposed to be, which is just that you want all of them to succeed and find love. And find their perfect match and like live happily ever after because they, they all are just so sincere and

Stephen:

genuine well, and that, and one of the things, cuz I watched a couple of the episodes with you and what I love is none of them are playing games. Mm-hmm whether that is because like a personality thing, because they're on the spectrum or how it works, but they are very forward with their likes and dislikes. They don't hide. Some people don't play video games. Yeah. If someone does play video games and they're out on a date, they may not tell their potential date. Oh yeah. I love video games because they're not, they're not wanting to make a bad first impression. All of these people don't care. They're telling them all of their hobbies and stuff. Right off the bat. They ask you, what are you looking for in a partner? And you don't get a BS answer. You get the actual answer. And after the first date, they will tell you right away, that was fun. And I see us being friends, but I don't want to go out with you romantically, like. how much time is saved. I

Steve:

know. I can only imagine. It's just, like I said, like though, it's just, it's a heartwarming show. So it made me feel good and made me happy.

Stephen:

I, I love the girl that is the anime expert and loves going to the cons.

Steve:

She was so extra on her first date. You missed it, but, but she was really cute.

Stephen:

I really liked her. The two, the boy and the girl that lived in LA I think yeah. And had beach dates yeah. And stuff. And they were really sweet together.

Steve:

They were so definitely check it out. If you want something to heartwarming where you're not doing it, cuz you're laughing at them. Like a lot of my recommendations, this is one where you'll genuinely root

Stephen:

for them. And yeah, it gives you. Like if you're ever looking at the world and you're like, I don't have faith in love or relationships or people in general. Watch this, yeah. Watch this show.

Steve:

Yes. And let's get into Buffy. Yeah. And not the TV show. That's my favorite TV show of all time. Correct. We're talking about the original 1992 comedy version of Buffy. Yes. And why do we choose it for camp month? Is it intentionally campy?

Stephen:

Yes. This is intentionally campy. Yeah. This was 100% done as intentional. And some of the ways you can see that Oscar winner, Hillary Swank yeah. Is in this movie and she gives one of the best camp performances. Mm-hmm in the movie like, and you would expect that, like she understood the assignment. Yes. And she's fantastic. As you know, the, the rival Kimberly mm-hmm but everybody is playing their parts. At an 11. Yes. And like Paul Rubin, who we love on this podcast. ISIN, mm-hmm, the vampire who also is playing at an 11. And I think he's playing it

Steve:

at like

Stephen:

a 12 or it could be a 13. Yeah. And just everybody knew what they were supposed to do. This wasn't supposed to be a Scary vampire movie. This was not a we sparkle in the sunlight. Yeah. This was not vampire diaries where you're physically and sexually attracted to the vampires. This was not

Steve:

that, no, it certainly was their, this was done for laugh ears and oh yeah. Ugh.

Stephen:

Yeah, this was done for the laughs. And what, what are your thoughts on. as a standalone.

Steve:

And that that's the hard part because I was such a fan of the show and love it so much that coming into the movie, it is so different that I have to just accept that it, it is completely different beast and we'll get into that with the production of it. But at the same time on its own, it, it is fun. It's not the campiest movie we're covering miss mine. No, Nor is it like one of my happier ones of the month, but it still overall makes me happy that it's not what the show turned into.

Stephen:

Yeah, because I saw this, of course first mm-hmm I saw it when it came out on the theaters. And then I remember watching the premier episode of Buffy. Yeah. And I was like, What is this? This isn't funny. No, because I was expecting like the movie. Yeah. And so I just was totally thrown off and I was like, I don't

Steve:

think so. yeah. it was love it for a sight for me, but it did also become before the movie. So I went into the movie with the expectations of the show.

Stephen:

that's not a good way to do

Steve:

it. It is not, no, I was like, let's see where it all started. And I'm like, Nope. It started at the pilot. It did not, this is not the Buffy that we know and love. It's a different Buffy. Yeah. I am

Stephen:

DB says it's flighty, teenage girl, Buffy summers learns that she is her generation's destined battler of vampy. What do you think of. that

Steve:

summary. I think that it does justice to the basics of it. Especially being that this is the type of thing that has hadn't been done yet before. And I do wanna point out, and I know that I, I mentioned it originally later in the outline, but it actually, it is incorrect in here. It's about flighty teenage girl buff. No last name, no last name in this movie. It's only in the TV show that she gets her last name summers, and then Joyce gets an entirely different new characterization thing.

Stephen:

And actually, if you watch the credits they are just labeled Buffy's dad and

Steve:

Buffy's mom. Yeah. And so I thought that was something funny as I was like going through it. I was like, yeah, like I, I would've been like Buffy summer. Sure. Yeah. Cuz that's the name that I. But it's never given here. It was just Buffy the vampire Slayer.

Stephen:

One of my favorite drag Queens in a personal friend of mine, mystique summers mm-hmm Her first name is from mystique, Raven, dark home and summers as in Buffy summers. And I was like, Oh, you're combining two awesome things. So shout out to mystique

Steve:

summers. Yes. And this was written by Jos Whedon and directed by Fran Rubal. Kazu who later served as an executive producer for both the TV show and it's spinoff angel. I remember seeing that last name run across the screen multiple times. Yes. Yes. Whedon was involved in an advisory role early in production, but departed after becoming unhappy with the direction the film was taking. The execs at 20th century Fox removed most of his jokes and the darker moments, including Merrick's suicide instead of his death and burning down the gym to kill the vampires in the finale. So

Stephen:

I remember from the pilot of Buffy that the principles reading her file, and he is like, you burned down your gymnasium and. Like she gives an explanation for it there. Yeah. But, and it was interesting to go back and you're like, oh, that didn't happen. But it was supposed to, it was supposed to, yes. So the show is based on the,

Steve:

like the manuscript or the script, the script for the original movie before it was edited. And with his now we know ego. I can only imagine as a young writer having to go through that, I know he's on record for not getting along with Donald. So Sutherland, one of the leading actors in here because he rewrote an ad lid, most of his dialogue and that among many other things, results in Whedon, publicly calling him a Dick

Stephen:

and Donald Sutherland. One of the great actors of his generation. It's also interesting that Whedon went back with 20th century Fox because he was also brought in for part of the script work on the first X-Men movie. Yeah.

Steve:

And similarly

Stephen:

though, like, like things were taken out that he wanted done. And so you would've thought he would've learned his lesson the first time, but I guess certain amount of money will keep you coming back.

Steve:

Yes, exactly. Now, in addition to Donald Sutherland also stars Christy Swanson. Paul Rubins yay. Rutgers Howard. Yep. Luke Perry and Hillary Swank, as we mentioned. Yes. Now funny could have been, is that Alyssa Milano was originally set to play Buffy.

Stephen:

I totally could see her doing this. I think she has like. I think she would've actually been a much better Buffy than Hillary Swan or sorry, Christy Swanson, Christy

Steve:

Swanson, for sure. I can definitely even see her fitting into like season one, Buffy mm-hmm a little bit, but I can't see her going. Like, I mean, she's talented in everything, but oh, Sarah Michelle, like star, especially once you get to start to see what she can really do in season two with the angel arc. Yeah. Is just everything.

Stephen:

No, no, no. I would never have replaced Sarah Michel. But I would've replaced Christy Wanson with Alyssa Milano. Oh, in a heartbeat, Alyssa menos. Also just a better person. Yes. Swans too much. Yeah. Christie. Swanson's pretty much human garbage, but that's a whole other story.

Steve:

Now, in addition to could have been, there was a couple celebrities that were supposed to make appearances, but weren't able to, you know, these people,

Stephen:

right. I do. David Bowie, Mick Jagger, and Carrie Elways were set to make cameos as vampire. Who all would've been amazing. Carrie always had recently done before then a princess bride.

Steve:

Yes. Which of them did you wish they made room for

Stephen:

as much as I love Carrie, always David Bowie is a vampire. Of course. Yeah, that would've. I just think that would've been the one that he would've been amazing. I, in that but it was cut due to time and budgetary.

Steve:

Yes. And the movie was released on July 31st, 1992 with a budget of 7 million in a box office of 16.6.

Stephen:

So it didn't do very well. And I remember that when it came out and, but I also think because this rides the line of vampire and camp comedy. Yeah. And some people wanted one. And not the other. And I think people wanted more vampire, less camp.

Steve:

Yes. Yeah. I agree. Especially seeing how popular the show went when they went in a darker and more serious direction. Mm-hmm, just kind of shows that we were ready for

Stephen:

it. Right. And it's not to say that. our Buffy show. Doesn't have funny moments. It absolutely does. Yes, but it's

Steve:

not based on that. Yeah. And, and in many ways, this almost feels like an eighties movie, even though it came out in the early nineties. Oh, you're

Stephen:

right. This totally when like very adventures and babysitting meets vampires. Yes.

Steve:

Now the movie starts off with high school, senior Buffy attending Heery high school in Los Angeles, where her main concerns are shopping and spending time with her rich nuty friends and her boyfriend, Jeffrey Kram. Ugh. After arguing with Buffy and her friends, two young men, Oliver pike, and Benny jacks are out drinking when they're attacked by Amlin a vampire. Ooh, Benny has turned, but pike is saved by Merrick

Stephen:

And I do love that scene where they're sitting on. It kind of looks like Maha and drive and there's the stone. Wall small wall. And they're sitting on it. Pike has kind of passed out on the ground. Amlin floats up behind Benny, grabs him, bites him and takes him back down over the drop off. Yeah. And Merrick pulls up and saves him. It a lot happens in a short amount of time, but not a lot of important things happen. yeah.

Steve:

They were pretty much able to summarize like the first 15 minutes to 20 minutes in the movie with that summary. But it does give you a lot of character development to the extent that it does in this movie. I mean, what were your initial impression of Buffy and her friends? I hated

Stephen:

them immediately because they talked during a movie. Yes. You know that that's, I, I will make you uncomfortable in a movie by shushing people which you says

Steve:

someone's mouth shut.

Stephen:

We'll get into that. We'll get into that with a movie coming up, but there are a couple people that I wished over the course of the years, I had been able to sew their mouth shut with them talking during a movie.

Steve:

Yeah. And you know, they definitely have that kind of entitled teen privileged thing going for them that makes them dislikable. So

Stephen:

Kimberly buys a yellow leather jacket that Buffy had wanted, but Buffy, whenever she was showing it to the friends, Kimberly was like, oh, that's over it's so five minutes. And then Buffy's like, you told me it was over and Kimberly's like, oh, now it's retro. And Kimberly's that type of friend from high school that you don't realize is absolutely the worst till you go off to college and make friends because you like people and it's not a group of friends just because you all grew up together. So you had a

Steve:

Kimberly in high.

Stephen:

Close

Steve:

enough. Yes. Now buff Buffy also I find though, like as much as her friends were generally dislikable, you could tell that she fits in and is like living the life, but they also do a decent job of kind of also spreading out a little bit more of like the sweetness. Right.

Stephen:

And so the movie takes place over a couple weeks. Yes. We're guessing. And Buffy summers in the TV. Was not the best student. Yeah. But she wasn't dumb. Yes. This

Steve:

is dumb, dumb. Well, how do you feel about the ozone layer? oh God. Oh, we need to get rid

Stephen:

of that for sure. Sure. Yeah. They're trying to come up with ideas for the senior dance and they're like, it needs to be the environment and they like, it's not great. No, like I would've trusted Cher Horowitz from clueless. More with coming up with a theme for the environment than these

Steve:

four. Yeah. And I mean, even their friendships are definitely camp. And just over the top with the way that they're portrayed, like a lot of them, they're not really characters as much as caricatures of people that you knew in high school.

Stephen:

Yeah. And it's also one of those things that you try to see, what is it about them that draws them in as friends? And it's more like they're the pretty popular girls. So they have to be friends. Yeah. Is pretty much the only reason.

Steve:

Yeah. And then in addition to the friends, you also get the ridiculous staff at the school. Like the, the principal who trips, acid and the basketball coach with all the feelings, he has no idea what he is doing with sports. I think I could do a better job of setting up a play than he could

Stephen:

Yeah. And yeah. Cuz none of the students respect him at all, nor should they now what did you think of pike and Benny? Whenever we first meet them, I

Steve:

mean, that was like my kind of vibe in high school of like the kids that I hung out. Stoners, like, were they stoners that didn't smoke pot, but like that personality type yeah. Of like were like the dark clothes and like all that. Yeah. That was definitely a Subec that I would hang out with. So I was on

Stephen:

their side. We're supposed to assume also that pike and Benny are older. Yes.

Steve:

That they are fresh out of high school dropped

Stephen:

out of college. Yeah. Like 1920, somewhere in there.

Steve:

But being that they're seniors in this, while she. Kind of sent back in school to be a sophomore in the show. Well, which

Stephen:

is, they always start teen shows as a sophomore. Yeah. Because you want your Stu your characters to be able to drive as fast as possible. Yeah. As fast as possible in the show. And you want enough time in high school because 9 0 2 1 oh. Also started their sophomore.

Steve:

yep, exactly. Now, while at school, one day she's approached by that creepy old man from before Merrick who informs her, that she is the Slayer or chosen one destined to kill vampires. And he is a watcher whose duty it is to guide and train her. She initially rejects his claims, but changes her mind when he vividly describes a recurring dream of hers. Additionally, she has the uncanny ability of not known to her, including heightened agility heightened senses and endurance. And yet she repeatedly tricks his or tries his patience with her frivolous nature, indifference to slang in her sharp tongue

Stephen:

remarks. Now he says, you need to come with me to the graveyard. Would you have followed her to the gray? Him to the graveyard? My

Steve:

gut at first was like, No, because that's creepy. Yeah. But then I was like, but wait a minute, like, I've been taught in our generation that if someone shows up and is like, you're the chosen one? Like you're going, like, who doesn't wanna be Harry Potter? Or you're a visit Harry. Yeah. Or, or Buffy summers or like any of the supernatural genre shows we watch for the entire Pau always starts off with someone who didn't know that they were special finding out that they were special and being called to a greater purpose. I've been primed now. I'd be like, heck yeah, I'll follow this creepy old man to the graveyard. With like little or no promise of anything other than the fact that he's gonna tell me I'm

Stephen:

special. Well, and also by the time that he describes all of her dreams to her at that point, I would've been like, okay, I'm convinced.

Steve:

Yeah, for sure. I just, I wouldn't have needed to, to get that far, like, okay, let's go, you're driving

Stephen:

now. One thing in this that is different than the TV show as well. All the times the past slays. She is the past Slayer. Yes. Where in the TV show? It wasn't always people that looked like Buffy. Yes. They, they, it was like, because one of them was originally like, native

Steve:

American. Yeah. And I think that, that, that is it was a nice change that they made for the show. Mm-hmm because I'm, you know, throughout history, it doesn't make sense for it always to be someone who looks just like Sarah, Michelle Galler. Right. But at the same time, I, I think that that's part of the camp that you get here as well. Cuz there's flash box are shot, like so poorly intentionally. Yeah. That it also, they, they went with the reincarnated. This, when it comes to the watcher as well, where he said he keeps on being reborn, which is another bit of mythology that they take out of the show. Mm-hmm

Stephen:

now one of the things I found interesting was before me convinced her to leave, she was supposed to meet up with Cassandra to have Cassandra tutor her in history, which she had just gotten a C plus on her test. But Buffy, abandons her and goes to the graveyard. As Buffy is a no-show and Cassandra's waiting outside, she's abducted by amylin to be sacrificed to LOHO. But the giant tragedy of the whole thing yeah. Is that she was wearing Kimberly's yellow leather jacket. That Buffy had loaned her. Oh no. That's Kimberly's never gonna get that back.

Steve:

No, that's a tragedy, a true loss.

Stephen:

Yeah. Now also new things for this show include what.

Steve:

Well, the more lacking of things that they were introducing here, luckily, including a, a hairy birthmark, which of course this Buffy had removed. Yeah. Yes. But you know, comes to season seven when you had all the potential slayers. Imagine of all of them had this like dark, hairy moly growth thing on their chest. Just why, like, why was that a thing it's almost as disturbing as having them get period, like. When vampires get nearby, which is another thing that I am glad to not translate to Jo Sweden's show.

Stephen:

Great. My secret weapon is PMs. That's just

Steve:

terrific. It's not a weapon. It's an alert system, which is again,

Stephen:

men. Well, yeah. And also wouldn't you think it wouldn't be the best thing for as an alert system because that pain is gonna throw you off your game. Like yeah. Okay. I'm feeling cramps because the vampire is near. But I can't concentrate because I've got

Steve:

cramps. I know it's not helpful. They should just, if anything, have their own version of like spy senses, like Slayer senses. Exactly. Yes. Now pretty much immediately after accepting that she's the Slayer she's drawn into a conflict with LOHO local vampire king and is acolyte amylin who we talked about before. Yep. She begins training with Merrick, spending less time with her boyfriend, friends and cheer. Meanwhile, as a vampire Benny visits pike and tries to get him to join him.

Stephen:

Yeah. Just open the window, open the

Steve:

window pike. Yeah. Later when pike and his boss are discussing Benny pike tells him to run Ify season as he prepares to leave town. Benny

Stephen:

as a vampire is pure camp and David Arquette sells this performance so hard.

Steve:

Yeah. It's interesting. Cuz he's not even one of the main names in the, in the show. Like, I mean, in the movie, he's kind of like, like a tertiary guest or supporting role, but every time that he's on the screen, especially once he turns he is just electric on screen. Yeah.

Stephen:

And I love whenever Pike's talking to him through his second story window and Pike's like, are you on something? And then he looks down and goes, no. And it's funny because he is floating. Yeah. He's literally floating and that's, Pike's like you're floating, come on, man. Get away from here.

Steve:

And it it's just, so it is very funny the way that they do it and that it is totally camp. Yeah. Now the similarly, like because of her slacking at school, the principal decides to give her a coaching by telling her that he used to do acid and starts. Going on an acid trip story, which was just so interesting. The Buffy was totally captivated

Stephen:

and yeah, I love that. Just kidding. Yeah. She, because she's not paying attention. She has a Thumbtack in between her teeth. And he gets to a point in a story and you see her go pH and she spits it out. And at first you're like, what? And then the camera shows you that she had nailed a fly on the wall with the Thumbtack from like 12 feet away. Very

Steve:

impressive. I wish that I could do that. Yeah. Now America allegedly continues to be rein reincarnated, as we mentioned. Yeah. Like another bitch, more a MEAG MCTA we're anti Moira in this podcast officially. Yeah. She's not very nice to the Xmen nowadays. Now.

Stephen:

Now, do you prefer this with him having, you know, as a toddler with all of his memories of being a watcher from years before? Or do you like the Watchers counsel

Steve:

better? I mean, in terms of story, the Watchers council makes more sense and it seems more likely that a large group of men would try and take power over these young women. Of course, because patriarchy, I know it's more problematic. I like that. It almost has more of a sense of. You know, there, there's always that one person who is like born and put on this earth to stop it. And that's like powerful mm-hmm emotionally, but just when you get to the point and we're like this, where he is dead, you're like, what's he gonna do? Like when he dies later, you know, is this is the sequel going to be Buffy finding and adopting a two year, three year old with all the knowledge of Merrick who was just gonna point to what she should do next for her training. Like, and then she's gonna raise her,

Stephen:

watch. And like, it's something that I wish that they would've spent maybe one or two scenes, more exploring how much it hurts him each time a Slayer dies. Yeah. Like it, I wish they had gone a little more emotional with that and I think it would've hit harder that it was this guy and he's forced every time to be reincarnated. because of his failure and some other innocent girl dies under his watch. Yeah. Again and again like that, I think would've been a really good exploration.

Steve:

Yeah. Cuz we do get to see them have chemistry as he gets more open to her joking Uhhuh. like when she shares that she just wants to graduate, go to Europe, Mary Christians later and die. Yeah.

Stephen:

And I have something other slayers don't. My keen fashion

Steve:

sense vampires of the world

Stephen:

beware And she was like, Merick you made a joke. And it was a good

Steve:

one. Yeah. So, you know, as, as they bond Pike's plan to leave tennis thwarted when he encounters Amlin and his gang of vampires Amlin hitches are right on the hood of his van, which crashes into a tree just before Alan loses an arm.

Stephen:

So the whole time he. Pike was driving through the forest. I was like, this reminds me of Courtney Cox driving the van near the end of screen

Steve:

one. Oh yeah. I can see that. And

Stephen:

Buffy and Mary arrived to rescue him and Alin leaves the fight to go talk to LOHO.

Steve:

yeah. After this encounter, Buffy and pike start a friendship that we know obviously will become romantic. Yeah. Meanwhile, when Cassandra's bodies found the news spreads throughout LA in he high, but her friend like her murder is met with more indifference to her clique. Like you mentioned that they were just more sad that they'll never see the leather jacket again. And Jennifer's

Stephen:

like, you didn't get that back. Yeah. And so when lost his arm and he looks at it and he turns to pike and he goes, you ruined my new jacket, kill. A lot. And like, I love Alan in this movie in general, but this scene was really funny. Just, you know, he's threatening because he is an all powerful vampire yeah. Who can punch through the roof of a car. And, but then he loses

Steve:

his arm. I know. And, and it leads to some funny jokes later, too. Now

Stephen:

Buffy and pike. Do you buy their chemistry?

Steve:

I do. I don't know whether I support their relationship, but I, at the very least, the moment I saw pike, I was like, that's gonna be her

Stephen:

guy. And I think a lot of that has to do, I personally think with Luke Perry as an actor, he seems to always from all the things I've seen him. From all the years on 9 0 2 and oh, and then again, when we saw him on Riverdale, he's a very giving scene partner. Mm-hmm and I think a lot of their chemistry probably has to do with his openness and performance. He's never given as much credit as I think he deserves for being a decent

Steve:

actor. No, I, I agree. Now we also get to the scene more of LOTOS who is clearly evil because he eats kittens. Now that. Horrible. Yeah. But led me to wonder for whatever reason, my mind went down to rabbit hole of like wouldn't adult cats have more blood, or is it like babies where they supposedly taste better when they're younger? So

Stephen:

I think that it's neither one of those things. And I think it was a writer production decision that kind of like, it could have been puppies or kittens, but it was a thing of. What can we do to show the audience that he's just vile? Oh, someone that kills kittens. Yes. Like if, if they had, if they had like, because it's more of a comedy, they wouldn't have done an actual baby, but it's the type of thing that they would've shown him. He liked to snack on babies to show that he's that

Steve:

evil. Yeah. Okay. Now, during a basketball game, Buffy discovers that grr. One of the players and a friend of Jeffrey's is a vampire after a quick chase to a parade, float storage yard, Buffy confronts LOHO shortly after she and pike take down his gang LOHO puts Buffy into a trance, but Merrick intervenes breaking the trance. LOHO stabs Merrick with the steak he attempted to use on him and then leaves saying Buffy's not ready as Merrick dies. He tells BFE to do things her own way, rather than living by the rules of others and gives her one final. Listen to when the music stops, when the music stops the rest

Stephen:

is, and then he died. So there's several things to unpack. I, I love when pike took out grr, when grr was like, I'm a God and pike stabbed him and he goes, now you're a coat rack. Yeah.

Steve:

Enjoyable. Yeah. And also enjoyable is when he is running out, like he just runs up to someone on the pillow was like RA like with his hands up with like no intention of killing or anything, he just was like, ah, and then went running.

Stephen:

And, or when he sat down on the bench for the basketball game and he was like, go team, go. And, but the thing I really want to, the it stuck out to me, another thing that I wish they would've developed further, he leaves because she's not ready. Yeah. What, like, is it a sense of honor that he, she needs to be at her best for when they dual and he kills her? What is it about LOHO and the line of slayers? Why is it this vampire? Like, you know, they, he's not Dracula he's LOHO and we don't really get more of his mythology as to why he goes after the slays all the time. And why? Like, what is it about him that wants them to be at a certain level? Because you would think that if she's not ready well, let's take her out now. Like I would love to have learned more. Like his want for a challenge, his, yeah. Why is it a want for a challenge? What was his motivation with that? I wish we had gotten more of that and because we, and we got a little bit of the Merick and LOHO like, like conflict and their relationship over the years, because obviously they remember each other yeah. Over the course of time. And. like even Merrick was like, she's not ready. And it's just, it's just something like the movie was an hour and 25 minutes. Give us another half an hour and explore this mythology and really give us some character work here. And I think we could have had a fantastic. Moving.

Steve:

Yeah, there's definitely some potential that was missed. But speaking of an actor with some potential under his belt here, we get to meet Ben FL in his breakout role as basketball player, number

Stephen:

10. So we were watching it and I was like, that looks like Ben Affleck. And you're like, yeah. And so I Googled it and it is,

Steve:

it is. yes. And also, while we were watching the high school scenes, we also learned another thing, which is your uncanny ability to remember songs and cheers.

Stephen:

Yeah. And because we were watching it and they started into this cheer at the basketball game that grr was at, and all of a sudden I knew all the words cuz we were, they, they started with how funky is your chicken? How funky is your chicken? How loose is your goose? Our goose is totally loose. So come on. Are you hog fans? Come on, all you hog fans and shake your caboose and shake your caboose. There's no reason I should have remembered that after 20 years.

Steve:

No, but I waved my pompoms when you said that, for sure.

Stephen:

oh,

Steve:

but now Buffy, emotionally shock starts neglecting her Slayer duties. When she arrives at school, she attempts to explain things to her friends, but they refuse to understand her as they're more concerned with an upcoming school. she realizes she's outgrown their immature selfish behavior and abandons them.

Stephen:

And yeah, like they were very ready to just, they were done with her and it seems so, like, I guess it's part of her growing and things to finally realize what type of people, her friends. And then her friends liked her when she was in a box that they understood and the moment she stepped out of that box, they don't have the time or desire to understand this new her at all. now, did you have a group of friends like that and realize at some point, like, what am I doing? It

Steve:

didn't really happen as much when I was younger. Very much like, you know, even though our, a lot of our friendships were because we grew up around each other, we gen genuinely liked each other. You know, throughout the years there was like, it wasn't so much me realizing the entire group was ma like, But us realizing like one person in their group was like, not the person that they used to be here was struggling and like not wanting to get help and, or, or just like changing their personality that like we had to trim the fat, so to speak occasionally on our, on our invites. But it was only really when I moved down here where there definitely were like friends that I had. That when I first moved down here that were like, because we were all sort of new or because someone wanted to show me around. Yeah. And then as I found my own life here and we've built our own life together, I would say our friends circle has changed. And, you know, we don't haven't really had any sort of like, why was I friends with those people? That I would admit on this podcast. but

Stephen:

I was

Steve:

close. I know. I was like, maybe when we first started dating, but like certainly, you know, throughout the years, you know, we've been able to keep our friendships going strong. Yeah. But there were some people when I first moved down that I was like, why did I do that?

Stephen:

Like, so. Because of how I grew up in the mountains and like the group of people that I started first grade with is pretty much the group of people that I graduated high school with with a couple additions. And I was very lucky in terms of having some truly wonderful people in that group that I still talk to via text or on Facebook and things. A weekly basis these days. But like once we got to college, there were a couple people that I didn't trim the fat other people trimmed the, the fat for us. And I was like, oh yeah, that makes so much sense. They're awful. And you know, and you do that over time and that's even something On my spiritual journey that you, it keeps coming up in lessons and things that as you become more of your authentic self, the people that don't resonate with that, or the people that don't like you being authentically, you are gonna fall to the side. And I'm like, I'm okay with that now.

Steve:

Yeah, me too. now at the senior dance. Buffy's just made to find that Jeffrey is dump her for idiot friend, Jennifer. She meets up with pike, reciprocates their feelings as they dance and kiss. However, LOHO sends his army of vampire Armenians to the school and attacks the classmates at the dance because Kimberly invited them in because it's a senior dance and they are

Stephen:

seniors. I mean, it makes sense. And again, I have to congratulate Hillary Hillary Swank, her performance in this movie is so good. Like she. Just did such a good job through the whole thing. I'm just like, you can see why later on when given the proper scripts and things like that. She gets an Oscar. Yes. I agree. Now pike showed up to the dance, looking like Dylan McKay. I mean, James Dean, I think both because his character in that or two went out, Dylan McKay was based on James Dean. Well, there

Steve:

you go. Yeah. Now, one thing that, as we mentioned, Buffy's heartbroken that her boyfriend broke up with her, but he did it over a voicemail. Have you ever been dumped with a voicemail, text or letter?

Stephen:

So kind of, but in a different way. So after someone and I had been dating in Cincinnati, we broke up and we had mutual friends. And he left a voicemail one time saying that we were no longer friends and to not call him anymore or invite him anymore, which was kind of awkward because one of his friends was my roommate and he and other of his friends used to come over for sex in the city at my house, cuz I had a HBO. And he assumed everyone would break off contact as well. They didn't, they kept coming over for sex in the city. And his friends were like, that was shitty. There was no reason for you to do that, blah, blah, blah. And we tried to men things, but it never really got minded. Later on we were both dating the same guy. Both of us knew we were dating the same guy, cuz it wasn't exclusive or anything at that point. But when it came, came time to get exclusive, the guy chose me. I did enjoy a little bit knowing that he would find out that he lost out to me. Yeah. From someone that he loved. And so that was a little petty on my part, but I enjoyed it. Sorry. We live and learn. What about you dumped via electronic means not electronic,

Steve:

a handwritten. How old were you? That was my first boyfriend in high school. He left a note in my bag at work and breaking up, breaking it up up with me over a note.

Stephen:

At least it wasn't one of those. Will you go out with me? Yes or no, circle one. And he just circled.

Steve:

No, no. It's like it's over a circled. Yes.

Stephen:

now Buffy confronts that a vampire is outside while in the chime in the gym pike fights and kills the vampiric. Benny. And everybody is able to fight back under his lead.

Steve:

Yes. And after overpowering the vampire army Buffy confront LOHO inside the high school and LOHO stops playing the music, which frees Buffy to act. And she seemingly kills amylin. I love

Stephen:

amylin and Buffy. We're AOR Buffy. We can do anything. Oh yeah. Clap. And that's funny because he only has one arm,

Steve:

so he can't do everything. Yep. Yep. And then when she does stake him, it must have just punctured the tip of his dead heart because it took forever for him to die. There was no way that that was shot to be serious.

Stephen:

No. And Paul Rubins goes on like. Minutes long drawn out death scene with ah, oh, ah, oh. And like kicking the wall cuz it hurts and yeah. Yeah. It's so good. Yes.

Steve:

And despite claiming he was cut from the movie, Seth green disappear in it. Although it's just for three seconds. And for two of them he's seen from behind, he is the short redheaded vampire that gets kicked by Buffy outside the gym. When a group of vampires, including him are taunting her. So when they have that kind of like dance line of vampires, yeah. One of them was him. And you could recognize him by his

Stephen:

haircut, which was also like, you would think that vampires wouldn't be sitting there going okay. One at a time. Everybody. No, you're vampires. You are evil. Everybody pile on her at once. If you

Steve:

expects though, to like James Bond movies and the Marshall art movies. Yeah. Like they never just gang up. Like they should in real life if they wanted to be effective. Yeah.

Stephen:

And so as Buffy's running out of the gym she also runs into Jeffrey and Jennifer who just finished having sex and Buffy goes, that was fast. Yeah. It was.

Steve:

Lot's attempts to incur Buffy again, but when the dance music stops, she remembers Merrick's words.

Stephen:

When the music stops, the rest is silence

Steve:

and she defends herself. She first tries to repel him with a cross, but the vampire king is unimpressed. He grabs the cross, setting it a fire, but then Buffy uses her hairspray as a makeshift flame thrower and burns him before escaping to the gym. Yep.

Stephen:

She sees her classmates recovering from the vampire. But lottos burst into the gym, like the Kool-Aid man promising to kill everyone.

Steve:

Yes. They dual a wooden flag staff versus AANA and normally you would think the Catana one. Yeah. But it's Buffy with it. And eventually she stakes LOTOS and kills him with his death cry. Oops,

Stephen:

oops. Yeah. And the principal then goes around to all the dead vampires on the ground and giving them detention. Detention detention, detention, detention, detention. And this is also different than the TV show, because what happens when you stake someone on the TV show, they explode

Steve:

they're dusted, but they do that so that there's not a whole bunch of bodies lying around all the time. Right. And that's also why they ended up making it so that their human face and their vampire face were different is so that they were clearly monstrous when Buffy was staking them and killing. Rather than looking human.

Stephen:

Well, I mean, they're little Gargo ears in this. Like once everybody got off the little. Yeah. So the survivors leave and Buffy and pike decide to finish their dance and the filmings with a couple leaving the dance on a motorcycle.

Steve:

Yes. A skeptical news crew headed up by Liz Smith interviews, the students and the principal about the vampire attack during the credit. And an after credit scene shows thatin survived the attack and is still suffering with his own over the top petty party about his injury.

Stephen:

Yeah. He's still in there go. Ah. Oh, oh yeah. The ending is good. Yes. Standing is good. I love the inner interview with the students. Afterwards ESP, like you get Christy. I keep saying it, Hillary spike and she had, you know, been beaten to death and she's up there or not to death. She's like, I'd like to accept this award. And then one of the Jeffrey's friends was like, not realizing that there were vampires. He's like they had the look in their eyes. Totally cold animal. I think they were young Republicans. Yeah.

Steve:

Yeah. I just think that overall, once I'm able to distinguish the fact that this is a different beast than the show itself, it actually is more enjoyable. Mm-hmm it's just hard because so many people assume that they're one in the same and as a Buffy stand, like I don't like

Stephen:

that. I would love to read the original script that Jos Whedon had submitted. To see if some of the things that, you know, we've talked about that were missing mm-hmm were in the script and to see some of his humor. Yeah. And things like that, because for a comedy it, there are funny bits, but it misses some of the Joss Whedon

Steve:

humor. Yeah. Which is different than the funny that we get here. Yeah.

Stephen:

So I would definitely be interested if, you know, we ever find. Online in the original script or anything like that. We'll see what we can do. Yeah.

Steve:

But until that happens, I'd love to hear what our listeners think of the episode. Yes. And the movie and the show. You can do that by emailing us at happy life, pod, gmail.com,

Stephen:

or you can get in touch with us on all the socials, whether that is Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok at happy life pod.

Steve:

And until next time everyone stay

Stephen:

happy.