Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film)
A 1992 comedy horror film about a cheerleader vampire slayer.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Buffy the Vampire Slayer hit theaters in 1992 as a comedy-horror vampire movie. Fran Rubel Kuzui directed it from a script by Joss Whedon. Kristy Swanson plays the title character, Buffy Summers, a Valley Girl cheerleader who learns she is fated to fight vampires. Supporting roles go to Donald Sutherland, Paul Reubens, Rutger Hauer, and Luke Perry. Hilary Swank appears as Kimberly, a minor antagonist and part of the popular clique, not a friend of Buffy's; this was her first film role. 20th Century Fox released the movie on July 31, 1992. Critics gave it mixed reviews, and it earned $16.6 million against a $7 million budget. Because the film strayed from what Whedon had originally planned, he later created a TV series of the same name that followed his original concept and earned critical praise.
The plot follows Buffy, a Hemery High School cheerleader in Los Angeles who cares mostly about shopping, her snobby friends, and her jock boyfriend Jeffrey. At the mall, a man named Merrick approaches her, claiming she is the Slayer—the “Chosen One” meant to kill vampires—and that he is her Watcher, there to train her. Buffy dismisses him as a crazy homeless man. Merrick eventually convinces her by describing a recurring dream of hers and taking her to stake two new vampires in a graveyard. She realizes her natural agility, strength, and heightened senses are Slayer abilities. Buffy’s indifference and sharp tongue test Merrick’s patience. He tells her she must kill the elder vampire Lothos, who plans to rebuild his brood with help from his follower Amilyn.
Meanwhile, mechanic Pike and his friend Benny are attacked by Amilyn while drinking. Benny becomes a vampire, but Merrick saves Pike. After a run-in with the vampiric Benny, Pike tries to leave town but runs into Amilyn’s gang. Buffy and Merrick rescue him. Pike then insists on helping Buffy, and they become friends despite earlier dislike. At a basketball game, Buffy discovers that Jeffrey’s teammate Grueller is a vampire. Pike helps her stake him, but Lothos learns her true nature. Lothos and Amilyn put Buffy in a hypnotic trance. Merrick attacks Lothos despite vowing not to interfere, and is fatally wounded. Lothos leaves out of respect. As Merrick dies, he tells Buffy to wait for “the silence.”
At school, Buffy tries to explain the danger to her
- Release date
- July 31, 1992
- Director
- Fran Rubel Kuzui
- Writer
- Joss Whedon
- Production company
- Sandollar (Dolly Parton's company)
- Distributor
- 20th Century Fox
- Budget
- $7 million
- Box office
- $16,624,456
Lore & Background
Buffy Summers is a cheerleader at Hemery High School in Los Angeles, focused on shopping and her jock boyfriend Jeffrey. She is approached by Merrick, who tells her she is the Slayer, destined to kill vampires. After he convinces her by describing a recurring dream, she trains with him and learns of the elder vampire Lothos, who plots to rebuild his brood with his acolyte Amilyn. Buffy befriends mechanic Pike after they rescue him from vampires, and together they face Lothos at a school dance, where Buffy stakes him with a broken wooden stake.
Reader's Guide
The film is significant as the first adaptation of Joss Whedon's concept, though Whedon was dissatisfied with the final product due to creative differences. Executives at 20th Century Fox removed many of Whedon's jokes and changed the tone to a light-hearted B movie comedy, leading Whedon to abandon the production. He later created a television series that adhered more closely to his original vision, which achieved critical acclaim. The film introduced elements later retconned in the series, such as Buffy being a senior and an only child, and vampires dying like humans rather than turning to dust. Despite mixed reviews, the film has a cult following and launched a franchise.
Did You Know?
- The film was sold to Dolly Parton's production company, Sandollar, in fall 1991.
- Filming was completed in five weeks to accommodate Luke Perry's Beverly Hills, 90210 schedule.
- Joss Whedon has explicitly cited 'Night of the Comet' as a major inspiration for the film.
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