Re-Watched this classic cult film the other night and it made me think. 25 Years later and its still a fun, campy and even at times bad ass movie that is very underrated. Some of the names in the movie went on to huge successes (Three Of Them Are In The Batman Universe) and one of them makes me have a theory of her being an idea to a certain #PowerRanger.
Throughout most films, you never see the guy being the damsel in distress and the woman being the big time hero. Buffy was a unique character of the time and the very different twist of a Valley Girl becoming a #VampireSlayer. I watched this as a young kid in the 90's and now that i'm older, I can see the weird traits of #Comedy and #Horror mixed together and the wacky characters that didn't have the greatest following but having a fondness of seeing the other side of the Vampire Genre. Many kids today think of Vampires from mostly hit films like Twighlight and others but back in 80's and 90's, the make-up and the violent side of the Undead was more awesome to watch and made you believe those what Vampires could really be like; frighting, scary, nightmarish & best of all, a killer instinct.
Some of the names in the film went onto massive successes and some never went beyond a high level acting career.
Kristy Swanson was the original Buffy and started her career out in the mid 80's with a little film called Pretty In Pink with her character being Duckette to Jon Cryer's Duckie. She wasn't any huge star before or after Buffy but she did do some ok work with her second big film Flowers In The Attic, the Drama that gave her recognition but yet never went past that. When she did Buffy, she become more of an actor that got a Cult Following. The only other "Superhero" type film was being cast in the negatively viewed movie The Phantom with stars Billy Zane & Catherine Zeta Jones Douglas. That film most likely ruined her career and was casted in smaller type roles but never got that big following from Buffy
Paul Reubens' character in the film was the lapdog to Rutger Hauer's Lothos character. We all know him as Pee-Wee Herman and to this day is one of the most Iconic Characters in both film and TV. This was a very different role for him and never played that type of character again. Safe to say it wasn't his best time in the spotlight, after all during filming or during the previous year he was arrested for having a bit too much fun at an adult movie theater. He's one of three people in this film that had a role in the Batman Universe being the father of Oswald Cobblepot (Penquin) in both the film Batman Returns & the TV Show #Gotham. His famous scene in the film was towards the end as Buffy stabs him with a Stake and he humorously dies making a dramatically over the top death that was so campy it needs to be seen.
Rutger Hauer is a legend in the movie business that landed the big role as the antagonist to Harrison Ford's character in Blade Runner. His Buffy character is Lothos, the Vampire King. Killing slayers for centuries and shedding blood while playing his favorite Violin. It wasn't a great role for him and was pretty bad but in the end, the character was a vampire you wanted to die and not only does he die in the film but does so in a very campy fashion and doesn't shut up until our hero kicks a stake into him. Another member of the Batman Universe playing a small role as a head Wayne Enterprises chairman in Batman Begins.
90210's favorite Bad Boy got his first big film role in Buffy playing the Rebel Pike and the hero's Damsel In Distress. Perry never really went anywhere since being on the Teen Show 90210 and only played B-Movie type roles. Did a few shows here and there but never made it huge. In this role, he played the typical bad boy but had a soft spot for a lot of young women at the time and went head over heels for Buffy's character after a couple of encounters that had the two of them being humorously nasty to each other. His best friend in the film was David Arquette.
I know what you're thinking...."why is Kimberly (Amy Jo Johnson) in this article and what does she have anything to do with Buffy." Glad you asked because if you look at the comparison between Hilary Swank's character in Buffy and A-Jo in the original Power Rangers TV Show, there's nearly a striking comparison. Hilary Swank who went onto becoming a Oscar Winner for films Boys Don't Cry & Million Dollar Baby played the character of Kimberly, Buffy's High School friend and total Valley Girl. The funny thing is about this comparison is....
1. Both characters are named Kimberly
2. Both have Valley Girl Qualities
3. Buffy came out the same time the original Mighty Morphin Power Ranger was shooting production.
So when you think about it, the head guys at Saban wanted a female character that had the qualities of an athletic Valley Girl and had looked into how the character should be depicted. My theory; they picked the look of Hilary Swank's character in Buffy and mixed it with the athleticism and martial arts-esque action of Buffy herself. It's a bit of a stretch I know but think about it; many characters are taken and molded into other characters that bring a greater form of a movie or show's story. My girl the other night literally thought Hilary Swank was Amy Jo Johnson because of the comparison. They wore practically the same clothes, same hairstyle and same voice. Thought about it for a moment and it was a scary observation.
Yep, one of #Batfleck's early roles was a small role as the opposing school's Basketball player in Buffy. He had only one line and it was in a scene where one of the boys from Buffy's school is seen as a Vampire playing ball on the court and taken down by Buffy. Affleck has come a long way from that one-line role; Oscar winner, A-list movie star and DCEU's newest #Batman. Its really scary seeing someone of that caliber starting out in films such as this and he alone in this film was the most successful out of everyone in that entire Cast.
This was my first film that introduced me to Vampires and it brought me to other films such as Lost Boys, Blade 1-3 and other films of the Genre. Just started watching the show recently for the first time and so far I like it (yes i'm 15-20 years behind). It's quite a story as the add on with Sarah Michelle Gellar as the title hero and it's fun to watch a classic 90's show since most shows these days are no where near up to par as the great 90's shows. A movie that would now be considered a classic and "old" movie to many kids and teens today aught to be watched again to get an idea of what films were like back in that time when CGI was in it's infancy and many movies especially horror had special effects and costumes designed by hand and needed to work for the film's story.
Overall as a film it was a mere 4 out of 10 at best and that's a compliment but it is a film that would be fun to watch every once in a blue moon and have a little laugh while seeing some good action and campy lines...Here a few to end this article...
"You ruined my new jacket. Kill him a lot."
"That is your defense. PALEESE."
"We're immortal Buffy, we can do anything."- "Oh yeah, clap."
"All I want to do is graduate high school, go to Europe, marry Christian Slater and die."