Happy Halloweeny!

Starring Buffyfest (Tara as "The Mad Scientist", Michelle as "The Bride of Frank" and Bitsy as "Dracula") with supporting roles by Tom Lenk as "Frank" and Sarah Michelle Gellar playing an unusual part, for her, as "The Werewolf".

"What if" with Scott Allie, Redux

"What if...it was Cordy, would Xander still have left her at the alter?"

It's a toughie, the stuff fandom 'shipping debates are made of. We honestly didn't know how Super Scott Allie would react to such blasphemy, but he did it on the spot and with poise. You can listen to his answer in full, below:



click play

Here's an exerpt:

"Wow. I do...like my gut reaction is like yeah, he definitely would have because if anything, the Cordelia relationship was more dysfunctional. But at the same time, and I'm sure this is gonna put me in hot water, I think, if anything, Xander did love Cordy more genuinely than he loved Anya...but Cordy abused Xander way more. Anya and him didn't really work, but I do think Xander loved Cordy more, but I still think he would've bailed - unless things had gone radically differently. But if say Cordy hadn't left for LA, she stayed in Sunnydale, they continued to date for another couple of years and then they were going to get married: I very much could see him leaving her at the alter.

Poor Xander.  He's just a mess. He can't function."

-Scott Allie

Dark Shadows at Twilight: A Paley Center Vampire Weekend

Super vampire fun! Wonder why they didn't do this closer to All Hallow's Eve? The New York branch of the Paley Center just announced a vampire themed event the weekend of November 13th, with screenings of several past PALEYFEST events—with reunions of the casts and creative teams of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, True Blood, and Dark Shadows, and more. Didn't know they did an Angel Paley event in 2001! There will also be a live panel with a bunch of bloggers and editors. Also:

"The Paley Center for Media has partnered with Entertainment Weekly to explore what’s going on. EW’s Ken Tucker will moderate a panel of informed fans to debate the relative merits of vampires across media, with special attention to the rankings of the Paley Center's TV Vampire Poll (vote through November 2). A display of EW’s coverage of the undead phenomenon will be on view in the Spielberg Gallery through November 15."

note: love the comparison of Angel/Spike to Bill Compton/Eric Northman in that poll.

Click below for the deets:
http://paleycenter.org/dark-shadows-at-twilight-a-paley-center-vampire-weekend

The Whedonverse Wins!

Everyone knows how I love me some lists and this week there were loads of them that included our favorite Whedonverse peeps and characters. Go vote where you can or just gloat where you can. Enjoy!


'Tis the Season! Buffy wins best TWOP Halloween episode with one of Tara's all time favorites "Halloween" and "Fear Itself" in a tie for the #1 slot.


Who's the geekiest of them all? Whedon is kicking Abrams butt at the moment:

Buffy makes #3 in the list of "Chosen Ones" which is pretty impressive given the people she's in line with in this list.

SMG at #11 and Dushku at #26 make Empire's 100 Sexiest Women.

"Hush" wins the #4 slot in the Scariest TV episodes category. Not sure I agree, but it is a scary episode.

Wow, that's a lot of lists!

Review of Rock of Ages starring Tom Lenk

I went to see Tom Lenk in Rock of Ages on Broadway this past Saturday, but got yelled at by a beastly security woman for taking photos. Like really yelled at and actually made to delete them. That was new. In the beginning of the show they said no flash photography and I thought that meant I could take the flash off. Shame because I got some fantastic ones of Tom in all his glory. Oh well, here is straggly cell phone photo of the awesome Sunset Strip themed set:

So, Tom Lenk joined the cast of Rock of Ages in September. Bitsy and I had seen him a few months prior, in his little last minute show at a comedy club in the theater district. He was actually in town at that moment to audition for Rock of Ages, which obviously went well. That night, Bits and I marveled at his charismatic performance, excellent singing voice and straight up good story telling. So naturally, I expected greatness out of him in this, his Broadway debut, and he didn't disappoint. Tom Lenk was truly incredible. He plays 'Franz', a role he originated in the Los Angeles and Las Vegas productions of Rock of Ages. The part is pretty demanding with big singing, dancing and a fun German accent to boot. The boy can work it. If you are in the New York area, I highly recommend seeing this fantastic show, especially if your a child of the 80's. Bring your non-Whedonite friends too. It's full of raunchy 80's hair band debauchery...so there's something for everyone. :)

Synopsis:

"In 1987 on the Sunset Strip, a small town girl met a big city rocker and in LA's most famous rock club, they fell in love to the greatest songs of the '80s. It's Rock of Ages , an arena-rock love story told through the mind-blowing, face-melting hits of Journey, Bon Jovi, Foreigner and many more.

Following a successful off Broadway run and the sale of the film rights to New Line Cinema, Rock of Ages opened on 7 Apr 2009 at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre, following previews from 17 Mar, where it is currently selling tickets through to 28 Feb 2010."

Click below for the official site and ticket info:
http://www.rockofagesmusical.com/

David Boreanaz Cheating Scandal!

Look, it's a little known fact that behind the scenes of Buffyfest that I'm the one that tends to frequent the  the tabloids. A little Perez from time to time is my guilty pleasure. It seems, though, that I missed on all the major goss sites this juicy bit of controversy: David Boreanaz allegedly cheated on his Playmate wife of 8 years, Jaime Bergman, throughout her recent pregnancy with a miss Rachel Uchitel. Classy! She apparently broke it off after he failed to leave Jaime just after the birth of their new daughter! She, ironically, found it in poor taste that he called her during the baby's delivery when, you know, he was supposed to be leaving her and all. Double class! To quote Harmony "Ugh! Just Ugh! That's....Ugh!" Well put, Harm.

In the mean time, this story has sparked such creative headlines as:

"David Boreanaz gives 'Bones' a whole new meaning"

"Rachel Uchitel: Boning Bones Star David Boreanaz!"

and, of course "David Boreanaz is no angel."

Then again this info comes from Star magazine and their apparent "anonymous source" (gee I wonder who that might be, Classy Miss Rachel.) They are not exactly known for their achievement in professional journalism. I can't say that I would be all that surprised, though. It was a widely reported rumor back in the day that Boreano cheated on his then wife, Ingrid Quinn, as soon as he hit the big time with an upcoming starlet named Sarah Michelle Gellar. Who knows if that was true or not (that probably came from the reputable "Star" as well), but I think there's a small part of the hellmouth in all of us that thinks the real life Bangel is too fun a thing to resist.

Michelle will be waking to this devastating news just hours from now. We all know Boreano is her go to subject matter. Ah Boreano, if this is true, you're really in the doghouse now. Next time, try to keep it in your pants, dear. We don't like showing so much love on this site to douche bags, you hear? To quote bits, k thx bai.

I'll let you read the rest of the gory deets at the below linkage, so as to not totally soil the front page entirely:

Source:
http://www.starmagazine.com/david_boreanaz_cheating_wife/news/16164

**UPDATE** Sorry to say, the rumors are true. Source:

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20366077,00.html

fanvid sunday: "these are the daves I know" edition

I have no idea what the subject of this post means either. Except, of course, that I'm a fan of The Kids in the Hall from way back. Anyway! On with the show. Our first video is a mashup of the first season of Angel which never gets enough love. I mean... I love it. Why don't you? This fanvid should serve as a reminder of what made it great:


Find more videos like this on BAM Vid Vault


In addition, I'd like to call attention to a first time fanvidder and friend of Buffyfest, Steph, aka thegingerpire. She made a Doctor Who vid which is great for me since that's my other fandom and, oh look, it's all about Donna Noble who is, you guessed it, my fave companion from the new series. Check it out! Also, watch Doctor Who if you haven't been.



Did you think we were done? Not without this lovely coda that was emailed to us recently:



Okay, now I'm done. Happy Sunday, minions o' the fest, and have a great week.

The Best Angelus Story Never Told - Angel vs. Frankenstein

...until now, that is. It's not unknown at this point that some people find Angel to be kind of a bland, whiny, dude. I love him to pieces but I know that's sort of fringe thinking these days. Angelus, on the other hand, is generally accepted as being the best, most terrifying, and sinister villain Buffy has ever faced. It's a wonder more time has not been spent reveling in the time when our young Liam was the most sadistic son of a bitch in the known universe. Cue John Byrne to jump on the opportunity and craft an absolutely stunning period piece that pits our favorite evil vampire against one of the most well known monsters of all time: Frankenstein

Back when we interviewed Mariah and Chris, they told us that John had been kicking around the idea for this story since "Blood and Trenches" and that it was ultimately decided that it would work best as a kind of Halloween story. I wish that the book landed on a less cluttered month though, because I haven't seen anyone talking about even though it is, for my money, the best comic for fans of the 'verse to come out.

The story is a simple one, leaving plenty of room for these two larger than life characters to get in some suitably clever and creepy dialogue before duking it out. Angelus comes to Geneva, Switzerland for the same reason he goes anywhere: to cause a little mayhem, eat a few attractive women, and steal the fortune of a well-known family. Alright, that last thing took me a little off guard but, honestly, how else does Angelus do the things he does if he doesn't swipe off another man's wealth from time to time? What ties Angelus's antics to our mythic monster I'll leave as a surprise but, in short, it's darkly funny in that very Angelus sort of way.

What really sells the book is the treatment the two characters receive from Byrne. It's not easy to pen a tale where there really isn't a good guy and still have the audience care but does it with effortless aplomb and he does so by making sure to keep these characters fun and interesting (take note, Dollhouse writers). With Angelus, especially, I found myself wondering what kind of delicious acts of evil the bastard was going to get up to and I was never, ever disappointed. That's what makes it easy to root the Angelus, he's just so damned likable. Frankenstein's Monster acts as an incredible foil because he is deep in the moral gray, tragic, and downright scary even though he's kind of the hero of the piece. Byrne really captures the essence of the monster in a way that fits with Mary Shelley's mythos while simultaneously bringing a fresh approach that helps fit the character into an Angel story.

As for the art, much like "Blood and Trenches", Byrne finds that important middle ground between obsessing over making the characters look identical to the actors who played them and using artistic license. What impresses me most is the consistency. Even with good artists, I find that some panels are good while some seem rushed. Every frame, every moment is well crafted. It's sequential art at it's best, each beat pulling you further and further in. I especially love the look of Frankenstein's monster, all gaunt, sanguine, and zombie-like. He's really scary looking but not in a stupid, lumbering, Michael Meyers sort of way. There's a real intelligence that comes through not just in the writing but in the art as well.

If the goal was to make this into sell this as a Halloween story then let me remind you that Halloween is still a week away. Get yourself to your local comic book store and get this before the holiday passes you by. It's the perfect read for a scary night of kids in shoddy costumes coming to your house demanding candy.

Whedonverse Holiday Ornament Swap 2009!

It's that time of year again! Get ready for another round of our Annual Whedonverse Holiday Ornament Swap. Last year was big fun and we ended up with some fabulous Whedonverse themed adornments! See for yourself the results of everyone's craftiness here:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/buffyfestholidayswap/

Wasn't that awesome? If this is your first time reading about the swap..let us explain. The purpose of this event is to craft 4-6 ornaments with a Whedonverse theme and send them to 4-6 different recipients. In return you will receive 4-6 completely different handmade ornaments to adorn your tree or any place you'd like. As you can see from the photos, you really can make them out of whatever you want. Wood, knit, sew, paint, draw, sculpt, paper craft, glue, recycle old ornaments (earth friendly!)....have fun with it!

If you want to be down, Whedonverse Holiday Ornament Swap sign-ups begin right now. Sign-ups will end on Friday, November 6th at 11:59 U.S. Eastern Standard Time. Please be willing to go through with this entire thing before signing up. Deadbeats will ruin the holiday cheer for everyone and make people sad. Here are the guidelines:

1. Sign up for the swap by sending an email with the following information to buffyfest@aim.com by November 6th.
- name
- address
- email address
- your website or blog (if you have one)
- whether your are willing to ship internationally

2. On November 9th you'll receive an email from us containing the addresses and email addresses of 4-6 other swap participants to send your ornaments to. (Again, you will have access to each others home addresses, as well as email addresses. Please contact each other with any disputes, questions or praise.)

3. Design a Whedon themed ornament that you can create multiples of (or make each one unique, up to you) and make your fabulous ornaments.

4. Package your ornaments well - especially if you create anything fragile. (Note that most international shipping requirements do not allow for any plant life or food type stuff.)

5. Send one of your ornaments to each person on the list of 4-6 other swap participants in your group by December 1st.

6. Sit back, relax and wait as you receive 4-6 lovely Whedonverse ornaments in the mail!

7. If you would like to share photos of the ornaments you make and receive, please do so in the swap flickr group here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/buffyfestholidayswap. You will need a flickr account to upload photos. A flickr account is free and easy to set up. you are responsible for posting your own photos if you wish to do so.

8. A note on international shipping. Please only select international shipping if you are willing to ship at least 2-3 of your ornaments overseas. Research the cost of shipping and take that into account when you design your ornament--lighter and more compact ornaments are cheaper to ship.

Any questions? Email buffyfest@aim.com

Scott Allie Exurbia Signing This Weekend

For any southern California Buffy fans, Scott Allie, our favorite Dark Horse editor and one of only a few people who know the identity of Twilight, will be signing copies of his graphic novel Exurbia at two locations this weekend. If you want to know more about the graphic novel, check out the interview we did with Scott here.


Here's the location info:

October 23rd at The Comic Bug in Manhattan Beach - 3 to 5 pm.

October 24th at Golden Apple Comics in Los Angeles - 2 to 4 pm.

"What if...?" with Brian Lynch

Hello again, dear friends! Had you suspected that Brian Lynch had something more to say? Did you think that, mayhap, team Buffyfest was holding out on you, that there was some part of the interview that we'd kept a super secret? Well... actually, that's true and thank goodness for editing because some of the stuff Brian and I talked about was more than a little ridiculous. However there is one more question! A glorious "What if?" that I hope you'll enjoy to the best of your ability. Enjoy, damn you!

Buffyfest: What if Joss gives you the blessing to make an actual Angel: After the Fall movie but you can only keep one of the original stars. Who do you keep and who do you cast to replace the rest?

Brian Lynch: I think you'd have to keep Angel if it's called ANGEL. But fans wouldn't accept anyone else as SPIKE so he's not in it.

Buffyfest: Marsters would be easier to get

Brian Lynch: I could get David Bananas, don't you worry. But it's called ANGEL, so we need ANGEL. Right? Well, if the movie is called ANGEL:AFTER THE FALL, and we don't have Angel in it, that would be weird. If we go with James, it will be called SPIKE. You said it had to be called ANGEL.

Buffyfest: I did. Unless it's the Spike movie that you want to make. I'll allow the option.

Brian Lynch: Well I would kill to do SPIKE:ASYLUM.

Buffyfest: Alright, perfect. You get Marsters and then you're wide open to cast everyone ele as you see fit.

Brian Lynch: James as Spike, Michael Keaton as the voice of Betta George. If Beck was older, Jewel Staite. If Beck is younger, hmmmm. Give me one moment. See, I don't know many teen actresses. Are there any good actresses on GOSSIP GIRL or something. Brunettes?

Buffyfest: I watch Gossip Girl, actually. Much better than watching, say, Melrose Place...

Brian Lynch: Wait, the girl from VAMPIRE DIARIES, that was also on DEGRASSI. She's not too bad. Though the whole vampire of it all might be weird. Pick your favorite GOSSIP GIRL, then. And go with her

Buffyfest: I actually kind of like the girl from Zombieland: Emma Stone

Brian Lynch: Oh good call. Duh. Yeah. She's great. You win this round.

Buffyfest: I do indeed

Brian Lynch: Alright, I have to go cry.


And there you have it. Surely, one of the most fascinating and important moments of your life and mine!

Buffyfest Interviews the Lovely Miracle Laurie

It was Sunday morning and Tara and I were sitting in a gigantic pier. Were we taking a boat trip on the Hudson? Nope. We were at Big Apple Con, where we were lucky enough to meet Miracle Laurie of Dollhouse fame. In case you live in a hobbit hole, she plays active Mellie/November/Madeline. After playing a bit of the new Super Mario game for the Wii, we hunkered down into her autographing area and got down to interviewing business.

Bitsy: This is Buffyfest and we're doing an interview here with Miracle Laurie here at Big Apple Con.

Tara: Big Apple Comic Con.

Bitsy: Yes! Or that. Alright, so the first question is: So you've been pegged as being a little bit of an optimist. Let's say, theoretically, since people are trying to make that Dollhouse technology into a reality, do you think there's any chance that it can be used positively? Or is it always going to end in tears?

Miracle Laurie: Well, we actually have done a couple engagements on the show where it is pro bono, where they go and do good things in the world..so yes, I do think so. Is it morally right no matter what? Probably not. (laughs) It's nice that they use it for good sometimes but really that's not what it comes down to.

Listen to the audio of the next part below:



Bitsy: Speaking of technology, talking about one thing everybody uses, you use twitter a lot now...

Miracle: I'm a big tweeter! Yeah!

Tara: So am I!

Bitsy: Yep, we all kind of do the tweet.

Miracle: I resisted all of that kind of stuff in the beginning, just because it's not in my nature at all. And I realized it's kind of necessary and actually quite fun and I've really started to enjoy connecting with everybody.

Bitsy: Yeah, you've connected with a couple of fans now, haven't you?

Miracle: Oh definitely yeah! One in particular - Madelaine Anne is a name that sticks out - and she follows me on twitter and replies to me a lot. She was actually here today and I got a picture with here. So it's fun to put the faces with the names and the handles and stuff. And I just want to tell everyone: even if I don't respond to your replies, I read EVERYTHING. I read everything that people say to me, everything on Facebook. I check it all out every day. I have to get better at replying to everyone but...but I'm there I watch, I listen!

Bitsy: Do you think that twitter played a part, like the campaigns that happened in helping Dollhouse get renewed for that second season?

Miracle: Oh hell yeah! Oh definitely...yeah absolutely. I think that everyone's efforts - The facebook efforts, twitter and all the websites like you guys and everyone else, really added up and became quite the powerhouse that FOX had to reckon with. And they did and they made the right decision.

Listen to the audio of the next part below:



Bitsy: Alright, so I was going to ask you since I know that you were at least a fan of some of the other shows, a hypothetical question. Let's say, if you could play ANY part in any Joss Whedon show other than the one you play now, what would it be and why?

Miracle:
Uh, (laughs) Uh, if I were a man I'd love to play Spike! I thought he was like the hottest, coolest character...super fun and just cool leather jacket, very old school. And I love all the stuff they got him to do when they did all the flashbacks with Angel and all that stuff. I thought that was really, really fun. So he was pretty cool. Or Willow. She's just straight up badass.

Bitsy: Nice!

Tara: Great answer.

Miracle: Goofy and badass at the same time.

Tara: That's a good segue to Buffy. So you're a Buffy fan.

Miracle: Yes.

Tara: What's your favorite Buffy episode?

Miracle: It's not very creative. I love the Musical cause who doesn't? I've never been to a screening, though. I'm sure you know that they do actual screenings.

Tara: Oh yeah.

Miracle: I'd love to go to that. I love the Musical..I love The Body, I thought that was like INCREDIBLE tv making. I thought Sarah was amazing in that episode. Those are probably my top 2.

Tara: Do you have a favorite season, favorite arc?

Miracle: I really enjoy the middle. Towards the end of the last season it got a little sketchy for me.

Bitsy: Oh really, season 7 was a little sketch?

Miracle: Yeah, I mean I watched every second of it, I cried at the last episode because it was over...but I really enjoyed the middle chunk a lot.

Bitsy: I know you watch Fringe and you watch, what is it, Amazing Race? Those are the two I've seen you tweet about.

Miracle: Yes.

Bitsy: I do research. That's right, I looked at your twitter at five o'clock in the morning.

Tara: (laughing) That's your research.

Bitsy: Hard at work. Anything else that you watch? Any movies that you like?

Miracle: I love Lost. I was into it in the very beginning and then the polar bear and I was like "What the hell is happening?" and I left again. My friend was like "You don't understand, it's totally worth it, it you're gonna love it". I got back into it and I just freaked out. I thought it was amazing. So, I'm totally addicted as is my fiance.

Bitsy: Are you gonna be sad? It ends this year. This is the end.

Miracle: I know. Let's see. Sunday television is Amazing Race, nothing on Mondays or Tuesdays for me, Wednesdays is America's Next Top Model. I don't really watch for the drama because really they're all like twelve year old girls, just obnoxious, but...I love all their challenges, I love all the photo shoots and I used to model, so I kind live vicariously through them and remember the good old days.

Tara: I was about to ask if that was the reason.

Miracle: Yeah, it's really fun to watch. Thursdays is Fringe and Project Runway.

Bitsy: That's my favorite reality tv show

Miracle: Fridays is Dollhouse, of course, and that's pretty much it. That's my appointment television. I love rewatching movies I've seen about a thousand times. I love old stuff like "I Love Lucy".

Bitsy: Cool. Do you think you can be objective when you watch Dollhouse? Like, do you watch and say "I liked this, I didn't like that" or is it impossible?

Miracle: It's difficult sometimes. I think I can be objective about myself which is odd. Like some actors cannot watch themselves. I don't mind it. It doesn't feel like I'm watching me. I don't know if I have like a split personality or something that I can just separate but it's fun to just look and say "ew, that's not so good" or "wow, that turned out great". Like for example, when I saw my first episode this season as Madeline with Paul, I was really worried it would really read as Mellie and Paul and that any kind of flirtation would be residual and left over and I didn't feel that way. I felt it was a totally different relationship.

Bitsy: What's the hardest thing you've had to do on the show so far and what do you think is the easiest?

Miracle: One of the hardest scenes for me that stands out is when I had to tell Paul that I was a doll. It was very expositional and I couldn't have a feeling about what I was saying either way vs. nine episodes of working with this guy and just being in love with him all the time and all this emotion and I had to have none in front of this guy that I have this relationship with and Tahmoh was so great in that episode his heart was breaking in front of me for like three hours and I couldn't react to him and it was a lot of dialogue it was like a four or five page scene and it was a lot. It was just very weird to be that neutral in that situation. As a doll you are in doll mode and your in the clothes and in the (doll)house, this is like Mellie/ Paul land which is rife with all kinds of crap and I had to go and do that sequence and so that was really tricky for me and very emotional. Easiest Stuff? I dunno...

Tara: Nothing

Bitsy: Being in bed with Tahmoh Pennikett,

Miracle: Well. (laughs) No he made it comfortable for me. Like that and the fight scenes would be very challenging but I think I was just excited to be there and do the work. It's all been fun and easy and challenging on it's own level. It's just been a total dream.

Tara: You were a model and I’m assuming you’re still into fashion.

Miracle: Not really.

Tara: Do you like how they dress you on the show?

Miracle: Yeah, I do. I should say that I was modeling when I was twelve to fourteen, but I was freakishly tall and had a mature face. So I worked as an adult, but I was still a kid. I was never one of the girls that looked at the magazines and said, “I’m gonna model some day.” It was never really a dream of mine, I always wanted to act and someone approached me in a supermarket and said I should be a model. She took pictures of me and sent them to the manager and the owner and they loved me. So, I started working. It was really, really great, but I did it because I thought it would be a doorway into acting.

You know, I can barely dress myself to be honest with you. I’m just like hippy, hula girl who would rather be barefoot and in a sarong, but working on the show I’ve been educated on many different designers because I’ve worn them. Shoes!? Who knew? I normally hate shoes, but I’m starting to realize how important they are and how fabulous they can be. So, I’m very excited to say that now I’m slowly coming into the fashion world as an educated human being.

Tara: Barefoot, no more.

Bitsy: So, we’re here at a comic book convention. If you could have any superpower which would it be?

Miracle: Oh, flight. Since I was a kid I wanted to fly. I still think it’s possible some day. I don’t know how I’m going to work it out.

Bitsy: Do you have the flight dreams? Dreams of you flying?

Miracle: I have never. Isn’t that ridiculous? Since I can remember, I wanted to fly, but I’ve never dreamt of flying. I daydream...but I don’t need to be like Superman, I just want to fly above traffic. Like, I could just be at building level, it doesn’t have to be anything crazy.

Bitsy: So if we got you like a little Jetson’s flying car, would that be satisfying?

Miracle: That’d be awesome or just a little shuttle pack or a jet pack or I could just hover, like a hoverboard from Back to the Future.

Bitsy: Oh, the Back to the Future 2 hoverboard? I like that one.

Miracle: Yeah, that would work for me.

Bitsy: Couldn’t go on water, though.

Miracle: That’s okay. I just want to be above the ground and feel that sensation.

Tara: Ok, we want to do a quick word association. We’ll give you a word and you give us a word.

Miracle: Okay.

Buffyfest: You don’t have to think too much, just blurt it out.

Miracle: OK

Listen to the audio of the Whedonverse Word Association below:



Buffyfest: The Whedon Fandom.

Miracle: Awesome.

Buffyfest: Paul Ballard

Miracle: Hot.

Buffyfest: New York City.

Miracle: Probably my favorite city in the world.

Buffyfest: Serenity (the movie).

Miracle: Almost in it, I think. (laughs)

Buffyfest: Really?!

Miracle: Yeah, I’m not giving one word answers, sorry. (laughs)

Buffyfest: What! Do you know who you were going to play?

Miracle: I don’t know, no. It was a very weird situation, but I think I was almost in it, yeah. Keep going!

Buffyfest: You're like "Moving on!" OK. Faith, the Vampire Slayer.

Miracle: Echo.

Buffyfest: The Dollhouse.

Miracle: Home.

Thanks so much to Miracle Laurie! Click here to follow Miracle on twitter, if for some reason you're not already!

Joss Whedon To Direct an Episode of the Hit Show 'Glee'

Michael Ausiello gets the Whedon-ey scoop once again. This time the juicy exclusive is that Joss Whedon will direct one of the back nine episodes of the much loved show Glee (FOX). NOBODY PANIC! This does NOT mean that Dollhouse has been passed over for it's own back nine. We REALLY wouldn't want that to happen. Especially us here at Buffyfest. We are very supportive of Dollhouse...Michelle in particular.

Ahem.

Joss himself commented about the news on Whedonesque a short time ago saying:

"Whom will I kill? When will that go away? Is death really the only thing I'm known for? I'd hope not. You know how many people in the world actually die? ALL OF THEM. You know how many I've killed? Statistically, somewhat fewer. Can't we focus on another element of my work? Having said that, probably Principal Figgins. (No! I kid! God.)"

...amongst other things. Oh Joss Whedon, you murdering prankster you. Go to Whedonesque for his full statement. Fun stuff.

Holy Geekery! Dr. Horrible and The Guild Screening in Los Angeles

I've been to a bunch of Whedonverse events in the past few years, but Friday night was my first experience on the West Coast. The Guild and Dr. Horrible screenings were held at the awesome Egyptian Theater right in the heart of Hollywood. When we first got to this sold out event, we found our seats about 10 rows back and surrounded by a lovely bunch of people including Joel Champagne (great name), the West Side Browncoat extraordinaire! We were serenaded with the music from OMWF while we waited and fun fact, while Ivan was getting me popcorn, he saw Dichen Lachman standing in the ticket line. No guest list, I guess? Envor Gjokaj was also in attendence (so handsome) and there was a rumor that Amy Acker was there, but I saw no such sighting.

Check out this adorable mini Dr. Horrible who probably had more requests for photos than Joss Whedon himself.

They screened the entire Season 2 of The Guild and the music video "Do you want to Date My Avatar?" I had never seen The Guild before and I really enjoyed it. I'll be checking out the rest of the Seasons in the very near future.

After Dr. Horrible was finished and I cried over Penny's death for the millionth time, it was time for questions. Check out the video below for some of the panel discussion. There were some technical difficulties with shakiness and, unfortunately, the battery died 3/4 of the way through, but there's some fancy notes to enjoy even further down the page with all the info from the night.




- Felicia Day is an online gaming addict and after an intervention by a friend she quit playing. Shortly after, she started shooting The Guild in her house.

- Joss Whedon said Dr. Horrible was partly inspired by The Guild, the writer's strike and because he's a nerd.

- Dr. Horrible took 5 months in total from inception to streaming. it took 6 days to shoot and a few weeks to do the music.

- Ben Edlund (love him) was supposed to be part of Dr. Horrible, but he wasn't available at the time of production. Wonder if there would have been puppets?

- When The Guild first started shooting, none of the cast knew the gaming terms (except for Felicia Day) and they had to study up on their pronunciation.

- Fun Whedon family fact: Joss Whedon used to direct his brother's in movies when he was 8 years old. "Stupid Man" was the title of young Whedon's early film (cute).

After the panel discussion, the floor was opened up to the audience for questions:

- The first was the inevitable question of "Will there be a Dr. Horrible II?" The answer was "maybe" and they have "high hopes". They do have a title already, some songs and "3 1/2 jokes" written.

- Someone asked how Joss incorporates color theory into his filming. His answer, "Color is awesome."

- Felicia Day either can't poop when she drinks coffee or drinks coffee so she can poop. It wasn't clear enough to decipher.

- A fan asked if Joss could save the show Heroes. Zach Whedon answered that question with the awesome: "No one can save Heroes."

- Dr. Horrible was edited on Avid.

- Someone asked about the future of "rogue" entertainment on the internets. Joss said he tells people to get their friends together and do some funny stuff and he always gets the same reply of "...but you're friend is Nathan Fillion." Probably easier to shoot an internet film with Mal/Caleb/Capt. Hammer as your sidekick.

- One person asked if they could be friends with the panel. Joss responded, "Sadly, our quota is filled."

- Jed Whedon responded to a music composition question. He first writes the music and hopes for the lyrics to follow and if all else fails, he asks Joss to write some of it.

- A person wanted to know the title of the Dr. Horrible sequel. Joss wouldn't reveal, but they did come up with a few alternatives like Dr. Horrible: The College Years and Live Free or Dr. Horrible. Ha!

- A proud Firefly fan asked Joss what it is about him that makes us so invested in his work. Joss answered with a humble, "When you find out, let me know."

- There will be a Dr. Horrible: Commentary soundtrack released in the near future.

- As we all know, Cabin in the Woods will now be in 3D, but we'll have to wait another 11 months to see it.

So, that about covers the event and all its eventfulness. Oh, one more thing, check out the picture below and enjoy the irony my fellow Buffyfest Bloggers!

fanvid sunday: cover song edition

In lieu of the usual fanvid sunday, I thought I'd provide two very different cover versions of "(Do You Wanna) Date My Avatar". The first is from one of the many "girls on youtube with glasses who cover songs with their acoustic guitars that nerds like". Seriously, I feel like there's a million of these girls but I think this one is one of the best and nobody knows her.



And if college girls aren't to your liking then might I recommend a little Mario Paint style music?

I don't know why but I feel I could listen to Mario Paint covers of any song in the history of the universe. Honestly, clicking on one after another after another is a perpetuating quantum singularity that never fails to blissfully suck me into youtube hell. That's how you know Sundays are at the junction of Excitement Street and Wacky Avenue every Sunday in the Bitsy household. And speaking of Sundays, have a good one, everybody!

Sarah Michelle Gellar: Goodbye Baby Bump!

She looks amazing, doesn't she?

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Brian Lynch Talks Angel Comics Part Two

Exclusive Angel Annual Image: The Hollywood Reimagining of LA's descent into Hell

As promised, we present the second half of our interview with Brian Lynch and, if you missed part one, find the crap out of that bad boy right here. In the second half we talk about his involvement in the Drusilla comic, the Spike ongoing, and a little man named Angry Naked Pat. Enjoy!

Buffyfest: Let's talk about the Drusilla book. You told us at NYCC that Juliet sent you these long, movie-style scripts when the idea of the two of you doing a comic together was originally proposed. The final result has very little dialogue. Was it hard transitioning her original scripts to what we ultimately saw on the page?

Brian Lynch: It really wasn't. The first issue was fun, she wrote the story and dialog, I helped transcribe it into comic script format, and futzed with some dialog, gave it back to her, she futzed with it and sent it to Chris. Second issue, we had the story mapped out, so she just want to town and tackled it. I had a little input, but mostly it was me just saying "yes that will work". So it might have been tough for her, but for me, it was fun and a breeze. She had a very clear vision of what she wanted, in script, art and even colors. I just helped her get there.

Buffyfest: Were there an ideas that were specifically yours?

Brian Lynch: Yeah, early on, when she and I talked about the plot on the phone, we went back and forth with story, I had input there. And the moments with the guard who was really working for someone else, who's job it was to keep Dru under wraps, that was my main contribution. Because I figured she'd need someone helping her keep Drusilla a secret, or else it would be very strange that none of these doctors and interns noticed Dru killing people or not going into sunlight. But man, Juliet had everything all ready. She had photos, plots, scripts. She should do another book, that girl is a dynamo. And she's insanely sweet. AND I don't know if you're aware, but she was also on BUFFY and ANGEL.



Buffyfest: HOLY CRAP, WHAT!?

Brian Lynch: Yeah I think she played Rose, Sunnydale's newest exchange student.

Buffyfest: Thank you for that bit of minutia which will surely come in handy when playing Buffy Trivial Pursuit

Brian Lynch: Not a problem.

Buffyfest: How about the ending of that story? You'd mentioned Spike would see Dru during his ongoing. Is that still happening? Where is she?

Brian Lynch: You know, I'm not sure if Dru and Spike will meet up during my run. I feel as though Juliet should that story if she wants. Is that a cop-out?

Buffyfest: total cop-out

Brian Lynch: She and James should write it together.

Buffyfest: That would sell a lot of books

Brian Lynch: The story I have for Spike doesn't feature Drusilla coming in, but I only have, I think 10 mapped out. If I go beyond that, maybe. Unless Spike dies in issue 10.

Buffyfest: Shh... don't even mention that!

Brian Lynch: Okay.

Buffyfest: Are you thinking of bringing Spider into the Spike ongoing?

Brian Lynch: The ongoing will be called SPIKE & SPIDER 4EVA. She's not in my outline, but things can change. Especially since you just shoved her to the forefront of my mind. So you're to blame.

Buffyfest: I'll take it. I liked Spider and I know you had some ideas for her way back when during NYCC.

Brian Lynch: I haven't decided on Spider yet. She's not planned for the series, but as I'm writing, who knows. I am unpredictable and lovely. But I think SPIKE is my last trip in the Whedonverse, so I'm trying to make it count. It's going to be good.

Buffyfest: Anything you want to share or are you keeping it all close to the vest for now?


Brian Lynch: Hmmmm. It's Spike completely in charge of his life for the first time in a long time. He's not following anyone, he's the master of his own destiny. With cameos from all your favorites! And maybe Spider! What I have planned is very dark and very heart-wrenching, but then there's funny stuff too. It's an epic Spike story. It's a lot of little Spike stories that build to an epic Spike story. It's Spike if Spike got his own TV show. But with a movie-sized budget every month. It starts with Spike falling into Joss Whedon's well and ends with a marriage to Spider. Fans will love it.

Buffyfest: If by "fans" you mean "me", then you're correct, sir.

Brian Lynch: That's exactly what I meant.

Buffyfest: I have a question that will please only the most geekiest of geeks. What would have happened in Short Bus to Glory Part Two had it gotten made? (This is in reference to the Angry Naked Pat Animated Web Series)

Brian Lynch: Pat got to assemble his team of special kids that fought against Kevin's team of special kids (which were all celebrities like George Lucas and Fred Durst) and it became a kinda parody of Scooby Doo's Laugh-O-Lympics. Thank you for that question. I so very much want to do more ANGRY NAKED PAT stuff.

Buffyfest: I want to see it.

Brian Lynch: I do too! I want Dave Crosland, the artist on EVERYBODY'S DEAD, to do an ANGRY NAKED PAT comic series. What's weird is, I was talking to Robert Kirkman via email and he said "Are you guy that used to do ANGRY NAKED PAT?" so I guess some people remember.

Buffyfest: I'm really not surprised. It was a good webcomic and the cartoon was great too.

Brian Lynch: I really should bring it back. A decision has been made! This interview was life changing for SO many reasons.

Buffyfest: Truly we have shared a moment

Brian Lynch: Many, many.

Buffyfest: That will alter who we are forever. Shill for Party Truck on your way out!

Brian Lynch: Everyone go to Itunes and subscribe to PARTY TRUCK USA. We talk about all kinds of geeky stuff and make fun of it. If you love me in I-Mterview form, you'll super love me x 10 in podcast form.

Buffyfest: Excellent. Well interviewed, Mister Bond

Brian Lynch: Well interviewered.

A huge thanks to Brian for talking with us. Remember you can check out his blog here and follow him on twitter here. Most importantly, though, you can find all the information you need at comixology for when you reserve the Angel Annual.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Brian Lynch Talks Upcoming Angel Comics Part One

Without question, one of my favorite parts of working on this website is the opportunity it provides to get to hang out and talk with really talented and fun people. Shortly before my trip to LA, Brian Lynch dropped us a line to let us know he was gearing the proverbial hype machine for LAST ANGEL IN HELL, the Angel Annual that will be coming out in December. What was intended to be a quick interview over IM turned into a two hour long discussion about, well, just about everything. Today we're bringing you the first part of two where we concentrate on Angel #'s 26 & 27 as well as LAST ANGEL IN HELL. Without further ado, here's the conversation we had with the man himself:

Buffyfest: Shall we?

Brian Lynch: Let's DO THIS

Buffyfest: Let's do a recap of what's coming up. We've got the two part Angel and Spike go to San Diego story and an annual.

Brian Lynch: Yes, ANGEL 26-27 is Angel and Spike's big movie date night, and the Annual is a whole other beast.

Buffyfest: So for the comic con story the concept is essentially that all the geeks at the con become whatever they are cosplaying as, right?

Brian Lynch: Whatever costume they are wearing, they become. People are dressed as superheroes, super villains, jedi, ninja turtles, vampires, robots. So Angel has to deal with thousands of suddenly very powerful and confused people.

Buffyfest: And Spike is dressed as Angel.

Brian Lynch: Spike is dressed as Angel, so Angel also has to deal with Spike acting like what he thinks Angel is like.

Buffyfest: Which begs the question: what does Spike think Angel is like?

Brian Lynch: Self-important, tortured, a bleeding heart, but also this really noble hero, who is selfless to a fault. We really get a chance to see what Spike thinks of Angel in ways Spike would never, ever admit. I think there's some very sweet moments among the funnier asides, and action. Tons of action, though. Maybe more than I've written in an ANGEL book.

Buffyfest: That makes sense considering all the sudden super powers. How about these con goers? Are they all aware of Angel and the happenings of After the Fall?

Brian Lynch: Some are definitely aware, some think he's simply dressed as a character from LAST ANGEL IN HELL, the movie based on Angel's adventures in hell. Angel hasn't reached Stan Lee levels of fame at the con, though.

Buffyfest: But geeks who are in the know tend to be very critical. Any chance we'll see some of them criticizing LAST ANGEL IN HELL as not being accurate to what actually happened?

Brian Lynch: There is some of that, for sure. A character we haven't seen since AFTER THE FALL is actually very angry about how the movie portrays events. As well he should be. They mess a lot up.

Buffyfest: That sounds hilarious. Did you feel tempted at all to gently rib some of the bigger Buffy and Angel geeks who tend to get caught up in the obsession of story canon when you were writing this story (since comic book geeks will be in it) or have you always felt it best to let sleeping dogs lie when it comes to that sort of thing?

Brian Lynch: I think it is absolutely best to let sleeping dogs lie and not poke fun at canon debates. That said, in ANGEL 26, I have woken the dog and poke fun at canon debates.

Brian pokes some dogs with a stick

Buffyfest: FANTASTIC! I have been waiting for a long time, sir.

Brian Lynch: I've had this idea for years, I just couldn't figure out WHY Angel and Spike would go to a comic con. The fake movie allowed for it, I was thrilled. Angel works best when he's thrown into situations he doesn't understand and/or has to talk to a lot of people. Here, he's in the most crowded location I could think of, dealing with something that makes little to no sense. I mean, we explain everything for the reader, but Angel isn't privy to all the info. Oh, and Angel fights zombies and Spike deals with a chubby power ranger.

Buffyfest: So what other kind of super powers will we be seeing people get? Spidey sense?

Brian Lynch: Hmmmm. Lots of lasers, super strength, tons of ninjas, but my favorite is Explodo. I will not tell you what he does, you will NEVER get it.

What super power would you want?

Buffyfest: Alright. Let's move along to LAST ANGEL IN HELL

Brian Lynch: Hoooray

Buffyfest: Because talking about a theoretical Angel movie is awesome

Brian Lynch: Well, LAST ANGEL IN HELL should never ever be the ANGEL movie. It is written by someone who witnessed some of Angel's heroics, and pieced together what he thinks the story is. Then I gave it an extra gloss of the script being handed over to a committee that clearly didn't care about facts and went crazy. It's a big Bruckheimer-seque ANGEL romp. There are moments in the comic that are clearly put in to sell action figures. Like a character comes in and out and looks cool and leaves. Or action beats happen for no reason. There is a sex scene in the book that is literally put in, even though it is completely pointless and at the worst time, because I pictured the studio executive going "we need a sex scene HERE." I think it's my first sex scene in comics.

Buffyfest: and it involves Angel?

Brian Lynch: Yes

Buffyfest: Does the curse get a mention or is it completely glossed over?

Brian Lynch: It isn't mentioned because the screenwriter wouldn't have known about it.

Buffyfest: And it's definitely not with lady Spike?

Brian Lynch: Lady Spike is sexy...but I cannot confirm or deny if Lady Spike has sex with Pseudo Angel.

Buffyfest: speaking of Lady Spike. What would happen if Lady Spike and Actual Spike met?

Brian Lynch: Oh they will, I think. Spike would definitely take an interest in the girl who played him in a movie, for sure. It's not in ANGEL 26-27, but he does show an interest in meeting her. Like, I know the actress who plays Lady Spike, so when I'm ready to put her into the world, I have all of her background, real name, all sorted out.

Buffyfest: I remember you mentioning cameos Are these Angel character cameos only or might we get a glimpse of some characters from other comics you've written?

Brian Lynch: There is only one cameo in LAST ANGEL, and that is a lead from AFTER THE FALL. I pictured the studio execs going out to all the characters, and only one person said "yes, I will be in this". Although he's not really a person. And he doesn't play himself in the movie. He cameos as a waiter.

Buffyfest: If it's who I think it is... how does he "wait" exactly? With his mind?

Brian Lynch: There's a tray on his back and he floats around. It's in the James Bond type scene, where Angel dons a tux and infiltrates the villain's party.

Buffyfest: James Bond scene you say? Any other major franchises whose style you utilize?

Brian Lynch: Definitely some BATMAN moments, some old Western type beats, a little buddy comedy thrown in. Some product placement, there's a lot going on. And the fake ads, oh the fake ads. This might just be the perfect comic.

Buffyfest: Let's talk about the movie versions of the characters. What we know so far is that Angel is a Nic Cage type, Spike is a Lady, Gunn is a wacky Hurley buddy guy, and Betta went from fish to dog. How about Illyria and Wes? I know Illyria is black suddenly but what else has changed?

Brian Lynch: Illyria is a bad-ass black lady with a secret. And it's not at all close to Illyria's actual secret. Also she's dyslexic so there are very special moments. Wes is Angel's best friend and partner. Hard to describe what he does without spoiling, but a moment with him in the beginning kinda sets the stage for Angel's character arc. Basically, if Angel is Riggs in LETHAL WEAPON, Wesley is Murtaugh. It is really fun. I love IDW, they're taking a chance on this book. I hope people want to check it out even though it is 100% not canon. I've wanted to get to this issue forever and the fact that's it a big annual, like double-sized? So much fun.

Buffyfest: Have you found out officially how many pages it's going to be yet?

Brian Lynch: I think it's just short of 50 pages. Nothing but story and fake ads, though, it's ALL Last Angel related. No IDW solicits or anything. I think we even get the back cover and inside back cover and such. Mooney has had to draw Nicholas Cage a billion times for this one, ORDER IT FOR MOONEY! Or, I should say, someone who kinda looks like Nicholas Cage, not actually Nicholas Cage, because that would be illegal-ish.

Buffyfest: Right. Totally not actually Nicholas Cage (please don't sue)

Brian Lynch: My hope is Nic Cage sees it on the comics shelf and thinks he starred in the movie verson.

NEVER SEEN BEFORE IMAGE: (Not)Nic Cage as Angel Cartwright is about to be married. SPOILER ALERT The wedding will not go well END SPOILER ALERT

Buffyfest: There's a distinct possibility that might happen. I'm sure he doesn't remember half the movies he's in.

Brian Lynch: I just want this comic to be one gigantic punking on Nic Cage. So he talks about it in interviews. "Shooting LAST ANGEL was fun, yeah."

Buffyfest: "It was a great experience. The fat guy from Lost is a real professional"

Brian Lynch: Maybe they will become friends in real life, thinking they made a movie together. LAST ANGEL IN HELL brings people together.

Buffyfest: It's a real people pleasure. Two thumbs up!

Brian Lynch: Oh, the sequel should be 3-D. I just thought of that, that could be fun.

Buffyfest: there should be a 3-D section, I think. Like it is when they do the special IMAX releases of films.

Brian Lynch: Oh yeah, just for a few pages here and there. But it should be the wrong pages. Explosions and sword fights, no 3-D. Long conversation scenes and Angel napping, 3-D!

Buffyfest: It's like I can reach out and feel him snoozing!

Brian Lynch: FINALLY.

Buffyfest: I've been waiting like forEVER. Thank you, Brian Lynch. Thank you.

Brian Lynch: ANGEL: NAPPING is going to be a five issue series, I think.

Buffyfest: We might have to self publish that bad boy

Brian Lynch: So in summation, LAST ANGEL IN HELL is good.

Buffyfest: It most certainly is.

And that's the end of Part One. Stay tuned later this week for Part Two where Brian and I talk about the Drusilla comic, the Spike ongoing, and more!

EDIT: CHECK OUT PART 2 OF OUR INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN LYNCH HERE!

All 13 episodes of Dollhouse Season 2 to be shown!

"If you cancel it, you're an asshole; if you renew it and then don't put it back on, you're an asshole," he said. "I'm still paying for 'Terminator.' 'Dollhouse' has a small rabid fan base that in the world of social media seems bigger than it is. We gave them another season knowing full well we were going to burn in hell if we pulled it."  -Fox scheduling chief Preston Beckman about Dollhouse

The Hollywood Reporter also suggests a full-season order is unlikely. Click here for the full article:

http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/10/fox-we-will-air-all-13-dollhouse-episodes.html

Cast Your Ballot: The Politics of Buffy

Often times people talk about politics on our site (in relation to Buffy, naturally), so we here at Buffyfest got to thinking about one of the biggest questions left unanswered in the Buffy/Angel 'verse - which side are they on politically? Obviously, there is a decade of character development to consider, but here's our impromptu take on the matter.

Buffy: While a Liberal in her early years, with the whole dating a vampire with a soul thing and rebelling against the Watcher's Council, too much death and destruction could make any girl agree with a bloated military budget and a preemptive war strategy. Conservative.

Giles: With the experimental times of his Ripper youth and his own rebellion against the Watcher's Council, Giles has a Progressive heart with a side of Anarchy for good measure.

Willow: Gay rights and she dated a guy in a band. Liberal.

Xander: He's got the whole "seeing things in black and white" thing going on and both of his ex-girlfriends were very much into money. Conservative.

Angel: A Catholic upbringing, a guilty soul and the 'too much death and destruction' thing like Buffy makes him a good candidate for the 'Right', but he does like to help the helpless/hopeless, so maybe Conservative with a Socially Liberal slant.

Spike: A rebel and an unconventional vampire makes Spike a Lefty.

Tara: When we first meet her, she's in a Wiccan group and openly gay, so she probably went the way of the Progressive at an early age.

Cordelia: Conservative all the way in the beginning with the money and the privilege. The visions changed it all and gave Cordy the perspective she needed to see what 98% of the rest of the world was going through - it was like the mystical equivalent to the Peace Corp. Liberal Conservative.

Oz: He drives a van, played in a band and lives in the hills of Tibet. Hippy Liberal is our guess.

Wesley: Here's a tough nut to crack. In his early years, he followed the Watcher's Council blindly when it came to demon issues; however, he did eventually grow a beard and sleep with the enemy. Yet, he's definitely a 2nd Amendment man for sure even if he is from across the pond. We go with Conservative.

Fred: She was really into science, so I doubt she'd side with any Creationists. Lefty.

Gunn: He's been fighting bloodsuckers since he was a teen and he also helps out under-privileged kids in his spare time. Progressive.

Guest Blogger InyRules Reviews 'WET' Video Game starring Eliza Dushku

I want to thank the team here at Buffyfest for inviting me to give a review. They are awesome people.

Contrary to popular belief, I did not pick up WET just because it contained the voice acting of Eliza Dushku, although that was a huge plus for me. I first heard of the game looking through Wikipedia’s PS3 games list, and was immediately interested when I found that there was a game being released called “WET” in nice capital letters, with a gun toting female lead. I was then disappointed to learn that the game was on hiatus. A couple months later, I check the list again, and to my delight, the game was once again on its way to a release thanks to publisher Bethesda. I then read that Eliza Dushku had also signed on. The fan girl in me squeaked with glee.



left: Eliza signing one of the posters I received

What the Game Does Well: Developer Artificial Mind & Movement really hit the nail on the head with aesthetics. WET looks and sounds just like a B-list grind house movie from the ‘70s. The film strip that runs through the screen gives the game a very gritty visual. There are even weird ‘70s commercials played in-between the game’s chapters.

Voice acting in WET is superb. Voicing a badass, potty mouthed and sexy character is not a very big stretch for Eliza. Malcolm McDowell and Alan Cumming also receive top honors for their voice work as several of the game’s antagonists. The dialogue is extremely cheesy and sometimes cringe-worthy, but I can’t help but laugh at many of the lines. The hilarious dialogue is not limited to the cut scenes. Main “protagonist” Rubi Malone often engages her enemies in banter during combat. Very. Explicit. Banter. If you’ve ever wanted to hear Eliza Dushku spew the words “You fight like old people fuck; slow and sloppy,” your wish has come true.

The best thing about WET is the soundtrack. The team behind the game went to great lengths to compose a soundtrack that fits seamlessly with the grind house theme. Many times, I found myself singing along and nodding my head to several of the songs while shooting my way through hordes of enemies, and was disappointed when they ended. I even downloaded the songs offered on Bethesda’s official WET site.

What the Game Does Wrong: Well, where do I start? Despite the success of the various grind house themes in the game, they do not compensate for the many faults that will be WET’s undoing for many gamers. I’ll start with the game play. WET is a very linear game, with many of the fights consisting of large “arena battles,” where Rubi must disable multiple “spawn doors” to stop the flow of enemies. Rubi can perform a wide range of acrobatics, which is her primary means of getting around the levels in the game; swinging on poles, jumping from ledge to ledge, sliding under obstacles, wall running, etc. When jumping/wall running/sliding and shooting at the same time, Rubi enters what is called “acrobatic slow-mo,” where everything, as the name suggests, slows down around her, and Rubi has the advantage on her enemies. During this time, Rubi can dual wield her guns, and it is harder for enemies to shoot her. Acrobatics can be chained together to earn more “style points,” which can be used to upgrade Rubi’s acrobatic skills and weaponry.

Now, while the idea of the game play is all well and good, it suffers from the physics engine and controls being very broken. Rubi doesn’t like to listen to what I tell her to do. I want to wall run horizontally to get past a large gaping hole in the floor. Rubi decides to wall run vertically, flip backwards, and fall right into the gaping hole, to which I am then rewarded by death. I am rewarded by death in a lot of my efforts in trying to get Rubi to cooperate. This wouldn’t be such an issue if the load screens weren’t so terribly long. Jumping over said gaping holes is also a feat in itself. If I don’t jump toward a ladder in a perfect straight line, I plummet to my death, as Rubi cannot change the direction she’s looking at mid air. Quick time events while wall running are also a major issue. Many times these events are unresponsive, and cause more plummeting to my death.

While it is fun to dual-wield guns and shoot enemies while running up a wall, the combat becomes very repetitive. I must remain in constant acrobatic slow-mo in order to survive. During battles, I must constantly jump and shoot as to not get pelted with bullets. Jump, shoot. Jump, slide, shoot. Jump, slide, shoot. Rubi’s health regenerates on its own during combat based on her style points multiplier, which goes up to 5x. The higher the multiplier, the faster her health regens, or so they say. Health does not regenerate during slow-mo sequences, so I have to run for cover in order to replenish my health. This becomes a major problem when there are eight spawn doors, and the arena is littered with enemies.

In the easier modes of the game, the sword is very fun to use, even though the development team did not get very creative with it; it’s got that standard hack n’ slash feel. In the harder modes, however, the sword is virtually useless, save for destroying spawn doors. Standing still for more than a second can mean a very fast death, despite upgrading her health to its maximum.

Camera angle issues are also a contributing factor to the broken mechanics of the game. They also contribute much to dying. Often time, the camera makes it very difficult to pin point where Rubi needs to jump to next, which forces me to do a blind jump in the hopes that she grabs onto to something. These spotty angles also make it difficult to see many of the enemies during combat. I usually won’t see them until they’ve bludgeoned me to death.

Despite the nifty film strip that runs through the game, graphics leaves more to be desired. Sometimes the colors become a bit washed out, and it is difficult again to see where you need to go. I had to up the brightness on my TV to see better. It seem s the developers poured all of their pixels on Rubi and some of the bad guys, and used whatever was left to populate the background. I expected more from a “next gen” game.

Bottom Line: WET shines in its visual presentation, but stumbles on game play. Casual gamers will become increasingly frustrated with the often time unfair mechanics, and will probably not want to complete the relatively short game. Hardcore gamers will want to finish the game at least once just to prove it wrong. Despite its drawbacks, WET can be a very fun game to play. “Rage Mode” is particularly entertaining, as the whole screen goes red, and Rubi ups her ass kicking. I give WET a 7/10.


- InyRules, A.K.A Cool Hip from the SSAA Podcast.