Review by New York Times Review
ASK ANY DIE-HARD devotee of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" when the current New Golden Age of Television began and you'll probably get an earful about how the first nuggets in today's gold rush rolled onto the scene in 1997, when that show made its broadcast debut. (You may also hear babbling about tiny fear demons or cursed band candy, but your results may vary.) "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," largely about a teenage girl called upon by mystical tradition to protect the world by dusting those evil fanged bloodsuckers, cheekily treated the high school experience like the horror movie it was for many people. Buoyed by lively acting, the show continually found new ways to tell its stories, which were sprinkled with snappy dialogue, punchy girl-power action scenes and very real emotions. "Slayers & Vampires: The Complete Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Buffy & Angel," by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman, arrives just in time to help fans celebrate and marinate in 20 years of "Buffy" memories, as well as those of its broody 1999 spinoff"Angel," which followed Buffy's former flame to Los Angeles for five seasons of undead detective work. At more than 500 printed pages, the book is a hefty collection of interviews from actors (including the stars, Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz), writers, producers and academics. Readers can get the inside scoop on a wide range of topics - for instance, what it was like to film "Hush," a fourth-season "Buffy" episode that contained only 17 minutes of spoken dialogue in a 44-minute broadcast, or the main reason the "Angel" cast had a major change-up late in its run. The social issues the shows tackled (or not) at the time are also discussed, particularly in regards to WB network concerns: A staffmember reveals that the part of Cordelia, Buffy's acerbic rich pal, was originally meant for a black actress, but spinefree executive worries about interracial relationships thwarted the casting intention. Queer characters eventually fared better. For the obsessive viewer, "Slayers & Vampires" is a new primary text to pore over, with plenty of behind-the-scenes tidbits about who hated whom and how TV shows are made. The authors even devote about 10 pages to the "Buffy" cast and crew recalling the creation of "Once More, With Feeling," the popular sixth-season musical episode that proved to be a bright spot in the grim American fall of 2001. That musical episode, like many of the early "Buffy" scripts, was written and directed by Joss Whedon, the show's creator and a frequent voice in "Slayers & Vampires." Dissatisfied with the way his film screenplays were produced by others, he vowed: "The next person who ruins one of my scripts is going to be me." At the time, Whedon was hailed for the feminist perspective reflected in his work. Some of his quotes in the book support that view, but readers may feel doubts creep in if they've read the blistering online essay published last summer by his ex-wife, Kai Cole, alleging infidelity and less-than-feminist behavior during their 16-year marriage; a reference in the book to Whedon giving "pony rides" to his actresses feels retro-squicky. Aside from claiming "inaccuracies and misrepresentations," he has declined to comment on his ex-wife's accusations. That's not the only place he declined to comment. At the very end of "Slayers & Vampires," the authors note that Whedon's numerous responses were taken from conversations he'd had elsewhere with the coauthor Edward Gross. In their acknowledgments, the authors also state that "in almost all cases, material is taken from original interviews" but admit to scraping public comments from news conferences and conventions into the manuscript. The revelation that "Slayers & Vampires" is something of a cut-and-paste job is not much of a surprise, given the sometimes- disjointed flow of the commentary, with writers and actors directly contradicting one another as if they weren't in the same room. Nearly identical comments from the same person appearing a page or two apart also distract. Key actors like Alyson Hannigan and Nicholas Brendon (who played two of Buffy's closest buddies, Willow and Xander) are barely in the book, which is also devoid of photos. "Slayers & Vampires" is clearly intended for "Buffy" and "Angel" aficionados, but these dedicated fans are also going to notice skewed representation and authorial slips. For example, in the synopsis describing the excellent second season of "Buffy," the authors write that events forced "Buffy to turn Mr. Pointy on the former object of her affections." While it sounds like a hip reference, Mr. Pointy was actually the favorite stake of Kendra, the Jamaican slayer who came forth as a plot point in the first season - and Buffy skewered her beloved with a sword blessed by a virtuous knight who had defeated the demon Acathla centuries before. Seriously, guys, Buffyverse fans notice these details and we get cranky about our fictional realities. For those who haven't seen either "Buffy" or "Angel," hold offon reading "Slayers & Vampires" unless you want plot spoilers popping up like invading zombies on nearly every page. Better yet, watch the original shows first. All the "Buffy" episodes can be streamed on the Hulu subscription service or purchased as video downloads from the major online video emporiums; "Angel" is less widely available, but Hulu and the Google Play store have all five seasons. With no nostalgia- driven revival in sight, the "Buffy" legacy remains, frozen in time as a glorious pop-culture milestone and perhaps prophesied by one of the Slayer's lines from the series: "I may be dead, but I'm still pretty." A new primary text for the obsessive 'Buffy' viewer to pore over, with plenty of behind-the-scenes tidbits. J.D. BIERSDORFER is the Book Review's production editor and also writes the daily Tech Tip column.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [December 3, 2017]
Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* This year marks the twentieth anniversary of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer's TV debut, and Altman and Gross commemorate the event with a lively and revealing oral history in the vein of their two-volume Star Trek tome, The Fifty-Year Mission (2016). The writers, actors, and crew members that made Buffy and its spin-off, Angel, recount how Buffy was born out of an early theatrical effort by Joss Whedon, who went on to become a noted script doctor for blockbusters such as Speed and Toy Story before turning to the small screen to reimagine his tale of a blonde cheerleader who battled the undead. As complicated stunts and sophisticated scripts made for long days on set, Buffy grew to become a seminal piece of feminist television over the course of seven seasons, known for its witty dialogue and taking teens' struggles seriously while paving the way for more serialized storytelling on television. Angel followed the adventures of Buffy's beloved, a vampire with a soul seeking redemption, pushing into more adult, darker territory during its five-year run. Filled with absorbing behind-the-scenes details, Altman and Gross' illuminating celebration of Whedon's influential shows will thrill fans of Buffy and Angel and stand as invaluable primary TV history.--Huntley, Kristine Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off -Angel continue to resonate with fans 20 years after their initial airing. Coauthors Gross and Altman (The Fifty-Year Mission: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek) have compiled a comprehensive oral history of the Buffyverse using anecdotes and observations from creator/writer Joss Whedon (Firefly, The Avengers), lead actors Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers) and David Boreanaz (Angel), as well as writers, producers, media commentators, and other cast members. The authors provide a frame of reference to each section, pointing out season highlights, story themes, and insights into the creative process. The cultural impact of both series is referenced, most notably the theme of female empowerment depicted in the character of Buffy, a strong young woman defending her friends and community against monsters and demons. Similarly, Angel explores some of the same themes from the original show, such as the acceptance of diversity and the "outsider" as a normal part of society. VERDICT For fans of the shows, reading the reflections of the many people responsible for producing Buffy and -Angel will be like watching the must-see extras in the DVD boxed sets, getting behind-the-scenes scoops and insights into the making of their beloved TV shows.-Donna Marie Smith, Palm Beach Cty. Lib. Syst., FL © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The oral history of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.Gross and Altman (The Fifty-Year Mission: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek, 2016, etc.) follow up on their successful two-volume oral history of an iconic work of American popular culture with a similarly organized book on an iconic TV show. They bring together hundreds of comments from actors, directors, writers, and producers to tell the story of Buffy and its spinoff, Angel. In 1992, Joss Whedon wrote the screenplay for the movie Buffy the Vampire Slayer because he wanted to see a movie in which a blonde girl confronts a monster in an alley and "kicks its ass." That movie flopped. When the director, Fran Rubel Kuzui, asked Whedon later if he had any interest in reprising the story for the fledging WB station, he agreed. Whedon wanted Buffy to be both an ordinary teenage girl and a powerful slayer: "I want the show to be remembered as a consistently intelligent, funny, emotionally involving entertainment that subtly changed the entire worldor a small portion of pop culture." It did just that for seven years and 144 episodes. Inevitably, repetition occurs throughout the book as different participants describe similar material, but there is plenty of insider information and trivia to please fans. Whedon had always thought of himself as Buffy's friend Xander but later realized, "Oh, I was Buffy! The whole time." Sarah Michelle Gellar had auditioned for the role of Cordelia (who they originally thought would be black), but Whedon knew she'd be perfect as Buffy: "I think if we hadn't found Sarah, the series might not have happened or lasted." Nearly half of the book deals with Angel. Although Whedonwho moved on to Fireflywasn't closely involved, it found success for five years and 110 episodes. Surprisingly, neither series won an Emmy or Golden Globe award. An absolute must for any Buffy or Angel fan. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
