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The sixth season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer followed the logic of plot and character development into some gloomy places. The year begins with Buffy being raised from the dead by the friends who miss her, but who fail to understand that a sacrifice taken back is a sacrifice negated. Dragged out of what she believes to have been heavenly bliss, she finds herself "going through the motions" and entering into a relationship with the evil, besotted vampire Spike just to force her emotions.Willow becomes ever more caught up in the temptations of magic; Xander and Anya move towards marriage without ever discussing their reservations; Giles feels he is standing in the way of Buffy's adult independence; Dawn feels neglected. What none of them need is a menace that is, at this point, simply annoying--three high school contemporaries who have turned their hand to magical and high-tech villainy. Added to this is a hungry ghost, an invisibility ray, an amnesia spell and a song-and-dance demon (who acts as rationale for the incomparable musical episode "Once More, with Feeling").

This is a year in which chickens come home to roost: everything from the villainy of the three geeks to Xander's doubts about marriage come to a head, often--as in the case of the impressive wedding episode--through wildly dark humor. The estrangement of the characters from each other--a well-observed portrait of what happens to college pals in their early 20s--comes to a shocking head with the death of a major character and that death's apocalyptic consequences. The series ends on a consoling note which it has, by that point and in spite of imperfections, entirely earned. --Roz Kaveney ... Read more

Reviews (301)

A Mixed Bag (but still wonderful in my eyes)
Buffy Summers died saving the world at the end of the fifth season of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, so the sixth season had a lot on its hands when it started up the next fall.

Season 6 spends much of its time delving into the darker sides of the characters. Buffy has to deal with being alive and suddenly having the responsibilities of family caretaker. Willow finds out just how addiction can ruin a life. Xander and Anya realize that they're not as ready to be grown up as they thought they were. Spike lets his worser half get the better of his love for Buffy. Dawn explores her bad girl side by shoplifting and sneaking out ever more.

In some ways, this darkness gets a little too big for the show. It's the dark sides of the characters themselves that turn out to be the Season 6 "Big Bad", not the Geek Trio of Andrew, Warren and Jonathan. (The geeks are amusing if you enjoy seeing geeks extensivey mocked, however, they do start to grate as the season progresses.) The season follows the depression of the characters. At the beginning, before things start to fall apart, it's interesting to watch. Almost every one of the first 8 or 9 episodes of the season are at least good, peaking with the amazingly underappreciated (at least by the Emmy powers that be) musical episode, "Once More, With Feeling". The problem is that after that, the season plunges into the steaming pile of dung that makes up the middle of Season 6. (This contains two of my least favorite episodes EVER, "Doublemeat Palace" and "Normal Again". "Hell's Bells", however, is a worthy exception to the rest of the mid-season rubbish.) Things pick back up with "Entropy", and the season manages to redeem itself through an amazing, if heartbreaking, turn of events in the end (which I'm trying hard not to spoil with this review).

However difficult the middle of the season is to watch, this DVD set will be worth it for "Once More, With Feeling" alone. It's Joss Whedon's (BUFFY creator and ruling lord) masterpiece. With little to no music writing experience, he manages to write a 50 minute musical that plays to the strengths of his non-musical cast. The cast, ever the troopers, sing and dance their way through with enthusiasm and finesse. It's often clear that they are not singers or dancers by trade, but they are all so charming (especially Emma Caulfield as Anya) that it's easy to forgive them their occasional off-key notes and missteps. And then there's Hinton Battle, the demon villain of the episode. He dances. He sings. He's probably the most charismatic thing to hit Sunnydale since Spike crashed into town in Season 2. It's a shame that he only got to have the one episode, but what an episode to have!

There are other gems in the season. Check out "Tabula Rasa" and "Life Serial" for some of BUFFY's funnier moments. It's a shame that the middle of the season is so hard to stomach, but I think that it all pays off in the end.

A Masterpiece
Season Six of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is, simply put, a masterpiece. Season Six is different; it is dark, edgy, scary, a far cry from the earlier, but equally impressive, previous seasons. I applaud Joss Whedon and Co. for taking this incredible series to different places, exploring new story arcs and aspects of the multi dimensional characters. The writing, directing, and acting are up to par with the best shows and movies out there, in many instances surpassing them. Sarah Michelle Gellar provides an incredible performance as Buffy dealing with her resurection, being pulled out of heaven by her friends, and having to deal with what she feels is a hell on Earth. The scenes where she expresses her distress over dealing with the emptiness inside her are truly moving. Alyson Hannigan also gives an incredible performance as Willow, dealing with her "addiction" to magics, and the consequences her problem causes with herself and her friends. James Marsters also gives a great performance as Spike, a souless vampire trying to understand love and human emotions eventhough he is spiritually unequiped to. Sure this season contains its duds (Doublemeat Palace for example), but the great episodes of this season far out shine the bad: Bargaining Parts One and Two, Tabula Rasa, Life Serial, Seeing Red, Two to Go, Grave, and ESPECIALLY the musical, Once More, With Feeling. The genius of Once More, With Feeling is reason enough to buy this set. I will say this again, Buffy Season Six is different, it is very dark, almost disturbing in some cases, it is scary, and very emotional, but this change is welcome and wonderful. It works, and season six is incredible

what is everyone talking about?
ok i just bought season six(but ive already seen all the eps)
and everyone has their own opinion but this season kinda sucks. But i am basing this on one thing: spike and buffy relatioship! the two characters i once loved i cant stand! they are so bitter! anyways a good season for all the other characters especially willow. besides for spike and buffy its watchable.

Cinderella, one past midnight
With this season, the magical carraige that was "Buffy" turned back into a pumpkin. It's no surprise, really: five years is generally the point at which a show starts to show signs of exhaustion, and while season five was a definite thumbs-up, there were a a number of sure signs of trouble to come:

1) Dawn. Adding a "baby" to a family is an old sitcom device to shake things up. It worked because of the clever writing and, obviously, Michelle Trachtenberg.
2) Glory. Upping the ante in the villain department every season is a good idea, but how do you top a God?
3) Spike. Changing a character's basic nature from evil to good (or good to evil) is an old soap-opera trick ("What, he's good now?")
4) Buffy. She died. Again. Since death is the ultimate sanction, undoing it takes the finality of death away, and stops us from caring if future characters are killed, because they can always be brought back.

Season Six dealt with the problem of topping Glory by going the opposite route, and creating the Triad, three hapless nerds who in no way were worthy successors to the Master, Angelus, bad Spike & Dru, evil Faith, etc. It was often hilarious, but not really strong enough of an idea to sustain over a whole season. The Triad would have made a very funny three story arc, but beyond that, their limitations were obvious.

It also made the fundamental mistake of pushing suspension of disbelief right over a cliff (that shark-headed gangster demon boss was just the worst idea in history....what were they thinking?). Also of betraying some signs of insecurity about the things they had done in season five and in six as well, and then trying to cover it up with clever humor, such as when the shrink tells Buffy that the retro-active addition of a sister (Dawn) into her alredy established family is a "ridiculous plot device" or that the Triad were "pathetic" villains. Tongue-in-cheek is one thing, farce is another. The episode where they allude that Buffy is in fact in a mental institution and everything you have seen in the previous 100 episodes is nothing more than the fever dreams of a schizo nut case is the classic "Bobby Ewing" mistake...."That last season? It was only a dream!" This was just insulting to the audience.

I also felt the middle episodes suffered badly from the absence of Giles and from an overdose of Spike. Sometimes the best thing you can do with a great actor/character is hold him back a little bit, so as to leave the audience hungry. Spike is a great character and James Marsters a great actor, but sometimes less is more.

This is not to say there were not some truly good moments in the season, such as Riley showing back up (didn't realize I liked this character until he left) the crotchey old Doublemeat Palace demon ("You may want to flail your limbs while you still have time"), the musical episode, the capricious and brutally violent way that Tara is killed off, or the fact that ordinary Xander finally got to save the world when all the super-powered people failed. But overall, season six left me feeling a bit like Buffy after her ressurection: down, disappointed, and ungrateful. Five out of six ain't bad.

Not the Buffy We Fell in Love With, but Still Damn Good TV
Season 6 is kind of the dark horse among Buffy fans, and having watched the show during its initial UPN run I can understand why. Heck, even I was turned off by the dark, relentlessly depressing nature of the season, the lack of a traditional big bad, and the network's sporadic airing of new episodes. Thank God for DVD, because thanks to this set I have a whole new appreciation for Joss Whedon, his writers, and the highly talented actors.

Without the weeks or sometimes months between new episodes (God bless UPN for keeping Buffy alive, but couldn't you have shown new episodes closer together?), the narrative structure of the season works so much better. It is much easier to watch and appreciate the growth and change experienced by the main cast, all of who slowly grow up throughout the season until they are nothing like the group of high schoolers we first met. The writers did a wonderful job of providing a distinct arc for each character, and the actors did a brilliant job portraying the evolution of the characters.

Sarah Michelle Gellar is once again stellar as Buffy Summers, whose emotional problems this season make all the angst up until now seem like kiddy stuff. I'm so glad Joss and company made the effort to earn Buffy's resurrection instead of simply reviving her and then letting everything immediately go back to normal. They took the much more difficult and ultimately more rewarding path of having Buffy slowly readjusting to her life, not fully reintegrating herself into Sunnydale until the end of the season.

All the other actors actors are equally fine, but Emma Caulfield deserves special recognition for her charming and underappreciated Anya. Consistantly hilarious, Caulfield takes a character who was clearly added to the show's roster as comic relief and makes her multi-dimensional and surprisingly human. By the end of the heart-wrenching "Hell's Bells," Anya shows an emotional depth that makes her possibly the most tragic character of the season, and Miss Caulfield handles the part beautifully.

And of course, season six of Buffy gave us the much lauded musical episode "Once More, With Feeling." I'm not ashamed to admit that it is my FAVORITE episode of the entire seven season run, encapsulating just about everything that makes Buffy special. It's smart, well written, irreverant, and packed with a surprising amount of emotional resonance. No, most of the cast won't be going to Broadway anytime soon, but bravo to the entire cast for handling their own singing, which actually only serves to make the episode more charming.

Season six of Buffy brought the characters to new low points in their lives, the show to new heights as far as writing and storytelling go, and produced some of the most entertaining adversaries the show's every seen (maybe I'm a nerd, but I find the Trio to be absolutely hysterical). If you've been watching the show since day one, now certainly isn't the time to stop, and if you've never seen the show, you're missing out on one of the most consistantly excellent programs of the last decade. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Having battled a hellish vampire master, an evil boyfriend, a rogue slayer, a giant man-eating demon-snake thing, and a particularly nasty high school principal, Buffy Summers embarked on one of her biggest challenges in the fourth season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer: college. With boyfriend Angel out of the picture (and on his own show) and Sunnydale High destroyed, new horizons were to be tackled for Buffy and the rest of the Scooby gang. There were cute guys (Buffy's new boyfriend Riley), cute girls (Willow's new girlfriend Tara--yes, Willow's gay!), frat parties, irritating roommates, harsh professors, and, oh yes, a secret military initiative that was experimenting on the demon population (Riley's part of it).

Buffy truly hit its golden years in the fourth season--just when you thought this show couldn't get any better, Joss Whedon and his creative team pulled out all the stops and took Buffy and co. into rich new territory. By far, the highlight of the season (and the entire series) was the Emmy-nominated "Hush," a nearly dialogue-free episode in which the creepy "Gentlemen" rob Sunnydale of its collective voice, and Buffy and Riley finally come face to face with each other's hidden identities. While Frankenstein-esque monster Adam wasn't the show's best villain (you'll have to wait until next season's Glory for that), he was a worthy adversary for the biotech age, and the military milieu was a nice contrast to Buffy's previous gothic outings. Season 4 also marked the return of blond vampire Spike (who developed a crush on Buffy), the ascension of vengeance demon Anya to full-time cast status, and the brief return of bad slayer Faith (in a fab two-part body-switching episode). Throughout, the entire cast, headed by the unparalleled Sarah Michelle Gellar, worked television magic of the kind rarely seen on the small screen. This is Buffy at its best. --Mark Englehart ... Read more

Reviews (246)

Buffy goes to college in solid season 4
The 4th season of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER proved to be a matter of transition for both cast and crew. For one thing, the show had removed itself from the high school setting when Buffy and her gang blew up the school fighting the demonized Mayor in season 3. Also, David Boreanez's moody vampire-with-a-soul Angel had moved on to his own series, taking with him a major plot point that helped drive the series. For the most part, BUFFY rebounded quite well with some of the best single episodes on the show to date. Of particular mention is the classic "Hush," where Sunnydale is under a spell of silence. Its inventive use of the lack of dialogue just reaffirmed the show's growing reputation as one of the best TV had to offer. However, there were uneven moments as well. The "Big Bad" of the government-run Initiative was too much of an X-FILES rip-off. The cyborg-demon Adam lacked the flair of the Mayor or the Master, and commando Riley, despite an ernest portrayal by Marc Blucas, seemed a poor substitute for Angel as Buffy's beau. Also, beloved characters like Giles and Xander were pretty much adrift that season as the college setting put more emphasis on Buffy and Willow. Overall, though, the season still had its share of entertaining and funny moments, while introducing former villian Spike (the always-solid James Marsters) as an uneasy ally/comic relief. The DVD features, while still on the skimpy side, are upgraded in quality with solid audio commentaries on key episodes including creator Joss Whedon's take on "Hush," with actor Seth Green (the werewolf Oz) joining him in "Wild at Heart." As always, BUFFY still manages to entertain, thrill and provoke its audience, which is a mark of great TV....making this DVD set definitely one worth recommending.

a breathtaking series with an unforgettable cast
by far the best show in the world to me, its hip, sexy, funny, scary, addicting and dramatic. This season takes place in college and Buffy(Sarah Michelle Gellar), Willow(Alyson hannigan, and OZ(Seth Green) attend. Xander(Nicholas Brendon) is not in college and Giles(Anthony Stewart Head) conducts buisness from his pad. Seth Green who plays the kick ass werewolf Oz, leaves 6 episodes into the fourth season and comes back at the end for 2 episodes. We get to know Spike(James Marsters) more in this season and see how he was kidnapped by The mysterious Initiative, led by Professor Walsh(Lindsay Crouse), and that Buffy's new hubbie Riley Finn(Marc Bluca) is a soldier in that organization. Hush would have to be the best ep in that season and it did win an Emmy. We see the return of Faith(Eliza Dushku) and Jonathan(Danny Strong). Walsh(Crouse) makes an ultimate killing machine, half demon, half human, half of everything named Adam(George Hertzberg)... also theres 2 episodes Angel(David Boreanaz) return to and that episode where Angel kicks the crap outta Riley was cool. Xander gets a new girlfriend, Anya(Emma Caulfield), Willow turns lesbian and has Tara(Amber Benson) and choices her over Oz(Green) but she still thinks about him in her dreams and we see that from the end episode Restless. I've seen every episode more than 5 times and its good because i'm an addictive fan of the show and when it ended in May I was like damnit, hey but theres still Angel and Spike is going and thats the best part, so this is a masterpiece of a show and it'll live in my life forever.

Great Episodes, Bad Villan
Now, when I first bought this DVD set I got it only to further the completion of my Buffy collection. I thought that the 4th season wasn't any good...but was I wrong! Even though Adam was not a very good villian, the overall arch was very good. I love how Willow and Tara get together, and I also love Riley. Xander and Anya are histarical, as is Giles and his girlfriend, Olivia. Season 4 has some of the best episodes...EVER!! My 3 favorites are "Pangs" (Angel's in it!!), "Hush" (Silently creepy!), "Girl of the Year" (Faith is back and is FUNNY AS HELL!!!), and "Who Are You" (Part 2 of the Faith comeback). The DVD cover discribes this season. With the dark background and Sarah's lost-in-space Barbie look can be related to almost all of the episodes.

(...)

Buffy hits its stride on a new campus
With Sunnydale High in ruins and the Scoobies freshly graduated, the gang embarks on the new adventure of college (well...except Xander...but he ends up populating the campus as opposed to the non-campus). After her initial misgivings about college, Buffy adjusts to her new life and fits in her Slayer duties...and notices a covert, underground military demon-hunting operation based beneath the university.

The Initiative, of which Buffy's new boyfriend, Riley, turns out to be part of, is a government-sanctioned demon-hunting organization that captures and experiments on the demon population. As she allies herself with the Initiative, Buffy discovers the threat of the mysterious 314 and a villain who unites all the demons of Sunnydale and divides the Scoobies against themselves.

Season 4 marks the return of beloved characters from seasons past, most notably Spike, the snide, leatherclad, chain smoking vampire, who is promptly neutered by the Initiative and forced to depend on the Scoobies for help. Ethan Rayne also returns to turn Giles into a Fyarl demon. And the rogue slayer Faith returns in a brilliantly executed two-part body-switching episode.

While often maligned (including on this website), Adam is, in my opinion, the show's best villain. A charismatic demonoid cyborg, he unites all races of demons and vampires in a quest to create others like him and overrun the earth. A modern update of Frankenstein's monster, he is chilling in his assertion that he is "aware". He uses Spike as a pawn to divide and conquer the Scoobies, who he sees as the only true threat to his plan. He knows that without each other, they cannot stop him.

The result is a very interesting spell and an very well-done climactic battle, as well as the prophetic and surreal season finale Restless. It is a fitting end to an awesome season.

Season 4 was an interesting change of pace, and marked the transition out of the familiar setting of Sunnydale High. A very well-done season, definetly among the upper eschelon of the show's achievement.

The Scooby-Gang's Surreal Season
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" had certainly hit its stride, long before seasn 4, so this season was more about experimentation. We see Buffy and friends dealing with college while still fighting evil. "Buffy" is unlike any other show of its kind, because unlike other scifi shows, "Buffy" revolves around its characters, not their experiences. Season 4 proves this when Buffy meets Riley. You hurt with her when she can not reveal her true identity to him. And you laugh with her when she does. You also feel the romance and shock between Willow's coming out. You love Tara, but still feel bad for Oz. Season 4 is alot more about the characters' personal problems: Willow being gay, Xander feeling useless, the Buffy/Riley love, Spike's chip, and Giles' reilization that he has no life. "Buffy" does an incredibly job at displaying the difficult transistions from high school to college while deepening its characters' own personal problems, but fails when compared to its other six seasons. But, however, we are taliking about the greatest show in the history of television, so you can still expect alot from this season. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The fifth season of Joss Whedon's hit series started out in excellent form as slayer extraordinaire Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) did battle with the most famous of vampires (that Dracula guy) and then went on to spar with another nemesis, little sister Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg). Wait--Buffy has a teenage sister? Where has she been the past four years? And why is everyone acting like she's always been around? Turns out that young Dawn is actually "The Key," a form of pure energy that, true to its name, helps open the gates between different dimensions. To protect said key from falling into the wrong hands, a group of monks gave it human form and sent it to the fiercely protective Buffy for safekeeping, creating new memories of Dawn for everyone as if she'd existed... well, always. Why all the super secrecy? There's this very, very, very bad girl named Glory (Clare Kramer) who wants the key very badly, and will do anything to get it. Oh, and by the way, Glory isn't just a run-of-the-mill demon... she's way worse.

Some fans will tell you that Buffy "jumped the shark" with the introduction of Dawn, when in actuality this season was the pinnacle of the show's achievement, as there was superb comedy to be had ("Buffy Vs. Dracula," the double-Xander episode "The Replacement," the introduction of the "Buffybot" in "Intervention") as well as some of television's best drama. The Whedon-scripted and -directed "The Body" remains one of Buffy's best episodes, when the young woman who faces down supernatural death on a daily basis finds herself powerless in the wake of her mother's sudden passing. The first third or so of the season was a bit choppy, but once the evil Glory came into her own, Buffy was a television force to be reckoned with. Kramer was the show's best villain (after the evil Angel, natch), and the supporting cast was never better. But as always, it was the superb Gellar who was the powerful center of the show, sparking opposite lovelorn vampire Spike (James Marsters) and wrestling with moral dilemmas rarely seen on television. With this season, Buffy Summers became, like Tony Soprano, one of television's true greats. --Mark Englehart ... Read more

Reviews (281)

A New Direction for Sunnydale
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" enters its Fifth Season with lots of surprises for the Scooby Gang and their Slayer. This special year was a gigantic season of wonderful stories-with the introduction of Dawn Summers,(a mystical key/Buffy's sister), Ben, and their big baddie,(and first female villain), Glory, (a Hell god)!

What can I say about Season 5, that most don't already know about already? Nothing! So let me express this review, in my view, how I felt about this famous year!

Many fans,(old or new), have different opinions about their favorite season, but my favorite will always be Season 5! Why is that? You may ask, and I'll tell you that this year was great because we finally saw Buffy grow into a young adult, actually, we saw the rest of the Scoobies grow deeper into their character too, which is so much, that they seem as if they were really real best friends of mine growing up. There's an excellent season premier with Dracula visiting the Slayer, and the episode, "Blood Ties", that really shows the meaning of sisterhood and family,through Dawn finding out who she really is, and there's many more that I can't name in just one review....Well, I could, but it would be a really long review,lol!

This year, Buffy faced her first female villain, Glory, who was stronger than Buffy would ever be. Dawn Summers, Buffy's sister,(played by Michelle Tractenberg-"Harriet the Spy"), has a brillaint storyline in the season which really shows the meaning of true love and family. Riley breaks down, loses faith in Buffy, cheats on her with a vampire, and leaves Sunnydale to join the Initiative in South America in a dramatic episode leaving Buffy broken hearted. Xander confesses his love for Anya and in the finale, proposes for her hand in marriage, while Willow and Tara prove their love is stronger than anything around, as Giles buys the Magic Box to occupy his time as unemployed Watcher, as Spike comes to terms with his feelings for Buffy, that grows into something special throughout, and near the end of Season 7.
In this season, we see signs of Joyce's fate as she slowly dies of a brain tumor in a emotional episode for the Scoobies that has no background scores or wacky tunes in the background, only real life. "The Body" also shows the brilliance of Sarah Michelle Geller as an actress as she copes with finding her mother, Joyce, dead on their couch, and the brilliance of Emma Caulfield, (Anya), with her speech about "what is death?".
Don't worry, this season has ALOT of action in it, but the drama in this season is just so overwhelming that I keep those momments of Season 5 to heart more than the action sequences!
As I said, there is alot of action, and it centers mostly around the Key storyline, with Buffy keeping the truth from Glory, for Glory wants to use it to go home, not caring that it'll end the world if she does. We have the Ben storyline, that is finally connected to Glory near the end of the season, and we have Buffy's. In the season finale, "The Gift", Glory finally gets Dawn, and uses her to open all the dimensions of the world which leads to a battle of bloodshed, heartache, and suprising twists of Giles true nature. In the last moments of the finale, Buffy dies to save all of humanity, but most of all, for her sister. You see, the episode title is called "The Gift", and the gift was life for Dawn, because it was either Dawn, or Buffy, that could stop the world from ending, and Buffy steps up and sacrifices herself for her sister, because of love. The season started great, and ended in a mind numbing, heart pounding, crying your eyes out great that will always be remembered as a brilliant episode in my, and every fans book!

Now, I have my title, "A New Direction for Sunnydale", because thats what it was. Seasons 1-4, they seem so different than Season 5, and the final two, and thats because the Scoobies grew up so fast, and they began to mature into wonderful young adults. My last statements is that, I love the last years more than the first few years, I love the way they ended the series! I loved Season 6,(it was so much mature, and they went throught what many real people will in life), and I especially love Season 7, (Because its connected to Season 5 on so many levels, and has a brilliant storyline so wonderful for the Slayer, that many so-called fans hate, and love).

I'm so glad Season 5 comes out on DVD, and encourage fans, and fans who are starting to witness to greatness of this series, I encourage all to buy this season, you won't be let down! And I also want to thank Joss Whedon too, for not stoping the series in the 5th Season, because he, and they gave us two more wonderful, (but misunderstood by many), seasons for all to charish forever! Enjoy! You won't regret it!

BtVS turned 5 and with it became spectacular!
I would say, in my opinion, this season ranks up there with seasons 2 and 3. The Arrival of Dawn, The Magic Box, The Death of Joyce, The Breakup of Riley and Buffy, and Tara's Family mark some of the key moments that made this season momentous on all levels. NOT to mention the "key" most important and heartbreaking moment in all Buffy history. Her death. From the "Previously on Buffy..." to "She saved the world alot," "The Gift" was a spectacular episode.
On the DVD, which I would say was pretty good, The Gift was not shown in it's full entirety. I wonder. WHERE WAS THE DAMN AWESOME PREVIOUSLY ON BUFFY!?!?!?!
I don't know why but they decided to leave that out cause that was an awesome way to begin what many of us thought was the final ep.
Anyway, I give this DVD ****. Not 5 because of that key not putting in the Previously on Buffy. Watch everything on this DVD including Commentaries, featurettes, outtakes(which are actually on there! :> ), and my fave ep, The Replacement with Nicholas Brendan's twin!!! Other awesome eps: The Body ( I cried), I Was Made For You (With slimey Warren), and Buffy vs. Dracula ( hilarious!!!!)

deceptions
The fifth season of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER feels casual, exuding, particularly in its first few episodes, an almost thrown-together quality. Coming off of season four, which contains some of the show's best episodes but probably has its weakest "arc" up to that point, Season Five seems to be following a similar line. It is funny, well-staged, and full of fascinating new characters and developments, but it is difficult, at first, to get a bead on where the season is going.

A friend of mine says most dramatic shows have five or six good years in them, before decline sets in or they are cancelled, and I think she's right. NYPD BLUE worked for six years before it collapsed under the weight of too many teen-idol replacements for Smits and Caruso; THE WEST WING's fifth season was a travesty without Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme around to guide things; and even a sitcom like FRIENDS, whose character arcs resemble those of dramatic programs, had a hard time keeping things interesting after year five. There's no set formula, of course, but it's fair to say that a program's cast and crew might get a little bored after awhile, might have trouble finding new shadings for their characters or new spins on their environments, and might begin to take it easy and coast. Seen in this light, the initial slacker quality of BUFFY year five becomes both more comprehensible and also a little ominous-- when a program's first episode is given the distinctly Marvel Comics-esque title "Buffy v. Dracula," its not hard to imagine the blood in the water and the sharks circling.

Such fears were, for many fans, confirmed by the appearance of Dawn, Buffy's heretofore unseen, uncommented-upon little sister. Some fans and critics immediately dubbed her "Oliver," a reference to the mysterious "cousin" that appeared in later seasons of THE BRADY BUNCH, and whose name has become shorthand for a show's desperate attempts to add characters and keep things alive near the end. Who was this strange, annoying little girl? Why had we never seen her? And why was every character on the show already acting as if we had?

As if the "new relative" gambit wasn't enough, BUFFY' s writers also tossed in the Mysterious Illness ploy for Buffy's mom, and the Hot New Relationship plot for Buffy and Spike, in what initially seems like a wan attempt to recreate the old magic of Buffy and Angel. By the time, in episode six, Tara's family arrives to inform the Scooby Gang (and viewers) that this quiet girl has a Dark Secret, fans can be forgiven for thinking that the WB had secretly switched our usual BUFFY blend with episodes of GUIDING LIGHT.

Silly us-- with ep seven, "Fool For Love," everything clicks into place, plot points are clarified, and suddenly it all begins to make sense, and to take on a tremendous emotional power. The remaining fifteen episodes are some of the show's best, and looking at the season as a whole four years after its initial airing, it's remarkable how cohesive it really is. One of the major themes of the year is deception, and by offering their audience a seemingly loose and occasionally incomprehensible start to the year, creator/auteur Joss Whedon and his staff were able to place viewers in roughly the same emotional position as their characters.

By the time Season Five rolled around, Mutant Enemy knew it had a hit on its hands, and an intensely loyal fan base. They could now take their show (and its viewers) to different places, and really get under the skins of their characters. They had been doing this all along, of course, but Seasons Five and Six of BUFFY are full of a desire and yearning that is dark, fascinating, and sometimes unsettling. Far from coasting to syndication, the show would take more chances than ever.

It's notable that both Seasons Two and Five come, on DVD, in red/reddish boxes-- a color of passion, heartache, blood, and love. Season Five finds the show's characters undergoing a level of trauma not seen since the second half of Season Two, and the final resolution of that trauma is, like the end of season two, both gut-wrenching and utterly logical. I won't give more detail than that, except to note, again, how well-paced this year is, interspersing more dramatic eps with funny ones, allowing moments for the whole ensemble to shine, and keeping the flow so loose and unpredictable that, when twists and suprises come, they really are twists and surprises.

This was also a year of behind-the-scenes goodbyes: it was the last season shot by Buffy's great secret weapon, cinematographer Michael Gershman, whose beautiful balance of dark and light (in all senses) had held the show together since its first episode; it was the last year to prominently feature the lush scores of composer Christophe Beck, whose strings had always sonically captured the beautiful adolescent passions of the characters; it was the last full season for Anthony Stewart Head (Giles), whose character would continue to appear, but only in recurring "guest star" status; and it was the last year the show would appear on the WB, since contract negotiatons and public spatting led to the show's vamoosing to the UPN network the following year (this also meant it was the last time-- for awhile-- that there would be character crossovers between BUFFY and ANGEL, since the latter continued to air on the WB, which imposed a "ban" on such occurences after BUFFY left home).

In so many ways, then, Season Five marks a turning point for BUFFY, a year in which, even for a show which had always taken chances, questions of change and growth seemed central, both within the narrative and on a stylistic level. I wouldn't start watching BUFFY with Season Five, but it's a crucial year for a crucial show, and well worth one's time.

The Best Season of Buffy EVER
Having seen every season of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" in its entirety, I can say without a doubt Season Five is my absolute favorite. It doesn't have the series' best episode (Season Six's "Once More, With Feeling") or the show's best villain (the unholy Angelis/Spike/Drusilla alliance in Season Two), but as a whole nothing can top the plot and pathos of Season Five.

This is the season that introduced us to Buffy's younger sister Dawn, and while in later seasons she had a tendancy to come off as whiny, here she provides the basis for one of the most beautiful relationships ever portrayed on the show. The dynamic between Buffy and Dawn runs the gamut from loathing to love and everything in between, but above all it is about the utter love and devotion these sisters have for one another. In one of the special features, Joss Whedon is quoted as saying "Buffy's love interest for Season Five is her sister," and this couldn't be more true. Their sisterly bond is deeply touching and totally convincing.

But the Buffy-Dawn relationship is only the tip of the emotional iceberg in a tightly plotted season that also sees the death of a major figure in Buffy's life. "The Body" is one of the series' strongest episodes, and its frank look at the consequences of a person's death will surely strike a chord with viewers. Grounding this episode (and indeed, the entire series) is Sarah Michelle Gellar's consistantly strong performance as Buffy Summers. She is at once empowered, humorous, charming, and yet still a vulnerable girl struggling with the relaties of life.

And of course, there's the season finale, the heart-breaking "The Gift." One of the most emotionally powerful episodes of the series, it brings all the narrative threads of the season together in a way words can't begin to describe. I won't spoil the ending, but anyone who saw the episode when it aired can tell you it's some powerful stuff. If your prone to crying during movies, you better have a box of Kleenex handy.

Season Five of "Buffy" works so well as a whole it's hard to believe the writers hadn't carefully plotted every little twist before penning the first script. The tight narrative consistantly builds on itself in ways that surprise and yet make perfect sense. The emotional core of the show, always its strongest suit, is as powerful as ever, and nearly every major relationship on the show is taken to new levels during the course of the season. So what are you waiting for?!? Go out and buy this set now!

Words cannot come to say..
Words cannot come to say how truly remarkable joss Whedon has come to invent the fifth season of Buffy. The Dawn breakthrough, the god Glorificus, and most of all the stunning growth of Willow and Tara as witches. I have to say that this is my most favorite Buffy yet. Can't wait to watch season 6!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

At the heart of the first years of Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer was the romance between Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar), slayer of all things evil, and hunky Angel (David Boreanaz), the tortured vampire destined to walk the earth with a soul. The second season of Buffy took the Buffy-Angel pas de deux from ecstasy to agony in a now-classic plot arc that catapulted the show from WB teen drama to true TV greatness. You see, if the cursed Angel ever experiences true happiness for a moment, he'll revert to being an evil vampire again. And guess what happens after Buffy and Angel finally declare their love for one another and consummate their relationship...

Buffy found its true momentum during the second season, as geeky Xander (Nicholas Brendon) fell in love with popular girl Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter), Willow (Alyson Hannigan) gave up her crush on Xander in favor of werewolf boy Oz (Seth Green), and watcher Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) began a sweetly tentative relationship with computer teacher (and witch) Jenny Calendar (Robia LaMorte). Mayhem came to Sunnydale, though, in the form of evil vampires Drusilla (Juliet Landau) and Spike (drolly wicked James Marsters), who were more than ready to aid and abet Angel as he turned bad. It all sounds like horror-action mayhem (and there are great fight scenes), but Buffy took on its plotlines with amazing depth, intelligence, and humor. And oh, man, the love story! Buffy and Angel's tragic relationship is one of the most heartbreaking you'll ever find. Buffy's final dilemma finds her having to save the world at Angel's expense, and Gellar (who deserves a passel of Emmys for her work) is phenomenal at telegraphing Buffy's swirling conflicts between love and duty. This is some of the best TV ever made, period. --Mark Englehart ... Read more

Reviews (362)

Incredible (spoilers below)
The second season continued one what was successfully started in the first season. The second season is a lot more ambitious (remember, the first season only had twelve episodes, unlike the rest which had 22).

The story arcs in the second season are brilliant. The romance between Angel and Buffy reached gothic heights with Surprise/Innocence (Surprise is astonishing). When Angel turns bad, David Boreanaz manages to do a sensational job of acting the transition (the episodes "Passion" and "I Only Have Eyes For You" are incredible in detailing this, and Buffy's reaction). Willow's romance with Oz is wonderful, and Giles attachment to Jenny Calendar a welcome addition.

This show still manages to be surprisingly funny (as seen in Halloween, and Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered) and packs a wallop (the two part season ender, Becoming I & II, are essential viewing for any Buffy fans. They are incredibly moving). Yes, there are some clunkers (Killed by Death, Bad Eggs), but they are more than redeemed.

My favourites are: Becoming I & II, Surprise/Innocence, I Only Have Eyes for You, Passion, School Hard, When She Was Bad, and Lie To Me

For a show set in high school, the writers have neatly side-stepped making a caricature of Anthony Stewart Head's librarian/Watcher Giles. His befuddled sexiness is immensely appealing. Alyson Hannigan's performance as wallflower Willow blooming into a witch (her growing powers are smartly charted by writers all the way through season six) is strong, and having the animosity between Xander and Cordelia boil over into lust was a masterstroke. Finally, we have to give the star her due. Sarah Michelle Gellar proved with this season that she's actually a capable actress, both with comic timing (Halloween) and pathos (Surprise/Innocence).

The second season was an immense improvement over the first season (a solid debut) and the quality continues. In my mind, the second and third season need to be bought together (or at least both bought). Story arcs introduced in the second season are wrapped up in the third season. Buy this set, you won't be disappointed.

Not the best season, but really well done!
A great season, episode breakdown:

When She Was Bad: 8.5/10 Great episode involving Buffy's nightmares about the master.

Some Assembly Required: 9.5/10 Two students try to assemble an ideal woman, using different body parts of girls they know, the head is Cordelia.

School Hard: 10/10 The best one to date, watchout, the number one vampire is in town, Spike! He's so cool in this season.

Inca Mummy Girl: 8.5/10 Good episode, where an old Inca princess is woken.

Reptile Boy: 9/10 Buffy and Cordelia attend a frat party and are being offered by reptile-like creature as human sacrifices. It's a good one!

Halloween: 9.5/10 Buffy gets turned into a 18th century woman, 1775 to be exact, Xander turns into a soldier, Willow is a ghost and the only one that remembers who they really are, who bought her costume from Ethan. Cordelia got somewhere else, so she's fine, as well as Angel and Giles. Funny episode!!

Lie To Me: 9/10 Vampire wannabes offer Spike the Slayer, but turns into a disaster! Buffy rules!!

The Dark Age: 9.5/10 An old demon that Giles and Ethan created, comes after the watchers and eliminates 3 of them. Giles and Ethan are next! Scary!

What's My Line Part 1: 8/10 Cordelia and Xander kiss for the 1st time. Buffy is being chased by 3 bounty hunters that Spike hired! Great episode!!

What's My Line Part 2: 9.5/10 In comes Kendra, the next Slayer! Great episode, which puts Angel in danger, haha!!

Ted: 9/10 John Ritter guest stars as a mysterious person that only Buffy hates. Everyone else is suckered into his personality(mostly Xander and Joyce). Great episode!

Bad Eggs: 9.5/10 Starts out as a health class egg experiment. Something in the eggs pops out and takes control of their bodies, to bring out an ancient beast! And guess who pops in here, our favourite Jonathan(Danny Strong)! Everyone but Buffy and Xander is controlled by this bug! Oh yah, Angel, but he's no help here!

Surprise: 10/10 Angel, you're going to lose your soul, when Buffy and Angel have sex, Angel experiences his one true moment of happiness, which therefore, loses his soul!

Innocence: 10/10 Without Angel's soul, he becomes all nuts and heads out for Spike and Cordelia. The Judge is awoken and Buffy must battle both The Judge and Angel! Getting better here!

Phases: 9.5/10 It's revealed, the werewolf who we all know is Ozz is hunted here and found, by Buffy, Willow and Giles, and a hunter. A few spoilers here, on Passion, and Becoming(1&2)

Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered: 10/10 Great episode. Cordelia breaks up with Xander and then he gets Amy to cast a spell which makes every girl and woman in town love him, except the one he wants, Cordelia! Funny

Passion: 10/10 Jenny Calender finds a spell to restore Angel's soul, but gets killed in the process.

Killed By death: 9/10 This one's scary as a crazy demon starts killing off children and the only way you can see it, is if you have a fever.

I Only Have Eyes For You: 9/10 The ghosts of a former student and a teacher take passion to a different level. Death! Angel regains his soul for about 2 minutes during the process!

Go Fish: 8.5/10 Xander joins the swimming team, a team full of monsters!

Becoming Part 1: 10/10 Part one where Angel aims to destroy the world! Kendra comes back, and get caught in a trap. Drusila joins and kills her, which brings up Faith!

Becoming Part 2: 10/10 Spike joins Buffy to defeat Angel in his brutal plan. Spike escapes with Drusila and Buffy is too late! Angel opens up the demon, Willow is in the hospital casts the spell to restore Angel's soul. It works, but the demon has already been released. The only way for it to go back, is to kill Angel!

Special Features: 5/10 The 1st season had much more of them!

Great season, buy it!

Truly magnificent
Season one of Buffy was amazing on its own. We were introduced to Buffy, Willow, Xander, Giles, and Cordelia. It was a great season that ended with an awesome season finale. Now Buffy's back in Sunnydale after spending the summer with her father in LA. Still suffering from the trauma of drowning & facing the master, Buffy returns...different. It's "When She Was Bad" & she didn't know how to deal. After a while of settling back into her slayer duties, Buffy is finally back to her old self. Season two is packed with halarious, sad, and action filled episodes that took the show to a whole other level. Buffy and Angel sleep together for the first time which causes Angel to lose his soul & become Angelus again ("Surprise", "Innocence"), we get to meet Oz & discover that he is a werewolf ("Halloween", "Phases"), and tons more. Each episode in season two is a gem, a classic. Season two also features the simply heartbreaking two part season finale "Becoming". Buffy faces off with Angel, and right before she's going to send him to hell to stop the world from ending, Angel regains his soul. Thus, as Buffy states in season three, she kissed him, he held her, and then she killed him. Buffy loses everything & leaves Sunnydale. There are so many amazing moments in season two, and this boxset is just perfect. Not only do you get all 22 episode, there's tons of special features like commentaries (very informative), fun featurette, episode interviews with creator Joss Whedon (the genius), and a photo gallery. Make sure you add this to your Buffy collection!

The World of the Scooby-Gang
Buffy's second season is an exceptional one! If you love the Buffy/Angel relationship then this is the season for you. We've seen over the past yaer the connection between Buffy and Angel strenghten, but never like this. Buffy comes back to Sunnydale, from a much needed vacation, with a much NOT needed attitude problem. Who can blame her, though? After facing the Master and having an untimely death Buffy has the right to be a little pissy. This attitude plays off of the doomed relationship of our blonde heroine and her handsome vampire love. However they continue on their path of endearing, finally climaxing in the act of a night of sex. After that we learn that the one moment that Angel needed to have his soul taken away was found when he and Buffy proclaimed their undieing love for one another. Perhaps though, love isn't enough. Without a soul, Angel becomes an cold-hearted killer, out to exact revenge on the thing that mae him feel most human, Buffy. We see an entirly different side of Angel and are just as shocked as the characters. This season is a real tear-jerker, especially the end, when Buffy is forced to send her lover to Hell, even though his lovable personality has been magically restored. If it's Angel you want, it's Angel you get, but beware...love alone isn't enough in this doomed relationship...But who cares?!

It's overrated - but still a great season
After the first season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, fans knew that the show could only get better, and season two definately brought the show to a whole new level. Season two had so many things working for it, from the introduction of my favorite character Spike and Buffy's relationship with Angel heating up, to the introduction of Angel's darkside Angelus who turned out to be one of the show's greatest villans. Now season two is very good and I definately enjoyed it. However, I also feel that the season is overrated because many fans of the show think that season two is the show's best season, when seasons three, five, and six were much better overall. I mean, let's be honest here. There were some really bad episodes in this season like - "Some Assembly Required", "Ted", "Reptile Boy", "Inca Mummy Girl", "Bad Eggs", and "Go Fish". In order for a season to be worthy of a five star rating, it needs to be great from start to finish, with a minimum number of bad episodes.

The second season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer does feature some wonderful episodes however that manage to make up for season two's shortcomings. "School Hard" is one of my all time favorite episodes because it introduced my favorite character Spike. The bad ass leather clad vampire proved to be so popular, that the writers ended up keeping him around for the rest of the show. The classic episode "Halloween" has everyone turn into whatever they dressed up as for Halloween. "Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered" is another one of my all time favorites and is definately a candidate for funniest episode ever. When Cordelia dumps Xander on Valentine's Day, he seeks help in a witch at Suunydale High named Amy to cast a spell on Cordelia to make her fall in love with him. Unfortunately, Xander ends up becoming the object of every woman's affection in Sunnydale. The two best Buffy/Angel episodes of the entire show are "Suprise" and "Innocence" in which their relationship ascends to a new level, and we are introduced to Angel's darkside Angelus who turns out to be one of the best villans ever. Season two comes to an amazing conclusion in "Becoming" parts 1&2. Other episodes worth mentioning are "What's My Line" parts 1&2, "Passion", "Phases", and "I Only Have Eyes of You".

Even though season two is not quite as good as a lot of people claim, it is still a highly enjoyable and definately worth owning. What really makes the season two DVD set special is the bonus features. The set has many featurettes and interviews, as well as commentary on several episodes.

A solid 4 stars... ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Excellent Film
I understand people have different opinions on movies, but to say this movie is 'dull' is beyond belief! I can only asume the people saying this are religious and find the movie offensive...or hate the French (American's mostly), hate reading subtitles cause they cannot read very well, or just don't understand the film and prefer Die Hard 3! All fair enough. But if you love a good erotic, mysterious, dark adventure you can't go past this movie. I adored it. Finally something intelligent. Now if you are going to anaylse it ie: how did an Indian learn kung fu etc, you need to take a breath and get a life. 'Oh, but it's a silly fable' etc. Well let me remind you, man-kind read a wee book written a long time ago that said a 'man' walked on water and we all fell for that like a tonne of bricks! Isn't THAT 'far fetched' and silly? Yet I'm refering to the bible!!

Getting back to the main topic, Brotherhood of the Wolf is an intelligent fantasy film with everything you need to love this film. The layers of the movie make it a highly enjoyable watch, and of course Mark Dacascos is brilliant yet again. * Did you know that Vincent Cassel, who plays the sly brother, is married to the beautiful Monica Belluci and they are expecting their first child! Just thought you should know that. Monica plays the mysterious sexy [woman]whore.

Nice Try, But....
Sherlock Holmes type mystery set in France during the late 18th century: a French Version of Doyle's "The Hound of the Baskerville" so to speak. Imaginative but far fetched plot that ends up being rather disappointing in the end.

The acting holds water and the characters are given depth. The main character's Indian sidekick seems a little too P.C. for my taste: a common habit in propaganda these days that achieves nothing and limits the artistic quality of a movie. The fight sequences also take away from the mood of the story with the computerized "Matrix" style flying roundhouse kicks, etc.

Although the monster of the story builds suspense and mystery which keeps the audience intrigued, the ending is almost anticlimactic by virtue of being too surreal and unbelievable: the monster should have remained a supernatural beast. The idea of the Church being against the crown during that period is equally laughable: making it seem as if the writer of the film hasn't done his history as to pre-revolutionary France.

Entertaining to watch once or every once in a while but I wouldn't buy it. For that style of movie, I would recommend watching Tim Burtons's version of "Sleepy Hollow" instead.

Bloody and boring-save your time and $$
Kind of the DaVinci Code meets James Fenimore Cooper meets the Hound of the Baskervilles. Set in early 18th century France, the only things it has going for it other than a physically attractive cast in cool costumes is great scenery and beautiful architecture. Starts out with all these frightened, dirty, ugly peasants and that's about where it ends also. In between we have an Anerican Indian who is a better martial artist than Jackie Chan (I know they came over on the land bridge and all that but its a few centuries too soon if you know what I mean), the Catholic church and the royalty as villians and more bright red blood than a Mel Gibson flick. So after watching it for way too long my question is this-Why would a virile adult male pick some milk toast virgin to moon over instead of choosing a hot blooded Italian beauty with the bedrooom skills of a courtesean, the posioning skills of Lucretia Borgia and who is a better fighter than he too boot? Oh well, I only watched it to see Jeremie Renier (La Promesse) as an adult and I am happy to report he has matured very prettily.

Not your standard fare
This is an exceptional movie. I've read some of the other reviews and I don't get it. They must have seen a different movie than I did. If you are expecting a hollywood thriller you will be disappointed. The movie has more than one plot twist. The characters are engaging. There are subplots or themes that underlay the main story which makes for much richer story telling. This is one smart and beautifully filmed movie. The scenery and colors jump out at you. It is in French unless you play the dubbed version and that will throw some people off. Excellant movie and a credit to the genre. We need more of these. If only hollywood would take notes.

The hidden meaning of The Brotherhood of the Wolf.
There are two movies going on in this film. One plot is the one you actually see. The other is the theme of hidden messages that most people will not get. If you get them then you will enjoy the movie much more. This is a Templar movie where the Beast being pursued symbolizes the Demonic world that takes over the world by using the face of religion--Roman Catholic Church. There is a secret brotherhood trying to thwart those who speak against the church have become self-serving.To punish the heretics a member uses a trained Lion costumed in armor to kill those who will not submit to his Holy Roman beliefs. The King hires Mon. Chevalier; the main protagonist -- a Naturalist, Illustrator, Warrior, and the Christ figure/hero. His best friend or blood-brother; an Iroquois named Mani--symbolizes man in general and his spiritual connection to nature or earth itself. The female protagonist characters that the Naturalist; Monsieur Chevalier falls for represent the pagan/ritual whore, and the pure virginal royal line ripe for childbearing and legacy building. The wolves represent the lambs. They are victimized by being blamed by the secret brotherhood for all the killing going on. So, they are hunted down and killed. There is a saying, beware of wolves dressed in sheeps clothing. In this film the wolves are dressed as sheep. And, evil men are blaming them for the problems their fanatic beliefs have given rise too. ... Read more

Description

While driving in the Collinsport village, Barnabas Collins accidentallyhits a stranger in the road. He recognizes that the man is identical toQuentin Collins from 1897. Paul Stoddard becomes frantic when he realizes that the Leviathans want to claim the soul of his daughter Carolyn due to an agreement he made when she was a child. He discovers that the young boy living at the antique shop is a member of theother-worldly race. Dr. Julia Hoffman's investigations to find a cure for Chris Jennings' werewolf curse lead her to the elderly artist Charles Delware Tate. After revealing that she is really Amanda Harris from 1897, Olivia Corey tries to help Quentin regain his memory. While searching for Quentin's mystical portrait, Julia meets art collector Sky Rumson and learns he is married to Angelique, the witch. Barnabas begsAngelique for her supernatural help to overthrow the Leviathans. Bonuses: Exclusive interviews with actors Kathryn Leigh Scott, Christopher Pennock, Geoffrey Scott and soap opera journalist/historian Michael Logan. Starring: Jonathan Frid, Joan Bennett, David Selby, Grayson Hall, Louis Edmonds, Kathryn Leigh Scott, David Henesy, Nancy Barrett, Thayer David, Marie Wallace, Dennis Patrick, Lara Parker, Don Briscoe, Donna McKechnie, Christopher Pennock, Roger Davis, Lisa Richards, Geoffrey Scott, Ed Riley, John Harkins, David Jay, Michael Maitland, Emory Bass, Kenneth McMillan, Camilla Ashland, Sho Onodera, Lisa Ross, Ronald Dawson, Brian Sturdivant and Marsha Mason. ... Read more

Amazon.com

As another entry in the video-game-to-movie genre, Alone in the Dark certainly delivers in terms of its splattering gore and number of things that get shot or blown up with the kind of arsenal familiar to any fan of games that allow the player to shoot or blow things up. You could argue that some game-based movies have been big successes--gauged either by audience appeal or box office scores. Even though a lot of hardcore gamers probably won't care, Alone in the Dark is not of that ilk. At least the Resident Evil and Tomb Raider series had some interesting characters and locations (not to mention sexy stars). But Alone in the Dark is crippled from the first by a mundane setting of caves, laboratories, and street-fighting backgrounds as well as a cast (including Christian Slater, Stephen Dorff, and Tara Reid) that couldn't be less interested in the overly complex plot. The absurdity starts right away with a long expository pre-title text crawl that carries all the gravitas of a "Monty Python" sketch intro. The gist of the plot has a group of scientists, special-ops military guys, and paranormal freaks and geeks investigating evil creatures that were once harnessed by an extinct subset race of Native Americans. Unleashed again, the creatures must be destroyed, which is where the video game blasting and attendant gore comes into play. Considering the cult following the game series carries (the first installment is over a decade old), Alone in the Dark could find a nice little life on DVD, but theater-goers might discover the title's a little too literal. --Ted Fry ... Read more

Reviews (67)

crap
Things blew up, there was blood and aliens or something...fortunately, Tara Reid remained scantily clad for the majority of this film...other than that I have no idea what the point of this movie was. Plot hung on by a dangling thread, and was pretty much left unresolved, i guess. Please for the love of God, don't spend money on this, please. I'm telling you this for your own benefit. Do something more constructive with your money. Buy your girl something nice, take your mom out to lunch. Whatever you choose, i'm sure it will go towards something a little more worthwhile than this. 'Nuff said...Christ.

Great Plot - so-so acting - low budget=Coulda Been Better!
The overall plot and storyline were pretty good.Somewhat reminiscent of something like the movie Stargate or The Mummy.

The plot in a quick word, is this:In 1967, mine workers discovered artifacts attributing to an ancient Native American Civilization called the Abkani.The Abkani believed there were two worlds on this planet..one of light and one of darkness.To the darkness there was a door, and if that door was opened, something evil would slip through.

The Abkani abrubtly ceased to exist.Literally wiped off the face of the earth, overnight.

From there we have some artifact hunting that leads to clues (think National Treasure LITE) to a puzzle that when pieced together, solves the mystery of their disappearance..or very well opens a door for the disappearance of the human race!

As said before, I think the overall plotline and story are really good.I can see this movie actually being great with say, Jerry Bruckheimer directing it.Lots of action scenes and intense fighting, some histories mysteries, a little Alien/Predator feel to it as well.

Now for the cons, as other reviewers have also noted:Tara Reid did not help this movie.We needed someone who was exhilirating, realistic, and witty.For whatever reason, this role did not fit her.I could see Claire Daines in this role or perhaps Bridget Moynahan, but they probably cost to much payroll wise.

I thought Christian Slater did a decent job as well as Stephen Dorff.This movie is one of those that tried to work with the budget it had, and didn't do a terrible job.There are so many things in this movie that just didn't quite tie together, and I don't mean it didn't make sense, I mean there was a lot to the story and some better cast actors and better directing would have made it much more "solid" than "disconnected".We needed a Morgan Freeman...We needed a Donald Sutherland...

Overall it's okay, but I do feel it's much better than some of the lower budget movies out there on the shelf.The overall cinematic feel is good as well as the pace of the movie, the mystery, and the suspense.As said before, we needed Claire Daines...An Eric Bana...Perhaps Barry Pepper...

No video game story here.Only characters used.
This "Alone In The Dark" is based upon the video game series (1996-2001) beginning with "Alone In The Dark: One Eyed Jack's Revenge" (by Kokopeli) to "Alone In The Dark 4: The New Nightmare" (by Darkworks/Infogrames).
This story is meant to take place after "Alone In The Dark 4: The New Nightmare".The elements in the developing 5th game of the series were used in this film, however the video game was not ready at time of film's release. The video game, "Alone In The Dark 5" will be released in early 2006.
If you are unfamilar with "Alone In The Dark", I recommend you purchase "Alone In The Dark 4: The New Nightmare".
A stone begins to glow and a crate is opened by theives.We see some people doing very ordinary things in their home, but suddenly they drop whatever thay are doing and leave out the door.Nineteen people are now "missing" and the only clue Edward Carnby (Christian Slater) has is all the missing people were in the same orphanage he was in.Edward teams up with Aline Cedrac (Tara Reid) who works for a museum.They have teamed up bewfore during other adventures.They also have monsters to deal with.The missing people have become zombie-like and they have a larve attached to their spinal cord.Edward Carnby just found out he has a larve inside of him too, but he was electrocuted when he was young, so the larve is dead.
Easter Egg: Scroll down the "Special Features".Use the left/right button instead.As you slowly get to Trailer Gallery and then to Main Menu (may have to do this a second time), an outtake of Slater scaring Reid in bed is shown.

To make this film more fun to watch, in "Special Features", go to the "Trivia Track".You can turn this feature "On" for interesting facts while you watch the film.However, the blue seal that contains the trivia information is difficult to see.They should have used the color yellow.
Also in "Set Up", there is audio commentary with Director Uwe Boll.
You can play "Trivia Track" and audio commentary at the same time.

Alone In The Toilet
Once again the worst director in the world, Uwe Boll, delivers to us another log from the turd factory.Following up his previous crapfest 'House Of The Dead' is this film, 'Alone In The Dark'.And once again, he sodomizes us with one of the worst film ever put to celluloid.

Probably my favorite thing about Boll is his complete disregard for continuity or coherent story, and he desregards both in spades in 'Alone In The Dark'.There is no thread of a plot in this film's running time.Nothing makes any sense.People show up randomly to places that you have no idea why they are there.The special effects are marginally better than a completely low budget flick.The action scenes are absolutely pathetic.The acting is pathetic:Tara Reid is the worst scientist ever, Christian Slater is completely lame(any one who says here that he did the only good acting in this film is insane), and Stephen Dorff rocks a mullet.

Put in plain english:this movie is crap in its purest form.Now, while 'Alone In The Dark' is not quite as crappy as 'House Of The Dead', don't be fooled into thinking its better.It isn't.It just sucks in a slightly different way.Uwe Boll has tried to make a putrid pile of a film and he has truly done the job...again.Avoid this film like it is an infected turd.A little piece of you will die if you watch it.

On a sidenote, Boll is set to direct 'Bloodrayne', which be be his third straight film based on a video game.I'm sure it will suck too.

Horrible, horrible film with the most awkward sex scene ever
I remember reading all the horrible, horrible reviews for this film when it came out. I meant to go see how horrible it was but it was out of theatres in three weeks. The only other movie to manage that is Gigli.

When the movie came out on DVD, I bought it to see how awful it was. I couldn't think of the sheer horrorible attention that this film was getting was possible. After seeing it, I can understand.

First off, let me say that this film is not without some cool shots. There's a nice shot at the beginning that shows a bullet being fired from inside the gun, which I thought was neat. And the way the monsters in this movie die is sort of cool to look at; but it gets old after the first time you see it.

Let me start with the worst thing in this movie: Tara Reid. If bad acting was a sin, then Hell would've chucked Tara Reid right out since she's so unbelievably awful in this movie it's unthinkable. And of all the roles, she plays a curator. Now if she played a dumb, empty-headed sex toy then maybe I might be able to forgive her for how she treats her character. Apparently, Uwe Boll didn't realize that, although he did seem to think that if she took off her shirt in the movie, people would see it. He just didn't realize that making her do that in the middle of the film at the absolute wrong moment just made the movie even more hilariously bad. And is that a mexican song or something during the scene of dry humping? I couldn't tell.

Which brings me to my next complaint: Uwe Boll shows off some of the worst directing skills you'll ever see in a movie. I mean, I'd give House of the Dead an F (and I only do that for very few movies) but HotD would score at least a B compared to this screwed up piece of junk. The movie starts off with a very, very long narration that causes immediate confusion (and read by a horrible narrarator) and from there, the cuts are really, really dumb. There's this one point where Slater and Reid are looking around a building that's been destroyed and the screen blackens out. When it comes back, Slater and Reid are shotting everywhere and suddenly, an entire army has joined them. Huh?

And someone did NOT bother checking the mistakes in this movie. At one point, a team breaks through glass, but the glass breaks before they touch it. Tara Reid's earrings switch colors in the middle of one scene and after Slater walks away from a dead commrade, you can see her begin to get up.

As for the story... I was really lost. Something about an old tribe releasing darkness and someone "opens the path" or something and all the evil monsters pop out. It's just an excuse to have a lot of gun scenes (the technology is so advanced here that no character ever needs to reload in this film) that get, quite simply, BORING.

I bought this movie hoping to laugh at how incredibly stupid it was. I didn't laugh, but I still think it's stupid. Very, very, very stupid. ... Read more

Reviews (251)

The Third Season of Buffy is the Best!!!!!
The third season of Buffy marked the beginning of a new change for the Scooby gang. Picking up where the second season left off, Buffy is living in the big city of L.A. ("Anne") where she, along with a homeless teen, fights an evil demon who enslaves humans in the demon dimension. Then Buffy returns to her roots ("Dead Man's Party), where an irate Joyce, Giles, and the Scooby Gang confront her about her running away from Sunnydale. The best part of the season was the new addition of Faith, a rogue Slayer who at first developed a deep, close relationship with Buffy until the evil Mayor (Harry Groener) turns her to the dark side. This season also marked the return of a Drusilla-less Spike (James Marsters), Angel (David Boreanaz), and Amy the Witch, and the additions of the mysterious Mr. Trick, the demonic Anyanka (Emma Caulfield), and the charismatic Mayor. This season also introduces Wesley Wyndham-Price, Buffy's new Watcher after Giles was terminated from his services from the Watcher Council. The season finale also marked the departure of Angel (who went on to form Angel Investigations in Angel) and Cordelia who joined him as she left for L.A. to become an actress.

This 6-disc set contains all 22 episodes of the season. One of the best episodes is "The Wish," in which Cordelia wishes that Bush had never come to Sunnydale, which resulted her being transported to an alternate reality where vampires have overtaken the town, and the Master (Mark Metgalf) is still alive. This episode also features the vampiric counterparts of Xander and Willow, who end up being staked to death in the end. Another excellent episode is "Dopplegangland," in which Anya turns to Willow for help with a spell, which inadvertenely summons the Evil Willow from the alternate reality.

The menus in this set are outstanding and easy to use. This set contains five featurettes, selected episode scripts and commentaries, and has language tracks in French, Spanish, and English. This set is a must-have for true Buffy fans!!!!

Buffy keeps entertaining all!!
Buffy : The Vampire Slayer is one of the best shows currently on tv, that deals around the life of Buffy Summers and her close circle of friends. After all the adventures and twisting incidents since the first 2 seasons, the third season reveals more plots and twists for the audience, with new stars, such as faith, anya and a new villian, the Mayor as well!! This season being the senior year of Buffy, we also see the changes in the relationship between buffy and her friends and what choices they have to make, and also the relationship between angel and buffy, which is very unique and interesting. The third season consists of the following episodes:

01. Anne : Buffy's problems have followed her to LA.

02.Dead Man's Party : Sunnydale doesn't exactly welcome Buffy back.

03. Faith, Hope and Trick : There's a new slayer in town.

04. Beauty and the Beasts : Oz comes under suspicion.

05. Homecoming : Cordelia and Buffy go head to head.

06. Band Candy : Joyce and Giles get in some Summer Lovin'.

07. Revelations : There's a new Watcher in town.

08. Lovers' Walk : Spike returns to Sunnydale.

09. The Wish : Cordelia accidentally ends the universe.

10. Amends : Angel is tormented by evil spirits.

11. Gingerbread : Joyce begins a witch-hunt.

12. Helpless : Buffy loses her powers.

13. The Zeppo : An ordinary day in the life of Xander.

14. Bad Girls : Faith and Buffy grow closer.

15. Consequences : Buffy's in serious trouble.

16. Dopplegangland : Vampire Willow. Says it all.

17. Enemies : Faith curses Angel.

18. Earshot : Buffy struggles to save the school.

19. Choices : Willow is taken hostage.

20. The Prom : Can Buffy handle a broken heart and save the
prom?

21. Graduation Day I : The Mayor's getting hungy.

22. Graduation Day II : It's the end of an era.

Apart from this, we also get the enormous special features such as, audio commentaries by joss and other cast and crew members, photo galleries, featurettes, behind the scenes, interviews and much more!!! This is soo worth for any buffy fan and is worth getting!! Buffy rules!!

Amazing show, amazing season. Of course it has flaws, but...
Amazing show, amazing season. Of course it has flaws, but...

In third season, it's clear for everyone that the actors are totally comfortable playing their characters, everyone knows what to do, when to do it and how to do it. The level of confidence is rising and rising.

Of course it has flaws. You just can't produce 22 perfect episodes that will please everybody. The producers, writers and cast do the best they can in the short time and relatively small budget they have at their disposal.

One question, however, does not leave my mind: how can an actress (I'm talking about Sarah Mihcelle Gellar here) give such stupendous, gorgeous, solid, breathtaking, emotional performances episode after episode, season after season, no matter if the material that they give her is good or bad? She bears more than half of the credit for Buffy being the hit it was. She TOTALLY controls the show when she's on camera. I sincerely hope she has a marvellous and well suceeded movie career (away from Scooby-Doo movies, I mean...)

As for third season properly speaking, it has ups and lows. I particularly enjoy almost everything the show ever produced, but sometimes I did not. Faith, for example. She just not fit. Shés annoying. Of course it was a character created for us to hate, but not to ANNOY the viewer. Everytime she's on screen with her wooden dialogue, I simply wanted to go fast forward (but I didn't, of course!). I also agree with with a reviewer tha said that it would have been better if the Scooby-gang treated her like a basket case beyond help, instead of trying to save her. Anyway, Joss Whedon always suprise the audience doing the exact OPPOSITE of what we would expect (Example 1: Xander and Willow - their potential beautiful romance didn't last nothing, and it was never "officalized" - Example 2: Wesley and Cordelia flirting - the flirting lasts a lot of episodes and, when they finally kiss, there is no chemistry between them and the romance is over even before it starts.)

Also, we have someplot holes and weakness we must forget in order to remember that it's, after all, just a television show for entertainment. Even if the Ascension worked for the Mayor, what were his intentions? Sure, he would eat the entire school populace, but after that? The Army, police, Air Force, all of them would transform that giant worm in small pieces very briefly. No big threat indeed!

The show's best season...
The growing trend up until this point was that Buffy the Vampire Slayer seemed to get better after each season. The first season was a great start to the show, the second season was amazing, and the third season somehow managed to become even better. Over the course of the rest of the show, there would be some fantastic seasons. But, season three has managed to remain the best season of the entire show.

The relationship between Buffy and Angel is brought to a whole new level in this season, because of the events that took place in season two. Season three also introduced a beautiful and renegade slayer named Faith(Eliza Dushku) whose love for killing would eventually cause her to become an excellent villan, as well as the evil mayor of Sunnydale ( Harry Groener)that would definately practice the age old metaphor of "killing people with kindness". The suspense for season three is intense, because there is a countdown throughout the season that comes to a head on Graduation Day in which the mayor wishes to ascend to a higher level of being to destroy the world. There were so many great episodes in season three, that it is hard to choose a favorite. There were so many in fact, that 20 out of the 22 episodes were fantastic. The overall direction of season three was fantastic, and each episode seemed to build off the last one. Among season three's best episodes are - "The Wish" ( my all time favorite episode), "Dopplegangland","The Zeppo","Lover's Walk", "Band Candy", "Homecoming", "Lover's Walk", "Revelations", "Amends", "Earshot", "Prom", and "Graduation Day" PTS.1&2.

Overall, this is a must for any fan of the show. This would be worth owning just for the season itself. However, the DVD set is fantastic as well. You get commentary on several episodes, as well as five featurettes, and more.

A solid 5 stars...

A medicore story arc and jarring visual style
I think Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one fo the greatest dramas ever. From all the seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer I've seen however (I haven't seen seven) this has to be my least favorite. Primarly for reasons not even related to the show's story quality. My major gripe with this season was that it was visually bland and dark with colors so annoyling drab I could barely watch some episodes (luckily ever other season has fantastic colors and visual style). The seasons colors seem to be just made out of over-dark greens and grays. I am perfectly fine with visual darkness (when used effectively and in the right spots and isn't overused on a grand scale) but I also need visual variety and to some degree brigtness. The literal darkness of the season turned me off visually for many episodes. I have this same gripe with the show Angel which in my opinion is stuck in overdarkness for seasons 2-4. This isn't just because of the DVDs either (considering the visual flaws, the technical apects of this dvd are relatively good) because seaosn 3 looks even worse on tv. Even relatively bright episodes like Earshot have an annoying greenish and grayishness to them. I don't know if this is just me but season 3, visually, is a disaster.

Now to my storywise gripes with this season. The Buffy/Angel relationship felt doomed and dragging, the overall arc wasn't interesting and lost momentum, and the bad girl Faith lost appeal because of the "let's save her" attitude taken on by her friends and the visual style which seemed to somehow upstage Eliza Dusku's fantastic acting. It would have been best to not make any effort to humanize Faith and have the other characters treat her like a straight sociopath. Also the high-school setting was getting old. Also some very interesting villians (a la Mr. Trick) were underutilized. And some not so great villians (a la the mayor) were overutilized. Also the finale episode's big battle didn't make sense and had horrible effects (but was fun).

Now to what was good with the season. There are a number of standout episodes espicially the parallel universe ones and Earshot. Also the season opener is fantastic and Lover's Walk (Spike's brilliant season 3 cameo) ranks among one of the greatest episodes of Buffy. The character of Wesley was a great addition to the show (but lost all his charm on Angel when he went from a "caricature" to a dark, brood, and "complex" "character" an unwise decion). Principal Snyder remains in my opinion one of the greatest and funniest Buffy characters ever (and since he's not shown too much in the dark the visual flaws don't affect as much. Also his resembelence to a ferrangi (well he plays Quark on Star Trek Ds9, who I believe shares a loveable ruthlessness with Snyder) just made him more funny. Ever time I saw him I started expecting him to spurt out quotes from the rules of aquisition or give a lecture on profit. The main character's development is okay. I lost all my real caring for the Buffy/Angel realtionship, Faith was a lost cause from the begininning, and Xander and Willow were meant for eachother, but I loved what they did with Giles's character.

The extras are great, but some of the commentaries are hard to watch due to the fact that some apply to some of the visually blander episodes.

Do I recomend it, yes.

Do I guarantee you'll enjoy it visually, no.

But it's still Buffy, it's still quality and you still have to see it.

Maybe these visual flaws are only noticed by me or don't apply to anyone else, who knows. ... Read more

Description

At the altar of the Leviathans, Barnabas Collins is attacked by a bat and is again a victim of the vampire curse. Dr. Julia Hoffman hopes to cure Barnabas by resuming her medical treatment of him through a series of injections. But Barnabas is unable to resist biting a new victim. Warlock Nicholas Blair returns and Angelique learns that both he and her husband, Sky Rumson, are aiding the Leviathans. Jealous of Barnabas' affection for Maggie Evans, Angelique casts a spell to make Quentin Collins and Maggie fall in love. Leviathan leader Jeb Hawkes summons an army of zombies to kidnap Julia, hoping she can make him human. Sabrina Stuart tries to protect her boyfriend Chris Jennings from the sinister Bruno, who has learned the identity of the werewolf. Barnabas is startled to discover a room in Collinwood's east which serves as a portal to a parallel universe.Bonuses: Exclusive interviews with actors Nancy Barrett, Christopher Pennock, Geoffrey Scott and soap opera journalist Mi