My Buffy Movie Page In a New Home

As I am getting older, I am making some changes.
I've looked at my Yahoo home page, and whether I still need it. Since I have two blogs, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and Tumblr, my homepage is no longer the source of news it used to be. It used to be an update for Whedon shows, and a weekly episode guide, too. However, I could only save my Dollhouse episode guide through this site and Whedonopolis. I really wish I could have saved some of my episode reviews from Buffy and Angel. I never did review Firefly or Serenity, although I did comment on special events. 

So, I will have a new website through Wix that will be the new home for my memorial of The Bronze, and the day Angel was cancelled by the WB. It'll also be the home for some of my favorite cons, including the Flanvention, Wolfram and Hart Revue, Browncoat Ball and other events. 

I still need a home for my original page talking about the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie from 1992, and my dreams of it being riffed on by this guy and his two robots. Since Rifftrax has targeted Super Mario Brothers and Psycho II, plus both Doctor Who movies with Peter Cushing, there's always a chance. 

So, this is what I said about the original Buffy, with some updated comments:

Since the dawn of Man, the vampires have walked among us...killing...feeding.
The only one with the strength and skill to stop their henious evil is the Slayer.

She who wears the birthmark, the Mark of the Coven.

Trained by the Watcher, one Slayer dies, and the next is Chosen

It's very difficult to turn a good movie into a good TV show (MASH, Dr. Kildare, The Odd Couple, and not much else) or even a good TV show into a good movie (The Fugitive, MST 3000, The X-Files...maybe, South Park)

But turning a bad movie into a great TV show? Our Slayer may be the only character who has done that successfully...but it may have cost her respect and recognition that she so richly deserves.
The movie may be the reason why. Maybe it was a good idea that just wasn't executed as well as it should have.
Several actresses were up for the part, including Drew Barrymore, Allysa Milano and Alicia Silverstone (who was too young).
It was supposed to make Kristy Swanson, who played Buffy, a star. It was supposed to be Luke Perry's breakout role after several years as the male lead in Beverly Hills, 90210.Somehow, it didn't turn out that way.
On the other hand, it did have a well-known actor (Donald Sutherland as Merrick, the Watcher), two future Oscar winners (Hillary Swank and Ben Affleck), and a comeback role for Paul Reubens, alias Pee-Wee Herman..who was coming off a sex scandal that destroyed his career as a kids' TV host.
Not only that, it had David Arquette, who went on to fame in the Scream movies and telephone commercials, and wound up marrying Courtney Cox (and was a pro wrestling champion for a while).

The movie wasn't the sleeper hit 20th Century Fox had hoped. The major newsmagazines panned it. Time blamed the director for not having confidence in the script, while Newsweek blamed the script for not being able to merge the scary and funny bits as well as (and I swear to God this is true) Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.

But the director, Fran Rubel Kazui, says the movie just wasn't marketed well, and didn't find its audience until it was released on video. The budget was seven million, but earned nearly 16 point seven million in the theaters. However, some criticized her for her hands-off style of directing. Joss Whedon, who wrote the movie, even admitted the movie didn't meet his vision. He talked about it in an interview with The Onion ...

I had major involvement. I was there almost all the way through shooting. I pretty much eventually threw up my hands because I could not be around Donald Sutherland any longer. It didn't turn out to be the movie that I had written. They never do, but that was my first lesson in that. Not that the movie is without merit, but I just watched a lot of stupid wannabe-star behavior and a director with a different vision than mine--which was her right, it was her movie--but it was still frustrating. Eventually, I was like, "I need to be away from here."

Fox executives also wanted the movie to be less funny and more scary, but Kuzui ignored those suggestions. He did have some nice things to say about Paul Reubens as Count Pee Wee, and that Rutger Hauer wasn't as bad in the movie as people thought.  The movie was supposed to end with Buffy setting the gym on fire (probably after she burns Lothos' head). The closest thing to his original script is in the three-part comic series, "Origin". 

There's not much connection between the movie and the TV show. In "Becoming, part one," the first meeting between Buffy and Merrick was MUCH different than in the movie: she met him in the TV show outside her high school, and he didn't look anything like Sutherland (more like Wilford Brimley). In the movie, of course, Merrick meets Buffy at the gym, and tells her about her "birthright." Also, there's no mention of a "Pike" in Buffy's past in the TV show, although there is in a Buffy novel. I suspect that there never really was a Pike, and they just added him for effect.

While the movie didn't make an impression in theaters, at least two of the producers, Gail Berman and Sandy Gallin, decided that Buffy would make a great TV show. If not for that, Buffy the Vampire Slayer would have been nothing more than fodder for Mystery Science Theater 3000 (whose first supervising producer was Gallin!)

In fact, I have this dream that the Satellite of Love lands mysteriously in Los Angeles. Buffy and her Slayerettes investigate, and then are surprised to meet Mike, Servo and Crow. Then, they find this movie about a cheerleader who fights vampires, and Buffy says, "Guys, we have got to riff on this!"
And who could blame them?

There were plans for a Buffy movie for a new generation...and but without Joss Whedon or Sarah Michelle Gellar. (Edited to add: since Joss is busy in the Marvel-verse, and the TV cast has aged some, this may be more likely). More people are wondering why anyone should try. After all, more people look for the TV show, not the movie.
If Fran Kuzui wants to make a new Slayer movie, one word of advice:  any name except Buffy.
That way, if a new Slayer movie is done right, the real thing can show up, and give her blessing, which would also be Joss Whedon's.
For we all know, he is the one true parent of Buffy Anne Summers. 

(Also, the Nerdist website speculated what kind of Buffy movie we'd get if it was made in the 1970's. Actually, the casting's not bad: Cybill Shepherd as Buffy, Peter Cushing as Giles, Kurt Russell as Xander, Susan Dey as Willow, Morgan Fairchild as Darla. Not sure about Leonard Nimoy as the Master, though. This was during a time when he wanted to prove he was more than Spock, but I'm not sure this would be it.)
A blog called The Exploding Kinetoscope did a very detailed essay on the movie. It makes my essay look quite lacking. It compares the original Buffy movie to lots of other movies, and praises Sutherland's performance. Well, I had my angle and this blogger has his. Click here, and see for yourself.
AAAANNNDDD...someone found an article in Movieline that gives a detailed look at the movie, with a lot of emphasis on how this affects Luke Perry's chances to breaking away from his role on 90210. It didn't, but you wonder if it could have if the movie was closer to Joss' original plan, and people decided this was NOT a kid's movie.

Now, after we have had a flood of vampire genre on TV and the movies...for good and bad...could it be time for an all new version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, based on what Whedon really had in mind? If so, he, or Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tanchareon, should be involved somehow. That way, it will be done right.
Besides, wouldn't Emma Roberts look great mowing down the Hellspawn?

And for the record, my new website that's devoted to the many Buffy-related activities I've attended is http://davidmello4.wix.com/impalergeneral. 

Xander is coming to Sacramento

Nick Brendon, “Xander” from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is among the guests at the 2011 Sacramento Sci-Fi Horror Show on Saturday, September 24th at the Scottish Rite Center at 6151 H Street in Sacramento. He’ll be talking to fans and signing autographs as well. Other guests will include Marina Sirtis from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Tickets are 10 dollars, and more information is available at http://www.sachorror.com/

Should Buffy Go Blu, If It's Not The TV Show?

I checked out the latest DVD column from Aint It Cool News, and it mentioned that next week, along with the Star Wars Blu-Ray release that everyone hates, we'll get the blu-ray version of the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Fans of the TV show have been at a fever pitch about when the blu-ray version of the TV show will be available. Some of Joss Whedon's other shows have gone blu, including Firefly, Dollhouse and Dr. Horrible. Even Serenity has a blu-ray release. I have that DVD. So why not Buffy, and Angel for that matter? Is it cost, music royalties, deciding on the artwork for the package? Demand for those shows in blu-ray is quite strong. The decision should be obvious.

Now, making a blu-ray of the original Buffy movie would be a good idea, if you added something the regular DVD doesn't have. I checked the specs for the blu-ray release from the Foxconnect.com site. It's exactly the same as the regular DVD. The cover picture may be different, but that's not enough. This movie is more than just regular filler on a couple of cable channels these days, It's the movie that eventually saved the WB, and led to girl power on TV (and, we guess, Twilight)
Next year is the 20th anniversary of the movie. Why not have a cast reunion? Seeing Kristy Swnason, Luke Perry, Paul Reubens, Hillary Swank and David Arquette discuss the movie would be a hoot. Add cameos from Ben Affleck and Seth Green, and you have something even better. Notice I didn't mention Donald Sutherland, who played Merrick. I'm not sure he'd be part of the cast reunion. If you add Joss, though, that would REALLY be something.

Also, AMC had a TV show called "Backstory", where it talked about how certain movies were made. One of those movies was Buffy. It was how I found out Alicia Silverstone and Katies Holmes almost got the title role. Why not add that episode to the blu-ray?
So, Fox is hoping to get a few more bucks by making a blu-ray DVD of the Buffy movie with no additional extras. That, I think, is a waste of time. If you want a blu-ray, it should be updated compared to the original DVD. It should have more features. Otherwise, getting the regular DVD would be just fine.

So, Fox Home Entertainment, make up for the dull blu-ray version of the Buffy movie and approve the blu-ray version of the Buffy TV show...and Angel, too. After all, Buffy's 15th TV anniversary is coming up. A release date of next March should do it.

What If Buffy Wrote "Last Friday Night?"

Katy Perry was hoping that her latest song, "Last Friday Night" would hit #1 in the Billboard Top 100, and apparently set a new record.
I will admit it's the first time I've willingly bought one of her tunes, thanks to getting hooked on it during Comic-Con. I just thought what if you changed the song about a girl who partied a little too hard into one about a Slayer recovering from another typical night where she clobbered vampires to save mankind, or a significant chunk of it.
I came up with something, but before I do that, I did find a LOT of parodies on YouTube. We have "Because I'm White", a Harry Potter version, and a good one devoted to the rioters in Vancouver after the last game of the Stanley Cup.

Of course, I can't make something like that without willing accomplices. So, I just have the lyrics. It's called "Every Damn Night".
Picture this as Buffy waking up from another world-saving battle. So, sing along to the tune of "Last Friday Night". You, too, Sweet.....

I survived this night of doom
Wooden stakes all over the room
There’s a zombie in my bed,
He’s one of the Sleeping Dead
Werewolves passed out in the lawn
All their fur and pants are gone
Vampires cooked in a BBQ
But no bite marks or a bruise

Videos of my fight
Ended up online
I'm screwed
Oh well
Some publicity
Might be good, maybe
I hope
Blerg!

Every Damn Night
From Twilight to Breaking Dawn
I tell the vampires that it’s on
Though they’ll never will be gone
Every Damn Night
I am called the Chosen One
Have a job that’s never done
But I’m still second to none
Every Damn Night
I went slaying in the park
Killed six vampires in the dark
And they never left a mark
Every Damn Night
I’m a Supernatural Cop
And I know I just can’t stop. Whoa!
Every Damn Night
Do it all again
Every Damn Night
Do it all again

The apocalypse’s stopped, I guess
But I ruined my best dress
Had to burn that nightclub down
Where those vampires stayed in town
Watchers won’t like this at all
And they just won’t take my call
Here comes Fox and TMZ
They ask who I’m supposed to be

I’m the Slayer, you see
It’s my destiny,
which sucks, of course
But I prove my worth
And stop Hell on Earth
Or a Bad Horse, you see?

Every Damn Night
I got chosen at 15
My life’s anything but serene
But I’m better than Sam and Dean
Every Damn Night
Don’t ask if I get some nookie
My love life is not like Sookie
But I swear I am no rookie
Every Damn Night
So, be patient, if you please
This ain’t Vampire Diaries
Or that Stephanie Meyer cheese
Every Damn Night
Yeah, the risks I take are real
Should get a medal and book deal
And why not?
Every Damn Night
Do it all again
Every Damn Night
Do it all again

S-L-A-Y
S-L-A-Y
S-L-A-Y
S-L-A-Y
S-L-A-Y
S-L-A-Y
S-L-A-Y
S-L-A-Y

( Chorus )
Every Damn Night
From Twilight to Breaking Dawn
I tell the vampires that it’s on
Though they’ll never will be gone
Every Damn Night
I am called the Chosen One
Have a job that’s never done
But I’m still second to none
Every Damn Night
I went slaying in the park
Killed six vampires in the dark
And they never left a mark
Every Damn Night
I’m a Supernatural Cop
And I know I just can’t stop. Whoa!
Every Damn Night
Do it all....again

Ten years ago, the Bronze closed, but the spirit lives on

Ten years ago, the WB Bronze, one of the first great fan message boards, closed. Through dumb luck, I found a website in the UK that has the final page of the WB Bronze before it closed on July 10th, 2001. If you want to get nostalgic over how we communicated with each other before Facebook, Twitter and even TV Without Pity, just click here, and read the final farewells, including mine.

My webpage at impalergeneral.com still has a memorial to the Bronze, and what it means to me. Can you imagine if Twitter and Facebook were around in the late 1990's? We would have blown those two sites up every hour on the hour when we find out Angel's a vampire, Buffy dies but only for a couple of minutes, Angel loses his soul because of true love, she kills him to stop the end of the world, Faith shows up, then turns evil, Dawn shows up, Buffy dies, etc. etc. Instead of that, we had a nice sturdy message board that allowed us to express ourselves and our love for the Buffyverse.
I also want to thank @spikmeister and spik.me.uk, because that's where the final Bronze page resides in a piece of internet heaven, plus other things that will make us nostalgic and feel old at the same time.
2012 will be a big Whedon year: 20th anniversary of the Buffy movie, 15th anniversary of the Buffy TV show and 10th anniversary of Firefly. Attention must be paid, and will.

Comic-Con, the Only Event Where I Pack Two Weeks Ahead of Time

It must be getting close to Comic-Con, because I'm already starting to pack, and looking over what I still need. Shaving cream, for one thing.

I already have a list of panels I'd like to see. Funny that Joss Whedon, who once packed Hall H with JJ Abrams, is now making a "small" appearance at the Hilton Indigo before The Knights of Good theoretically give us a peek at new episodes of their show. On the other hand, Joss won't be so "small" once he talks abut The Avengers, and when and if Cabin in the Woods will be released in October after all.
Buffy season 9 on Dark Horse will be mentioned, too, although I'm not interested because Angel is Twilight, and Buffy will never forgive him for that unless he dies for her. I may be interested if it's obvious it's the last hurrah for the Scooby Gang before the next generation of Slayers show up. Yep, it's been that long, and it's a given it will end in three years Buffy and Angel will die in each other's arms, and they dissolve into dust. That's the happiest ending they'll likely to get...darn it.
Then again, I expected Castle to take a bullet for Kate Bennett at the end of last season, and it turned out she was the one who was shot. That, and people never thinking The Voice would actually make American Idol nervous. So, who knows?

Looking over my schedule, it seems to lean a lot towards Buffy anyway, with SMG and the Ringer panel, another panel which will look at why LGBT fans prefer Buffy, and a lot of Buffy alumni and how they are involved in the wider geekverse, from Jane Espenson and Drew Greenberg to Marti Noxon.

However, there's also Doctor Who. Two years ago, someone from the BBC took a picture of me with a Fourth Doctor scarf. I asked why our favorite Time Lord doesn't come to San Diego more often..in our current time, not 100,000 year from now and 150 years ago. If you have the DVD from "The End of Time", I'm in the Comic-Con section, making that dumb remark. I mean, I never thought Matt Smith and Karen Gillan would actually have time to come to San Diego, because they have a season to shoot...but it's in 2013 mostly. Soooooo, we see Matt in a panelo or two, and hopefully Karen too, plus an appearance with Chris Hardwicke, and the Hall H event on the last day. I haven't been this close in more than 25 years, so I'm going for this.

I also notice that when the panel for Breaking Dawn finishes in Thursday July 21st, that does not mean the number of Comic-Con attendees will drop in half,. Taylor Lautner will be around for Abduction, which is basically the Bourne Jr. Identity plus Spymaster Ellen Ripley, and Kristen Stewart in Snow White and the Huntsman/Thunder God. At least it proves these actors want to be more than just the Twilight gang. It's an example the Hogwarts Alumni also want to realize.

The final schedule, however, is not set in stone yet. Maybe I'll meet Matt and Karen...and even SMG...in the press room. Maybe I'll get into a trade party, aside from a couple I've already scheduled. We shall see. Just check this space and Whedonopolis for all the action.

It's Been A While

It's February, and a few weeks after we celebrated Buffy Summers' 30th birthday...even though she's 23 as of the end of season 8 Dark Horse version. It makes you wonder if in the Buffyverse she will live to be 30.
I hope so. Imagine what she can do with social media and YouTube.

And for the gal who plays her, Sarah Michelle Gellar, it looks like she'll soon be back on TV with that pilot called Ringer. Imagine a girl who hides from the mob by being her rich twin sister...only to find the twin may be crooked and marked for death, too. What's more, the twin may have faked her own death, and could wind up with HER twin's problems. I don't know how long this will last, but CBS better be smart enough to give us an ending to this, no matter what. This will give SMG something to sink her teeth into while Joss is busy with The Avengers. So, for those who pray SMG will be back as Buffy (mini-series, of course), you can still hope.

However, it may be the end of the TV line for Summer Glau...for a while. The Cape is doomed, and it's due to a boring hero, an annoying family storyline, the hero's sidekicks would make a better series, etc. Some also blame Summer because she looks like a blank slate as Orwell, the crime-fighting blogger. Well, blame the writers, I say. I think we're not supposed to know her true identity, either. It's been speculated her dad is the evil Peter Chess Fleming, who is responsible for framing the cop who winds up being The Cape. It's bad enough she was introduced too quickly, and that the stories have been dumb.

Joss, of course, had the perfect model. He prepared for just one season, paced all the storylines including the confrontation with the Master, and made sure everyone turned out to be real people.
With The Cape, he could have done this (or I would have): in the first two hours, Vince develops his new role with the help of the Carnival of Crime, Orwell is seen in the shadows until episode four, Fleming tries to terrorize Palm City into giving more police power to him by episode seven, Vince's wife sees her husband wasn't the Cape by episode 9 but is threatened by Fleming's goons by episode 10, and we have the final confrontation between Vince and Fleming in episodes 12 and 13. It winds up as a draw, but Fleming's bid to own Palm City will be delayed. The good guys hide but they prepare for round two. The writers front-loaded their season with too many facts which wind up as nothing, and that's why the show is cut short.

Despite this, we're gonna wish The Cape is back to find out what the F is The Event, which is also bogged down by too many details which mean nothing. It's also back after a long wait, and I doubt people will give it a second chance if they can't understand it.

As for Morena Baccarin, as the Alien queen with the permanent self-satisfied "Foolish Humans!" smirk, chances for V to continue next season aren't too good, but better than The Cape. I think what is supposed to happen in a few days may boost its chances. Let's just say Diana (not the 1980's version) and her prediction that Anna's daughter will continue the "double-cross your mom for fun" family tradition will come to pass.
Thank goodness. It's been way too easy for Anna, and she's not as fun as the original Visitors.

So far, we know Nathan Fillion's TV career will stay strong as Castle will be around at least through 2012. That's why ABC will keeping giving Fox programming suits Christmas cards.
We also know Felicia Day and her Guild will be back, but what is her #mysteryproject? Could it be Epitaph 3, continuing that Dollhouse saga? Making such a project for the net make a lot of sense, because it can be popular that way.
We shall see.

Whedon Alumni Among the Busiest

Recently a familiar face just joined Mad Men.
A guy named Danny was just hired by Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, even though all he had was one concept for several products..and he's a cousin of Roger's wife, Jane.
If he looked familiar, he's actually Danny Strong, who was Johnathan on Buffy and also a very good TV screenwriter. He was the guy who wrote Recount, about the 2000 presidential election.

Then I was thinking a lot of the old cast members of the Whedonverse are still quite busy. Look at the cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Sarah Michelle Gellar is currently enjoying motherhood, as shown in this picture....



Fans, though, hope she will be back soon.
Many cast members are enjoying TV success. Alyson Hannigan is on How I Met Your Mother, David Boreanaz with Bones, Nicholas Brendon makes occasional appearances on Criminal Minds, and James Marsters is poised to be back on Smallville and Caprica (if that gets more episodes. He'll also play a big role in the premiere of Hawaii Five-0, and maybe more after that. Charisma Carpenter has recently been spotted in The Expendables, and has a couple of movies in the works. Amber Benson is a successful author, and co-directed the office/alien invasion movie Drones. Michelle Trachtenberg was a regular on Mercy, but has also been wreaking havoc on Gossip Girl, and will do even more havoc soon.

The crew of Firefly has also done pretty well in the biz. Nathan Fillion, of course, is set to solve crimes and flirt at a cop (even if she has a gun) on Castle for another year. Adam Baldwin is also back as Casey on Chuck, and Morena Baccarin will be back as a very scary alien queen on V. Alan Tudyk has been in movies, including 3:10 to Yuma, but made a heck of an impression as Alpha on Dollhouse (which is one good reason why you should get the season 2 DVD next month). Jewel Staite and Sean Maher recently guest starred on Warehouse 13. She was also on Stargate Atlantis, and I have an action figure of her from that show. Maher just landed a gig on ABC Family's gymnastics show Make It or Break It.
Ron Glass, who played Book, was recently in the U-S version of Death at a Funeral. That's ironic, since Tudyk was in the original as the guy who took one wild drug accidentally. We'll hear more from him when we read The Shepherd's Tale from Dark Horse this fall.
Gina Torres, who played Zoe, is part of the cast of ABC Family's Huge, where she's a counselor at a weight-reduction camp.
Summer Glau has been seen as a Terminator and a wounded computer genius on Dollhouse. Now, she'll be a two-fisted muckraking blogger on The Cape.

As for Angel, Christian Kane is still a big part of the caper drama Leverage. Amy Acker was a regular on Dollhouse and Happy Town. She'll be seen in Cabin in the Woods once MGM fixes its financial problems. Vincent Kartheizer, of course, is enjoying success as Pete Campbell in Mad Men. J. August Richards has been on the TNT show Raising the Bar, and was recently seen on Grey's Anatomy.

The cast of Dollhouse also has a lot of talent, and may are hoping to see more of them soon. Eliza Dushku has been a major part of the Buffyverse as Faith, and Echo in Dollhouse. She's now developing a movie on Robert Mapplethorpe. Olivia Williams was recently seen in The Ghost Writer. Who wouldn't want to see her as a female Giles in a possible Slayer spinoff?
Harry Lennix has an interesting resume. Not only was he Boyd on the show, he was also in State of Play, and even Little Britain USA is the US President. He'll soon be in Mr. Sophistication and McBett, which is Macbeth in the Caribbean.
Enver Gjokaj, if I had my way, would be the new Rollin Hand in Mission Impossible 4. He's been seen recently in Fox's Lie to Me.
Miracle Laurie, who played Maddie/Mellie/November, is part of a ukelele band, but will soon be in a sci-fi drama set in San Francisco about 160 years from now.
Fran Kranz was supposed to be in an NBC romantic comedy, but will also be part of Cabin in the Woods.
Tahmoh Penikett, already a big fan favorite in Battlestar Galactica and Dollhouse, will soon be seen in The Hostage.

The Whedonverse is filled with very talented people and actors that we're certain to see again and again.

Coming This Fall..A Lot Of Whedonverse Alumni

Now that the TV season is over, and we say goodbye to three TV stales, it's time to look at the future.
Last year at this time, fans of the Whedonverse were happy a lot of the old gang were still on TV from Eliza Dushku on Dollhouse to Julie Benz in Dexter, from Alyson Hannigan in How I Met Your Mother, to Nathan Fillon on Castle. There was also the return of Morena Baccarin as the now very angry Visitor leader in V.

As for next season, many Whedonverse favorites will still be with us, and even a few coming back on movies or TV. Many of them will be coming from Firefly. Fillion and Baccarin will be back in their shows. Summer Glau is poised to return as a crusading blogger helping a vigilante known as The Cape, Sean Maher and Jewel Staite will make an appearance on Warehouse 13, Alan Tudyk will be part of Transformers 3 (but Megan Fox won't be), Adam Baldwin will be a reluctant mentor to a spy-in-training on Chuck. Even Ron Glass, aka Book, will return when we finally learn "The Shepherd's Tale" in a new book from Dark Horse.
We shouldn't forget Gina Torres, who will be a counselor in Huge, about teens at a camp for heavy teens, especially one who refuses to believe being big is bad. That will be on ABC Family later this month.

Alyson Hannigan, of course, is still with How I Met Your Mother (which hopefully will return to getting us closer to that), and David Boreanaz will be back in Bones. James Marsters, who's becoming more well-known for Caprica than he was in Buffy and Angel, may be well-known in a new version of Hawaii Five-0 as the nemesis of McGarrett. Benz, meanwhile, will soon become part of No Ordinary Family, as the mom who suddenly becomes faster than her mini-van...although the rest of the family have new skills, too.

Of course, things may change between now and the fall. Fran Kranz was supposed to be part of a new NBC sitcom but was recast after the pilot. Rest assured, though, these and other actors in the Whedonverse will make their way to our TV and movie screens soon enough.

Talkin' Serenity and Wondercon

Wondercon is just a few weeks away, and it looks like Whedonistas will have a lot to talk about, but that's later

First, I wanted to say how HAPPY I am we'll finally get to hear "The Shepherd's Tale" (aka Book, the Mysterious Early Years). Instead of it being told in three comic book issues, we'll get it as one hardcover in November. It will be the perfect Christmas gift, along with the Firefly key chain I should be getting soon. The info about this story was first told at the 2007 Browncoat Cruise,and we've been waiting ever since. I think the only juicy clue we got from Ron Glass is that Shepherd Book is not his real name. The rest will come, thanks to Joss and Zack Whedon.

However, we will get another Serenity comic book thaks to Patton Oswalt. He's writing a story called "Float-Out", which is really a tribute to that dinosaur fan of a pilot, Wash. This is set just after Serenity. Oswalt, a new member of the Whedonverse thanks to his fine roles in Dollhouse, has written a few other stories for comics. This should really get him a lot of attention, aside from being a Pixar icon thanks to Ratatouille. The issue is coming in June

OK, now to Wondercon, or one of two reasons why I am heading to SF in April...James Marsters is still planning to be there, but not on a panel. He's there on behalf of Lightspeed Fine Art for autographs and photos. He should also be there to talk about his current role in Caprica, since there will be a panel. Say, if we asked effectively.......

Meanwhile, there will be panels for three TV shows with Whedon alumni. Fans of Morena Baccarin will be happy to know a fresh episode of V will be part of the first day. No word yet on whether she'll be there, too, but we can hope. On Saturday, we get a preview of Happy Town which is about a perfect small town that has horrible secrets...like they're supposed to. Amy Acker will be there, and it's certain she'll be asked about Dollhouse. She'll also be on Human Target, too.

Day three will be the traditional Chuck panel, with Adam Baldwin, Zachary Levi and the gang.

Dark Horse and IDW will also have their panels, too. With news about Serenity and the big plot twist about Twilight Not The Movie on Buffy Season 8 (really, it would have been better if it were Giles, not who it really is, since he was doing dark things in his younger days), Dark Horse will be the more popular panel. Maybe Patton will be there. If Joss was there, THAT would be big.

Naturally, the closing event is again "Once More With Feeling". While it's becoming a tradition, why not have a double feature with Dr. Horrible done in the Rocky Horror style? That's bound to happen when Comic-Con rolls around.

One thing is for sure: Wondercon will not leave San Francisco. It's still the right size for the Comic-Con's annual dress rehearsal.

Juliet Landau Faces Fans on Facebook

For the second time in two weeks Juliet Landau took questions from fans on the internet. She took questions this part February 18th at a Facebook site, mainly about her new documentary, Take Flight, which looks at how actor Gary Oldman made a music video of a Jewish hip-hop group, and only used cell phones to film it.

From Mapi Vera: Hi, Juliet, nice to meet you here! Who had the idea of turning this "making of" into a film?
When I saw the footage I had gotten, I got excited by the rare POV I had and i asked Gary if it could develop into short documentary

My question: After doing this, and if you wanted to direct again, would you do another documentary, or try to direct a feature or TV episode?
I co-directed the Hero music video for the band Godhead and I am co-directing the TAKE FLIGHT viral campaign. I'm looking forward to directing a narrative.

Jayme Vellante: What was your favorite part of working on the film?
I loved coming up with the structure. Since Gary operated one of the cell-cam's we get this rare POV that is like being in his head, seeing through his eyes. I intercut the cell footage with the standard def and high def footage. First we get glimpses, then longer more expansive pieces and by the very end, we are completely released into Gary's view. I also loved choosing the music for Gary's internal creative world.

Lucy Moore of The Grove School: Would you consider working with Gary Oldman or Chutzpah again in the future?
Yes, Absolutely. Gary is sooooo talented!

Charles Norton: What scenes did Gary Oldman direct with you on Take Flight?
Gary directs the music video within the film. The film chronicles his process during that shoot.

Jona Sims: Was it fun working with Gary? Do you have any other projects that you are going to do together?
I loved working with Gary. He is one of the best artists of our time. I'd absolutely love to work with him again

Anthony Ryan: How/where do you find music for a film? How do you get past copywrite?
I cleared all of the music rights. It took a lot of time... Because I self financed the film, I have huge thanks to The Vaughan Williams estate, SourceQ and Universal for working with me and making it possible

More from Charles Norton: So, relying on Gary's cell footage, you were pretty much on your own then? That is you shot all the film other than the music video?
I had 3 cameras and access to all of the cell footage. Yes, I directed everything in the film. Gary gave me free reign. I was really nervous when I went to show him the movie, because he hadn't seen any of it throughout the editing. He loved it and was very excited that it shows a different side of him.
Also: The music credits are at the end of the film.

More from Jayme Vellante: When are we ever going to see you in front of a camera again? Are you still working on the movie you were raising funds for? Do you have any other directorial plans?
Is there going to be a public screening for Take Flight or is it only going to be available online?
Yes, I am still raising funds for It's Raining Cats and Cats. it is an ambitious project. Lots of other projects brewing!
At this point it will be available to purchase for streaming online. I am excited to get it out there. Feb 25th is only 1 week away! Yay!

Mary Emmons: What was the best advice you received when taking on this project?
My producing partner suggested that I make an outline prior to the shoot, of what I wanted to be sure to capture on set. He also told me to watch the footage as many times through until it "spoke to me." I watched all 50 hours 3X through, and indeed I discovered the structure I wanted to use. I passed this advice on to a friend the other day who was going begin editing her first project, as I found it invaluable.

She also said that some of the music in the documentary had bird names in their titles. She said it was "unintentional but pretty magical considering TAKE FLIGHT and all."

Then, a good question from Bryan Curry: Do you think that the ability to reach such a large audience via social media like you are doing right now will allow more projects like Take Flight to reach a larger audience and other non-studio projects to achieve greater success? Or are there still a lot of hurdles in the industry that technology and social media has yet to overcome?
I hope so! There are still some hurdles in terms of it being financially feasible for filmmakers on the internet. But hopefully people will support this and other cutting edge, cool, exciting Indie projects. I love the ability to connect directly with people on forums like this. It is amazing!

More from Anthony Ryan: Can you tell us more about the interviews for the film that you have been talking about on Twitter? When will those be available?
The TAKE FLIGHT viral campaign is a sister project I put together. Since TF is about Gary's creative process, I talked with other artists I admire about their creative process and also asked them how they would market a film about Gary, Jewish Hip Hop and cell phones?! There are so many great answers!! These will be available on Youtube. We will be releasing 1 every other day starting the 25th. I have enjoyed working on them tremendously! :)

Another question from me: When you were directing, did you apply any lessons you may have learned from seeing Joss Whedon at work? That is, how does he affect your work in this documentary?
I have been fortunate to work with great directors like Tim Burton and Joss Whedon. I have learned from them immensely!!

Another from Charles Norton: Are there any plans for a DVD version?
Not as of yet, but there may be...

Lindsey Day of Vista del Lago HS: What inspired you to direct Take Flight?
Gary asked me to direct a behind the scenes making-of and it bloomed from there. I have always been inspired by the depth, range and power of his work.

More from Mary Emmons: Which do you prefer, being in front of the camera or behind it?
Both!

Deverill Weekes: Hey JL, Can you talk about the crew you worked with on TF and how was that as a first time Director.
As a debut director, I was lucky to work with unbelievably skilled and talented people: Not only was I filming one of the most talented movie stars of our time, I worked with two-time Emmy winning sound editor Pembrooke Andrews, who produced TF, was one of the cinematographers and did the sound editing, Jeremy Alter, who produced David Lynch's INLAND EMPIRE, Ingela Ogard who edited with me tirelessly, Jon Vasquez who produced and was the much needed technical advisor, the extremely busy Larry Benjamin who was our amazing re-recording mixer, William Haefeli, who is a cartoonist for The New Yorker and did my credits/titles and FotoKem, who did an amazing job of color-correcting!!!!!!!

Anthony Ryan: Are you planning on submitting Take Flight to any of the film festivals, like Sundance or Toronto Film Festival?
We'll see! I am screening it at the Vineyard Film Festival in Cyprus, where I am serving on the jury. (My film is not in competition, but showing there.) I'd love to show it somewhere like Comic-Con cause I think it would be way cool! Last year was my first CC and it was so much fun!

A third question from me: After your first time as a director, what skills do you hope to improve as you take on future projects?
I have so much to learn. That's one of the things I love about what I do. One can always absorb and learn and grow.

She concluded the chat by saying: Thank you everyone for your great questions! I had a wonderful time hanging out with you! Thank you Jenny Christodal for putting this together! You are fantastic! Meant to thank you on Twitter last night after the Kat Von D shoot, but failed to do so. So, thank you for all your hard work yesterday as well. it is much appreciated!
If you guys like the TF virals... tell Jenny because I may carry on with them when stuff calms down in a month and a half or so... ??

Take Flight will be streaming on February 25th at http://www.julietlandaustakeflight.com

Why I'm Not Using Logo as My Buffy Fix

As some of you may know, only because this hasn't been mentioned a lot by anyone, Logo and MTV will start showing episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer every day. Logo has started a New Year's marathon by looking at most of season 2, where we were introduced to Spike and Drusilla, a new Slayer, and the first major defeat Buffy suffered by losing Angel.
Great start, huh? After that, you'd think they'd start from the beginning once they start daily airings of the show.
Well, no. According to the Logo Online website, this week will feature "Hush", "Once More With Feeling", "Dead Things", and "Dopplegangland".
All great episodes, but wouldn't it be better if we saw them in order?
Hopefully, Logo will do this eventually, but it would have been a better idea to do it that way starting Monday. At least FX did that.
On the other hand, the Logo Online website does allow you to see full episodes online, including "Hush" and "Once More..."
MTV is also supposed to start showing Buffy every day, starting with a marathon next weekend. No word yet on how they'll handle the series, but at least it's a chance for people to see what good teen horror drama can be, especially if it's funny on purpose.
After all, there are still some people allergic to DVD's. Why not have someone on cable keep airing a TV show that a lot of other shows are trying to live up to...such as a British show that features a teenage boy who's suddenly told his family's business is vampire hunting.
I'll get to that Sunday.

Serenity Salute: I'm Not Obama..or Rappaport

That is one of the things Morena Baccarin made clear when she met with fans at the Serenity Salute at the Marriott LAX last weekend. I could have done this sooner, but I wanted to see all of the four V shows before commenting on that as well.
For the record, she's right...the Visitors are truly terrorists from outer space who will give us the modern equivalent of blankets loaded with smallpox, or poisoned lollipops, to take over out world. It also helps that she's completely trustworthy and will use less-than-honest ways even to her own people. That "Bliss" speech at the end of season four is pure verbal Xanax. As Morena pointed out at the event, Anna is a political figure who has a mission to protect her people, and make sure they survive. She'll be friends with the Foolish Humans until it's no longer necessary. Having a Ph. D in Predictable Human Behavior sure helps. Then it's Hamster on a Stick with Soylent Green (made from people) for everyone. As long as no one objects, even if a lot of them are Visitors, no problem. Of course, that possibility has to happen, or we have no show.

The show is also playing into fears we have about foreigners, and now the H1N1 virus. In the last episode, the Visitors planned to spread a plague disguised as flu virus. With the Visitors' injections we'll be healthy right up to the point it kills us. Clever. The writers must listen to Coast to Coast AM. I'm just guessing Anna has a boss, who prefers blowing up humans good rather than sweet talking. What will happen then? In the end, and there better be one, an FBI agent will lose a lot, especially her son, to save her world.

But back to Morena....she gave some good advice for budding actors by trusting your gut and sticking to what feels right. It has worked for her. As for her look as Anna, she says she wanted this character to look clean and perfect, but admits Inara would never have short hair.
She also talked about how she often sees her old pals from Firefly, including Jewel Staite, and how she really liked that kimono robe from "Shindig."
Then, a little speculation...why did Inara leave the Companions' Training House? She hints that Inara may have wanted to be part of a family, and that is what Serenity provided.
Back to V, they asked about how Anna would blink, and whether that was calculated. She said it was, because Anna is an alien who's hiding her lizard side for the mission. She also said it's interesting that she is now a lead character in a TV show. She tries not to think about it, but admits it's been fun. She also had great things to say about Elizabeth Mitchell (who was actually in Santa Clause 2, believe it or not). Morena also revealed that her sets are CGI. She's actually in one green screen. She also admits some of her younger relatives may be stunned by her performance, but she assures them that it's just TV.

She also talked her appearance on The View, and how she was worried. In the end, she compared it to visiting someone's living room. She also complimented Whoopi Goldberg.

Among other things, she says she's concerned about how HD is showing the actors in a more realistic light, or as she put it she'd rather be "fuzzy and beautiful". She also revealed she was in the first version of the pilot for It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. She played a woman who, well, wasn't quite was she seemed. Think trans-gender. She also admitted to a little resume-padding, claiming she can do a French accent, but can't. There was also a question about Inara as a "power courtesan", such as a geisha. She says that such a role is possible in some cultures but not ours.

So, 2010 will be a great year for sci-fi fans. Lost will be back and so will V, with Morena Baccarin as the most trustworthy alien terrorist ever. Again, she's doing this to save her people. We Earthlings aren't her people. Just that simple.

The Original Slayer Comes To Sacramento

When it's not summer, Cal Expo in Sacramento plays host to many events from concerts to small fairs. This past Sunday, it hosted Witchapalooza, a Halloween-themed outdoor market and carnival. Kids had bungee rides and games, while their parents either dressed up in costume, or got some ideas for costumes. One of the more interesting ones was a Steampunk shop with goggles that Dr. Horrible's great-grandfather may have worn.

However, it did have something outdoor fairs don't usually have...special guest stars. A friend of mine from work dressed like Alex DeLarge from A Clockwork Orange, and met the guy who played him, Malcom McDowell. He also met many who remember him from Heroes three years ago.

The other guest, though, made me glad I skipped what would have been a depressing NFL weekend.



Kristy Swanson, who first brought Buffy the Vampire Slayer to life on the movie screen, was there all day Sunday, signing pictures and even stakes. I was also lucky to ask her a few questions about the role and what she's doing now.
As you can see, she hasn't changed much since the movie was first shown in 1992, and could probably take down a few Hellspawn today, or teach a Potential how. I showed her my "Hemery High School yearbook" from the movie press packet, and she was surprised when she saw it.

Swanson said she was asked to come to Witchapalooza, and she agreed to do that. "They thought that Buffy would be a really good fit for Witchapalooza," she says. "Some of the fans would enjoy me being there, so I said 'sure, I'll come up.'" She said she has been in Sacramento a few times because she's friends with the Maloofs, who own the Sacramento Kings.
She also says she's "a big Halloween freak. I love Halloween. We would decorate the house, and we really get into it. If they had a Witchapalooza in L.A., near me, then I would go for sure and bring my son."

She was first seen as Buffy in August of 1992, and she said she got the part with the help of her co-star. "I auditioned for it, but I also had Luke Perry, who was in my corner, rooting for me," she recalled, "and letting them know that he really wanted me to play the part. They seemed to like me, just thought I was perfect for it, and I got the part."
She's recognized for her many roles in movies like Flowers in the Attic, Dude, Where's My Car?, The Phantom, and Deadly Friend, and in several TV roles, but she's often recognized as the Slayer. "It happens a lot. A lot of people say, "you're my favorite Buffy'," she says. "It's kind of funny. It's very sweet and flattering, and it makes me feel good."
What interested Swanson about the role was Buffy's sense of humor. "I just thought it was something that I could do and do well and be funny and have a good time," she says, "I like how she was such a teenager, but yet had all this responsibility, and had to be sort of a kick-ass kind of grown-up."

While many recognize Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy, Swanson says the show and the movie are different in many ways. "Buffy the movie is very lightweight and bubbly, and bubble-gummy and kind of fluffy" she says. "The TV series is much darker and different. So, it's like two different worlds."
She also wanted the right accent to reall bring her character to life. "It was written on the page," she says, "but I also sort of, I based it off my sister-in-law Jill and my friend Julie, ans the way they talk is very Valley."

Swanson recently visited DragonCon in Atlanta, where she was part of two panels that included Charisma Carpenter, Felicia Day, Julie Benz and James Marsters. She says she attends a couple of cons a year. "It's nice to come out, and there's really a lot of Buffy fans", she said...as she also noticed a few fans waiting to get her autograph.
At Dragoncon, Swanson was asked about the rumors of a possible remake of the original movie. If it does come to pass, she says she'd like to be part of it. "I think that would be a lot of fun," she says. "I think a lot of the Buffy fans out there would be upset if I didn't participate. Whatever they're doing, they probably should ask me to do something, even if it's a cameo, just for fun."

Note: I have said on another blog that a Buffy remake can work if you include Swanson and Perry as parents of a 17 year old girl who's suddenly staying out late at night....and finding out why. Then Swanson's character says, "I told you she had the Mark of the Coven (the birthmark that identified the next Slayer)". I also mentioned the Slayer-in-training should not be called Buffy, which would allow SMG to get involved in future sequels. It's an idea would unite the movie with the TV show.

Swanson has another title these days: Warrior Ambassador for Iraq Star, Inc., an organization that helps provide reconstructive surgery for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. She says one of the surgeries was filmed for American Chopper, and will be shown next month.

Swanson will soon be seen in the movie What if... which will feature two other familiar faces, Kevin Sorbo of Hercules and John Ratzenberger of Cheers.

Finally, here's another photo....

From the Land Beyond, a Gentleman

Sacramento recently hosted a horror movie convention. It's part flea market and part mini-Comic-Con, as people get to talk to actors from their favorite movies and TV shows.
In my case, it's another chance to see a real Gentleman...about a year after I met the other one.
As you can see, it's Camden Toy, who attended the three-day event meeting with Buffy fans who known him for that role, but not usually for his two other roles, Gnarl and one of the Turok-Ham Uber-Vampires.
"Some of them come up to me and go 'wait a minute, I know you did that and that, but you did that character, too?'" he says. "It's always fun to be able to surprise people that are fans but still don't even know there were certain characters that you did.
"The dyed-in-wool fans will recognize me," he continued, "but it's interesting how, if you're under this much makeup, which is five hours of makeup, you don't get recognized, It's kind of a funny double-edged sword in a way."
Still, he also noticed that visiting Sacramento gave him a chance to visit his sister.

Last Sunday, he was part of a panel on movie villains with Tony Todd, known for Candyman and most recently on 24, and Bill Moseley, known for Repo! and The Devil's Rejects. Toy said that Gnarl was one of his favorite roles. "That was such a fun character", she said, "because he was incredibly multi-faceted and so well-written." He also praised the make-up work for bringing him to life.
Toy also recounted how he was cast as a Gentleman in "Hush." He said his agent called him about the role, and had to meet Joss later that night. Todd and Moseley helped Toy "recreate" his meeting with Joss Whedon and casting director Lonnie Hamerman. He recalled how they described the role, that his character floats to people's rooms, steals their hearts and smiles a lot. He did his audition and, according to him, this was Joss' reaction...



Toy may have been exaggerating, but he admitted "I thought either I got the role, or he thinks I'm a total psycho." Of course, Toy got the role, and he and Doug Jones made TV history as the scariest Gentlemen TV has ever seen. He also revealed the episode was originally named "The Laughing Man."

Toy later came back in season seven as one of the Turok-Han Vampires Buffy had to battle. "It was such a physical role," he said. "I think they were talking about probably having a stunt man do the role." However, then-showrunner Marti Noxon wanted someone who could put more feeling in the role, someone like Camden Toy. Thanks to a little help from makeup and special effects artist Rob Hall. Toy got his third role on the show. He also said it was the first role he didn't audition for, and the first time had to have a physical. He admitted he was surprised about that.

Toy can currently be seen in Mansfield Path, a horror picture that he describes as similar to The Crucible, but with a creature stealing souls. Toy is one of the elders in the village. He also did a short film for Jason Connery that he described as an English farce.

Aside from meeting Toy again, I found this very rare piece of Buffy lore...



This is from the press kit of the original 1992 movie, and I'd say I got this at a good price. Many people have the Sunnydale High School Yearbook, but this is harder to get.
There was one other thing...



I don't recall anyone making Halloween masks turning the faces of presidents into monsters, like a werewolf version of Bill Clinton. I guess this may be popular during Halloween. I just hope we don't see this after that time.

For the sake of argument...

It's amazing how much debate has been generated over the idea of remaking Buffy the Vampire Slayer without Joss Whedon. It shows how her fans have been very protective of her, and how the TV show, not the movie, has been recognized as canon.
As I said before, Fran Rubel Kazui can make her Slayer movie, but she can't be called Buffy.
We also found out the need for a Buffy movie actually comes from two sources. The first is the flood of vampire books, movies and TV shows. Maybe Harmony Keller has the right idea making a reality show about vampires in the Dark Horse comic series. If she walked into Borders...at night, natch...and saw the flood of vampire book series aside from the Twilight saga, she'd jump on it. The CW is set to give us the Vampire Diaries, where a teenage girl has to deal with two vampire brothers in love with her, or at least her neck.
The other one is the new wave of movie studios trying to reboot familiar franchises. It's being done with Star Trek and Terminator. Why not try to re-imagine Buffy, and hope Joss Whedon is too busy to notice? Well, his fans have to time to say why this shouldn't happen.

But who could make a good Slayer? That's a tough question because the list of teen actresses who are funny and tough is very short. Some at the Whedonesque boards have suggested Katie Cassidy for her work in Supernatural, or Olivia Thirlby, who was a cheerleader in Juno. I'd like to throw in Leven Ramblin, who played Riley in Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles. She might make a good Slayer. Another choice ma sound odd...anyone remember Britt McKillip, who was Reggie Lass in Dead Like Me? She's 18 now, and might borrow a bit of Ellen Muth's deadpan style to be a Slayer.

It's easier to come up with Watchers. The list of future mentors of vampire Slayers can get long very quickly. I suggested at Whedonesque that Michael Emerson from Lost would be a good hoice. I also proposed Ray Wise, that fashionable Devil from Reaper. You can even look at a couple of Whedon alumni, like Mark A. Sheppard or Johnathan Woodward. How about Dennis Haysbert, who made a great president and insurance salesman, or Patrick Stewart? How about Joel Grey, who played a big part in season five of Buffy? If you think a woman would make a good Watcher, some possible candidates could include Jill Hennessey, Lena Headey, Jean Smart or even Glenn Close.
Come to think of it, get the cast of Burn Notice, and you have the coolest Watchers' Council ever.

So, if someone wants to remake Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I've given out some casting suggestions. I still say your Slayer shouldn't be called Buffy. How about Yohko? That worked in Japan nearly 20 years ago

Whose Buffy is she anyway?

Ask any Buffy fan, and that person will credit one person for making her a legend in TV or comic books...Joss Whedon.
He was the one who wrote the original script for the movie in 1992. He was the one who brought her to the WB, and make her the netlet's first big hit. She inspired a spinoff, Angel, and several comic books, including one about a Slayer from the distant future.

So, when news broke about someone planning to make a new movie called Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and that Joss wasn't involved, a lot of people were stunned. After all, they thought, Buffy belongs to Joss, right?
Well, yes and no.

As the Hollywood Reporter article pointed out Fran Rubel Kuzui and her Kuzui Enterprises have held onto the rights. She developed the movie in 1992, and directed it. She later got together with Sandollar Television to produce the show for the WB in 1997. Whedon may be the Father of Buffy, but Kuzui also has parental rights, in a way.

So, she is getting together with Roy Lee and Doug Davison of Vertigo Entertainment to create a new Buffy movie. It's a "reboot" of the Buffy story that she directed in 1992. In that Buffy-verse, she was trained by a weird guy named Merrick, but also got help from a cool guy named Pike. No details on a plot for the new version. It could start all over again, or the 1992 Buffy could die in battle, and make room for the 2010 Buffy. This would fit the old legend that "for every generation, there is a Chosen One." Also, the new version would be darker, and more ambitious, with hopes that Buffy will become a movie franchise like Harry Potter, Star Trek or Indiana Jones. Ironically, Joss' original version of the Buffy movie was darker, although the special effects were kept to a minimum.

Still, would people accept a movie called "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is there is no Joss writing the words or directing the script? Would they accept someone else as Buffy Summers, or a movie without Willow, Xander, Angel, Giles, Spike, Drusilla or even Sweet hoping to create a musical number?
If you judge the reaction to regular visitors of Whedonesque, the answer is no. The only Buffy know is the one on TV, and the movie version just a first draft. If there's no SMG or Joss, or Scoobies, it's not the real Buffyverse.

This isn't really unusual. It wasn't too long ago that movie studios would make competing versions of a classic character, like Tarzan. While Peter Sellers is recognized as the one and only Inspector Clouseau, fans couldn't accept anyone else in that role, including Steve Martin and Alan Arkin. After quitting James Bond, Sean Connery came back for an unofficial remake of Thunderball, called Never Say Never Again. Also, let's not forget how JJ Abrams took the Star Trek Universe that Gene Roddenberry built, and renovated it for a new generation, thanks to a black hole and time travel. At least, here, Abrams tells us this is a different universe for current sci-fi fans, but the Old School Trekkies can hold on to the original show, and even the TNG, DS9 and Voyager timelines. Thus, no conflict, and you still get Spock no matter what you believe.

The idea of rebooting Buffy is to meet a need that her fans have had for a long time: to see her slay another day, and guide the next generation of Slayers, now that the "one per generation" rule has been tossed. We have that thanks to Dark Horse, but some say they want the old cast back just one more time, and establish new Slayers. Imagine Kristin Stewart, Emma Stone or even Ashley Tisdale picking up the stake. I am trying to avoid suggesting anyone from Gossip Girl being a Potential, but if Leighton Meester is interested, we'll see. Sadly, that won't happen, but will a new Buffy movie that Joss Whedon isn't writing or directing be acceptable? Apparently not, but people are going to try to see if it can work.

Actually, there is a way it can work. Just don't call the new Slayer Buffy. In fact, let's bring back Kristy Swanson and Luke Perry as a couple who are concerned about their 17 year old daughter, and how she's acting strangely. It could be due to that mole just below her neck, and that she's sneaking off at night. Once they find out that she's been battling vampires, Kristy will turn to Luke and say, "See? Our daughter does have the Mark of the Coven...just like me.
"She's the next Slayer, and we've got to train her."

Now I am saying "the next Slayer." That doesn't mean the old one died, and the new girl has to be trained fast. By having the story be about the next Slayer, you can have it mean that the new Slayer is the latest of a long line of Slayers already busy at work holding back evil and such. That, of course, means there's still plenty of room for Buffy in this movie Slayererse. If this is done right, Joss can give his blessing, and get involved somehow. With the reputation he has, respecting his definition of a Slayer is important.

Seeing if Buffy the Vampire Slayer can be reborn, even if her body isn't Sarah Michelle Gellar, will cause a big debate. It may lead to shelving the movie, or having a movie produced with a new cast, or the old TV cast. Whatever happens, Joss Whedon must have some say in the matter. Fran Rubel Kuzui may have helped Buffy's birth in the movies and TV, but it was Joss who raised her well to become the Girl Power Icon we know today.

Of course, it could be worse....it could be a direct-to-DVD movie, like the second sequel to I Know What You Did Last Summer or a prequel to the Dukes of Hazzard.

UPDATE!! Joss briefly talked to Mike Ausiello of Entertainment Weekly about this Joss-less Buffy movie....

What do you think about this Buffy movie they're making without you?
JOSS WHEDON: I hope it's cool.

Joss is still filming Cabin in the Woods, but when he has time, he'll have more to say.