Opinion: What to Do When the Buffy Reboot Comes Out

Ever since it was announced that Warner Bros. was going to go ahead with their cockamamie plan for a Buffy reboot, the Whedonverse fans have been in an uproar. I am among them, and I have been trying to figure out what the best way to deal with this is. Many fans say to boycott the movie. That was my initial reaction, but as I gave it more thought and read more comments across the internet, an idea started to form.

We, as fans, have to decide if we are Whedon fans, Buffy fans, or both. The Whedon fans are those loyal to all things Whedon, while the Buffy fans care more about her than the man who brought her to life. If one is a Whedon fan then it makes sense to boycott the movie. It is absolutely ridiculous to make a movie without its creator, but it has been done before. A perfect example is the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. Wes Craven created him, but he does not own Freddy Krueger, and this led to a lot of problems with most of the sequels. In fact, the sequels that are considered the best of the bunch are the ones Wes worked on, Dream Warriors and A New Nightmare. This is what we are trying to avoid with Buffy. We don't want a new movie that is going to suck so hard Warner Bros. starts clamoring for Joss to come and make a better Buffy movie to wipe away the taint of the second movie. While we would like a Joss made movie, I don't think he would do it. Joss has been screwed over so many times by the industry, I have a hard time believing he'd make a Buffy movie. Maybe in a decade or two, long after the comics have ceased to exist, the fans are going rabid, and an embarrassingly large amount of money is thrown his way.

We are all going to be monitoring the progress of the reboot. We will be critical of casting decisions, who the crew is, and most importantly, the story and how it's written, but ultimately, I think the movie will have to be seen. I do not believe it will be a good movie, but I have to wonder what if Whit Anderson pulls off a miracle and writes an amazing movie? What if she genuinely pays homage to Joss? As a Buffy fan, I think it would be terrible not to experience the movie if it is great, but if the movie is bad, there is no way I am putting down hard earned money for something that is pooping all over a 'verse I love. So, what to do?

I propose we send in designated viewers. We convince one or two of our friends to see the movie and then report back to us. If they deem the movie worthy, we go in droves to support it. If it's unworthy, we get to not only issue a GINORMOUS "I told you so" to anyone and everyone who will listen, including the execs who green-lit the project, but we will be able to explain exactly what was wrong with it, other than Joss' absence.

Warner Bros. does not understand just how intelligent and driven Whedon fans are. They think if it says "Buffy," we will put down money to see it, no matter what the quality is. Once again, they underestimate us. We are the fans who created such a demand for Firefly that it was released on DVD, we got Dollhouse a second season, and we are the ones who brought Serenity to the big screen. There would be no Buffy, Angel, Dr. Horrible, Firefly, or any of the various spin off comics without us. We have made the Whedonverse a lucrative one because we are fiercely loyal, but we will not settle for crap.

So please, don't out right boycott the movie if you are a Buffy fan, but do NOT give a lot of money to the movie until it has proven its worth. Show Warner Bros. they cannot take us and Joss Whedon for granted.

This is part of our ongoing "Buffy Movie" coverage. You can read our first post here.
To see what others are saying about this, check out Action Flick Chick's Reboot Reactions roundup here.

Halloween - Things to See and Do

With Halloween is right around the corner, it was time to put together a list of some of the fantastic events happening in New York City.

Let's start with the Abrons Arts Center Henry Street Settlement & Third Rail Projects have come together to bring us once again, the Steampunk Haunted House. Billed as "a beautiful and terrifying dreamscape of neo-Victorian elegance and phantasmagoric clockwork horrors" it's said to terrify and delight without spilling a drop of blood.

Oct. 26 

Head into Astoria, Queens for Haunted Oktoberfest at Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden, New York City's oldest beer garden. Going on through the weekend, be sure to check out their Jack O' Lantern and costume contests as you enjoy some of the best beers around. 

Oct. 27

At The Times Center, sit down with horror meisters Wes Craven ("Nightmare on Elm Street," "Scream," "My Soul to Take") and Oren Peli ("Paranormal Activity", "Area 51") as they talk about horror and scary movies with Times theater critic, Jason Zinoman. 

Oct. 28

 After Dark at Madame Tussauds New York allows you to explore the attraction in almost complete darkness while trying to figure out who's real and who's not.

Swing by Bushwick, Brooklyn for The Horror Show. Set in a half abandoned 1900's brewery, patrons climb to their seats and watch amazing twisted acrobatic feats in this gothic circus-ballet created by Anya Sapozhnikova.

Oct. 29

Head over to Forbidden Planet for their Annual Costume Contest. Stop in at any time starting at 10 am on the 29th until 9:30 pm on the 31st and get your picture taken for entry. 

Straight Up Vampire at Joe's Pub is what happens when you put vampires, 80's pop, Paula Abdul and Quakers together. A young Quaker girl loves a young, politically idealistic vampire but is being forced to marry someone else and MC Skat Kat and Benjamin Franklin vie for power in the Assembly.

92YTribeca is hosting a Labyrinth Sing-Along and Costume Party. Whether you're dressed as the Goblin King or any of the muppet cousins, you'll have a beer in hand as you sing your heart out.

Oct. 30 

Party Like a Rockstar at Hudson Terrace. It features a complimentary open vodka bar, only for an hour so get there early, live performances, special effects and a costume contest with the winner taking home $500. 

Union Hall in Park Slope, Brooklyn will host A Very Heathers Halloween, an event dedicated to all things Heathers. Featuring drink specials such as the Hull Clean and all your favorite 80's chart toppers. 

The Spirit of the Golden Age Halloween Party at Opia Restaurant is the place to throw on your best 60's attire and enjoy vintage cocktails, prizes, a live big band, and tons of fun. 

Oct. 31

Starting early, the Highline Ballroom will be hosting a few of Halloween events, beginning with Phantasmagorey, An Edward Gorey Halloween Brunch Spectacular, and ending with Hussies From Hell! A Divas and Deviants Halloween Party where you can hang out with drag queens, go-go dancers and burlesque performers. 

Oh! You Pretty Things: The Rocky Horror Picture Show 35th Anniversary Bash is an all-night event filled with live performances, a Rocky Horror stage show, a costume contest and various other fun things.

Webster Hall will be transformed into Webster Hell and all four floors will be filled with "ghoulish freaks to badass queens to sexy nymphos and everything in between." There'll be plenty of excitement as you watch the virgin sacrifice ritual as well as many other spectacular theatrics and entertainment. Don't forget about their $5000 costume contest featuring some of the sickest, most creative and interesting costumes you can find. 

Of course, you can't forget New York's Village Halloween Parade. The best Halloween parade around, join various dancers, artists, bands, puppets and tons of New Yorkers in their Halloween best as you walk your way through the village.

These are just a few of the many options available for Halloween fun. There are also plenty of events happening on Long Island if you can't get into the city. Be sure to click the links because many of these events run through the weekend. Remember to be safe, don't do anything too stupid, take tons of pictures if you do and have lots of fun! Happy Halloween!