". . . livin' in your parents' cella, downloadin' pictures of Sarah ..." |
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I'm sorry to report that the pickings for this week on DVD are slim. Except for a Sesame Street sports collection, Robot Chicken's STAR WARS episode and KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN (which is finally being released on DVD, to the delight of my SO), nothing much appeals to me. But does it matter when THE DARK KNIGHT is in theaters? I saw it Friday afternoon (instead of working) and haven't stopped thinking about it since. I know I'm not the only one and I know that if you haven't seen it yourself, certainly you've been hearing about it, so I won't get into it too much, but wow! Yes, it was a bit too violent for my gentle sensibilities, but it was perhaps the best comic book-based film ever made, and an excellent movie to boot. It transcends the superhero genre into a fascinating crime drama in its own right, dissecting the issues of politics, corruption and vigilante justice. Again, wow.
I won't spoil anything, but I did turn to my co-worker Matt after the film and say, "Not quite as fun as IRON MAN, wouldn't you say?"
The last three movies I've seen in the theater were based on comic book characters, which I find truly odd and uncharacteristic for me. I admit that I have fallen far behind on my film viewage. In the evenings, if I have remaining energy 
In real life, Alyson and Amber are just friends. |
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after a rough day of technical writing, I continue to tick through BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER as the Netflix gather dust. I can't remember the last chick flick I saw. I've been watching so much Buffy that when I see fight scenes anywhere else, I expect the losing bad guys to turn to dust.
Paying homage to my girl crushes (Drew Barrymore, Kate Winslet) is a semi-regular feature of this column. Well, if the girls of Buffy don't deserve their own column, I don't know who does.
Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy)
I adore SMG. She's adorable. Take her features away from her, and they might be funny looking (her chunky earlobes and that nose that wouldn't work on anyone else). When I moved into my first apartment in Tallahassee, SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE was on HBO a lot, and I seemed to be watching it continuously, although I've never seen it all the way through. I think I loved it so much because I'm a foodie and would love to be a professional chef. Either that or she's just so damn cute I couldn't stop watching. (So why the hell wasn't I watching BUFFY in those days?) Also, she was in 1999's CRUEL INTENTIONS, a haunting performance and a disturbing film overall.
Alyson Hannigan (Willow)
Sure, she deserves at least a dollar every time someone says "One time, at band camp . . ." but it's her role as Willow Rosenberg I love the most. She is one of the purest, sincerest and adorablest (yes, that's my word! Wanna fight about it?) characters in a TV series. These past few months, I have been enjoying watching Willow grow into her beauty and power, and in many ways, I have watched Hannigan change from a slightly gawky teenager into a gorgeous woman.
How I Met Your Mother is a clever, well-written, and 
Katharine Towne is why Eliza Dushku and Charisma Carpenter miss the cut. |
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hilarious show (that you should be watching if you're not already), in which Hannigan has the opportunity to be both sexy and funny.
And let's not forget how cute she and Seth Green (who also popped up in BUFFY as Willow's lycanthropic boyfriend) were in MY STEPMOTHER IS AN ALIEN (1988). On second thought, maybe we should forget MY STEPMOTHER IS AN ALIEN. Kim Bassinger has enough problems.
Amber Benson (Tara)
Benson played Tara, the woman who helps Willow become a better witch ... and a better lesbian, for three seasons on BUFFY. Yes, I'm crushing on her. Big time. I like Tara for her calming, quiet and sweet presence, and I like how (like SMG), Benson is beautiful yet flawed. I'll admit, the only thing I've seen her in (besides BTVS, of course) is THE CRUSH (1993), where she played a not-so-memorable best friend role opposite Alicia Silverstone. But on my queue are KING OF THE HILL (1993) and LOVERS, LIARS AND LUNATICS (2006) -- also written by Benson -- which is the story of a sly secretary who enlists help to rob her boss's home, but instead the group finds themselves in the middle of a screwy family's squabbles.
Katharine Towne (Sunday)
All right, so she was only in one episode of BUFFY ("The Freshman"), but her appearance is memorable as a college vamp who preys on underclassmen, sucking their blood and then robbing their dorms. She plays the role less as a menacing creature of the night and more as a world-weary upperclassmen with utter contempt for the newbies at college (she has a great bit keeping track of how many of her kills have a Monet or a Klimt hanging on their walls). Recently, Towne appeared in BLADES OF GLORY and the HBO bonk-a-thon Tell Me You Love 
"Bunnies aren't just cute like everybody supposes ..." |
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Me, but I appreciated her most in the films BUT I'M A CHEERLEADER and EASY SIX.
In BUT I'M A CHEERLEADER (1999), Towne plays Sinead, a masochistic camper at True Directions, a place for teens in need of sexual re-orientation (or is it patient? Inmate? What do you call a teenager sent to a straightening-out camp?). Towne is an understated gem in this brilliant satire.
EASY SIX (2003) is a dark adaptation of the hilarious novel "Mustang Sally," written by Edward Allen. Towne plays Sally, a UNLV student. Julian Sands is Pack, a burned-out English professor. On a trip to Vegas, Pack checks in on Sally as a favor to her father, but finds her working as a prostitute. Pack becomes more interested in Sally than in the academic conference (originally the reason for the trip). A delicate combination of academic satire, sex comedy and psychological study of a lonely, uninspired man (did I mention Jim Belushi as an Elvis impersonator?), EASY SIX features Towne at her best.
Emma Caulfield (Anya)
Emma Caulfield's Anya, an ex-vengeance demon, just might be my favorite character. Caulfield's delivery of Anya's delightfully clueless lines charms me to no end. The one that comes to mind easily is when Willow makes a comment about what it's like to have a "spankin' new boyfriend," and Anya innocently remarks that she and Xander have had fun with spanking. Priceless! Caulfield has mainly been doing television, most notably voice work on Robot Chicken, the best Adult Swim show.
I'll see you in two weeks, when hopefully there will be some notable DVD selections on the horizon. Plus, I'll have an update on my progress through BUFFY.
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Every other Sunday
Semi-wholesome Midwestern girl and certified Geek Magnet offers her suggestions - often new, sometimes classic - for DVDs that are definitely queue-worthy.
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| Denise DuVernay |
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