Sing-a-long with Buffy (Twentieth Century Fox)
So why is it that the two most iconic and popular kick-ass female TV show characters--that would be Xena and Buffy--both did all-singing, musical episodes? I don't have a clue but maybe if you hum a few bars...
As far as I know there's no sing-a-long Xena screenings but there is The Buffy Musical Big Screen Interactive Extravanga and it returns to Landmark's Ken Cinema this Friday and Saturday (October 5 and 6) at midnight. The subtitles will be turned on, everyone will be given a packet of sing-a-long props, and then get ready to party. If you're old enough to remember the Rocky Horror midnight screenings, then this is in the same vein. The program also boasts trivia contests, Buffy-oke (where audience members are called upon to relive a favorite Buffy moment), and people dancing with dry cleaning.
The 1990s TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which was actually based on a film of the same name that practically no one remembers) turned into a pop culture phenomenon almost immediately. By season six, series creator Joss Whedon was ready to tweak the popular formula by doing Once More With Feeling , an extended musical episode. Whedon wrote and composed all the songs, tailoring each to a particular character or cast member. The gimmick Whedon used to justify all this singing and dancing was the arrival of a tap-dancing demon (Broadway star Hinton Battle) who makes everyone in Sunnydale sing out their deepest, darkest secrets until they spontaneously combust like the drummers in Spinal Tap. Maybe they should add a fire extinguisher to the goodie bag.
So if you're feeling the need to belt one out (or maybe just to belt someone), head on over to the Ken Cinema this weekend.
Companion viewing: Xena: Lyre, Lyre, Hearts on Fire; Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992 movie); Bugsy Malone
