Feelin' Kinda Buffy

If you haven't seen episode 107 of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, it's hard to explain. You see, Sunnydale is under an enchantment that turns everyday life into a musical, courtesy of a dancing demon. And Buffy the Vampire Slayer and her friends are afflicted too. Even Spike, the vampire in love with Buffy, can't contain himself, professing his obsession with the Slayer in a particularly rousing musical number. It sounds completely ridiculous, I'm well aware, but it's nearly perfect—it's loaded with smart pop culture references; it captures perfectly that time in your early 20s when you feel as if you're just "going through the motions"; and it succinctly sums up that point in a relationship where you commit to another person, but still nurture some doubts (in a retro pastiche number that would never be a breakaway pop hit). The cast's singing voices aren't all stellar (poor Alyson Hannigan), but the music and writing is witty, sweet and straight-up genius. Now, Buffy, The Musical: Once More With Feeling hits the big screen Rocky Horror-style, with subtitles that encourage singing along and other cringe-inducing audience participation rituals. I. Can't. Wait. Start spinning the soundtrack now in preparation for the screenings, held at midnight Friday and Saturday at the Inwood Theatre, 5458 Lovers Lane. Tickets are $12 each and are available at the box office, or at landmarktheatres.com.
Sept. 28-29, 2007