Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 3

Tags

1990's, Alyson Hannigan, Anthony Stewart Head, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 3, Charisma Carpenter, David Boreanaz, Eliza Dushku, Emma Caulfield, Nicholas Brendon, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seth Green

Following on from the shocking and heartbreaking finale of Season 2, Buffy Season 3 swings into gears as our fierce warrior battles all things that the darkness has to offer and survive high school at the same time. Spoilers will follow in this review.

After sending Angel(David Boreanaz) back to hell, Buffy(Sarah Michelle Gellar) has fled Sunnydale. When we catch up with her, she is working in a dodgy part of Los Angeles, using her middle name of Anne. She is plagued by dreams of the lover she had to sacrifice and can’t come to terms with it no matter how hard she tries. She is brought back to her senses after an encounter with a demon and decides to head back to Sunnydale, to face her responsibilities. At first, reconciling with Xander(Nicholas Brendon), Willow(Alyson Hannigan), Cordelia(Charisma Carpenter), Oz(Seth Green) and her watcher Giles(Anthony Stewart Head) is hard, but it eventually gets easier. Trouble is always round the corner for this slayer and the dramas keep on coming. Cordelia and Xander’s relationship is changed after he and Willow share a passionate kiss. Rejecting the gang, Cordelia heads back to her bitchy self and her shallow friends, yet still can’t shake off the memory of her relationship with Xander. Oz on the other hand, eventually forgives Willow. A new slayer, Faith(Eliza Dushku), arrives in town. She is a charismatic and loose living girl with internal emotional scars whose friendship with Buffy begins to disintegrate after Faith kills a human, which is against the rules of  being a slayer and shows no regret for her actions. There is also the matter of the Mayor, this season’s Big Bad. To everyone else he is a chipper guy, but he is in fact involved with the underground demons and plans on becoming a demon once it’s graduation day and he can ascend to becoming a stronger power than he already is. And to top all that off, Angel is back from hell, leading Buffy to question their relationship with one another. For my money season three is one of the best season’s in the whole Buffy saga.

The scripts are as sharp and witty as ever, whilst effectively conveying the pains of becoming adults faced with a very literal hell.  The characters are really starting to grow and you feel genuine sympathy for them in their adventures, especially Buffy who must deal with what life throws at her as well as dark forces closing in. This season gets an extra dynamic through the introduction of Faith, who is played with tough yet vulnerable strength by Eliza Dushku. She’s such an interesting character to watch and in a sense we see that Faith is how Buffy may have ended up if she had grown up neglected and alone in the world. When Buffy becomes friendly with Faith, she flirts with the idea of being a bad girl. She is then brought to her senses by witnessing Faith kill a human and must therefore sever ties with her. All of this leads to some feisty action sequences between the two as the clash of personalities stokes the flames of an already burning fire.  Season 3 also introduces the character of Anya(Emma Caulfield), a former vengeance demon now stripped of her power who must live a human life. She will later become a very prominent character in Buffy and Emma Caulfield is really funny in her early episodes. Also giving Season 3 an edge is the villain in the form of Mayor Richard Wilkins. He is such a creepy yet darkly funny guy who is treacherous to say the least but the kind of the person you just love to hate. Some of the lines he gets to deliver are so strangely funny and ironic such as “Who’s up for a root beer?” after killing an employer who disobeyed him.

The love between Angel and Buffy reaches its end as he struggles to think of a future for Buffy that won’t bring her harm. Their relationship is so emotionally moving and tragic in that they both love one another but are torn apart by all the hell breaking loose around them. It’s sad to see Angel go and he is certainly a missed character in the show. Another point of praise is the exploration of Buffy’s relationship with her mother Joyce. Having been forced to tell her mum of her duty, Joyce has taken time to get her head around it. They may come to blows, but we see how each would do anything to protect the other from harm. This season contains some of the most emotional in the season. The crowning one for me is when Buffy is awarded Class Protector at the prom. Initially believing that no one realises that she saves their lives on a regular basis, she is shocked but very happy to receive the award as the entire student body applauds her bravery and her beaming smile tells a thousand words. If this moment doesn’t get you tearing up, then I don’t know what will.

Our splendid cast delivers amazing work throughout Season 3. Sarah Michelle Gellar adds maturity and strength to Buffy as her life as the slayer continues. We are also shown the vulnerable side to her that wants to just be a teenage girl and isn’t immune to weakness. In other words, Gellar is phenomenal in her portrayal of a girl growing up fast. David Boreanaz bows out of Buffy in style as Angel, imbuing him with sensitivity, danger and melancholy as his doomed relationship comes to an end. Nicholas Brendon is ever reliable as Xander, who provides moral support and jokes, while Alyson Hannigan is luminous as Willow, who this season begins to hone her gift for magic. Charisma Carpenter also bows out of Buffy, and she provides Cordelia with enough barbs and humour to make sure she is a well-remembered character. Seth Green adds mordant and ironic humour to the role of Oz, while Anthony Stewart Head touchingly portrays the way Giles cares for Buffy in a father-daughter way.

Easily one of the show’s best seasons, Buffy Season 3 is not to be missed.

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Cruel Intentions

Tags

1990's, Cruel Intentions, Drama, Reese Witherspoon, Roger Kumble, Ryan Phillippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Selma Blair

Film Title

Cruel Intentions

Director

Roger Kumble

Starring

• Sarah Michelle Gellar as Kathryn Merteuil
• Ryan Phillippe as Sebastian Valmont
• Reese Witherspoon as Annette Hargrove
• Selma Blair as Cecile Caldwell

A 90’s retelling of Dangerous Liaisons, Cruel Intentions may be not as good as the 80’s movie but still has enough energy, sex appeal and darkness to enjoy with some good performances from a photogenic cast.

Kathryn Merteuil is a wealthy and popular girl who resides in New York’s Upper East Side. Despite her seemingly sunny personality around others, she is in fact a ruthlessly scheming bitch who thrives on the misery of others. Her stepbrother Sebastian Valmont is equally as devious and is prone to seducing girls for enjoyment. The two manipulative step siblings conspire to ruin the reputations of those they don’t like. Kathryn has a new conquest for Sebastian, the naive Cecile Caldwell. She wants to ruin Cecile because her former boyfriend dumped her for the impressionable girl. Initially bored with this, Kathryn then makes a wager with Sebastian that he can’t refuse. If he can seduce the virginal headmaster’s daughter Annette Hargrove, Kathryn will offer herself to him. If he loses, she will get her dirty hands on his prized Jaguar. At first, Sebastian relishes the chance to spoil the virtue of Annette, who is the epitome of chastity and goodness. But as time goes on and he gets to know her, he starts to fall deeply in love with her. This hitch in the plan leads to a glossy tale of jealousy and sex.

As I mentioned earlier I prefer Dangerous Liaisons to Cruel Intentions. Saying that, Cruel Intentions has many positives to it. The visual style and direction of Roger Kumble is amazing in showing the shallow lifestyle of wealth and how it leads to boredom and worse. The script although melodramatic at times, does have some very dark undertones and you can feel the perverse sexuality come through as the movie goes on as Sebastian struggles with his feelings for Annette, whilst Kathryn manipulates from the sidelines. A well-chosen soundtrack gives the film an edge, especially the use of “Bittersweet Symphony” at a key moment of the story.

While subtlety and restraint isn’t the film’s strong suit, it’s capable cast gloss over these flaws with their performances. Shedding her All American Girl image, Sarah Michelle Gellar is splendidly seductive, manipulative and twisted as Kathryn. Whether saucily kissing Cecile, flaunting her body for Sebastian or putting on her fake smile, Gellar is riveting to say the least. Ryan Phillippe is devilishly charming as the resident Lothario Sebastian, who doesn’t realise that he will finally experience love for the first time when trying to seduce Annette. He has great chemistry with Gellar that gives the film a twisted sexuality as we watch them try to get one up on the other in the machinations they devise. Reese Witherspoon injects intelligence and virtue into the character of Annette, who reluctantly falls for Sebastian despite her vow of chastity. Annette’s role is pivotal in changing Sebastian and Reese Witherspoon has enough sweetness and quiet strength to bring this role to life. In a supporting role, Selma Blair is suitably childlike and impressionable as a victim in the game of seduction.

Twisted, sexy and frothy, Cruel Intentions is not exactly a restrained examination of deceit and jealousy. But the cast and some excellent direction make it an interesting teenage version of Dangerous Liaisons.

 

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 2

Tags

1990's, Alyson Hannigan, Anthony Stewart Head, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 2, Charisma Carpenter, David Boreanaz, James Marsters, Juliet Landau, Nicholas Brendon, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seth Green

Season 2 of Buffy expands on the greatness of the short  Season 1 with interesting character arcs and writing. This is when the show really begins to hit its stride and capture the interest of viewers. Spoilers will follow in this review. 

After dying at the hands of the Master and then being revived at the end of Season 1, Buffy(Sarah Michelle Gellar) returns to Sunnydale, feeling distant and alienated. It seems that the deadly experience between her and the Master has had a deep effect on her. Willow(Alyson Hannigan),Xander(Nicholas Brendon) and Cordelia(Charisma Carpenter) are concerned for their friend and try to help her snap out of this state. It’s only after they are kidnapped along with Giles(Anthony Stewart Head) in an attempt to resurrect the Master, that Buffy manages to snap out of it and rescue them from danger. Other characters arcs are Xander and Cordelia dating despite the social difference, Giles beginning to find happiness with Jenny and Willow entering into a relationship with Oz(Seth Green), who just happens to be a werewolf.  But darkness is just around the corner with the arrival of the sadistic vampires Spike(James Marsters) and Drusilla(Juliet Landau) who become the main antagonists for this season. To add to this, Buffy’s relationship with Angel(David Boreanaz) deepens. After declaring their love for one another and sleeping together, Angel loses his soul because he has experienced true happiness. The downside to this is that he now reverts back to the bloodthirsty Angelus and soon begins to torment Buffy and those closest to her. In the end Buffy must decide whether to follow her duty as slayer and kill Angel or attempt to change him back. As passions collide and blood is spilled, who will prosper in this eventful season?

As I previously mentioned, this season expands on the first in many excellent ways. The writing is as fresh and witty as ever, but the tone is more serious. This season shows maturity as Buffy experiences the tragic effects of falling in love with Angel and the consequences of it. The darkness of the season is also embodied in the characters of Spike and Drusilla. Their relationship is a twisted and perverse one that makes for a creepy watch. Spike is hotheaded and violent, Drusilla is childlike and doleful with a sinister streak. Their relationship calls to mind Bonnie and Clyde, in a dangerous vampire form. James Marsters and Juliet Landau make for inspired casting and imbue their roles with menace, dark humour and chills. Marsters makes Spike a dangerous enemy whilst imbuing him with a very dark sense of humour. Juliet Landau is perfectly cast as the fawning Drusilla, whose babbling and nursery rhymes belie her sadistic and twisted mind. This season has a dark and romantic atmosphere that keeps you hooked as each episode goes on, causing a correlation between the themes of love and death. The characters are growing up and we see the changes in them as they go through what life throws at them, with extra helpings of evil demons and fiends thrown in for good measure. Spike, Drusilla and Angel may take the honours of being the best villains, but there are plenty more foes that Buffy faces that are worth a mention. These include a robot disguised as a businessman who take a shine to Buffy’s mother, a terrifying demon that can only be seen by children and The Judge, a supposedly indestructible force that Buffy takes down with a rocket launcher in kick ass fashion. Emotions run high throughout Season 2 with Angel killing Jenny a particularly shocking and unexpected moment that has a grave outcome for an emotionally shattered Giles.

As with the last season, the acting is of the highest order. As Buffy, Sarah Michelle Gellar exudes maturity, strength and intensity that aid her in her battles against demons and her protection of her family and friends. She shows how Buffy is learning about life and the wounds it can inflict on you, especially when it comes to love. David Boreanaz nails the role of Angel, who reverts back to his menacing old self and wrecks havoc on Buffy and her friends. Gellar and Boreanaz have great chemistry together and their scenes together are filled with passion, devastation and connection.Alyson Hannigan subtly portrays Willow’s blossoming confidence and resourcefulness as she begins a relationship with Oz, who is played with easy-going charm by Seth Green. Nicholas Brendon continues to play Xander with lovable wit whilst also revealing the hidden depths to his character and how much his friends mean to him. Charisma Carpenter manages to give Cordelia an ever-growing sympathy as she joins the gang in their tasks. Her relationship with Xander proves interesting because of the way Cordelia shrugs off popularity to be with him. Sure Cordelia still retains some of her vanity, but she’s definitely more relatable this season. Anthony Stewart Head carries on his impressive role as Giles, who develops a close bond with fellow teacher Jenny, only to have it tragically taken away from him. I liked how this season expanded on the character of Giles and showed various incidents that happened in his past that have made him the way he is now.

Darkly romantic, dramatic and witty, Buffy Season 2 delivers the goods that really have me wanting to watch Season 3 as soon as possible.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 1

Tags

1990's, Alyson Hannigan, Anthony Stewart Head, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 1, Charisma Carpenter, David Boreanaz, Nicholas Brendon, Sarah Michelle Gellar

After the success of my Lost reviews, I decided to turn my attentions to another one of my favourite TV shows. This time it is the iconic Buffy the Vampire Slayer series. Created by Joss Whedon, Buffy went on to become a cult hit with its mix of humour, horror and action. Even now, Buffy ranks as one of the top TV shows I’ve ever seen, it just never seems to get old and I always find something new when I watch it again. I hope these reviews go down well with everyone. Be warned, spoilers will follow in this review.

Buffy Summers(Sarah Michelle Gellar) just wants to be a normal teenager. Kicked out of her old school in Los Angeles, she moves to the Californian town of Sunnydale to make a fresh start. There’s just one major hitch with Buffy, she is the Slayer. According to the prophecy “In every generation, there is a chosen one. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer.” Buffy is well aware of this and wants to escape it, but it just so happens that Sunnydale is located on the Hellmouth, which means that all things evil are drawn to it. Try as she might, there is no escaping the prophecy. With help from new friends, the goofy but lovable Xander Harris(Nicholas Brendon) and sweet and shy computer geek Willow Rosenberg(Alyson Hannigan), Buffy reluctantly chooses to accept her duty and take down the forces of evil that threaten Sunnydale, all while surviving the traumas and dramas of high school, mainly by popular fashion plate Cordelia(Charisma Carpenter). Also aiding Buffy is Giles(Anthony Stewart Head), the stuffy Watcher and school librarian who trains Buffy and keeps an eye on her. Adding to the confusion in her life is the mysterious figure of Angel(David Boreanaz), who she falls for but realises his dark secret. Witty lines and scary thrills follow as the strong and lethal Buffy fights against the dark forces of vampires and demons, headed this season by an ancient vampire known as the Master, who wants to rise from the underground and feed on humans. This leads to a kick ass showdown between him and Buffy.

Basing a TV show off a movie that didn’t do that well was risky business, but Joss Whedon pulls it off amazingly with Buffy. He has crafted relatable characters, menacing villains and kick ass action that would lead the show to reaching seven seasons. Praise should be given to the sparky dialogue that populates this season. Taking aim at high school conventions and life or death moments, Buffy will have you laughing as well as frightened in equally effective measure. The mixing of high school drama and supernatural horror is an acutely observed one that complement one another. I mean as many people say, high school can be horror in more ways than one. This is certainly the case for the gorgeous Buffy and pals. Also the supernatural forces that threaten Buffy are fun to watch, especially the creepy Master who sends shivers down the spine. I mean just listing some of the evils faced is enough to make you want to watch the show, such as savage students possessed by demonic hyenas, a demon who filters his way through the computer system and a seductive teacher who is actually a deadly Praying Mantis in disguise.

The acting in this show is definitely in need of praise. I can’t think of another actress to play Buffy except Sarah Michelle Gellar because of how great she is in the role. She encapsulates the sarcastic and self-assured persona of a teenage girl having to fight the forces of darkness whilst navigating her way through high school. Kick ass, sexy and feisty, she is an all out heroine who you really don’t want to mess with. Gellar also shows depths to Buffy, and the way in which she has to obey the prophecy but at the same time just wants to live a normal life which in her case seems to be intangible due to her circumstances. Nicholas Brendon adds goofy charm to the role of Xander, who is often bumbling his way into disaster whilst trying to attract Buffy’s attention. Alyson Hannigan provides warmth and humour as the clever Willow, whose computer skills and knowledge often come in very handy when finding out who the enemy is. In the role of Giles, Anthony Stewart Head exudes authority and stuffy conservatism all whilst trying to help Buffy survive. He really does have some excellent scenes in which he disagrees with Buffy’s tactics for taking out the enemy or commenting on her sarcasm towards him. Charisma Carpenter is great as the shallow Cordelia, who takes aim at Buffy and her friends but soon finds herself drawn to the group because of the strange occurrences in Sunnydale. David Boreanaz is effectively used as Angel, who becomes Buffy’s love interest. The twist of this romance is the fact that Angel is in fact a vampire, but also is cursed with a soul. This device is used well as we watch Buffy wrestle with her feelings for him, whilst knowing that he possesses great danger to others. This romance will later have a profound effect on the seasons after.

Buffy Season 1 may only be short, but it’s well worth the watch because of great performances, witty dialogue and chills a plenty. Watching this season again has got me super excited for season 2.

Cracks

Tags

2000's, Cracks, Drama, Eva Green, Imogen Poots, Jordan Scott, Juno Temple, María Valverde

Film Title

Cracks

Director

Jordan Scott

Starring

• Eva Green as Miss G
• Juno Temple as Di Radfield
• María Valverde as Fiamma
• Imogen Poots as Poppy

A chilling and sensual drama about restrictions, lies and bullying, Cracks is an assured and atmospheric debut by Jordan Scott, daughter of Ridley.

In a 1930’s English boarding school for girls, Di Radfield holds the position of queen bee over a group of others. Di is the clear favourite of Miss G, an unorthodox and carefree gym teacher who enchants the girls with tales of foreign travels and romantic trysts. Miss G is the polar opposite of the stuffy teachers that populate the school with various restrictions on behaviour. She believes that the “most important thing in life is desire” and this inspirational outlook on the future makes an indelible mark on the impressionable young girls who follow her every word with the utmost loyalty. The stability of Di’s little group of girls soon changes because of the arrival of Fiamma, a mysterious Spanish aristocrat. The beautiful Fiamma seems to interest Miss G in a strange way, and the attention that she gets is soon leaving Di emotionally bruised and neglected because her status as leader is under threat. As events unfold, Di slowly comes to see that Miss G may not be the inspirational role model she envisaged her to be. What follows is a haunting and mesmerizing account of jealousy, lies and betrayal.

Jordan Scott captures the emotional fallout of events and misunderstanding with an artistic eye that bathes the school in austere shades of grey and blue. Like her father before her, she has a knack for capturing stunning images. From the moonlit swimming of the girls in nymph like fashion to the confined bedrooms of the girls filled with trinkets, Cracks is a visually memorable movie to the say the very least. The screenplay ambiguously delves into the themes of attraction and misrecognition as the girls of the story come to see that Miss G is not all she’s cracked up to be. Repressed sexuality is prominent in many moments of the film and adds an interesting layer to the story. The music makes for a haunting and evocative rumination on the deep and complicated themes mentioned earlier with trickling piano and mournful strings further representing the gloomy surroundings and psychological depths. Costume design is gorgeous, capturing both the restrictive nature of the uniforms the girls have but also the flowery and expressive colours of freedom when they are not in lessons. Miss G especially has an interesting wardrobe which compliments her unorthodox approach to teaching through the wearing of trousers, Berets and headscarves.

Cracks gains its mesmerizing and chilling quality through the superb performances. In the lead role of Miss G, Eva Green is startling and quietly powerful. With just the flicker of her eyes or the curl of her lip, she displays the complexities of this woman. At first she appears to be just a very inspirational and nonconformist teacher, but as layers are pulled back and her unshakeable facade crumbles, we see a sadness and darkness within her that will lead to devastating consequences. Juno Temple delivers excellent work as the jealous and thorny Di, whose obsession with Miss G begins to cloud her judgment. María Valverde adds melancholy longing to her character of Fiamma, who feels alone in this environment and is troubled by Miss G’s interest in her. Imogen Poots is impressive in the supporting role of Poppy, Di’s second in command who follows her every word without question.

Haunting, sensual and melancholy, Cracks is filmmaking that will certainly give you food for thought.