Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Plot synopsis:
High school senior Buffy Summers (Kristy Swanson) is introduced as a stereotypical, shallow cheerleader at Hemery High School in Los Angeles. She is a carefree popular girl whose main concerns are shopping and spending time with her rich, snooty friends and her boyfriend, Jeffrey. While at school one day, she is approached by a man who calls himself Merrick (Donald Sutherland). He 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 rebukes his claims, but is convinced that he is right when he is able to describe a recurring dream of hers in detail. In addition, Buffy is exhibiting uncanny abilities not known to her, including heightened agility, senses, and endurance, yet she repeatedly tries Merrick's patience with her frivolous nature, indifference to slaying and sharp-tongued remarks.
After several successful outings, Buffy is drawn into conflict with Lothos (Rutger Hauer), a local vampire king and his acolyte, Amilyn (Paul Reubens). Two young men, Oliver Pike (Luke Perry), and best friend Benny (David Arquette), who resented Buffy and her friends due to differing social circles, are out drinking when they are attacked by Amilyn. Benny is turned but Pike is saved by Merrick. As a vampire, Benny visits Pike and tries to get him to join him. Later, when Pike and his boss are discussing Benny, Pike tells him to run if he sees him. Not only this, but a studious girl from Buffy's class, Cassandra, is abducted one night by Amilyn and sacrificed to Lothos. When her body is found, the news spreads through LA and Hemery High, but her murder is met with indifference from Buffy's clique.
When Pike realizes there is something wrong with Benny and that he is no longer safe, he decides to leave town. His plan is thwarted, however, when he encounters Amilyn and his tribe of vampires. Amilyn hitches a ride on the hood of his van which crashes into a tree just before Amilyn loses an arm. Buffy and Merrick arrive to rescue him and Amilyn flees the fight to talk to Lothos. After this encounter, Buffy and Pike start a friendship, which eventually becomes romantic and Pike becomes Buffy's partner in fighting the undead.
During a basketball game, Buffy finds out that one of the players, and a friend of Jeffrey's, is a vampire. After a quick chase to a parade float storage yard, Buffy finally confronts Lothos, shortly after she and Pike take down his gang. Lothos puts Buffy in a hypnotic trance, which is broken due to Merrick's intervention. Lothos turns on Merrick and stab him with the stake he attempted to use on him. Lothos leaves, saying that Buffy is not ready. As Merrick dies, he tells Buffy to do things her own way rather than live by the rules of others and he says "remember about the music." Because of her new life, responsibilities, and heartbreak, Buffy becomes emotionally shocked and starts dropping her Slayer duties. When she arrives at school, she attempts to explain everything to her friends, but they refuse to understand her as they are more concerned with their upcoming school dance, and Buffy falls out with them as she realizes she is outgrowing their immature, selfish behavior.
At the senior dance, Buffy tries to patch things up with her friends but they turn against her, and she is dismayed to find Jeffrey has dumped her for one of her friends. However, she meets up with Pike and as they start to dance and kiss, Lothos leads the remainder of his minions to the school and attacks the students and the attending faculty. Buffy confronts the vampires outside while Pike fights the vampiric Benny. After overpowering the vampires, she confronts Lothos inside the school and kills Amilyn. Lothos hypnotizes Buffy again and when the dance music stops, she remembers Merrick's words and is ready to defend herself. Lothos ignites her cross but she uses hairspray to create a makeshift flame-thrower and burns him before escaping back into the gym. Buffy sees everybody recover from the attack, but Lothos emerges again getting into a fight with Buffy, who then stakes him.
As all of the survivors leave, Buffy and Pike decide to finish their dance. The film then ends with the two of them leaving the dance on a motorcycle, and a news crew interviewing the students and the principal about the attack during the credits.

Tags: comedy, revenge, cult, satire, murder

Review:
When I began watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer the TV series, and saw Joss Whedon's true vision for the story, I realize he must have been furious at how the studio basically rewrote his script.
Joss Whedon writing, Donald Sutherland, Rutger Hauer, Paul Reubens (playing the dark side of Pee-Wee Herman), then teen-idol Luke Perry (doing an impressive James Dean, or does he always act that way), Hilary Swank, Thomas Jane, and some very special acting from David Arquette, and I believe it is Sasha Jensen, who played newbie vampires either euphorically, or invincibly ~ both being reasonable positions when you discover you now have unbelievable powers.
Scenes that I will never forget simply because they could never happen in real life (thinking especially of "Benny").Lastly, Kristy Swanson, definitely in fine athletic form, with some of her own cart-wheels and a clear transformation from valley-girl into someone who suddenly sees the big picture..
Acting brainless is a little social camouflage so she fits in with her airhead friends.It's fun to watch everyone playing it way over the top: Rutger Hauer is the perfect creepy head vampire, Paul Reubens seems to relish his role as the main vampire henchman, and Donald Sutherland delivers yet another quirky performance in a career full of quirky performances.Oh, and watch for a fairly obvious continuity error about, maybe, halfway through..
Watch the coach at the basketball game for similar humour, and there is an unforgettable vampire staking towards the movie end that's very amusing.The movie looks like it was shot on a shoe-string budget (adding to the camp tongue-in-cheek parody feel) and has none of the production values we'd see Whedon employ later on.
I really enjoyed Buffy, especially since I am not a big horror fan and this movie lightened the scare with humor!
Because I happen to like this movie as a bit of fun popcorn fluff, but reading the posts and other reviews you'd think some people were expecting a vampire genred "Citizen Kane".
We've got some marquis players in the thing starting with Donald Sutherland as the world weary trainer, Rutger Hauer as the upper crusted monster from Slovak nobility, to TV's then very popular Luke Perry, the guy who plays a little role reversal with Kristy Swanson's character.It's essentially boy meets girl meets vampires kind of film.
He, Merrick, and Buffy team together to fight the forces of darkness and one armless Pee Wee Herman.This is just a fun movie.
Hilary Swank is fun to see in a pre-"Boys Don't Cry" role, and it's also great to catch stars like David Arquette and Ben Affleck (don't blink, you'll miss him) before they struck it big.8/10, but don't expect it to be absolute genius..
But when she finds herself responsible with the taking down bloodsucking demons from hell under the eye of a newfound guardian (Donald Sutherland), her extracurricular activities take a serious hit.Something of a cult film today, and the launching pad for a series of actors (including lead Kristy Swanson, and co-stars Hilary Swank and David Arquette)—as well as birthing the wildly popular series—"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is a heady brew of teen comedy and vampire splatter-lite.
The presence of Paul Reubens and Donald Sutherland lend the film more credibility than it probably deserves, although Sutherland does feel somewhat out of place here; regardless, you can't knock a film for having Donald Sutherland as a part of its cast.All in all, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is a fun and energetic offering of late eighties teen comedy with a splash of vampire blood and some fantastic one-liners; it's a ridiculous, alternate world fantasy, but a fun one at that.
Little did I know when I watched it back in 1992 that it would spawn a TV series five years later.Kristy Swanson did a great job as Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
This is of course the original film that sees Buffy turn from high-school cheerleader into slayer.
I have not been a big fan of the 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer' TV series, for reasons that I am not sure why.
But that series has to thank for its success, to the 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer' movie, made back in 1992.
Being both a good comedy and teen movie, this is a film that any young person can enjoy.Blonde, bouncy Buffy is your typical high school cheerleader - her goal is to 'marry Christian Slater and die' and nothing gets in her way when it is time to shop.
Buffy (Kristy Swanson) was a great choice as the lead character of the movie.
I really liked the way that both Buffy and Pike suited each other, as you wanted them to get together.The vampires in this film, while not being really gory like other vampire movies I have seen, they were still great value and very effective in the make-up of this film's story.
In fact there was an amusing scene involving Grueller in a basketball match, who at one stage is up against an opponent, namely Hollywood star, a very young Ben Affleck.This movie, while showing vampires in a very different kind of light, did a great job in making them look like vampires should.
The main reason I wanted to re-watch this film and even review it, was because I saw a TV special that was looking back on why this movie failed at the box office, but continues to succeed on the video store shelves today.
I am just glad that I was not one of those people.CMRS gives 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer - The movie': 4 (Very Good Film).
Swanson is Buffy (who looks and acts like she's starring in 'Clueless'), who is chosen to kill off the vampires ruled by uber-vampire Hauer.
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1992)- A mildly entertaining and campy bit of fun, though it is far too uneven and pales in comparison to the now-classic television adaptation..
But it's far too uneven for its own good and ends up an entertaining but incredibly mediocre experience.Buffy Summers (Kristy Swanson) is your typical snarky, privileged Los Angeles valley-girl high-school cheerleader.
And then check out the film if you're interested in seeing the character done in a completely different manner.I give the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" movie a middle-of-the-road 5 out of 10..
It's almost hard to believe such a wonderful and brilliant TV series was borne from this disappointing movie.Joss has spoken out, saying his script was butchered, but nonetheless I can see trademark Joss written-dialogue throughout the film.The vampires are bordering upon silly though, rather than scary.
Kristy Swanson plays Buffy well, I think, and it was good seeing other familiar faces such as David Arquette, Hilary Swank and Donald Southerland (great actor, but disappointing in his role as Merrick).A film only for those fans of the Buffy television series who are curious to see how it all started..
If not for Josh Whedon, we would be without many great years of Sarah Michelle Gellar kicking vampire butt.Might be one of David Arquettes best performances, though that isn't saying much.
I first watched it when I was twelve and found that the humour and the storyline however far fetched, doesn't get stale (as you would expect it being ten years old and watched by us about 100 times) I would recommend watching this movie to anyone who wants a good laugh..
"Blonde, bouncy Buffy (Kristy Swanson) is your typical high school cheerleader - her goal is to 'marry Christian Slater and die' and nothing gets in her way when it's time to shop.
It's also fun to Ricki Lake waiting tables, Ben Affleck (#10) on the basketball court, and confirm Hilary Swank had those lips from the start.****** Buffy the Vampire Slayer (7/31/92) Fran Rubel Kuzui ~ Kristy Swanson, Luke Perry, Donald Sutherland, Paul Reubens.
How this mess turned into the great Tv series I do not know, but I congratulate Joss Whedon for the feat (I suspect he didn't have much to do with the movie).Oh and it's got David Arquette in it.
Can tell that most of the people seem to have been Buffy series fans and then checked out the movie and disliked it.This movie is excellent, funny intelligent and a good laugh.
This movie is one of my all time favorites; especially with the great acting from Donald Sutherland and Paul Rubens (better known as Peewee Herman...)  So if you like hilarious parodies, like Young Frankenstein, Pootie Tang, This is Spinal Tap, and/or Wet, Hot American Summer, you'll love this.
I found this movie to be much better than the series and watch it anytime it comes on television and know most of the lines.
The movie should be fun for fans of the tv series...because you get to see the idea being born...to me it has everything the series does...it's a bit rough but it's a good laugh and goes great with popcorn.
Think about all he's accomplished since this movie, then the TV series which is both like and unlike, good and bad version of this movie's concept as with a title character named Buffy as the Vampire Slayer.
Kristy Swanson stars as Buffy, a carefree high school cheerleader leading the valley girl lifestyle who must put down her pom-poms and pick up a stake in order to fulfil her birthright as a slayer of the undead.Buffy The Vampire Slayer was a hugely popular TV show in the '90s, but this earlier big-screen bash at bringing Buffy to life is nowhere near as slick or as satisfying as the series.Part of the problem was apparently due to the fact that Joss Whedon's original script was re-written against his wishes, rendering certain scenes incomprehensible, but much of the blame must go to director Fran Rubel Kuzui, whose dull direction makes the film rather bland when it should be a whole lot of fun.
She is certainly no worse than Donald Sutherland as her mentor Merrick, and Rutger Hauer as head vamp Lothos, both of whom are capable of much better.Perhaps the most fun that can be had with the film is in spotting the familiar faces amongst the supporting cast: David Arquette (Scream) hams it up as slacker turned bloodsucker Benny, future Oscar winner Hilary Swank plays vacuous high schooler Kimberly, Paul 'Pee Wee Herman' Reubens is Lothos' right-hand vamp Amilyn, and both Ben Affleck and Ricki Lake have blink and you'll miss them cameos..
It is quite difficult to approach the 1992 film version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which predates the acclaimed TV series, with an open mind when even writer Joss Whedon has publicly disowned the big screen rendition of his most famous creation: as anyone familiar with Buffy lore knows, Whedon's original script was heavily modified in an attempt to make the movie "lighter" and more fun, which led to him leaving the set and resetting his vision for a different format.
After seeing the film, however, it is undeniable Whedon had a point: although he is the sole credited writer, the Buffy movie is clearly a patchwork of ideas that just don't add up in the end.After a quick introduction to the Slayer mythology, the proper "action" begins: meet Buffy (Kristy Swanson), a classic shallow L.A. girl who spends her days being a cheerleader, shopping with her friends (including Hilary Swank in her film debut) and flirting with hunky football players.
Buffy dismisses all the information as nonsense, only to realize Merrick might be into something when a group of bloodsuckers, led by one Lothos (Rutger Hauer), decide to feast on the locals.To be perfectly honest, the movie isn't all bad at first (minus the introduction segment, which looks like it was taken from a cheesy adult film): any complaints about Buffy being a stupid girl are off the mark, since she is meant to be like that in the early stages of the story, and Sutherland adds some gravitas to an otherwise thankless role.
Then, once the villains appear, the tonal confusion becomes all too obvious: the scary moments play out as if the film was a spoof of horror movies, whilst the comedy looks like a poor man's version of John Hughes' body of work.
In fact, the plot sort of vanishes after 20 minutes or so, leaving room for a succession of poorly planned, shoddily executed set-ups.The uneven tone shows up in the performances as well: Sutherland and Luke Perry (clearly using his Beverly Hills 90210 image for the role of Buffy's sidekick Pike) take the assignment very seriously, although both are occasionally burdened with terrible lines (again, not likely to be coming from Whedon).
Swanson sort of overplays the stupid side of the character, but manages to walk away rather unharmed (besides, comparisons with Sarah Michelle Gellar are a tad unfair, since the TV Buffy is a totally different person), whereas Hauer (assisted by Paul Reubens) relies too much on the villainous persona established in Blade Runner and The Hitcher to bother injecting some real life (ironic, given he's playing a walking corpse) into a toothless part (pun intended).With hindsight, it's easy to say 20th Century Fox and director Fran Rubel Kuzui (who later redeemed himself by producing the superior TV series) were wrong to think Whedon's original, darker take wouldn't have translated well on the screen.
What else can you say about a film that includes vampires as its main threat and yet forgets to include a reaction of some sort from its hero Buffy, played by Kristy Swanson?
It's true to say that when Buffy is first made aware of vampires' existence, the camera cuts to a shot of one of her few expressions and the face remains emotionless.But before all that, the film has its gang of teenage American girls (one of which is played by Hilary Swank) going to malls and talking about boys and all that other stuff you'd expect from the stereotype.
Here we view the origin of the legend; a cool early show of Whedon's talent, a sneak peak into Buffy's past and a fantastic blast from the past of uber-kitsch - and you've got a fun night in for anyone.Worth a watch for the average viewer, and definitely a must-see movie for Buffy fans..
After having immensely enjoyed the seven seasons of the TV series, I still find myself watching this film and appreciating it even though it did not end up the way the creator, Joss Whedon, originally envisioned.
I have read what looks to be the original script(found on the internet movie script database) and the ending is pretty much like how it happened in the film.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer lacks all the serious elements of the later television-series, but in its cheeziness is an incredibly fun movie to watch.
On the other hand, it's easy to see where the simple approach of the series originated.As an action-comedy Buffy is an okay film..
Kristy Swanson gives Buffy a great change from a airy, flighty Cheerleader to an airy, flighty Vampire Slayer.
Hillary Swank has an early career role as a friend of Buffy, and Ben Affleck has a two second moment as a basketball player.The movie plays with the themes of high school life and growing up.
I own the Buffy The Vampire Slayer theatrical movie on DVD and it's definitely a cute and entertaining movie but the TV series is definitely a lot better!
Kristy Swanson is good in this movie but I prefer Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers in the series and I prefer the series's darker story plots and the dialog is a lot more intelligent!
The movie is enjoyable but it's a little too cutesy and what I have heard people referring as Buffy Lite and I think that is a good way to describe this movie compared to the darker elements of the series!.
Now some eleven years later looking back, having an M.A. in English with a thesis containing a large section devoted to vampires, I don't have that same adolescent preoccupation with Swanson, but I do still defend my position that this movie is a lot deeper than the initial surface look.I did try to watch the series that it spawned, but--and I know I will anger some close friends, including the director of my blessed Master's thesis, in saying this--it just doesn't compare to the original movie.
I rank Buffy the Vampire Slayer the Movie in my top 20 best.
He then was able to make a show, which is completely different from a movie, and with more time and money, he was able to casts people more suited for their roles, write a better story more suited for a series, and it looked better.
I watched this film because I'm a huge vampire fan going all the way back to F.
I've always watched Buffy, the Vampire Slayer series, and then I once watched the old movie.
What the previous reviewer apparently missed is that this hilarious film came out 5 years before the series (based ON this movie) appeared.
If you've never seen this film, and you watch it with the desire to see a serious vampire movie (especially comparing it to the current series) then you're likely going to be disappointed.
The original Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie was not quite what the great Joss intended to create.
The movie is a take on the "valley girl" lifestyle of the 80's-early 90's (yes, like Clueless), Kristy Swanson suits the role to a T, and the appearance by Pee-Wee Herman is a blast.
It's even fun to go back to the Buffy film now, after Ben Affleck and Hilary Swank have become such celebs.Just remember: this is not the TV series.
No vampire in the Buffy series dies as good a death as Paul Reubens in Buffy the film.
"I usually enjoy lameness, but this is leaving me kind of cold.") -- Daniel "Oz" Osborne ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer", the television series: "Earshot")I watched the original movie on cable.