BUFFY FAN VIDEOS!!!

Okay, for those who haven’t ran away screaming, I would like to post something for your viewing pleasure.
Buffy, the Vampire Slayer (Abridged)

It’s pretty much just that.  The entire series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer series compressed into 3 minutes to that song.  You know, that song. Well, you’ll know it when the video loads.  

Okay, so it’s not one of those quasi-clever mash up vids that we’re all such big fans of these days., but it’s well edited.  That’s why I like it.  It’s simple.  The editing and timing take you on an actual journey instead of merely having you observe clips taken from a show.  People with a lot of time on their hands really baffle me and I’m constantly surprised with what they come up with.  

Sometimes it’s good to have a look back at things you enjoyed once upon a time and remember why you liked them in the first place.

In 2003, I was devastated when my favorite show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, came to its inevitable end.  And I was on board for all the various rumors circulating about potential spin-off movies and not-so-secretly wished that the animated series would be made, even though it went back to the beginning of the series.  Eventually when the shock had worn off, I got over it and moved on to bigger and better things. ¹ Now, over five years later, you’ll still hear a “rumor” that someone is finally going to get around to making that Spike/Faith spinoff that we were all so excited about.  I don’t actually know how this keeps happening even though the fact that Buffy’s God himself, has said “Uh-uh, no more.  No Spikey, no Faithy, no Cartoony,” and really I think that that should be that, but my fellow geeks just can’t let it go.  In fact, I think this very mentioning of the Animated Series is enough to get a small flutter of internet Geek-Goss. 

Unfortunately, this undying hope doesn’t seem to be limited to Buffy, in fact, it turns out that all Geeks are apparently just satisfied, ecstatic even, by whatever the creator deems to release of a long finished franchise.  Recently, I ranted about the low-stooping of producers who would dare release yet another Terminator movie just for a quick buck, but as it turns out, it might not be entirely their fault.  Geek groupies want more and they don’t care about the quality they get it in.  The people in hollywood with the power are more than willing to oblige if it means that they can make a quick buck without the extensive ad campaign.

Geeks have no urge to branch out from their comfort zones, so why would filmmakers and TV series creators feel the need to branch out themselves?  If they keep churning out more of the same, they are still guaranteed the audience, and nothing feels better than blind worship.  Why take a risk on something new that could possibly flop?   Several weeks ago, I read an article that said just this very thing about Star Wars God, George Lucas.

These days Lucas sounds like a museum curator, fussing with dusty memorabilia… If he has any inspiration left, he shouldn’t waste it on exploiting something old when he could put it to use dreaming up something new. 

I tend to agree.  Come on, Georgie, you don’t think six movies and a few ill-fated 80′s series were enough to satisfy ALL the story lines that Star Wars legitamently had to offer?  Turns out, he didn’t have think that.  There was still enough buzz circulating the animated Star Wars movie that just came out (that tells the story that we have already seen the ending for!²) and the upcoming live action TV series that he doesn’t even have to remotely consider making something fresh.

George Lucas has created two thrilling franchises  – Star Wars and Indiana Jones – so surely if he put his mind to it, he could come up with another good trilogy before his time is up, instead of beating up one of his other dead horses.  He isn’t that old.  George, use your powers for good not evil!

And if the so-called god of cult classics³ can do it, why can’t the little guys?  Now there is talk of a Veronica Mars movie appearing on the “to-do list.”  Veronica Mars was one those few shows that somehow sprung up a devoted cult audience — whether that had anything to do with the endorsement of one Joss Whedon is debatable — which is somewhat surprising considering it only lasted three seasons and by the end of which, kind of sucked, in my opinion.   My guess would be that this movie would try to wrap up the so-called cliffhanger of the last episode.  You know what would have done that?  Not having a cliff hanger.  Creator Rob Thomas’s theory was “if we leave them with some half answered questions, surely they will have to renew us to find out.”  Some good that did, now the questions will always go unanswered.⁴  The movie is not the answer folks, the world has moved on from Veronica, and nostalgia and sugar dreams can’t change that.

I am the first to admit that finding a show that is worth devoting your heart-and-soul to is few and far between, but have some dignity.  Squeezing the life out of a franchise until it is nothing but recycled and recasted waste is not going to bring back the feeling you had seven years ago.  Shows (and movies) have a limited story potential, it’s inevitable.  The reason some shows (and movies) are so great is that they know how to exploit this potential and then make it come together in a nice, well-deserved ending that provides us closure.  A show ending is not the worst thing that can happen, in fact, it’s generally the best.  Spinoffs and comic books and movies only muddle the ending and what the show was trying to accomplish in the finale.

When a show ends, there will be another one day.  It might not be tomorrow and I know that that hurts your little internet-raised, instant-gratification soul, but it will happen.  Buffy ended in  2003.  It was great, and it has been untainted⁵ since then and therefore it will live on as something awesome forever.  A few years later I have discovered Battlestar Galactica, albeit a couple years late, and that fills the gap just fine.  Great shows don’t come around too often  – and really, would they be just as great if they did?  – but they do come around.  So be patient and don’t fool yourself into believing lame rumors or watching tired spinoffs.  It will all work out in the end.  The worlds of TV and film aren’t going anywhere, if anything, they’re just growing.

As for Wii Fit… I’m still on the incline… and you would think that burned more calories.

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My friend Ben has finally decided to get a real blog.  He’s been sort of blogging on Facebook, but he decided that it was time for him to branch.  Good for him, bad for me.  Unfortunately, Ben writes on THE topics and in THE way that I would love to and he does it much better than I could. ¹  As I scanned his blog for the second time this evening, I saw he has delivered yet another terrific post.  This one was about the sudden disappearance of the TV credits over the last few years.  Personally, I would have just said “Blame Lost” and be done with it, but that’s why he’s better at blogging than me.  I am just as sad as he to see the credits disappear from our television screens.  I remember being physically depressed every time I watched Lost and saw the incredibly boring type float across the screen into abyss because it meant no real credit sequence, but ultimately, I got it, and it worked on some levels.  Lost is about a group of people who are quite literally lost and are floating in what seems to be nothingness — it might as well be anyway.  It’s a theme thing.  My heart sank when this seemed to be an “Aha!” moment for TV Execs who thought this would be an excellent way to squeeze in yet a few more ads. Perhaps I am wrong on this though, and this is merely showrunners last attempt to regain a little bit of their ever-dwindling hour² of entertainment by chucking the credits and adding 43 more seconds of awesome TV.   Who knows.

While I completely echo Ben’s disappointment, I wonder if perhaps there is a light in the tunnel.  The way people watch TV has changed over the last decade and will continue to in the near future.  This is largely due to box sets and internet downloading (legal or otherwise).  Now hours and hours of a series can be consumed in one go, ad free, for as long as the viewer can stand it.   It’s like watching an insanely epic movie that just keeps going.  You watch a season and when it runs out, you just run down to Blockbuster and get the next one.  I often talk to people who have spent the last weekend marathoning or catching up on a show (or two).  It’s easy to spend days on a show that’s a masterpiece.  I know I’m guilty of this, and surely you are too.  

Now, let me ask a question.  You have the entire series of 7th Heaven in front of you to get through — what you don’t like it?  It’s a perfect example because it has eleven seasons of deliciously boring episodes to get through, but fine, you pick the series of your choice.  Depending on the show, you can have 80 – 100 episodes to get through.  So here it is… How many episodes in are you before skip the title sequence? 10? 5? 2?  Whether it is because the viewer is so engrossed in the show that they want to get to the action as soon as possible or it’s just due to the credits’ repetitive nature, spending that 45 seconds watching characters do the same dance to a song you will have in your head for days now is an absolute chore.  I know I skip them, especially now that credits are less common, and I come to a show that still has them (usually a cable network) I just want to claw my eyes out.  This goes double, triple even, for Showtime’s Dexter, who’s credit sequence goes on for almost a full two minutes. 

As someone who’s ultimate goal in life is to get their own successful television series, I would love nothing more than to have an awesome credit sequence leading into my equally as awesome episode.  I even have the tone and music and shots picked out in my head.  It would be easy to blame commercials and the ever decreasing hour, but I wonder, even if we were given back the lost time, with the current trend of viewing, would we want to bring back credit sequences?

In the spirit of Ben’s post, I have decided to post a few fave sequences myself.  Enjoy.

Full House

By todays standards, the series and credits were God-awful, but there’s still something about these credits delightful.  It’s possibly that thought that these characters would take the time out of their busy days to turn and smile at the camera.  How nice is Danny Tanner? Though I have long grown out of the show, and others of it’s calibre, there is something about the early nineties opener that really knew how to get your toes tappin’ and put in you in a good mood going into the episode.  Step by Step, Family Matters and many more are all guilty of it and have equally entertaining opening counterparts.

Growing Pains

In a similar vein, there was Growing Pains. I loved this show and I still know every word to it’s theme song.  I remember loving watching all of them grow up — though the young Jason and Maggie pictures that have been technicolored is a bit off putting. Oh look! They’ve left silly Jason out by the fence again!  Silly man. 

Edit: I just noticed in this particular version of the credits it was Mike who was left abandoned on the curb.  Oh, those Seavers, always mixing things up!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Pardon me, but I can only link to this one. For some reason it’s near impossible to get the actual credits of the show off of youtube and once I actually found said actual credits, the embedding rights have been removed. Such is life.  However, if you are in the mood for Buffy credits Alias Style, Charmed Style, Season 8 comic style or in still photos you are absolutely in luck.

Buffy Season 7 Credits

Buffy had a great title sequence.  It quickly set the mood for the show and introduced the characters in a way that showed off their individual personalities.  I may be bias about this, but I think if you’re able to find them, it’s worth checking out.

And just so you’ll feel my pain.

Dexter

These credits are a beautiful work of art and damn near perfect.  They are visceral and confronting while maintaining an mundanely domestic quality, in other words, these credits ARE the show.  Well done, Showtime… but really, two minutes?

Since this post took so damn long to put together, no Wii Fit for me tonight.  I’m taking my flabby self to bed.

Also, a link to Ben’s blog has been added to my links.