Review of Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Once More With Feeling

Introduction

Once upon a time in the west (coast) there was a cosy little series called `Buffy the Vampire slayer` and the writer/director looked at Buffy and saw that it was good. But he wanted it to be better. Many innovations were introduced as and when they could be afforded. In Season 4 there was an episode called `Hush` where very little was said by anybody. The whole episode was scored just like a musical where the music did the job of the normally very talkative actors. And Joss looked at this and saw that this too was good. But he wanted more.

In Season 6 Buffy was growing up and perhaps not as perky as she once was. The fan base was also getting slightly saddened by the moody girl-after all she`d been brought back from the dead!

Then along came the true musical episode, where everyone had something to say and by God they would have to sing it whether they wanted to or not.
The phenomenon of the Buffy musical came to pass and it was good, bordering on great and lo there was a cd released. Then for the first time ever (possibly)
a single episode of a long-running programme was released as a standalone disc.

Open then on Buffy patrolling in the churchyard and `Going through the motions`. It seems that everyone has something they need to hide but a demon summoned accidentally causes them all to burst into song and blurt out things that are better left unsaid.

Buffy can`t relate to the real world having been dragged out of Heaven by Willow`s spell. Tara is deeply concerned by Willow`s apparent dependence on magic but when they have a row Willow casts a spell to make her forget. Xander and Anya are increasingly worried by their impending nuptials and it appears that Dawn has a tendency to kleptomania. With Buffy so detached from life Giles hopes to shock her back into responsibility by going back to England.

In this hour-long episode issues that have been developing over previous episodes are dragged high-kicking and screaming into the open. It sums up the Season to date and sets up virtually the rest of the episodes apart from the Troika who were left out altogether, presumably because they couldn`t sing.

This is the uncut version of 48 minutes-the BBC cut both versions down when they showed it to fit into their 45-minute slot.

Video

The disc is produced in widescreen as the Series has been since Season 4.
The series is shot in 35mm and has been since the second series, following an increase in budget.
There are limited locations due to budget constraints. Nothing different from previous episodes apart from a rare visit to the local park.

There are few special effects this episode but the demon Sweet is a marvellous construction of latex.

Audio

The sound is only in Dolby Digital 2.0 but it is perfectly adequate to be fair. There is a case for complaining that they could have produced this on 5.1 but they obviously decided we would buy it anyway.

Features

Aah, what could have been. Where is the commentary track by Joss? I feel that the producers of `Buffy` have let the fans down on this.

Actual contents:

Buffy -the music

This short Featurette mainly concerns music made for Season 4, which included `Hush`. Christophe Beck does not work on the series now and I can`t tell you who does. (I think you know why)

Angel: Season 1 Overview
A very short Featurette on Angel presumably to sell more DVDs it does not add to the sum total of all knowledge.

Dark Angel
Interview with Jessica Alba

I`ve got no idea why they thought this was a suitable `bonus feature`- it has nothing to do with Buffy and everything to do with selling more DVDs.

Trailers for Season 1-6 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer

See Buffy looking rather sweet and slightly chubbier in the face. See how young Angel looked in Season 1 (Vampires don`t age, do they?)

Trailers for Angel Seasons 1-3

Trailer for Dark Angel-yes they really want you to buy it.

Conclusion

Choose life. Choose Buffy.

If you need a little cheering up why not watch a show where the leading actress had to crawl out of her grave, give up the love of her life, fight demons everyday and has to get a regular job to pay the bills. Eat your heart out Spiderman. (Anything`s possible in Buffy). To top it all somebody gets the bright idea to make everybody sing. It could have fallen flat but instead has become a well-loved, well-taped episode that deserves to be seen in all its glory. It`s a bonus issue in itself but stingy in its choice of extras. It does mean that anytime you need a boost you can put on your Buffy dancing shoes…

All-singing, all-dancing Buffy? I admit it I am a complete fan and the show can do no wrong for me. This episode has gained a life of its own (or perhaps an after-life) spawning a CD, script book and now this single issue DVD. For those people who don`t buy the boxed sets it is an opportunity to get this stupendous, and dare I say it, monster episode for themselves.