BtVS in the Media

[Thomas Crown]

Nice looking set and I will definitely pick it up. I'm thinking that at 3000 limited the Buffy Soundtrack will eventually sell out.  La-La Land records hinted that there might even be few signed copies available for sale. 

[Halting Hex]

Quote

Thomas Wander

His name is "Wanker".  :)

[Halting Hex]

Really?  That's lame.  I'm sure "VON-ker" is a perfectly good German name, all cheap jokes aside.

Sheesh, what a wander.

[VCRTracking]

Michael Gershman, ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Cinematographer, Dies at 73

[jjj]

"Buffy" is being rerun on Pop TV, starting today, March 23.  It looks like six episodes will be run every Friday:  https://www.poptv.com/schedule . 

On 3/19/2018 at 11:59 AM, nosleepforme said:

Sarah Michelle Gellar also paid tribute to him in a very lovely heartfelt Instagram post last week.

Thank you, this is truly lovely. 

[Halting Hex]

A) Woo-hoo!  It's back! Now I can re-fill my DVR (see upthread).

B) Damn, why didn't I check this thread last week.  Now I'm going to have to wait six months for my next chance at "Welcome to the Hellmouth" and "The Pack", and that even assumes Pop will do a second run :(

C) Hey, Pop, I spent most of February watching your airings of Celebrity Big Brother After Dark…you couldn't have mentioned this then? Sigh.

D) R.I.P. Gersh.  I dislike the UPN years for many, many reasons, but one of them was that it just didn't look the same.  Ray Stella's work as DP gave us a different-looking Buffyverse, and not for the better, IMO. (Sorry, Ray.)  At least his work with the "Gersh-light" that defined the 16mm beauty that was S1-S2 will live on.

I suppose it's almost appropriate that the reruns are starting up again.  Now I can drift back in to those beautiful shadows.  Rest well, Michael, rest well.

[Halting Hex]

Aggh!  These are not exactly ideal versions of the episodes, I'm afraid.  We're still getting the overly-bright "Blu-Ray" versions, most notably in Angel, when the scenes in Buffy's bedroom are ridiculously lit, to the point where they appear to be taking place during the day.  So never mind "why isn't Angel bursting into flames?", I'm just wondering how Buffy can get any shuteye with all the light streaming in.

And in the next scene, with the kissage, we get this exchange:

Quote

(*Kiss-kiss*, Angel pulls away)

BUFFY: What's wrong?

ANGEL: All this goddamn light! (Vamps out, dives out the window.  Buffy SCREAMS)

(Joyce enters)

JOYCE:  Buffy, what is it?

BUFFY (shaken):  Nothing.  I saw a shadow.

JOYCE:  Buffy, your room is lit like a photographer's studio.  The only shadows in here are hiding in your dresser.

Or something like that, anyway.

(Ironic that these mistakenly "corrected" episodes, that fucked with Michael Gershman's brilliant cinematography, are back on TV right after Gershman died.  Why can't they just run the original versions?)

And they've inserted a fifth ad-break, doesn't allow for more commercials, but it breaks the flow of the episode by putting them where there not supposed to be.  I remember that this is what made me hate Star Trek: The Next Generation, way back when, because TNG was written with a "five-act" structure in mind, and the stations would then insert a corresponding-but-jarring fifth break into the original series episodes as well.  JFC, put the ads where the ads go…is that so hard?

And while I didn't look through all six of today's episodes, there are still some trims.  I noticed that in Prophecy Girl, we went from Buffy slaying the vamp on campus (and going "Giles would be so proud"), we skipped to a shot of Giles through his office window, rather that starting with a shot of the skylight (necessary to establish, for the sake of the episode's conclusion) and then dissolving to the office shot and so on.  Most of the cuts don't seem so blatant, but it feels as though the eps are being played slightly faster than normal, the dialogue coming in a fraction of a beat quicker than I remember it.  It's as though this is the Gilmore Girls version of the episodes.  Too much coffee, dudes.  Seriously.

Ah well, better this than nothing, and it will still be useful to have the episodes at the touch of my DVR if I need to check something quickly…but annoying that I'll have to go to the computer/the DVDs/my old tapes if I want the true viewing experience.  Sigh.

(And if they're still trying to get by with cutting "Can you imagine that the Watchers' Council let this guy go?" from Döppelgängland, we're gonna have words.  I'm just saying.)

ETA:  It occurs to me that the problem might not simply be the "HD remastered" episodes, but also that I'm watching them in HDTV for the first time.  (As mentioned upthread, I lost my stored episodes when I got a new DVR to go with my new HDTV, my first upgrade from analog.)  But even so, those bedroom scenes in Angel are still waaaaay too bright, IMO.

Edited March 30, 2018 by Halting Hex

[Joe Hellandback]

What's the story on the Buffy comics? I heard that the season 11 were going to be the last? Is that it or are we still going to have Buffy the High School Years and Specials like Giles? What about the Angel comics?

[Joe Hellandback]

2 hours ago, nosleepforme said:

Buffy season 12 was announced as the last. However, apparently they are still planning to release more Buffyverse comics, they are just getting rid of the season labelling. 

Okay, nice to see the Buffyverse continue, I think a dozen more issues and the comics will have actually more editions than the shows had episodes. Are they still going ahead with a new series of Buffy books?

Edited April 6, 2018 by Joe Hellandback

[Halting Hex]

Wow, how have I managed to not know that Alyson Hannigan has been hosting Penn & Teller:  Fool Us for the past five seasons? I mean, I've kind of been over P&T for a while (their Showtime series, Bullsh*t tended to annoy me more often than not), but I've always been a member of the target audience for Alyson Hannigan Reads the Phone Book, so…

Time to bust out the DVR, and use the FF to make sure that everyone who isn't Aly is as silent as Teller, I suppose.

[illdoc]

On 4/6/2018 at 3:30 AM, nosleepforme said:

Buffy season 12 was announced as the last. However, apparently they are still planning to release more Buffyverse comics, they are just getting rid of the season labelling. 

Season 12  #1 will be out Jun 20 (Giles #3 Apr 18 & Giles #4 (last one) May 20)

[Halting Hex]

Wow, not only are PopTV's edits of the episodes annoying (I'm just more used to Pivot having aired complete episodes, before my DVR was wiped in last December's disaster) but now they're just skipping episodes, entirely.  I didn't mind so much when Amends and DB's Oirish accent went bye-bye last week (my love for First!Jenny aside) but today they're skipping from Earshot to The Prom, no Choices, no "I kind of love you", no nothing. >:(  Makes me want to feed them to a boxful of Gavrok spiders. Or at least Faith and her knife.

I guess they want to end on Graduation Day, Part 2 for some reason, but that's stupid; they didn't end three weeks ago on Becoming, Part 2.  That week went up to Dead Man's Party.  And all this "adjusting" means Season 4 will need to be "trimmed" as well, if they want to have Restless be the last episode in three Fridays' time, too.  Whereas if they'd just let things run organically from ep 36, ep 78 (Restless) would be the last episode in its group, seven weeks later.  Annoying.

I mean, bad enough they aired a version of Faith, Hope, & Trick that omitted Willow saying that Buffy could impress Scott Hope by doing "that thing with your mouth that boys like" (and Buffy's shocked reaction implying that she thinks Will is suggesting fellatio as an icebreaker!), but at least most of that episode is still there.  Skipping episodes completely just plain sucks.  Where's "[Willow's] night for suave" now?  Not here. :(

Edited May 19, 2018 by Halting Hex

[chick binewski]

So did Pop drop Buffy completely? No airings tomorrow, nothing on the website. 

Yeah, I have the boxed set but I like having it on Friday mornings. Despite the odd cuts to commercial. 

[Halting Hex]

Yeah, it looks to be gone for good.  Which rather explains the rush to end on Graduation Day.  Well, I've got a mini-archive rebuilt, but still.  I'd rather have 70+ episodes from Pivot than a smaller amount from Pop.  And those who like the later seasons more than I do will be even less pleased, I'm sure.

(And it's not as though I would have said no to having Hush waiting for me in the DVR.  Or even Doomed.  ["There was so much blood, and there was a body…and Percy said I was a nerd!" Aww…] Back to the computer/DVDs/tapes for me. Sigh.)

[illdoc]

Nearing the end of season 7 on "Buffy la cazavampiros". Watching Hush in Spanish is not good---they read all written in English aloud in Spanish, so it's less "taken voices away" and more "turned everyone into ventriloquists". They even read a post-it note aloud. The note said "Willow  #214  Stevenson"! 

[Joe Hellandback]

On ‎15‎/‎04‎/‎2018 at 4:43 PM, Halting Hex said:

Wow, how have I managed to not know that Alyson Hannigan has been hosting Penn & Teller:  Fool Us for the past five seasons? I mean, I've kind of been over P&T for a while (their Showtime series, Bullsh*t tended to annoy me more often than not), but I've always been a member of the target audience for Alyson Hannigan Reads the Phone Book, so…

Time to bust out the DVR, and use the FF to make sure that everyone who isn't Aly is as silent as Teller, I suppose.

I felt that way too until I tried to watch Date Movie and turned off halfway through. 

[VCRTracking]

Marti Noxon on Sharp Objects, Joss Whedon, and Going ‘Toe-to-Toe’ With Jean-Marc Vallée

ETA: Fixed it.

Edited July 3, 2018 by VCRTracking

[Fool to cry]

21 hours ago, nosleepforme said:

I liked the interview. I wish the Buffy section of it was more extensive. Now I kind of want a writers' reunion panel or something like that. It would be really interesting to hear what things they would change about the show, looking back on it from today. 

  Me too. I just listened to the Nash Bridges writers reunion(some went on to co-create Lost and The Shield) and it was very entertaining and informative. A lot of shows today like the CW superhero  emulate Buffy but some can't seem to be able to get doing entertaining filler episodes along with ones that move the season long story arc right.

[secnarf]

https://groknation.com/culture/emma-caulfield-ford-violence-assault/#.W5VYDcdOKBE.facebook

[Halting Hex]

1 hour ago, secnarf said:

https://groknation.com/culture/emma-caulfield-ford-violence-assault/#.W5VYDcdOKBE.facebook

Emma was born in April 1973.  The last incident, the one where the gang members tried to machine-gun her, happened when she was 29.  Therefore, either during the filming of Season 7 or the spring or summer before it started.

I wonder if that's why she told Joss she didn't want to come back for a possible S8?  PTSD issues, perhaps?  That sucks, if true.  (And apparently, she didn't tell anyone about it.)

"That's so fucked up, Emma".  Horrible, too.  Sigh.

[Joe Hellandback]

10 hours ago, Halting Hex said:

Emma was born in April 1973.  The last incident, the one where the gang members tried to machine-gun her, happened when she was 29.  Therefore, either during the filming of Season 7 or the spring or summer before it started.

I wonder if that's why she told Joss she didn't want to come back for a possible S8?  PTSD issues, perhaps?  That sucks, if true.  (And apparently, she didn't tell anyone about it.)

"That's so fucked up, Emma".  Horrible, too.  Sigh.

God poor Emma!

[Pallas]

14 hours ago, Halting Hex said:

Emma was born in April 1973.  The last incident, the one where the gang members tried to machine-gun her, happened when she was 29.  Therefore, either during the filming of Season 7 or the spring or summer before it started.

In the article she states that this assault occurred on New Year's Eve. So, December 31, 2002: halfway through the taping of the final season. 

[Halting Hex]

Oops, I missed that.  (Sorry.). So it wasn't a case that the assault was part of her decision not to return for S8 (she'd already told Joss that over the summer), just more of a "what next??" stressor, apparently.

[Pallas]

Taking a comment to the Anya topic. 

[VCRTracking]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Alum Eliza Dushku Reveals She Married Peter Palandjian Last Month

[Joe Hellandback]

59 minutes ago, VCRTracking said:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Alum Eliza Dushku Reveals She Married Peter Palandjian Last Month

Happy for her and LUCKY HIM!

[Joe Hellandback]

On ‎17‎/‎09‎/‎2018 at 8:26 AM, VCRTracking said:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Alum Eliza Dushku Reveals She Married Peter Palandjian Last Month

Looking at this again I had an image of ED dropping adorable sprogs and then taking them on a playdate with AH and SMG's kids. 

4 minutes ago, nosleepforme said:

We don't know yet whether the new Buffy series in development will be a reboot or a spin-off, but we're getting at least one rebooted Buffy in 2019, when the comics move to Boom and based on the promo pic, it looks like Buffy is going back to highschool, but with a smart phone and ear pods this time around.

 

Buffy with an I-phone? Clever! Interesting poster, are we back to Buffy in high school then? Of course this means that the Buffy comics will now outnumber the eps from the shows. 

[Jack Shaftoe]

Quote

The characters are allowed to be equal parts human and monster, and seeing them struggle to balance those parts of themselves, the same parts we all struggle with, is why it still resonates with audiences of all ages and backgrounds today.”

Not this "part monster" crap again... I bet these comics will be all about Buffy's vampire boyfriends. Pass.

[Perfect Xero]

High School Buffy with a smart phone is weird to see.

[Halting Hex]

I would object to the ear-pods, with the danger to damage one's hearing, but Buffy has a Slayer healing factor, and as Giles says in the cut scene from Surprise, "the Slayer rarely survives past the middle-20s", anyhow.

So, rock out, Buffster!

[illdoc]

 Billy Lush (Revolution, Low Winter Sun) and Juliet Landau (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) will recur during Season 5 of Amazon’s Bosch as a cold-blooded criminal and a court reporter, respectively, Deadline reports.

[Joe Hellandback]

On ‎21‎/‎09‎/‎2018 at 11:53 AM, nosleepforme said:

I am excited for Buffy-in-Highschool comics. They have the potential to be better than the outrageous fan-service S8-S12 comics, and lots of fun should they decide to include Dawn and tell an alternate story of the first three seasons.

Yeah, love to see little Dawnie interact with the rest of the cast. 

[illdoc]

Sort of "in the media"--If you want to see AH & her oldest daughter cook together: https://tvline.com/2018/10/24/masterchef-junior-alyson-hannigan-celebrity-special-thanksgiving/

[Joe Hellandback]

SMG back in the news (and GORGEOUS as ever!)

[illdoc]

Posted on TVLine:  Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff Angel, plus creator Joss Whedon’s cult fave Firefly, are now available to stream for free in their entirety on Facebook Watch, per Variety. Link to the Variety article: https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/facebook-buffy-vampire-slayer-angel-firefly-joss-whedon-1203051189/

Edited November 30, 2018 by illdoc

[VCRTracking]

Rob DesHotel, Writer on 'That '70s Show' and 'Man With a Plan,' Dies at 52

He and his writing partner Dean Pateli also were story editors on the first two seasons of Buffy and wrote the episodes "Never Kill a Boy on His First Date", "The Puppet Show", "The Dark Age", "Killed By Death" and one of my favorites "Phases".  RIP.

[Joe Hellandback]

3 hours ago, VCRTracking said:

Rob DesHotel, Writer on 'That '70s Show' and 'Man With a Plan,' Dies at 52

He and his writing partner Dean Pateli also were story editors on the first two seasons of Buffy and wrote the episodes "Never Kill a Boy on His First Date", "The Puppet Show", "The Dark Age", "Killed By Death" and one of my favorites "Phases".  RIP.

That 70s Show is a rather interesting contemporary piece to Buffy, not least all the cross over actors, ED, AH etc. 

[Halting Hex]

21 hours ago, VCRTracking said:

[Batali and DesHotel] wrote the episodes "Never Kill a Boy on His First Date", "The Puppet Show", "The Dark Age", "Killed By Death" and one of my favorites "Phases".  RIP.

Joss did a lot of rewriting on their episodes, as early versions of NKAB and The Puppet Show and Killed by Death are on the web, and all show notable changes. Also, the 1997 Expose interview with Alyson Hannigan, she talks about Joss coming down to help her with the awkwardness of the "Willow talks to the computer" scene in I Robot, You Jane (hardly strange in these days of FaceTime, but back then people said "why are you speaking your text, exactly?" at that scene) while he was rewriting TPS in the office.  And by the time Killed by Death (originally a pre-Angelus script) was finished, Rob and Dean had likely moved on.  (The "White Knight" scene was likely written by Joss.)

All that said, even if all they did was provide the framework for Whedon and Greenwalt to build the finished episodes on, they were both a crucial part of the early operation.  My condolences to DesHotel's family, friends, and colleagues.

Edited December 13, 2018 by Halting Hex

[Pallas]

Dec 13, 2018. The NY Times reports that in the spring of 2017, Eliza Dushku was set to become a regular on the CBS show Bull. Instead, she was written off the show when she reported harassment by its star, Michael Weatherly, to the showrunner, Glenn Gordon Caron, and on his advice, then spoke with Wetherly. She pursued a settlement and won it in January 2018: only three months after the New Yorker broke Ronan Farrow's article on Harvey Weinstein.

Eliza's story has been unwrapped as part of the current investigation into former CBS president Les Moonves, and the culture of the corporation he oversaw. 

My favorite note: during the mediation process for the settlement, the CBS legal team presented outtakes showing Eliza swearing on the set. (Actor swears on set. In other news, lawyer speaks in court.) These same outtakes, however, showed evidence of more harassment: much more; "a gold mine," as the investigator wrote. 

Don't taunt the suit demon. It's just...tacky. 

[Halting Hex]

I saw Eliza's episodes; to me, the final one (the season finale) looked more like a "backdoor pilot" for her to get a spinoff than a regular gig on the series.  I had just assumed that CBS passed.

Now I'm wondering if that was the episode that was rewritten, with it being clear that this was the last of the "three cases" that Bull would be assisting Eliza on, and that's all for that.  Hmm.

Along those lines, for the first 1.5 seasons, Bull's cast included an electronics expert, played by Annabelle Attanasio, daughter of Executive Producer Paul Attanasio (Homicide: Life on the Street), but Annabelle's character made an abrupt and unexpected exit in mid-S2, with her storyline left hanging.  Allegedly she quit because she had been given the opportunity to direct a film, but no further details are provided.  I was surprised at the time, and now I'm wondering if her dad didn't pull her from the series to protect her from Weatherly.

ETA:  The NYT article confirms my memory, which was that Glenn Gordon Caron was brought on board just before Eliza was, presumably to bring back that old Moonlighting flirty magic.  (The article says that Caron's longterm plan was an attraction between Weatherly and Eliza, but not consummated until Season 5.)  So CBS, by moving out the more procedural-minded Attanasio, changed the tone of the series and made it more likely that PA would pull his daughter from a (possibly) toxic set.

Edited December 14, 2018 by Halting Hex

[Joe Hellandback]

On ‎14‎/‎12‎/‎2018 at 11:20 AM, Pallas said:

Dec 13, 2018. The NY Times reports that in the spring of 2017, Eliza Dushku was set to become a regular on the CBS show Bull. Instead, she was written off the show when she reported harassment by its star, Michael Weatherly, to the showrunner, Glenn Gordon Caron, and on his advice, then spoke with Wetherly. She pursued a settlement and won it in January 2018: only three months after the New Yorker broke Ronan Farrow's article on Harvey Weinstein.

Eliza's story has been unwrapped as part of the current investigation into former CBS president Les Moonves, and the culture of the corporation he oversaw. 

My favorite note: during the mediation process for the settlement, the CBS legal team presented outtakes showing Eliza swearing on the set. (Actor swears on set. In other news, lawyer speaks in court.) These same outtakes, however, showed evidence of more harassment: much more; "a gold mine," as the investigator wrote. 

Don't taunt the suit demon. It's just...tacky. 

Yeah I watched the ED eps and always wondered why she never returned (not much to the show without her). She doesn't have much luck considering what happened to her on True Lies. Still $9 million must lessen her pain, according to Networth she was worth $10 million before this. 

[Pallas]

1 hour ago, Joe Hellandback said:

Still $9 million must lessen her pain, according to Networth she was worth $10 million before this. 

In my experience, insincere amends does nothing for the pain. Compensatory damages is something else.  

[Joe Hellandback]

On ‎16‎/‎12‎/‎2018 at 1:39 PM, Pallas said:

In my experience, insincere amends does nothing for the pain. Compensatory damages is something else.  

Might actually be some form of record, earning $9 million for 3 eps work?

[Loandbehold]

49 minutes ago, Joe Hellandback said:

Might actually be some form of record, earning $9 million for 3 eps work?

Compensatory damages aren't just for the work performed, but the future money lost as a result of the situation. ED was supposed to become a series regular w/ a 5 or 7 year contract. That's what the $9.5M was for.

[Halting Hex]

Mostly OT:  Apparently Annabelle Attanasio's character was killed off (Jill Hennessy did a few eps as her mother), so I guess PA really didn't want his little girl ending up back in that situation.

At least ED got some money for her troubles.  Hope it doesn't impede her career prospects; there was a real boys' club at NCIS, if the tales of Mark Harmon harassing Paulie Perrette are to be believed.

[Cajungirl64]

On December 11, 2018 at 11:52 PM, VCRTracking said:

Rob DesHotel, Writer on 'That '70s Show' and 'Man With a Plan,' Dies at 52

He and his writing partner Dean Pateli also were story editors on the first two seasons of Buffy and wrote the episodes "Never Kill a Boy on His First Date", "The Puppet Show", "The Dark Age", "Killed By Death" and one of my favorites "Phases".  RIP.

Thank you for the kind acknowledgement. Rob was my "little brother," (2 1/2 years difference) and the most genuine, kind, funny person I've ever known. I might be a little biased, but the 400 people who attended his memorial service at The Writer's Guild in Beverly Hills felt the same. His passing was a complete shock as he was extremely vigilant about taking care of his health and had no known health issues. He left behind his wonderful wife of 22 years and his beloved kids. And of course, he left me behind, as well. I was his biggest fan from the day my mom brought him home from the hospital; he was my only sibling and I doted on him as much as I tormented him (until he got older and the roles reversed). Thankfully, neither time nor distance (I stayed in St Louis and his life was in CA) changed the closeness we always shared. We lost both of our parents in the last five years at 70 and 73 years old. Way too young. But to lose my brother at 52 is just unfathomable. Now I'm the last one standing. The only thing that gives me solace is the belief that my parents were waiting for him on the other side. 

He left St Louis after graduating from college and headed to L.A. with not much more than his car and the clothes on his back. His first job was as a showrunner on the soap "Santa Barbara," and he took off from there. More recently, just before "Man With a Plan," he wrote for "True Blood" and "Mike and Molly." His career spanned thirty years and his resume is incredible. But he'll be remembered most for his ability to make anyone laugh with just a look and for his total devotion to his family and friends.

[Joe Hellandback]

SMG and Freddie in the news;

 

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/sarah-michelle-gellar-freddie-prinze-jr-reveal-the-secrets-behind-their-long-lasting-marriage

 

Maybe the key to a happy marriage is solving mysteries together. 

[Halting Hex]

On 1/9/2019 at 7:14 AM, Cajungirl64 said:

Thank you for the kind acknowledgement. Rob was my "little brother," (2 1/2 years difference) and the most genuine, kind, funny person I've ever known. I might be a little biased, but the 400 people who attended his memorial service at The Writer's Guild in Beverly Hills felt the same. His passing was a complete shock as he was extremely vigilant about taking care of his health and had no known health issues. He left behind his wonderful wife of 22 years and his beloved kids. And of course, he left me behind, as well. I was his biggest fan from the day my mom brought him home from the hospital; he was my only sibling and I doted on him as much as I tormented him (until he got older and the roles reversed). Thankfully, neither time nor distance (I stayed in St Louis and his life was in CA) changed the closeness we always shared. We lost both of our parents in the last five years at 70 and 73 years old. Way too young. But to lose my brother at 52 is just unfathomable. Now I'm the last one standing. The only thing that gives me solace is the belief that my parents were waiting for him on the other side. 

He left St Louis after graduating from college and headed to L.A. with not much more than his car and the clothes on his back. His first job was as a showrunner on the soap "Santa Barbara," and he took off from there. More recently, just before "Man With a Plan," he wrote for "True Blood" and "Mike and Molly." His career spanned thirty years and his resume is incredible. But he'll be remembered most for his ability to make anyone laugh with just a look and for his total devotion to his family and friends.

Before we move on, I just wanted to thank you for sharing with us.  So sorry to hear of your recent losses, and (if I'm honest) a bit horrified at the thought of a seemingly-healthy 52-year-old man passing so suddenly and surprisingly.  (Where's a vampire to blame when you need one?)

Wishing you and yours all the best.

[VCRTracking]

[Joe Hellandback]

1 hour ago, VCRTracking said:

Must look for the camera crew in GD pt 2, never noticed that before.