Director: Fran Rubel Kuzui
Written by: Joss Whedon
Cast: Kristy Swanson, Donald Sutherland, Paul Reubens, Rutger Hauer, Luke Perry

Year / Country: 1992, USA
Running Time: 82 mins.

Vampires have always been around us: hunting, killing, sucking blood. The chosen one is The Slayer, who alone can stand against the powers of darkness. When a slayer dies, a new one arises. But what happens in modern times? A blonde cheerleader receives the powers! Meet Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Before she moved to Sunnydale, Buffy lived in L.A., the City of Angels…and monsters. A mysterious stranger named Merrick approaches Buffy and convinces her she is the chosen one to fight evil demon Lothos, an old vampire who has been in the crusades. She gets help from romantic agitator Luke Perry. Screenplay writer Joss Whedon establishes the basis here of what would later become the renowned cult series of the same name.

The main story revolves around Buffy, who wants a normal teenager life but has to deal with dark powers and slaying vampires. Naturally this 80 minute film is more compact than the 145-episode series that followed it. Therefore some elements that made the series great – Angel, Spike, Brendan, Willow, a variety of monsters – are missing. On the other hand, Rutger Hauer as Lothos is a worthy villain and Paul Reuben is an interesting casting choice for his henchman.

Donald Sutherland is also excellent as the tutor, and Kristy Swanson portrays Buffy well, although personally I like Sarah Michelle Gellar better in the role. The kung-fu and vampire staking fights don’t look so great in this film, which is a miss, since this is an important part of the concept.

Still, if you’re into Buffy, this is a decent cult movie that can now be seen as a prequel to the television series.

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Biography: Fran Rubel Kuzui is mostly known as (executive) producer of the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel. She also produced Trey Parker’s Orgazmo. Her filmography lists two directing credits: the already mentioned Buffy, and US/Japan production Tokyo Pop, in which a young female rock singer is not appreciated by her band and moves to Tokyo.

Filmography: Tokyo Pop (1988), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)