Saturday, September 16, 2023

They're Back! Kinda.

***Drumroll please***

It looks like the Buffyverse is making a comeback in an unexpected way and we're here for it!

After hearing the devastating news that the new iteration of the slayer for TV had been placed "on pause" after Joss was outed as a creepo by more than one cast member, we thought all hope was lost. 

Who knew that over 20 years after the Buffy finale, Audible was the champion we needed to finally revive the 'verse with SLAYERS: A Buffyverse Story? Looks like we'll also be getting some of our faves back, too: James Marsters, Charisma Carpenter, Anthony Head, Juliet Landau, Emma Caulfield Ford, James Charles Leary, and Danny Strong are set to voice their original characters.  And Amber Benson and Christopher Golden as writers! 

Check out Audible's press release here

Is it too much to ask the universe for SMG and Boreanaz to make a cameo? All of us at Buffyfest are praying hard to the Powers that Be. 🙏  

The Audible series will premiere on Oct. 12. Yay!

‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Universe Audio Series
Set With Original Cast Members Returning




Saturday, September 11, 2021

Have We TALKED About This??


 Buffy the Vampire Slayer actor Nicholas Brendon arrested for alleged prescription fraud. He was also charged with a misdemeanor for allegedly failing to properly identify himself when stopped by police.


Wednesday, May 19, 2021

'The Nevers' Mid-Season Finale SLAPPED [spoilers]

Listen, it's not just because we're some bamboozled Joss Whedon fangirls over here still. We are most certainly not. But after seeing the mid-season finale of The Nevers entitled "True", we realize that he really created something amazing here and I personally am not afraid to admit it. The twists and turns elevated the plot to something so much more than "Buffy in the Victorian Era." It was wild. 

And I'm angry. This continues to make me so angry at Joss. He had a fresh, unique idea for a show that is aesthetically pleasing and different from anything else on TV right now. What a comeback it would've been! For all we know, at this moment in time, this show could end up being the the next Game of Thrones-level hit for HBO! And I'm angry that he blew it. Maybe HE needs to time-travel back to Victorian times to clean up the mess he made and make things right. If only. 

Until the Galanthi come to scare him straight, here are some cool behind-the-scenes photos of what is most likely the last times that Joss Whedon will be on the set of The Nevers.




And if you loved the finale as much as we did, please check out this fantastic interview that Esquire did with Laura Donnelly, who of course plays protagonist Amalia True/Molly/Zephyr Alexis
Navine/Stripe.:


Monday, April 12, 2021

Did You Watch 'The Nevers'?

I have a lot to say about what could've been (and likely would've been) Joss Whedon's giant comeback to TV with a fancy-ass HBO show complete with fancy-ass budget. The Nevers premiered tonight amiss a flurry of drama regarding El Hefe, but honestly I don't even want to think or talk about any of that. By now, you know what's happened with Joss. At this moment, I'd like to keep a very open mind and think of this show airing in the alternate universe: What Michelle and I call "The Light Timeline™". You know, the one where Al Gore became president back in 2000 and the Pandemic never happened. No 9/11 either. QAnon and KellyAnne Conway are unheard of over there. And yes, Joss also hasn't been cancelled in The Light Timeline™. But as you know, dear reader, you join me here in the putrid Dark Timeline™...so I'm not sure if you'll be able to bend your mind enough to just watch this show purely for what it is and keep Joss Whedon's downfall out of it. I can't say I really blame you, but I have made a vow to myself to try to do just that.

Annnyway, The Nevers. I loved it. And yes, the reason I loved it were all of those Joss Whedon touches I've grown to love over the decades (but now have a hard time separating from the inner mind of the man himself.) What I recognized was the whole "We are not the sum of our parts" ethos that has driven every single Whedon event. The character building. The female bad-assery. Loved it all. I also am a big-time sucker for the Victorian fashion and sets. This era seems like such an obvious theme for Joss to explore next. Le Sigh, what could've been. 

Let's quickly break it all down. [Spoilers from here on! You have been warned.]

The Pilot starts in London, August 1896 with a 5150 psychiatric commitment, a suicide attempt and then quickly scootches to 3 years later where we find our main characters in a chase scene very similar to a scene in Serenity. You know the one: A very long tracking shot shows Mal prepping to bring River on a bank robbery, Despite Simon's objections. When they arrive, River warns them that the Reavers are coming so they haul ass on the hovercraft vehicle known as "The Mule". This whole scene was very that, and I was SO here for it.


(Well, if you're going to pay homage to your own work, why not use the above masterpiece as inspiration.)

Said chase scene in The Nevers also features a clearer introduction of some important characters. First we have protagonist Amalia True - a very Buffy/Cordy combo in that she's a superstrong superfighter with a superpower of Prophetic Short-term Visions sprinkled on top. Amalia was the near-suicide shown at the top of the hour and is also a widow. Apparently, she likes the drink, as well.


Amalia is paired up with innocent, redhead Penance Adair who is definitely our Willow/Fred/Kaley, in this case, all sciencey and witchy. She can see electricity currents, which helps shape her inventions. Also shown is teenager Myrtle who is our River Tam, at least in this scene. She can only speak foreign tongues, particularly Chinese, although she can understand English. 



Long story short, these women belong to a community known as “the touched,” basically people with superpowers. You know the drill. Amalia and Penance ask young Myrtle to come live at the orphanage that they run, but chaos and chase ensue. Later in the episode there are fireballs, human experiments, the expected misogyny, an Opera, Bellatrix LeStrange even pops over for a cameo! There's also the silly plot-line of a pampered, spoiled Duke trying to open a sex club (???) I don't want to spoil too much more except for pointing out heiress Lavinia Bidlow. She's this universe's version of Dollhouse's Adelle Dewitt, and not only because she's played by the same actress, Olivia Williams. Plot-wise the Pilot was a little fast paced and confusing, but left me wanting more.

The Joss Whedon energy was definitely big here, and even harder to miss in the end-credits. He’s credited as Director, Writer, Producer, and Creator. Four big smacks, right in a row. And I'm really sad. Sad that his fall-from-grace is not going to allow the viewer to see his vision unfold on HBO, perhaps over many seasons. But also sad that he has put us in this position. That's all I've got.

I think I'll go watch the episode again. And then watch Serenity.


Monday, December 9, 2019

Ship Your Ornaments! Today's the Deadline!

**Reminder** Today is the deadline to send out your ornaments for the 2019 Whedonverse Ornament Swap! Hope everyone had a great time crafting and managed to get them out on time. We over here at Buffyfest have already previewed some of the creations and they are incredible!

Don't forget, as you receive the ornies please post pics to the Flickr group so we can all see the fun! That can be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/buffyfestholidayswap

If you have any other questions, please feel free to email us at buffyfest[at]aim[dot]com



Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Swap Lists Have Gone Out!

Lists have all now gone out for the 2019 Whedonverse Ornament Swap! All participants should have their recipient group list at this time. If you signed up but didn't receive the email, WTF? Please let us know asap.

Now it's time to get crafting on those ornaments and remember to ship out by Dec 8th. That's just about 3 weeks away! We do recommend shipping even earlier if you're outside of the US or are in an international group, so that everyone gets their festive packages in time for the holidays.

If you need a little inspiration, check out the fantastic history of this swap here. Make sure to post photos in that group as well!

If you still have questions, feel free to email us at buffyfest@aim.com.

Thank you to all the participants. Happy swapping!


Saturday, November 16, 2019

Final Weekend to Sign Up for the Whendoverse Ornament Swap!

Tomorrow is the last day to join the fun known as the Whedonverse Ornament Swap! If you'd like to sign up for the resurgence of our favorite Holiday tradition, follow the instructions below before tomorrow night. We'll be sorting the groups immediately and you'll receive your list of recipients Monday morning.

Please make sure to read full details here and if you're down, send an email with the subject "MERRY WHEDON" with the following information to buffyfest@aim.com:

- name
- mailing address
- whether your are willing to ship internationally (note: All of North America will be combined this year).

Sunday, November 10, 2019

IT'S BACK! The Annual Whedonverse Ornament Swap!

After SO many requests, we’ve realized how much this event means to everyone...so we've decided to bring back the beloved Annual Whedonverse Ornament Swap! Shiny!

If you've never heard of this swap then let us do a little explainy: The purpose of the swap is to give and receive a little festive Buffy & Whedonverse joy. Basically, you will create ornaments with a Whedonverse theme (Buffy, Firefly, Dr. Horrible, Avengers, etc.) and send them to 4-6 different recipients. In return you will receive 4-6 completely different handmade ornaments from around the world. As you can see from the photos, you really can make them out of anything: Wood, knit, sew, paint, draw, sculpt, paper craft, recycle old ornaments (earth friendly!) Have fun with it! There are no rules. (Actually there are some rules, see below.)

We looove this event and every year we are reminded of the wonderful creativity of this fandom. Check out the several hundred photos of coolness from years past: http://www.flickr.com/groups/buffyfestholidayswap/

If you'd like to join us, sign-ups begin right now and will end next Monday, November 16th at 11:59 PM U.S. EST. And pretty please make super sure you're willing to go through with this entire process before signing up! Deadbeats ruin the holiday fun for everyone. Here are the guidelines in 6 easy steps:

1. Sign up by sending an email with the subject "MERRY WHEDON" and the following information to buffyfest@aim.com by Sunday, November 17th at 11:59 PM U.S. EST
- name
- address
- whether your are willing to ship overseas* (US and Canada will be mixed together)

2. On November 18th you'll receive an email from us containing the addresses and email addresses of 4-6 swap participants for you to send your ornaments to.

3. Create the multiple Whedon themed ornaments! You'll have 3 weeks to make them.

4. Package your ornaments well (especially if you create something fragile) and send one ornament to each person on the list of swap participants in your group by Monday, December 9th.

5. Sit back and relax as you wait to receive 4-6 lovely Whedonverse ornaments in the mail!

6. Then don't forget to share photos of the ornaments you make and receive by uploading to the swap flickr group here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/buffyfestholidayswap. (You will need a flickr account to upload photos, which is easy to set up.)

*Fine Print*
Since you'll have each other's personal info, please contact each other with any questions, disputes or praise.

A note on international shipping: Please only select international shipping if you are willing to ship at least 2-3 of your ornaments overseas. Take timing and the cost of shipping into account when you design your ornament. Lighter and more compact ornaments are cheaper to ship.

Any questions? Email us at buffyfest@aim.com

Sunday, October 6, 2019

A Slayer By Any Other Name


As news trickles in, we’ve come to find out that the Buffy reboot isn’t so much a reboot, but the story of a new Chosen One with her own set of adventures. We’re more than fine with that - no need to redo the perfection that was Buffy Summers. A script hasn’t been penned yet, so we thought it might be fun to take this opportunity to make a Wish List of sorts. Here are a few story ideas (out of a gazillion) that we came up with off the top of our heads:

The Future Dystopia: What if our new slayer lived in a dystopian future a la the Buffy episode “The Wish”? We could see a world ravaged by climate change, making it fertile hunting grounds for nasty night dwellers, demons, as well as desperate humans. Sounds like a perfect time for Wolfram & Hart to enter stage left and take advantage of the situation.



The Metaphor: Buffy was known for the “high school is hell” metaphor and since one thing we know for sure about the new slayer is that she will be a person of color, it would make sense to use vampires as a metaphor for white supremacy and racism. This could be a powerful telling of our present state of affairs.

The Period Piece: Literally anytime in our past would make for a great telling of a young girl’s story as she comes into her own power and faces the resistance of the society around her.



The Crossover: Recently, SMG and David Boreanaz were asked about the new slayer and both shot down the idea of appearing in it, but if you read the articles here and here, I think you’ll see that they might be a little confused (like we all were ) and think it’s a literal reboot of their characters. It’s not and any and all guest appearances are welcome, even annoying Xander (kidding, not really).

No matter what, I know we’re all looking forward to watching this world come to life again. The possibilities are endless and that’s a good thing.



Saturday, July 21, 2018

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is getting a reboot: complicated feelings... ACTIVATE!


Creepy uncle that loves telling stories about abused girls who kickypunch their way to empowerment, Joss Whedon, is set to executive produce a new series for the character who helped make him a nerdy household name back in the decade of crop tops and rapey presidents. Wow, things sure have changed! Yes, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is coming back to television but this time as a black woman because... intersectional feminism?


Look, maybe it's just that I'm having an allergic reaction to all the dust I kicked up after using this website for the first time in over five years, but I'm not sure I feel so great about more Buffy from ol' Josh. And knowing that Monica Owusu-Breen, a black woman herself, will serve as head writer and showrunner doesn't tamp down my uncertainty as much as I wish it would.

Because I should be excited, right? More Buffy was one of the things I wanted most over a decade ago when Tara, Michelle, and I started this fansite which is dedicated to Buffy. A shared love for this character and this show, cliche as it is, is the genesis for the friendships that helped me survive through some of the most tumultuous times in my life. And Buffyfest itself is the website where I learned that the trick to writing is to just do it, that the key to building relationships with creatives is to just ask, and that you can actually make a living off of shitposting on the internet. Buffy and the 'fest she inspired are the building blocks of my personal and professional life.

So why aren't I happy?

At first I thought maybe it was because I, selfishly, always hoped that the inevitable return to the world of Buffy would finally usher in a story about a transgender slayer. The idea that a young trans girl could find affirmation of her womanness through the simultaneous exhilaration and horror that is being the slayer is something I've dreamed of for actual decades now. A trans slayer is a dream I've shared with a lot of other non-cisgender folks over the years -- even Tara herself, Amber Benson, told me at a New York Comic Con several years ago that she thought the new slayer *had* to be trans. 

But I think even if I did get that wish, I'd still be hesitant. Part of that, sadly, is because Whedon is involved, a feeling that would blow 2008 me's mind. Joss's ability to write through a feminist lens has been called into question repeatedly in the last decade. Whedon has rightfully lost the faith of fans for a myriad of reasons, whether it's fridging Felicia Day's character to enable the villanous rise of someone like Doctor Horrible, the repeated use of violence on women's bodies as an avenue towards expressing the power of womanhood, or the allegations that he was having sex with multiple young actresses in a way that suggests dubious consent. Things like that give me pause when I hear that Joss will be even remotely involved in crafting a new Buffy story.

There's something else about this Buffy reboot that rings hollow, too. While, yes, Breen will serve as showrunner, Buffy is not her creation. And yet both before and after the original Buffy film in 1992, there have been stories of vampire hunters written by women of color, a fact pointed out by many culture critics.
I'd ask, "Why not a TV series based off of something like Minion," but I already know the answer. I knew it before, while attending the Nerds of Color Pool Party on Saturday night at 2018's San Diego Comic Con, writer, Valerie Complex, referred to the Buffy reboot as a "cash grab." Valerie talked with me about the obviousness that people like Whedon want to appeal to (and make money off of) black women, but they clearly don't know how to do that.

I've been having a lot of conversations like this lately, even more than usual. That same day, I was sitting down with Orlando Jones and we wound up talking a lot about his friend and frequent collaborator, Bryan Fuller. Jones pointed out how Fuller for all his success, is still the showrunner most famous for always getting his shows canceled -- or, in the case of Star Trek: Discovery, the showrunner who fired before his creation even debuted.

Jones pointed out that part of Fuller's repeated challenges stem from the natural conflict between network and creator. Sure, Fuller bringing his experiences as a queer creator to the world of Star Trek sounds great as a headline, but the reality is never as uplifting or as "diversifying" as what's being claimed. Because, sure, a gay man writing Star Trek is great until he actually wants to show gay people being as sexual and as diverse as straight people are. Then those who hold the purse strings say, "Can we dial this back a little?" And then they keep saying dial it back until we're Will & Grace in space. And that's not diversity -- that's pandering from people who want the LGBTQIA audience but don't want their baggage.

Would it be any different with the Buffy reboot? Whedon has never been very good at getting his way with TV execs (see: the cancellations of Firefly and Dollhouse) and Breen doesn't have the kind of clout to get her way, either.

Buffy who?
And while Salim Akil and Mara Brock Akil have been able to escape the oft inevitability of blackness as monolith with The CW's Black Lightning, that doesn't feel so much a sign of the times at it is a sign that Black Lightning wasn't as established a property. Black Lightning could have failed without the CW's Arrowverse having to skip a beat (it's not even part of the Arrowverse). But Buffy, one of the most famous "feminist" properties of the last quarter century is another matter entirely. Buffy is just too big to believe that TV execs would allow for the risk of genuine diversity. "Buffy's black now," and that feels like the most we're likely to get.

That just won't cut it. That's not enough to pull in the viewers TV executives claim they are trying to represent. When Black Lightning exists, when Black Panther exists, when Luke Cage exists, when Shonda goddamn Rhimes exists, that just isn't enough.

And I wish I could say that the reason I'm writing my thoughts about the Buffy reboot on Buffyfest as opposed to SYFY WIRE where my byline has found its home for over 7 years is out of pure nostalgia. But the truth is that I'm also doing it because WIRE is owned by NBC Universal Comcast and what I really feel and want to say would absolutely be tamped down so that we don't offend some of our "less political" readers. Even at WIRE, which is just a website for nerds entirely unaffiliated with Buffy or Fox, any remotely strongly worded criticisms for something like a Buffy reboot would be edited down and finished off with a "these opinions do not reflect those of Universal Comcast."

None of this is to say that a Buffy reboot will be definitely be bad. It might be good! For all we know that new, black Buffy Summers will also be trans and be joined by a host of people of color and LGBTQIA folx that entirely eschew colorism and queer stereotyping (looking at you Warren "bury our gays" Mears).

But I'm not holding my breath. And if it were up to me, we'd be getting a Vampire Huntress Legend series instead of the goofy prospect of a new Buffy/new Charmed crossover. Which, in fairness, I would absolutely watch.

Thursday, March 30, 2017

This Entertainment Weekly 'Buffy' 20th Anniversary Reunion is Evvverything!


If you haven't already watched the 44 minute Buffy 20th reunion video, really stop what you're doing and watch it here online RIGHT NOW on the People/Entertainment Network. It'll make your whole damn day.

Highlights: SMG and Joss are still Bangel 'shippers, Kristen Sutherland (Buffy's mom) has a killer Wednesday Adams-type style going on, Nicholas Brendon seems happy and healthy, everyone looks amazing (cough *Charisma Carpenter*) and more! Oh, and David Boareanz likes to rock a RHCP-eque cock-sock, or nothing at all. lolz!

See a slew of photos below of the cast reuniting from EW's corresponding photo shoot below. Issues are on sale this week!









Anthony Stewart Head didn't attend lol




Friday, March 10, 2017

No Really, Thank You.


On this great day, Sarah Michelle Gellar professed her love and gratitude for Buffy and it's fans on social media in celebration of the show's 20th anniversary and other cast members followed suit. She said:

"most importantly thank you to all of you, the fans. We made this show for you, and your unwavering support has kept this show going long past our seven years. You are everything. And always remember...'if the apocalypse comes, beep me'"

Aww.

Now go and watch along with us, our site-wide favorite episode: "The Gift".

Thursday, February 25, 2016

'Cruel Intentions' Show - WTF Sarah Michelle Gellar?

So Sarah Michelle Gellar is reprising her role as Kathryn Merteuil in a reboot show of the 90's film she starred in named Cruel Intentions but not a Buffy reboot show of the 90's show (and film) of the same name. Yeah ok. What did we ever do to you, girl?





Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Best Gift of 2015 - The Stake Mic!

We received the most amazing gift from my brother! He MADE it: A professional microphone for us to conduct interviews that resembles a stake for the handle!!! Yeah! Dusting Vamps at Mother Effin Comic Con, yo! 

It's made out of real wood...so Buffy could certainly borrow our mic, if need be.

Happy Yule and Merry Christmas everyone! Hope your sibling is as kick-ass as mine and Santa gives you a gift as awesome as STAKE MIC is!





Tuesday, December 1, 2015

'Buffy's' Nicholas Brendon Returns to Dr. Phil After Storming Off

I know this is dark subject matter, dear Buffyfest readers, but Nicholas Brendon is one of ours and needs some support right now. Obviously he's ready to tell his story so we're ok with mentioning it.

Several months ago Nicholas Brendon stormed off the set of The Dr. Phil Show. At the time, he accused Dr. Phil of going for "the jugular" and forcing him to "lay the darkest parts of myself on national TV". Today, our Xander returned to the show after being arrested 4 times this year for various reasons (trashing a hotel room, pub;ic intoxication and most recently, a domestic violence incident with his girlfriend). On today's show, Nicky told Dr. Phil that he blacked out during most of these incidents. He has now checked into a 90-day depression program at a Florida rehab center in October (but was allowed to attend Toulouse Game Show, a French fan convention, last week.)


Nicky opened up about attempting suicide because of his substance abuse. "I cut my wrists with a steak knife," Nicholas Brendon told Dr. Phil McGaw, crying. "Did you want to die that day?" Dr. Phil asked. "I think I wanted to be heard. I think I wanted to be helped, you know?" he said. "Because I think there's a lot of good life to live."

He also insisted he did not choke his girlfriend. "I just felt at that time that my girlfriend shouldn't drive, so I tried to take her keys away. I held her down to get the keys."

"When you wake up in jail and you're not sure why you're there, that's a very, very lonely feeling," Nicholas says.

 He also delved into his childhood trauma of being molested by a music teacher, who went to jail in 1981, when he was about 10 years old. After the teacher was caught, Brendon said he felt "numb, and then the betrayal kind of came to fruition after it all came out, and then anger." "I think about it every day of my life and I wonder how it affected me … did I stop growing emotionally?" he added. "When you're molested for a couple years and you're blamed for it by the people who are supposed to be your protectors, there's going to be a lot of confusion and a lot of sadness."

At the end of the interview, Brendon checked into a dual diagnosis treatment center, HeadWaters at Origins. "Maybe I'm just done," he said. "Maybe I'm ready to be happy now."

See a clip below:



Good Luck, Buddy. We're rooting for you!