BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER @ 30

Heatherish cheerleader Buffy Summers finds her alpha life ruptured by the news that she has been chosen as the Slayer, an occult figure whose status is passed down through generations to defeat vampires. Trying to balance the two lives proves virtually impossible when the vampires begin to appear in epidemic proportions. High School just got tough for the girl at the top.

I was a fan of the influential tv series without having seen the original feature film that gave it birth. I think it must have been the differences in the cast and the closure of the movie that kept me from it. While I don't think I missed out by keeping to the series this first feature screenplay by showrunner Joss Whedon bears his seal. The dialogue is snappy and filtered through adolescent invention. The monsters say things that are now fearsome now cute. The theme of the difficulties of adolescence reigns.

But then, Whedon didn't direct this as he did so much of the series and the series had time to develop its own modus. If you know the show you'll think of the more grounded social setup with a cast of characters with long arcs and, eventually, a seasonal adversary called, even in the show's dialogue, the big bad. The 1992 film feels post-Heathers in a way that the show didn't have to and newcomers who are fans of the tv show should flex some caution with the movie as it will feel more like the product of an assembly line than the long form entity that adopted more depth than a teen drama might be expected to.

But that's not for lack of cast power. Kirsty Swanson brings a fiery energy to Buffy which is strengthened by a strongly physical performance. Donald Sutherland keeps his gravitas close to his chest and his restraint is a boon. Early appearances by David Arquette, Hilary Swank and Luke Perry also impress. Director Fran Rubel Kuzui clearly marshals her cast into an effective ensemble and shows a deft hand at complex action.

This thoroughly enjoyable film is never likely to emerge from its later incarnation as there is too much weight from that to allow it through. I'm enabling that very effect myself as I write this. I'm thinking of it as an afterthought but that's only because I saw the show first. I have never revisited the series after it ended in the 2000s, considering it as sewn and finished as any long form piece (see also, The Sopranos or Breaking Bad) so I haven't nurtured any link with the rest of its fanbase and cannot say if others feel the same conflict about the original film. What do people who started on the tv versions of Heathers or Scream make of the original features? Both of those were game changing milestones. The 1992 Buffy could not do this without being thought of as a kind of love child of Heathers and The Lost Boys. It does nothing but fulfil its promise but now is shunted to the status of a discoverable treat rather than a minor classic of the '90s.

Have a look, if you can find it, you'll e glad you did.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) is currently streaming on Disney +