#Buffy classic comic
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I can't stop thinking of this one Buffy comic "Bad Blood" for two reasons...
So, Buffy is essentially cloned (to some less than stellar affects, in some ways) by the Big Bad in it. And the clone knocks her out in a sewer and takes her place for a little bit. And at first, her friends don't realize the clone isn't her. Anyway, Snyder is forcing the Scoobies to put together a float for a Sunnydale parade and they haven't come up with an idea for a theme for it yet. They ask the Buffy clone if she has any ideas. And looking at the shirt that Willow's wearing that has a clown on it, she comes up with a clown theme. Not having any better ideas, the Scoobies decide to go ahead with that--much to Xander and Cordelia's horror.
Some time has passed--and at this point, everyone has realized that the clone isn't Buffy, but Buffy is still missing--and the Scoobies are at the parade on their float, all dressed up as clowns because they have to be via Snyder's orders, of course. But they've sort of roped Angel into being a replacement clown for Buffy until they can find her? And he's not dressed up or anything (as if he would ever do that). And I doubt he's acting for them at all, either... But now a part of me is trying to wonder what that might look like, if he remotely tried to be clown-like at all. Pfft.
The second thing I can't stop thinking about with this comic: the clones (there are actually two of them: one of them being more successful than the other. Though the more successful one is Buffy's enemy, and wants to take over her life, while the unsuccessful one was thrown away by her creators like yesterday's garbage--they tried to kill her--and she's actually the one who saved Buffy from the clone and wants to help her see her creators burn). This is, perhaps, a silly thought since is just a tie-in-comic, so of course none of this could really go anywhere... But I kind of wish more had been done with them. Like, this might be my inner-Kingdom Hearts fan talking (who believes because of that series that any clone of a character who experiences anything different from the person they once were becomes their own person, and thus then deserves to live), but I wonder if Buffy later might have wished that things could have gone differently with them. Like, that they could have lived as their own people. Perhaps they could have been introduced to the world as her long-lost triplets or something, as a cover story. I feel like a Buffy who later accepted Dawn, I mean, who was also created from her, could have felt this way.
And that whole thing makes me think of something that happened in season 9, too: For some dumb reason (that I do kind of get and could explain, but I feel it might make this even longer than it needs to be if I do. Though if anyone does want me to explain why this happened, just let me know), to try and protect Buffy, Andrew puts her consciousness into a robot. And at first, Buffy isn't even aware that she's been put into a robot. But the body she's left behind actually begins to grow its own awareness. And when it becomes clear that Buffy's going to take her body back, the two of them fight (Buffy in the robot and her body, that is)--because Buffy's body doesn't think this it's fair (she's somewhat being manipulated by an outside force to do that, though). Eventually, the two of them make amends and Buffy's body thinks it's only right that Buffy's consciousness/the real her comes back to her.
But I don't know... I wonder if it's possible Buffy could end up regretting that action eventually, too, and wondering if the body/new consciousness apart from her could have become her own person, as well. -shrugs-
#buffy the vampire slayer#buffy summers#bangel#buffy classic comic#buffy classic comics#bad blood#buffy season 9#dawn summers#maybe i should write fic about these things. i've actually thought about it...#angel
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followers and mutuals and just anybody exploring these tags!!!
i want to make something and i have no motivation so!!!
anyone and everyone send me an ask to choose between either two doctor who (+ torchwood) characters or two buffyverse characters and i will make a gifset :)
#doctor who#dr who#dw#buffyverse#buffy the vampire slayer#angel the series#ats#torchwood#gif#editing#edit#ask#keep in mind i have not read the buffy comics at all#and i have only watched new who and torchwood so no classic or expanded media sorry#make me choose meme#make me choose
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Games you can play instead of D&D
Pathfinder/Pathfinder 2e: Same concept as D&D but by a better company. You are an adventurer in a high fantasy setting. Character creation combines a race and class.
Mutants and Masterminds 3e: Action-focused superhero RPG, uses starting points to buy equipment and skills and build powers by combining effects. Character creation can take a bit to get used to but there are many sourcebooks with helpful examples to use, there are countless pre-built characters online, and a slew of official books containing just about every DC Comics character you can think of to play and interact with.
Vampire: the Masquerade: You are a vampire in the shadowy gothic underbelly of modern society, struggling against any number of threats, kindred or otherwise, while trying to keep the existence of vampires a secret and struggle against your own bestial nature. Will you retain your humanity? Or give in to the beast. High focus on roleplay and social intrigue.
Monster of the Week: A rules-light game based on the Powered By the Apocalypse system that recreates the experience of shows like Buffy, Supernatural, X-Files and Warehouse 13. You play as a Hunter investigationg supernatural mysteries and fighting monsters. Player characters are based on archetypes from this genre (Professional, Monstrous, Spell-Slinger etc) (this one's my favorite! :D)
Masks: A New Generation: Play as a young superhero finding their place in the world. The game creates a coming-of-age story as you grow and change in response to your actions and the people and events around you. Character creation reflects this by focusing on your characters personality, struggles and strengths while being more loose about your actual powers.
Girl by Moonlight: Magical Girls (boys, enbies etc) through a queer lense. You play a magical guardian grappling with destiny, love and the heartbreaking duality between who you are and who the world says you are. Split between four genres you can choose from-classic magical girls, dark magical girls, psychological conspiracy and... mecha. I guess. (I'm gonna be honest I haven't looked super deep into those last two yet). Characters are based on archetypes from magical girl stories, some with very obvious inspirations.
Scum and Villainy: Play as a roguish outlaw in a galactic society run by an oppressive force. You are the Han Solo of this story, smuggling and doing crimes and mercenary work aboard your own starship.
Killer Ratings: You and the other players are the insufferable cast of a cheap ghost-hunting show and have found yourselves in over your heads as you've wandered into an actual haunted location. Play as you explore the site and are most likely taken out one-by-one, returning as vengeful spirits to further terrorize your former cast-mates.
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ACOTAR polls // crossover
#acotar memes#a court of thorns and roses#acotar#acotar polls#supernatural#star wars#marvel#dc comics#buffy the vampire slayer#pacific rim#the cruel prince#baldur's gate 3#disney#lord of the rings
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Does Mcu pietro/Peter exhibit any racist stereotypes?
I answered a similar question, briefly, here. I've also touched on this subject several times in more general posts about the racism and whitewashing of the M C U Maximoffs. Here's the big one that I have in my FAQ, which is pinned to the top of my blog.
Although the M C U depicts Wanda and Pietro as white Europeans, there are several references to racial stereotypes and tropes, as well as other decisions that become more fraught when examined in the characters' racial context. This is particularly evident in Age of Ultron, when Pietro was still present. Deleted scenes depict the twins as street thieves, and some earlier concept art and costume sketches dress Wanda in a manner that is clearly influenced by gypsy caricatures, which the film's director, Joss Whedon, had utilized in past projects such as Buffy. Olsen, and I believe Johnson, have referenced this "gypsy, vagabond" archetype when describign how how the characters were developed.
This pattern continues in Wanda//Vision and Multiverse of Madness, although Pietro is obviously not present. Again, there is concept art of Wanda dressed in stereotypical gypsy attire, this time as a Halloween costume. The outfit was later replaced with a version of her classic comic book design, but was still referred to as a "fortune teller" getup in the script. After becoming the Scarlet Witch, Wanda is surrounded by many of the same orientalist motifs that follow Doctor Strange, but, paired with elements of her hair and makeup, including those stained finger tips, it's hard to not feel like the character was influenced by antisemitic and anti-Romani witch archetypes-- especially when she's planning to literally abduct and consume a child.
The X-Men character, "Peter" is much further removed from his Romani origins. By whitewashing Magda, removing all references to Romani Holocaust victims and survivors, and relocating the Maximoffs to an American suburb, the X-Men films are even more thorough than the M C U when it comes to Romani erasure. "Peter" lacks the sort of winking references and self-awareness of the M C U's Maximoff twins, but I do think that the decision to make him into a petty criminal felt kinda racist in context.
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Speaking of that bigger discussion:
One of the elements that makes Buffy simultaneously superb when it's good and mediocre to awful when it isn't is that each of the main characters goes through very different arcs. Spike is the Anne Rice vampire, Angel is a heroic version of Konrad Curze, Buffy has the classical hero's journey, Giles is the Obi-Wan who never quite dies, Dawn is the Lovecraftian monster who's equal parts adorable and annoying (so the ultimate little sister), Xander has the reliable and unfortunately human aspects of being the normal guy who normal guys. Anya is the unrepentant murderous sadist who's charismatic and effective with her powers and a dork among dorks without them.
Willow, OTOH, has the arc that is at the most radically divergent with everyone else. Everyone else to a point fits in neatly with the genre conventions here, Willow fits straight into the DC or Marvel kind of setting of higher-powered superpowered being who had to be downplayed in Season 7 for the same reasons the DCAU struggled to write Superman. Everyone else leads a horror-comedy where the two poles of their lives grind against each other like icebergs in the Arctic or Antarctic Sea.
Willow lives an arc rooted in a much more direct superhero element, but where other people might expect Superman or Batman (and Angel is closer to Batman than anyone here, hence the Konrad Curze joke), she is unknown to herself living Jean Grey going Dark Phoenix and being both easily forgiven and avoiding the Dark Phoenix problem thanks to the comics of being given a pass by her actions being completely separated from her.
Each of the main characters in Buffy has at least three major genres overlapping and shaping their lives. Giles, Faith, Buffy, the Potentials turned Slayers, and the monsters they fight, as well as Tara and Amy Madison are all living the life of urban fantasy, deeply rooted in that old order as direct embodiments of its ideals (The Master and Kakistos for the villains, Kendra and Quentin Travers for the heroes), or rebelling against it (Buffy and Tara), or going down the hero to villain path, either with a way back or not (Faith and Amy Madison).
Xander is living the most direct Kolchak the Night Stalker kind of urban fantasy life. Perfectly normal dude in a world of demonic monsters out there trying to erase all human life and even demonic life as well, who goes out there to fight the good fight.
And then there's Willow, whose life is straight out of the X-Men arcs.....including the one where the hero went nuts and tried to kill a bunch of people and had to be brought down by her own side. As characters in a work don't know the genre they're in, this is IMO the ultimate reason some form of Dark Willow was always inevitable. Willow being who she is and what she is, with her brilliance and all, was pretty much assured to go straight into magic as soon as she knew it existed. With her brilliance she would grasp power without understanding precision or all the nuances of using it.
Insofar as the characters know they're living any kind of genre experience, it's urban fantasy. All the trappings of modern life with vampires and dragons in the shadowy alleys of a modern urban region. So when one of them is living an iconic superhero arc and perhaps under the impression it's one of the more classical goofy Silver Age ones, failure to understand that or how swiftly things go wrong is perhaps the biggest single reason why Willow's path to the dark side, even temporarily, is likely to happen.
Almost nobody human would take access to the kind of power she discovers she has well. As she's the most powerful sorceress on Earth, at minimum, her capacity for fuckups are correspondingly bigger. And as long as her friends just thought of how cute she was it was never going to occur to them that her small fuckups which are humongous deals by the standards of other sorcerers might one day be less handwaved and funny and more 'bring the brown pants' tier terrifying.
Admittedly this is why 2020s me likes Willow even more than 2000s me did, woman gains enormous power but is entirely human about wielding it is my jam, writing-wise, and it makes writing Willow a lot more fun as she's one of the few canon characters that comes closest to the kind of vibe I like to work with.
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★ why’s a girl like you…
bio
nat! she/her, 21, latina, trilingual, capricorn, intj ★
interests
fashion; labels, couture history, fashion week, runway moments, the eras of modelling ★
pop culture; legendary feuds, iconic performances, it-couples, era-defining red carpet outfits ★
misc; astrology, weightlifting, the sims, writing, makeup, cooking, world politics ★
entertainment
movies; the mummy (1999), the phantom of the opera (2005), cruel intentions (1999), gone girl (2014), dark knight trilogy, scream (1996), batman: hush (2019), jurassic park (1993), basically every rom com and chick flick from 1982-2010 ★
television; young justice, community, buffy the vampire slayer, sex and the city, smallville, gossip girl, justice league unlimited, the amazing world of gumball, teen titans, the office, rupaul’s drag race, peaky blinders, teen wolf, the vampire diaries, derry girls ★
special interests; dc comics (+ dick grayson, jason todd, the bats, catwoman, superman, the justice league), star wars, spider-man ★
music
artists; lady gaga, michael jackson, arctic monkeys, hozier, britney spears, 2pac, sade, beyoncé, childish gambino, the weeknd, pink floyd, fleetwood mac, oasis, tears for fears, depeche mode, deftones ★
genres; r&b, pop, rap/hip hop, most rock, nu metal, classical, musicals…lil bit of everything ★
…in a place like this? ★
#this is subject to change#but hey#I am no longer a spectre in the ether#martiniluvr#about me#navigation#dc comics#batfam#justice league#teen titans#young justice#red hood#nightwing
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What kind of acting do you think Simon does I always imagine him in like a supernatural TV show like Buffy or in classic action flicks but in the most recent Avengers Academy it looked like he was in a fantasy show.
Historically Simon has seemed to be primarily employed in B and C tier Hollywood action films, although the first film he was ever in (sans the Mr Muscles kids TV show bit) was a spaghetti Western from Avengers #207. His big acting break was playing the villain in Arkon IV, acting across an early 80s Arnold Schwarzenegger, a role he lands in WCA v2 #6. The vibe of it is very sword-and-sorcery, Conan the Barbarian style, which was probably what the Avengers Academy film was referencing.
Simon also starred in the film Damage Control, with THE Marlon Brando and Shelly Long of all people??? from the hit marvel comic that everyone knows and loves, Damage Control v3 #3. Simon shows his entire bare booty ass in this comic, which is the most notable thing about the issue.
Beach Volleyball Bros 2 was mentioned in X-Force v6 #50, which when I heard it, I envisioned a terrible Baywatch (2017) rip-off, but it could really be anoying.
Simon was ALSO hired to star in an adaption of Macbeth, during Wonder Man v2. There's a few different films that he's brought on to work on during the course of this series, and Simon seems to struggle with being typecast in action-slop roles, which, given everything we listed so far, is not far off the mark.
Towards the 2000s with the gradual shift in media culture and what was popular, Simon gets numerous offers in different comics to be in reality TV shows. I don't think he accepts any of them, except for Wonder Man v3 where he's shooting a reality show to rehabiliate a villain lady?? I don't know, it's a truly awful comic so I rarely count it in Simon discussions.
Simon's also offered another action-role in War of the Realms: Journey into Mystery, which he also rejects because he's a pacifist at this stage in his life.
(also in this series, Simon mentions a love for Westerns which is a cute tie-in to his first ever proper role!)
And finally, it's not comics but Simon is yet again in films that appear to be terrible c-tier action flicks in the M.O.D.O.K. show, from his appearance in episode 7. Sorry for the quality, but it is called "BRUTE FORCE 2: KANGARUDE AWAKENING" and has him with some animatronic canine? I don't know what this is, but it's something.
Anyway, so yeah, he's mosly been in bad action films, but I could see him segwaying into one of those kind of supernatural TV shows, or something CW inspired, like The Vampire Diaries or Riverdale. He does have it in him to do something a little more classy I think, but only if he/writers lent a little harder into him having a 1940s-50s Hollywood sensibility. They should give him a screwball comedy, not these action films, they aren't enriching enough for him.
#I have so much fucking useless knowledge amassed about this man#wonder man#simon williams#puts these in the tags as if anyone checks them regularly but me#ch: the man of wonders!#a-pansexual-unicorn#asks
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Awful Characters Round 1 Part 3 (3/8)
Propaganda under the cut!
JASON TODD
I have actually seen Twitter fans being insane about him yeah it's actually a little sad He's an ex-murder victim with a vendetta who's killed dozens of people and became a crime lord to take control of the drug trade (and keep it away from school, but try telling that to somebody who dislikes him). He also gets represented as the bloodthirsty Robin, which is just beyond false if you actually read the issues he's in, but that's partially on DC, too, for trying to badly retcon his past.
SPIKE
Spike is a mass murderering vampire without a soul (for most of the show), is in general an asshole, and also is off and on presented as incredibly sexist. In his lowest moment on the show he tries to rape Buffy (while still soulless). His relationship with Buffy is incredibly toxic. It's great I love it As for have I seen it, not exactly? Btvs is an older fandom that doesn't tend to get dragged into this kinda discourse, but within the fandom people who are trying to be anti Spike will bring this shit up to prop up their own awful guy (gender neutral) to ship buffy with, classic ship war stuff
#awful characters tournament#tournament poll#awful characters round 1#dc comics#jason todd#buffy the vampire slayer#btvs#spike btvs
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10 characters, 10 fandoms
RULES: List your ten favorite characters from ten separate fandoms, then tag ten people!
I was tagged by @gecemi09 (ty!)
-Jason Todd from the DCU. Given what my blog has become, it's only appropriate he goes first! I love plenty of DC characters, and the list keeps growing as I read more and more comics, but he's ~especial lol. The true entry point of my love for the universe at large; a character practically, yet accidentally tailored for my tastes. I think about him nearly as much as his detractors do xD
-Caroline Forbes from the Plecverse. Another one that simply must be on the list. My forever girl *points at my icon*. Another character who accidentally became exactly what I love to see, with a story arc that still makes me giddy to this day.
-Max from Black Sails. And from characters that achieved greatness often in spite of their writers' intentions, to one who was written and crafted with such purposefulness I'm still marvelled at her whole... everything. Watch Black Sails. Meet Max.
-Laila Rose from The Essence of the Equinox. Laila is an absolutely enchanting lead character. The ensemble of this saga has some characters that immediately caught my eye, who fulfill specific cravings I've looked to satiate for years, but she raises aboves them thanks to the love and care and grace put on crafting her by her author.
-Buffy Summers from the Buffyverse. What can I say about Buffy that I haven't said a thousand times. I love her. I think she's one of the best lead characters ever written. I love her.
-Nikita Mears from the CW's Nikita. She is IT. That is all. Watch Nikita. Thank me later.
-Veronica Mars from Veronica Mars. Title female characters that are actually title characters, my beloved.
-Dutch from Killjoys. This list is filled so far with characters that I both admire endlessly and want to protect from the world's cruelty, despite how much they don't need my feeble body as a shield xD. Dutch is no exception. She's incredible. I would kill for her. Etc. etc.
-The Marquise de Merteuil from Dangerous Liaisons. I was in between her and Bela Talbot from Supernatural, but this list needed a character who is objectively terrible yet I love to pieces xDD. And this book's writing >>>>>>
-John Murphy from The 100. As my rewatch approaches its end, I have to name one (1) character from this bad-yet-good-yet-bad-yet show (classic CW <3). And he's still atop the mountain, baby.
tagging (no pressure): @blairwaldcrf @hellispeacefullandempty @aninkwellofnectar @missbrunettebarbie @bombshellsandbluebells
@jaynotwayne @the-greendalehumanbeings @mircallaruthven @nastasyafilippovnas @grapecaseschoices
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YES THAT'S THE THING! The only negative thing I have heard about Buffy since it started airing in the late 90's is that Buffy always goes back to Angel, no matter what, and it can get boring.
After all, this is an extremely popular series. A cult classic. It has won lots of prizes and gotten nominations. Has gotten books, comics, a movie. Angel even got his own series!
And here I am, not believing what I'm seeing because the writing just sucks SO BAD AND MAKES NO SENSE and no, you can't say it's because the series is old.
This all is happening in S5. There have been inklings over the course that this series is indeed made by a man, because only a man would write romance or women like that. Nothing super big, just slightly annoying like "oh my god, no woman would actually think or do that".
The problem in S5 is that the series/creator clearly can't either understand what a healthy devotion is OR/AND can't commit to write Spike in one way only. He constantly contradicts himself without any given reason, which in this case would only be a severe mental health issue.
Spike is pictured as this lovesick puppy who would do anything for Buffy, a bit shy and really taking his time to gather his courage to confess his feelings, and who is also making sure that his actions won't hurt Buffy or her family, even if it would hurt or kill him. Like, this soft, gentle, sensitive man who will do anything to keep his lover safe and would never harm them in anyway. Every mother's dream son-in-law.
But Spike is also, at the very same time, pictured from this male perspective of a lovesick man; oh, isn't it romantic how he steals Buffy's clothes to smell them, has built an altar for her, has a Buffy mannequin at his crypt he treats violently when he gets angry, stalks her around her home because he can't help his feelings, how Spike asks her current girlfriend to roleplay Buffy in bedroom because otherwise he doesn't want to have sex with her, how he commissions this personal Buffy sex toy for his own pleasure and orgasms only, and how he kidnaps Buffy and tells Buffy he kills her if he can't have her? Oh, what romantic devotion, this man is SO in LOVE!
AND HE KEEPS GOING BACK AND FORTH! THIS EPISODE, HE WANTS TO KILL BUFFY. NEXT EPISODE HE ALMOST GETS KILLED HIMSELF BECAUSE HE WOULD NEVER ALLOW ANYTHING BAD TO HAPPEN TO BUFFY. WELL NOW HE STALKS BUFFY AND WANTS HER FOR HIMSELF ONLY, BUT NO, WAIT, HE'S ACTUALLY PROTECTING BUFFY'S FAMILY BECAUSE HE DOESN'T WANT TO BRING ANY SADNESS TO BUFFY.
Like, who the hell is he? Do you want him to be the every woman's dream man or every woman's nightmare? He can't be both at the same time, not without an explanation and no, him being a vampire and sensitive isn't a valid explanation for such drastic differences.
And BUFFY? Sweet lord, Buffy! She's all just "eew, no" about this whole ordeal of having an obsessive man who has killed two Slayers (and is apparently the only vampire who has ever won against a Slayer) after her. No worry in the world. No concern that this man could kill or rape her, or hurt her family in his temper tantrum? Just scolds him by saying "gross" and "leave me alone".
And here I thought the biggest issue for the upcoming Buffy and Spike romance would be Angel's existence.
Of course, the series is probably going to brush all this freaky stuff off like "Nah, never happened and look, he was just so desperately in love and Buffy is so very strong she is not afraid of anyone and has no sense of self-protection as a woman".
I just don't understand how this level of character writing is considered even remotely plausible, not to mention something to be celebrated as an excellent cult classic?
Maybe it's just the Season 5. Maybe I'm just too old. And too sad. I just want better for Buffy and Spike, separately and together.
EDIT: OK TURNS OUT THE CREATOR OF THE SERIES HATED SPIKE AND HIS ACTOR FOR MAKING SPIKE A FAN FAVORITE AND RUINING HIS ARTISTIC PLANS, AND THAT THE CREATOR IS BASICALLY JUST A MAN SIZE WALKING DICK. A clear attempt to make fans hate Spike in S5 writing.
#S6 might have some hope for me#niu watches buffy#you know it's BAD when I get ranting because 99% of the cases I don't care enough about the bad parts in anything
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I made another post, when I freaked out in finding out that Micaela Tomasi from "The Gatekeeper Trilogy" appeared in one of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer classic comics... Though I never compiled pictures of her from the comic with any of her moments from the books. Though, actually, this scene of her ISN'T from "The Gatekeeper Trilogy," but rather "Dark Congress" (I can't find the one "Gatekeeper Trilogy" book I would have wanted to use right now), as Micaela appears in quite a few of the Buffy tie-in novels (and also this comic). And how I love it.
#Buffy the vampire slayer#Rupert giles#Micaela tomasi#Rupert and micaela#Rupertmicaela#Giles and micaela#Gilesmicaela#Yes I ship them. Literally no one in the world knows who micaela is. But ahh! She's great#and she and giles are great and have so much chemistry#and if you've read the buffyverse books and this comic you'll have seen that imo#And after Jenny he so belonged with micaela imo#Buffy tie-in books#Buffy tie-in book#Buffy book#Buffy the vampire slayer classic comic#Buffy classic comic#Giles: beyond the pale#Giles beyond the pale#the Gatekeeper trilogy#Dark congress#I love the continuity that the novels had with obviously the shows each other and the classic comics so much#and the classic comics had that with the shows and novels too#I feel like if you haven't read these you are just missing so much MORE
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costumes / looks I desperately need gerard way to wear on stage (add your own in reblogs!!)
greek statue, he’s fully painted white including his hair with a white toga with a golden wreath thing on his head. I just think that would look sick
police uniform covered in blood
straight up zombie with full on green decaying gory make up
one of the heathers from heathers
either the blue cheerleader outfit from the i’m not okay mv or the iconic red ones from teenagers. then we’d have a little trio!
ghostface. possibly cunty ghostface as a treat
vanya from umbrella academy - young version with the school girl fit and black mask OR the all white comic version of course
also number five from umbrella academy (classic school boy fit)
this sounds weird but I think this would be really cool and meta for wwwy - a stereotypical mcr fan / emo. as in with that one black parade t shirt, heavy eyeliner, black nails, side swept emo fringe, studded bracelets and belts, skinny black jeans, vans or converse. again a very meta concept, after their old person looks in 2022 I can really see them doing this as a whole band this year and I would loooove to finally see gerard in the fashion style that’s so associated with him and his music
howl from howl’s moving castle
possibly also sophie from howl’s moving castle
slenderman
literally just satan. like the most stereotypical devil, give them fully painted red skin, horns, fangs, yellow or black eyes, maybe even goat legs. probably with a majestic black suit or something, or for a succubus vibe a black flowy dress with a slit down the leg. now that I think about it, this would be a SICK wwwy look to shock us all, esp if ray mikey and frank all dressed as other demons or the souls of the damned or some shit.
peni parker - he made her!!
question mark jumper from doctor who
also missy from doctor who omg
jane doe from ride the cyclone, possibly with added marionette or cracked porcelain makeup like in some renditions
classic majestic white-robed angel, with enormous fake wings and maybe even sparkly gold makeup and a big gold halo. also would be cool in all black, or all white but covered in blood (red, gold, or black, all would look cool)
buffy summers in prophecy girl, except he also has blood all over his neck from where the master bit her. I hope he’s watched btvs I think he would very much enjoy it this look would fit with their vampire vibe sooooo well
classic frankenstein’s monster
mothman. not only is he a heartthrob but he’s also a hunched goblin cryptid to me. the duality of man (he/theys)
jane prentiss from the magnus archives. if you don’t know she is a living flesh hive of sentient worms, she’s decaying and full of holes. again with all the nasty decaying rotting prosthetic makeup plus THE RED DRESS!!!
mr darcy vibes, sopping wet regency man with a big puffy white t shirt
opposite side of that, fuck it give him a full on ballroom gown
henry creel from stranger things (pre-vecna, nurse outfit)
any disney princess
crowley from good omens. my man looks GOOD in those anthony janthony aah sunglasses he has
cute flowy summer dress with like a flowery pattern. either go cottagecore with it and have flowers in his hair, or go full white soccer mum and put him in huge cunty sunglasses a massive straw sun hat with a ribbon on it
all-black cowboy!!!! the fact I’ve never seen him in a cowboy hat is actual sacrilege. also would very much appreciate an all-pink sequin studded cowboy
any alice in wonderland character, especially alice herself, the classic disney movie look with the blue dress and the bow in the hair. he would also do a great chesire cat (spooky big grin makeup paired with his weird ass dramatic facial expressions?? inspired) or a super extravagant queen / king / knave of hearts. also 100000% the mad hatter omfg, he was BORN to do a jefferson from once upon a time look!!
#he can just pull anything off#and so many things are just his VIBE like jane prentiss’s whole look and concept is SUCH a swarm tour gerard look like are you kidding me??#gerard way#gee way#my chem#my chemical romance#my chemical fucking romance#mcr#swarm tour#dear god I have too much free time on my hands I think about this more than is necessary or maybe even possible
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The 1990s was a pivotal decade for geek culture, solidifying many of the trends and franchises that continue to influence pop culture today. Here's an exploration of the various facets of geekdom in the 90s:
Video Games
The 1990s were a golden era for video games, seeing the rise of iconic franchises and gaming consoles.
Consoles and Games:
Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and Sega Genesis were at the forefront of the early 90s gaming scene. Classics like "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past," "Super Mario World," and "Sonic the Hedgehog" became household names.
The mid-90s introduced the Sony PlayStation and the Nintendo 64. Games like "Final Fantasy VII," "Metal Gear Solid," "Super Mario 64," and "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" revolutionized the industry with their storytelling and 3D graphics.
PC Gaming:
The rise of PC gaming brought titles like "Doom," "Quake," "Warcraft," and "Starcraft," which laid the groundwork for modern first-person shooters and real-time strategy games.
The introduction of the CD-ROM allowed for more complex and graphically intense games, expanding the possibilities of game design.
Comic Books and Graphic Novels
The 90s was a transformative period for comics, marked by a combination of innovation and market upheavals.
Marvel and DC Comics:
Marvel experienced a surge in popularity with the introduction of new characters like Deadpool and the significant events like the "X-Men's Age of Apocalypse" and "Spider-Man's Clone Saga."
DC Comics shook the world with storylines such as "The Death of Superman" and "Batman: Knightfall."
Independent Publishers:
The formation of Image Comics by former Marvel artists brought a wave of creator-owned series like "Spawn," "The Savage Dragon," and "WildC.A.T.s."
Vertigo, an imprint of DC, produced critically acclaimed titles such as "Sandman" by Neil Gaiman and "Preacher" by Garth Ennis, pushing the boundaries of mature storytelling in comics.
Science Fiction and Fantasy
The 90s were a golden age for science fiction and fantasy, both in literature and on screen.
Television:
"Star Trek" had a strong presence with "The Next Generation" continuing its success, followed by "Deep Space Nine" and "Voyager."
"The X-Files" became a cultural phenomenon, blending science fiction with horror and conspiracy theories.
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" redefined the fantasy genre on television, combining teenage drama with supernatural elements.
Movies:
Blockbuster franchises like "Jurassic Park," "The Matrix," and "Men in Black" showcased cutting-edge special effects and imaginative storytelling.
The re-release of the original "Star Wars" trilogy in special editions prepared the groundwork for the much-anticipated prequel trilogy.
Anime and Manga
The 90s saw the global explosion of anime and manga, making Japanese pop culture a mainstream phenomenon.
Anime:
Series like "Dragon Ball Z," "Sailor Moon," and "Pokémon" became immensely popular worldwide, introducing many to the world of anime.
Films by Studio Ghibli, such as "Princess Mononoke" and "My Neighbor Totoro," received critical acclaim and international recognition.
Manga:
Manga series like "Naruto," "One Piece," and "Berserk" began their runs, setting the stage for long-lasting popularity.
The publication of "Shonen Jump" in English brought many of these series to Western audiences.
Role-Playing Games (RPGs)
The 90s were a significant decade for tabletop RPGs, with many classic games being developed and popularized.
Dungeons & Dragons:
The release of the second edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) in 1989 carried through the 90s, with campaigns like "Planescape" and "Dark Sun" becoming fan favorites.
Other RPGs:
"Vampire: The Masquerade" by White Wolf Publishing introduced the World of Darkness, a setting that offered a dark, gothic-punk alternative to traditional fantasy RPGs.
The cyberpunk genre was well represented by games like "Shadowrun" and "Cyberpunk 2020," capturing the gritty, high-tech, low-life aesthetic.
Collectibles and Trading Card Games
The 90s witnessed the birth and explosion of collectible card games (CCGs), with "Magic: The Gathering" leading the charge.
Magic: The Gathering:
Created by Richard Garfield and released by Wizards of the Coast in 1993, "Magic: The Gathering" became a groundbreaking and immensely popular game, sparking a new industry of collectible card games.
Pokémon:
The Pokémon Trading Card Game, released in 1996, quickly became a massive hit alongside the video games and TV series, contributing to the global Pokémon craze.
Internet and Technology
The rise of the internet in the 90s played a crucial role in shaping geek culture.
Early Internet Communities:
Bulletin board systems (BBS), forums, and newsgroups like Usenet allowed geeks to connect and share their interests in ways that were never before possible.
The creation of fan sites and the use of IRC (Internet Relay Chat) facilitated the growth of online communities dedicated to various fandoms.
Technology:
The proliferation of personal computers and the advent of the World Wide Web democratized access to information and entertainment, allowing geek culture to flourish and expand globally.
In conclusion, the 1990s were a transformative decade for geek culture, characterized by the rise of influential media, the advent of groundbreaking technology, and the growth of vibrant communities. The era laid the foundation for many of the trends and franchises that continue to shape geekdom today.
#90s tv shows#90s aesthetic#90s fashion#90s anime#90s music#90s nostalgia#1990s#vhs#nineties#90s movies
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Spuffy style Reading Challenge - #20: A Fic A Week
So this is gonna be a looong list, be prepared!
A Fic With More Than 200k Words
West of the Moon, East of the Sun by KnifeEdge [NC-17]
I keep having the strangest dream. Every night it's the same thing: a dark room, a big bed, and a silent vampire that I can feel, but not see. I'd be wigged, except it's just a dream, right? It'll be a cold day in hell before I ever willingly sleep with a vampire again...
Fic You Haven’t Read by Author You Love
Seven by Holly [NC-17]
It's been months since Willow almost ended the world, and a tense summer has turned into an ominous fall in Sunnydale. Spike is back from wherever and acting weirder than usual, a new threat is rising that—for once—doesn't seem to stem from the hellmouth, and Buffy has no idea who to trust or what to believe. She also doesn’t have the luxury of time to figure it out. Some things never change.
Popular Fic in 2021:
You Learn by bramcrackers [Adult Only]
When Buffy learns about Angel’s history with Drusilla, she can’t ignore how he seems to keep everything about his past to himself unless forced. How can she love someone she doesn’t even know? A trip to a local mage later, she’s plunged headfirst into Angel’s entire sordid history in a series of visions. And dealing with all of that would have been a hell of a lot easier if Spike hadn’t somehow been pulled into it, happy to add the color commentary.
You Can Read in a Day
Fool me Once by Miss Marisol [NC-17]
Some weeks after Something Blue: When Tara helps Buffy find out the horrible truth - that Willow (with Xander's approval) has been dosing her with love potions, so that she thinks she loves Riley- she is furious. She is going to get her revenge on Willow and Xander in the most hurtful way she can think of – by dating someone they desperately wanted her to stay away from...
Fic About a Difficult Topic
Blip by Holly [R]
She lives a life where everything is chosen for her. But not this.
Recommended by a Friend
Hung Up by kats_meow [NC-17]
What if instead of fast food Buffy got a job as a phone sex worker at a new establishment in Sunnydale?
Fic That Will Make You Cry
Future Perfect by Sigyn [R]
“I only show the truth,” the creature said. “The truth of the future. How you feel about it is all your own.” “What future?” Buffy demanded. “What are you talking about?” The demon smiled. “You’ll see soon enough.”
Fic Published in 2012
Who We Used To Be by sweetprincipale [Adult Only]
A short Spuffy, just a small scene from a life that should have been given a second chance. Set after Angel S. five, acting as if no comic series or novels occurred. Consider this an alternate universe, it'll be easier.
Fic Published in 2022
Something Blue's Clues by cawthraven [PG-13]
Willow is just fed up with the way Buffy and Spike act around each other. What are they, five?
A Genre You Don’t Usually Read - POV
A Small Boat on the Ocean by sandy_s [PG-13]
Buffy and Spike are settled in New Orleans and decide to start a family in a realistic way (as realistic as you can get in Buffyverse). Post-NFA, Buffy POV.
Based on a Children’s Classic
Little Red Riding Hood & The Big Bad Wolf by Twinkles [R]
A fairy-tale, of sorts. Response to a challenge by hcconn: Buffy gets her little red riding hood costume at Ethan's instead of the Victorian dress.
Banner With Your Favorite Color
Dreamscape by Holly [NC-17]
While her nights are occupied fighting evil, her dreams are haunted by a devastatingly sexy if not totally evil vampire. But how thin is the line between dreams and reality? More importantly: how thin does she want it to be?
Young Adult Fiction
Golden Hour by kennedynoelle [R]
Spike never came to Sunnydale during the first few seasons. The first time Buffy sees him is during The Harsh Light of Day, sunbathing on campus adorned with the Gem of Amara. Oh no, she thinks, the pit of her stomach dropping and sending tinglies all over, he's hot. They start dating, Buffy unaware that her new boyfriend is a member of the undead. Of course, she has to find out eventually...
First Story in a Trilogy
Wrong Place, Perfect Time by MaggieLaFey [NC-17]
Buffy, a successful lawyer, and William, an excellent detective, are sneaking into the LA Archives and Records Center at the last minute on Halloween day. They’re also both on the phone, and don’t notice that the elevator they’re stepping into might have a few problems. Will they get to know each other once they get stuck inside, or will they be at each other’s throats sooner than William can say “pet” and Buffy can say “sexist jerk”?
Second Story in a Trilogy
Nemesis by Holly [NC-17]
Book II of the Yellow Brick Road series. While trying to cope with mixed feelings and brewing resentment over the fact that Spike screwed her and vanished, Buffy finds herself increasingly suspicious about Faith's close relationship with Angel. Just as things can't get any more confusing, a blond vampire she was sure she would never see again decides that it's time.
Third Story in a Trilogy
Intimate by Holly [R]
He was mesmerized by her heartbeat.
Dystopian Fic
The Footprints Left Behind by Willow91 [NC-17]
In the wake of an unknown attack on the American Frontier and the subsequent loss of contact with the friends they still had stateside, Buffy and Xander sneak into the country and begin a long, dangerous journey to find old friends and the source of the near apocalypse before it spreads throughout the rest of the world.
Award-Winning Fic
Not Dead by Herself [NC-17]
Soon after her resurrection, Buffy gets turned. Spike tries to help her adjust.
Set in the Decade Before You Were Born
A Different Kind of Hell by OffYourBird [NC-17]
Jumping through Glory's tower portal, Buffy and Spike find themselves in a hell dimension they never expected. One that looks suspiciously like 1880's London. Will they find a way back home? Will the truth behind William the Bloody at last make itself known? Will Buffy ever stop butchering the Queen's English? Join them and find out. Starts off at the end of "The Gift."
Historical Fiction From A Favorite Time Period
The Darkling by OffYourBird [NC-17]
When Buffy’s quest to get Spike returned to her is fulfilled in an unexpected way, she finds herself in a complicated relationship with an intrigued master vampire who isn’t the man she loves, but who might be someday… if she can convince him to step out of the dark.
Classic You’ve Never Read
Charms of the Clarion by Eurydice [NC-17]
When the Council approaches Buffy with an offer she can't refuse, she finds herself in another world, with Spike as her necessary partner. Set early Season 5.
A Fic That Will Keep You Up All Night
Almost Paradise by Holly [NC-17]
When presented with the opportunity to magically alter the world she lives in, Buffy knows there are a lot of very good reasons why she shouldn't seize it, but figures things can't get worse. She's wrong.
Most read in 2021
Grace by Soulburnt [NC-17]
In the aftermath of 'Dead Things,' Buffy fears that Spike has dusted. She doesn't think she can survive the world she's been pulled back into without him. When she finds he's alive, Buffy takes a chance at reclaiming her own life by sharing her time, words... and even her blood.
Set in Your Home State - I’ll amend this to Europe
Just to Reach You by Sunalso [R]
Post-Series. Spike and Buffy have been a couple for almost two years. The honeymoon is over and together they're discovering they still have a lot to learn about themselves, each other, and how this whole "normal" relationship thing works.
You Once Started But Never Finished
These Violent Delights by Touchstoneaf [Adult Only]
Part 2 of the Something Wicked series (S5, beginning with "Buffy vs Dracula") Spuffy have been together for a while now. Things have been great. The Scoobies have more or less accepted the reality of their couplehood, Spike finally has his own place, so there’s plenty of thoroughly excellent shag-time, and college is kind of fun when you have a worldly, undead tutor to poke fun at your instructors and help you remember your lessons with fascinating anecdotes or, when that fails, incredibly memorable sexy-times. Life is actually, like, bordering on good. But then Mr. Eurovamp 2000 blows into town and causes a bunch of jealousy. And then Buffy starts having a bunch of crappy Slayer dreams about glowy purply stuff. And Dawn is going off the hook even more than usual, and Mom is acting weird… And, as if there’s not enough to deal with, Buffy’s pretty sure that idiot Riley Finn is still lurking around town trying to come up with a reason to shoot her boyfriend… Buffy should have known things couldn’t stay yummy for long. She probably would have started to worry if it had.
With a One Word Title
Called by Dusty [PG-13]
A slayer, a vampire and how they called through the years.
A Fairy Tale Retelling
Ever Just As Sure by lafillesauvage [R]
Because there can never be enough Spuffy retellings of ‘Beauty and the Beast’.
A Fic Set in High School or Durig the High School Years
Beneath the Surface by The Danish Bird [NC-17]
Spike returns a little earlier to find his gem. The mayor decides that shooting Angel with a poison, which only Slayer blood can cure, is simply too risky for his Faith. And suddenly, Buffy finds herself locked up in a strange underground room in the company of her mortal enemy and the vampire who just broke her heart. But maybe it isn’t all bad. Maybe, this way, Angel will see that this idea about leaving for her own good is bad. Right? Spike, he just wants to get out, but if that’s out of the question, well then at least he’s going to try to have some fun! Starts out right after The Prom and before Graduation Day pt.I.
Fic Set in Another Country
Encapsulated by BillieLiar [NC-17]
“Hotel. I was supposed to have a hotel. This is so not a hotel.” “They’re called capsule hotels, luv, they’re getting common lately.”
Reread a Favorite Fic
Right Next (Door) to You by talesofstories [PG] - this is an all human story
“Why don’t you and Spike just move in together?” “Because that would be really weird? We’re neighbors and friends, Dawn; it’s not like we’re dating.” Buffy firmly ignored Dawn’s muttered, “You could have fooled me.” (Buffy and Spike are neighbors, best friends, confidants. What they aren't is dating. Which is the one thing that everyone assumes they are doing.)
On Your To-Read List the Longest
You Don't Know What You've Got by lex_hex [NC-17]
The Rwasundi demon summoned by the Trio sends Buffy back in time to the moment that Anya's power center is destroyed. Navigating the implications of time travel, Buffy gets to revisit some past events with a new perspective and lots of foresight.
A Fic About Travel
A Matter Of Taste by Twinkles [Adult Only]
A potentially horrifying story of lust, blood and hunger when the world turns inside out. Set shortly before Buffy vs Dracula; Riley left town at the end of S4.
Popular Fic You’ve Never Read
Pet by Sigyn [Adult Only]
Spike and Buffy have been living happily together for what seems like forever, but fate has a sick sense of humor. Buffy finds herself caught in the wrong body, in the wrong time, needing the assistance of a purely evil Spike. Now she must attempt to forge their trust anew, when the dynamic isn’t that of slayer and redeemed, but only that of vampire... and victim.
Crime or Mystery
Liebestod by Iamblichus [NC-17]
They really should have known the First Evil wasn't done with them after Sunnydale... Enter: Time-travel, mysterious prophesies, and lots of poetry. BtVS Post-Season 7; Angel AU Season 5. All's well that ends well.
Science Fiction - I count time travel stories as sci-fi
Someday by Sunalso [NC-17]
AU. The world is broken, but Buffy is given seven days to make it better. Does saving humanity mean letting go of the one thing she wants, or grabbing on to it with both hands?
2022 New Release
One Step Away by violettathepiratequeen [PG]
Spike knows the way she dances. Not even Faith in Buffy's body can fool him.
The First Fic in a Series
Tutor by Holly [NC-17]
Buffy has a certain set of skills: staking vampires, slaying demons, preventing the apocalypse, and chasing off men after a single night. That last thing could stand being crossed off her list. Fortunately, she knows just the man—err, vamp—to help.
Prettiest banner
Holding On to You by MaggieLaFey [NC-17]
Spike is a non-ghost in Angel’s not-so-shiny new law firm, haunted by a terrifying hell. But in his pocket, he has the note Buffy left him in the stranger’s house in Sunnydale, the one from the best night of his life. Will her words be too little, or will they help him hold on to what they’d had those last nights?
An Inspirational Story
The Girl Who Courted Death by OffYourBird [NC-17]
Due to a misfortune of genetics, Buffy is never Called as a Slayer. Instead, she grows up in L.A. with a different set of challenges and trials, unaware of the supernatural world. That is, until a chance encounter with the Slayer of Slayers changes her life—and everything afterward—forever.
#Buffy The Vampire Slayer#btvs#spuffy#ficrec#reading challenges#bramcrackerswrites#tvylrswift#sunalsolove#touchstoneaf#dustyfics#tales-of-stories
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) Whedon's Version
Part 1/3: Changes to the Script and Story
When discussing BtVS, many people often focus solely on the show without considering what the additional media has to offer. There are comics, accompanying novels, and even a prequel film that many people forget about. Indeed, the world’s first introduction to Buffy happened in 1992 with the movie starring Kristen Swanson, and that is where I want to start.
Joss Whedon claims that the character of Buffy Summers had been with him for a long time, but when he sold his script to Sandollar in 1991, he was not pleased with the results. Whether it was Fran Rubel Kuzui as director, the 20th Century Fox executives, the actors changing their lines, or whatever else that made the changes, the original script and the film we can watch now are not quite the same. Here, I will highlight some critical changes that change how we interpret the film.
First, the film made various changes to the script’s dialogue, which impacted jokes, foreshadowing, and misogynistic conversations. Thankfully, in the audience’s first introduction to Buffy, the film preserves Whedon’s dialogue. Buffy’s Valley Girl persona is alive and well, and we see her as the popular, air-headed, hilarious, and beautiful character all fans love. The dialogue in this scene is beautifully Whedon: full of quick-witted and fast-paced jokes and slang. Although I can’t say that I support Whedon in any way, I have to say that dialogue is one of his greatest strengths. That is why it is so disappointing when, shortly after, Buffy makes an unimpressive joke about doing her homework. In the script, Buffy says to Cassandra, “there’s a lot cooler things that you could be doing than your homework,” to which Cassandra asks, “like what,” and Buffy replies, “like my homework.” In the movie, as they are making plans, Buffy instead says, “I don’t know, guys. I really wanna get a head start on my homework,” which her friends laugh at. Despite this being a minute change to the script, it is disappointing to see alterations that waste Whedon’s writing and replace it with a subpar joke.
A more meaningful dialogue change appears when Buffy and her friends first run into Pike and Benny in the movie theatre. After Benny shushes the chatting group of girls, Buffy predicts the plot so he doesn’t have to follow as closely: “everyone gets horribly killed except the blonde girl in the nightie, who finally kills the monster with a machete but it’s not really dead.” It’s a simple plot summary of several popular horror films, but what is telling here is what it says about Buffy and the Buffyverse. Firstly, this explanation loosely foreshadows the rest of the movie by portraying what will happen at the dance: many students are horribly killed except the blonde girl in a white dress, who finally kills Lothos and Amilyn, but Lothos lamely covering his face and Amilyn’s overly dramatic flailing around the basement after Buffy stakes them indicate they might not be dead—although this may be due to the fans of the series expecting them to dust, and he does dust in the script, so it was probably due to the film’s low budget since the dusting effect was surprisingly pricey. Secondly, this knowing explanation displays Buffy’s intelligence. She may not be classically book-smart, but Buffy’s intelligence concerning pop culture and social situations gives her the upper hand throughout the film, show, and comics. This intelligence leads to my third point: Buffy exemplifies many contradictory horror tropes. Whedon founded the character of Buffy on the subversion of the trope of the blonde girl walking into the alley and getting attacked. In his version, the girl is who wins. Alongside this trope, this film also plays with those of the ‘final girl’ and ‘promiscuous blonde girl who gets killed off first.’ Whedon also plays with these tropes in his horror satire film Cabin in the Woods(2012), which is a trope lover’s delight, but he only uses the tropes there rather than subverting them. Only in the Buffyverse do we see the intersection of these two tropes: the promiscuous (and yes, film Buffy is promiscuous) blonde girl evolving into the final girl, becoming the one to outsmart the bad guys, not despite her initial airheadedness, but because of it, using her social skills and catty attitude to save the day. At first glance, this is a simple line, but it holds layers of meaning, and it is too bad that the film omits it.
Before moving on from dialogue, I want to touch on a few instances of misogynistic language and actions in the script and film. In the scene where Buffy kisses her boyfriend in his car by laying across his friend’s lap with her butt in his face, the friend calls the boyfriend a ‘pushover’ for spending time with her and asks to ‘borrow’ Buffy. In the script, the friend calls him ‘pussy-whipped,’ and Buffy remains silent after this comment, but the film changes this term, and Buffy displays more agency as she voices her discontent at this comment. The scene remains uncomfortable and gross, but the changes make it slightly easier to digest. An exchange from the script that the film thankfully omitted appears a little later when Buffy runs into her absentee mother in the kitchen, who asks her, “have you gained a few pounds? maybe it’s that outfit,” before asking what her boyfriend will think about it. This type of exchange is not atypical for the 90s, but I am still glad they decided to take it out. Finally, near the end of the film, a piece of dialogue I believe they should have removed is when Buffy steals a man’s motorcycle after he hits on her, to which he responds by calling her a ‘dyke.’ This homophobia is prevalent in 90s movies—take a look at Bring It On (1999) to see a horrific example—but it is still disappointing to see that Whedon wrote this line, especially considering the empowering lesbian characters he would later write.
As much as these changes to the dialogue can impact our understanding of the film, the plot is also significantly changed, and even the script’s first scene is completely absent from the film. Perhaps the first rule of any form of storytelling is that a successful story shows rather than tells. Yet, the film decides to tell us. Whedon’s script opens with a historical twist on the ‘blonde girl walks into a dark alleyway, gets attacked, wins’ horror genre subversion as a ‘dark ages’ barmaid saves a knight from a vampire before a group of vampires, including Lothos, kills her, and a watcher explains the slayer line to the next chosen one. The film, instead, skips this first scene and delivers the exposition by voiceover, which is not an inherently negative way to contextualize, but the hook—and the entire idea of slayers—is lost in these opening moments. Fans watching the film today are likely familiar with the concept of slayers and how it all works, but this context is bland and forgettable for those who may not be familiar with Whedon's world-building.
The most notable alteration to Whedon’s script appears in Buffy’s first meeting with Lothos and Merrick’s death. If you are a fan of the series, you would know that Merrick’s death greatly impacted Buffy and is a primary reason she claims to be ‘retired’ in the first episode: because she lost him and blames herself for it. Interestingly, Whedon’s version of this scene in the script is more fast-paced and nearly emotionless. In fact, in Whedon’s version, Merrick brings a gun to confront Lothos while Buffy hides in the shadows, and just as Lothos is about to attack Merrick, Merrick shoots himself in the head and dies instantly. The script skims over this formative experience for Buffy while the film depicts a tender moment and explains why Buffy blames herself. In the film, Merrick is the one hiding in the shadows as Lothos hypnotizes Buffy, and as Lothos is about to bite her, Merrick rushes out with a knife, which Lothos quickly turns on Merrick and stabs him in the chest. Buffy then cradles Merrick as he dies, and he tells her, “remember about the music. Listen. When the music stops, the rest is…” before trailing off and passing away. I will feature the use of guns in the Buffyverse and Donald Sutherland’s changes to his dialogue in future posts, but this line is vital to the plot yet absent from the script. In the film, Merrick’s last words allow Buffy to tune out Lothos’ voice and focus on the silence to resist being hypnotized, ultimately allowing her to beat him, but it is entirely absent from the script. I cannot say why the film added this line of dialogue, but I believe the touching final moment that Merrick and Buffy share is an incredible addition that humanizes the characters and solidifies Merrick as an essential influence in Buffy’s life.
There are a lot of differences between the script and the final film, ranging from alterations to dialogue to changes in setting, all the way to reconstructing plot points. The script was Whedon’s making, but ultimately, he lost control over the final project once he sold it; thus, is it his? Is the film canonical? How does it fit with the series? I am glad they made some of these changes while disappointed with others, but in the end, however you feel about this film as part of the Buffyverse, it is an incredibly entertaining piece of 90s media that I would recommend to Buffy fans and non-fans alike.
That’s that for this Sunnydale study session!
Liz
#buffythevampireslayer#buffy#buffy the vampire slayer#buffy summers#buffyverse#btvs#buffy movie#buffystudies
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