Sarah Michelle Gellar Reunites With Old Castmates! Huzzah!

If you're a Sarah Michelle Gellar fan (and who isn't?) and especially if you enjoyed her previous roles as Buffy Summers and Kathryn Merteuil, then this week was just wonderful.

First, Gellar posted on her social media this adorable photo with her previous Buffy co-star Alyson Hannigan. Willow and Buffy reunited! Now that Joss Whedon is seemingly done with comic book superheroes for now, can we talk about a reunion special perhaps taking place adjacent to Sunnydale?

.@alydenisof and @AlexisDenisof Thanks for such an awesome party and my new #Giraffe You are the #CraftMaster pic.twitter.com/XHVD9AgUBj

— Sarah Michelle (@SarahMGellar) May 23, 2015

But then Gellar wasn't done with reunions! Just a few days ago, she posted this photo on her Instagram alongside her previous Cruel Intentions co-stars Reese Witherspoon and Selma Blair eliciting a super gay gasp and squeal from me!

Oh it's happening!!! #CruelIntentions .....the later years. @reesewitherspoon @therealselmablair #CruelIntentions

A photo posted by Sarah Michelle (@sarahmgellar) on May 28, 2015 at 8:11pm PDT

And then to find out they were actually together to see a Cruel Intentions musical was just too much. She and Blair then knocked me out by re-enacting their infamous kiss. More details and photos here.

I wonder which previous co-star she'll hang out next.

Cruel Intentions Turns 15

With all the films I've seen, it's pretty much impossible for me to have a number one film of all time. But if you had asked me what it was back in 1999 then I would've said Cruel Intentions without any hesitation. If you didn't already know, the film is a modern re-telling of Les Liaisons Dangereuses with Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe playing a couple of rich Manhattanites who also happen to be step-siblings. They play a twisted game of manipulation and seduction on everyone including each other.

Well the movie turns 15 today so to celebrate my one-time number one film of all time, here are 10 random things I remember loving about it (and I have the worst memory so this is going to not be as comprehensive as I would have liked):

1. Sarah Michelle Gellar as a brunette. I mean I had always known her as Buffy Summers. Suddenly with dark hair she was a completely different, but equally awesome, character. Her Kathryn Merteuil remains one of my favorite movie villains.

2. Joshua Jackson as an adorable gay blond boy. Same as above except Pacey Witter went blond and had sex with guys. I could've watched a whole movie with him. Also, I would never think of "HOOVER" the same way ever again.

3. Ryan Phillippe's butt. The whole film was quite formative, but this scene in particular made me realize I preferred certain kinds of people over others. Ryan is still hot, but Sebastian was my ideal movie boyfriend. I know I have issues.

4. Reese Witherspoon's demon face. Though they're no longer together, I like to imagine that she makes this same face whenever she sees Ryan.

5. That kick-ass cross pendant. I want one. I probably wouldn't put coke in mine. Maybe chocolate.


6. "Colorblind" by the Counting Crows. Yeah, that music always, always reminds me of that airport scene. Also... sex. Hot, hot sex.

7. Christine Baranski as Bunny Caldwell. Okay, I actually don't remember her much, which is a crime into itself, but I bet she was fantastic. And all the other random people in the film. Eric Mabius as a hot closeted jock! Swoosie Kurtz as Sebastian's therapist! Sean Patrick Thomas as the sexy violin teacher!

8. Kathryn on top of Sebastian. And sexually teasing him as if his life depended on it. Then she takes it all away. "Down boy."

9. That kiss. You know the one. It was hot and uncomfortable and sexy and terrible and hilarious and disgusting all at the same time.

10. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" by The Verve . Great final song to end the film. Plus if you were a certain age at the time, that song was everything. Plus Reese looked pretty bad ass.

Sarah Michelle Gellar Wins People's Choice Awards

The People Choice Awards were held last night. I didn't watch, because there are only so many hours in a day and who really cares what the "people" think. But there were still a few well-deserved winners like The Good Wife taking home Favorite Network TV Drama and Orange is the New Black the top choice for Favorite Streaming Series. It's also hilarious that Breaking Bad, which aired its final episode just a few months ago, won Favorite Series We Miss Most. See a complete list of winners here.

My favorite win though was Sarah Michelle Gellar for Favorite Actress in a New TV Series. It was a great moment not because I really thought she deserved this particular award (see Keri Russell, Tatiana Maslany, Taylor Schilling, Lizzy Caplan, etc.), but because it's always good when an under appreciated and under-rewarded actor gets their due. She highlighted this sentiment by touchingly paying tribute to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the show that catapulted her as a TV icon. The quote and video are below:

For seven years, I had the privilege to be a part of one of the most amazing television shows and I've never gotten a chance to publicly thank them--the cast, the crew, and all the fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. So thank you.

To say I was emotionally overwhelmed after seeing the clip above would probably be understating it. Buffy the Vampire Slayer remains my favorite show ever and I'm just glad its star is still so appreciative after all of these years. And you know what, she's pretty great in her new show The Crazy Ones.

Pilot Thoughts: The Crazy Ones and The Michael J. Fox Show

Premiere week ends tonight with what some critics are calling Dramageddon headlined curiously enough by the series finale of Breaking Bad. Before I wrap my head around tonight though, just some brief thoughts on a couple of pilots from the past week.

Here's the thing about The Crazy Ones. Even if its pilot was the worst thing ever (it's not), I would have loved it for the prominent Kelly Clarkson storyline alone, not to mention the return of Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy!) and Josh Wolk (Benson!) on my TV screen. The show takes place at a Chicago advertising agency where Robin Williams plays executive Simon Roberts. His character is quirky, a little nuts, and has a penchant to do voices so Williams isn't really stretching himself here. Gellar plays his more serious-minded daughter and their different personalities and ways of doing business is part of the DNA of the pilot (and presumably the show). Both do okay work, but are outshone in the first episode by the easy refreshing charm of Wolk and the unassumingly funny Clarkson. These latter two were enough for me to really enjoy the pilot, but I'm very curious how the show holds up in the coming weeks when I'm watching it without my Kelly Clarkson-tinted glasses. Furthermore, how long will it be until Williams' schtick gets old? B

The Michael J. Fox Show is better than its bland title implies. It features the return of Michael J. Fox in a regular TV role since he was diagnosed with Parkinson's (he's appeared in guest roles in the meantime including great work on The Good Wife). Inspired by Fox's real-life experience, the show revolves around his character Mike Henry, a popular local news anchor who had to give up his career when he's diagnosed with Parkinson's, and how his family and friends deal with him going back to work. Fox and his ability to mine comedy from his illness is the show's strength. The supporting characters, however, with the exception of Breaking Bad's Betsy Brandt, needs a bit more work, but all of the elements are there for a worthy show. The opening credits are laughably horrible though. B/B+

Pilot Thoughts: Ringer

Here's a quick question to ponder over before diving into what I thought about Ringer's pilot: Would people have been excited for this show if Sarah Michelle Gellar wasn't in it? Maybe, but it definitely wouldn't have had the pre-buzz it had heading to its premiere. You can't really blame people for this though since it has been about eight years since Gellar has graced the small screens and that was when she starred in the best show ever. Unfortunately, this show is not Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Of course Ringer was never going to be like Buffy and I do hope that in time it'll get judged by its own merit versus people trying to compare it to Joss Whedon's show. With that said, I would still say it was a wobbly and clunky start that provided enough intrigue to coax me into giving it a few more episodes. Some of the problems I had with the premiere include its lazy dialogue, laughable green screen scenes, and the heavy-handed imagery (Mirrors! Everywhere! Get it?).

A few reviews I've read criticized the dullness of the characters, but I actually got into them much quicker than I thought. They weren't asked to do much in the premiere after all. The only relationship that I felt didn't really gel (or at least wasn't developed as much as I would've liked) was Bridgette's and Siobhan's which is a big problem since this is the central relationship of the show. Perhaps their relationship was purposefully left vague in order for the cliffhanger to work or perhaps Gellar isn't use to acting one-on-one with a body double. But if the show is going to improve, this relationship needs to be much more compelling than it was. B-

Looking Forward To...

Fall TV Edition

The CW and NBC kick off the new Fall TV season tonight with the season premieres of 90210 and Parenthood as well as the series premiere of Ringer, one of my most-anticipated new shows of the fall. But before I actually see any of the new shows with my own eyes, here are the five new shows that I'm most excited about for one reason or another...

New Girl (FOX)
Premieres: Tuesday, 9/20 9PM
Starring: Hannah Simone, Zooey Deschanel, Max Greenfield, Jake Johnson, and Lamorne Morris
Time Period Conflict: Ringer

Ringer (The CW)
Premieres: Tuesday, 9/12 9PM
Starring: Ioan Gruffudd, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Kristoffer Polaha, Tara Summers, Nestor Carbonell, and Mike Colter,
Time Period Conflict: New Girl

Terra Nova (FOX)
Premieres: Monday, 9/26 8PM (2 hours)
Starring: Naomi Scott, Alana Mansour, Shelley Conn, Landon Liboiron, Jason O'Mara, Allison Miller, Mido Hamada, Stephen Lang and Christine Adams
Time Period Conflict: How I Met Your Mother, 2 Broke Girls

Once Upon A Time (ABC)
Premieres: Sunday, 10/23 8PM
Starring: Jamie Dornan, Lana Parrilla, Ginnifer Goodwin, Josh Dallas, Robert Carlyle, Jared Gilmore and Jennifer Morrison
Time Period Conflict: The Amazing Race, The Simpsons

Pan Am (ABC)
Premieres: Sunday, 9/25 10PM
Starring: Kelli Garner, Margot Robbie, Jonah Lotan, Christina Ricci, Michael Moseley and Karine Vanasse
Time Period Conflict: N/A

Other NEW shows on my radar: The Playboy Club (NBC), 2 Broke Girls (CBS), Persons of Interest (CBS), Suburgatory (ABC), The Secret Circle (The CW), and Grimm (NBC)

Movie Meme: Day 27

"31 Day Movie Meme"


Day 27 | Best Villain

Many know her as Buffy Summers, the little blonde who fights vampires and saves the world. But Sarah Michelle Gellar's second most popular role is the polar opposite of that heroic character and that role is the deliciously heartless Kathryn Merteuil in Cruel Intentions.

Of course the film is based on the classic novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses which has had many film versions made of it, more notably the wonderful 1998 Dangerous Liaisons with Glenn Close in the role that Sarah Michelle Gellar is playing a version of in this more modern retelling of the story. Like other versions, Kathryn Merteuil is a master manipulator and will do anything and everything to get what she wants.

Whether she's enticing and teasing her step-brother Valmont (Ryan Phillippe) or making fun of Cecile (Selma Blair) behind her back, or plotting against Annette (Reese Witherspoon), Kathryn does it with such glee that you are almost rooting for her at the same time that you're disgusted with her. Man, now I want SMG to play more villains.

BTW check out Andrew's post on Glenn Close as Marquise de Merteuil which he picked for today's meme. Great minds sort of think alike...

Movie Meme: Day 01

"31 Day Movie Meme"


Day 01 | Sequel that should not have been made

The first two films that popped into my head were Spider-Man 3 and X-Men: The Last Stand and since they both should NOT have been made for more or less the same reasons, I'll talk about them both. They both came after brilliant second installments of their super popular franchises and they both subsequently wasted all of that goodwill with an abysmal and bloated sequel. The sad thing is that it would've been so easy for them not to have made the sucky movie they ultimately released just by doing less. Did we really need the Goblin, Sandman, AND Venom in one movie, especially a movie where Peter Parker boogied on the street? Did they really think they could fit in the Phoenix, the Brotherhood, and the mutant cure storylines in one film and do a good job with it all?

It's particularly painful, because of how loved the movies/franchises were before these films came out and now it seems both franchises are trying to recover from those missteps. Thus, the Spider-Man franchise is getting an unnecessary reboot and X-Men, coming off a mediocre run with a stand-alone Wolverine film, is looking to go younger with a First Class version. Casting for both reboots (prequels?) are promising with Andrew Garfield set to play Peter Parker and James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender to play younger versions of Professor X and Magneto. Here's to hoping their downward slide don't continue.

I'm sure if I really think more about it I could come up with a better answer than those films. But really there are so many candidates that you'd be hard-pressed to really pick just one film to put here. So since I won't be talking about them, just wanted to list the sequels (or types of sequels) that I could've easily talked about:

• Direct-to-DVD Disney - Did the world really need Little Mermaid 2 or Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas. No, it does not.
• Sequels for the Sake of Branding - American Pie, National Lampoon, Bring it On, etc. The original film(s) do not deserve all the crappy sequels.
• Different/Missing Actors - What's the point of a Mask movie without Jim Carrey or Terminator without Schwarzenegger? Or how about Cruel Intentions sans Reese Witherspoon or Sarah Michelle Gellar?
• The Star Wars prequels - They really are their own category... of heinousness.

Hm, that's a shorter list than I expected. I'm sure there's a bunch I'm missing here. What say you?

The Versatile Blogger

Andrew has tagged me for this completely undeserved award/meme. I mean I know I talk about TV and tennis (and occasionally about movies), but versatile I am not. I really need to work on that. Maybe I can start reviewing movies or actually pick shows to review weekly instead of at completely random times. This blogging thing is clearly still a work-in-progress.

In any case, this award comes with a few instructions:
1. Thank the person who gave you this award
2. Share 7 things about yourself
3. Pass the award along to 15 who you have recently discovered and who you think fantastic for whatever reasons!
4. Contact the blogs you picked and let them know about the award.

So first, Andrew, thanks. It was nice you thought of me. I wish I was half as versatile or well-read/watched as you.

And now seven things about myself, which is actually a bit difficult since my goal for this blog was for it to be "less personal and more about random thoughts on tennis, TV, movies" so...

1. I got into tennis initially because of Martina Hingis. I loved her savvy court sense and her sly way of dismissing players on court. I was devastated when she retired, but as if by fate, another Swiss native caught my eye (Roger Federer) after she left and my tennis passion was renewed and has only gotten stronger. I am afraid that once Federer retires, I'll stop caring about tennis. Is there another Swiss player on the horizon?

2. If someone asks me what my favorite movie of all time is, I would probably be unable to answer. I've just seen so many movies now that I probably can't even narrow it down to a top 25. It would literally drive me insane. With that said, if you had asked me in 1999, my answer would probably be Cruel Intentions, because I suddenly discovered Ryan Philippe, was still in love with Sarah Michelle Gellar, and just got into its taboo-ness. Before that, my answer would've been Dirty Dancing or Sister Act. Yes, really.

3. My default way of breaking the ice with new people I've just met is to ask them what TV shows they watch. If they answer "I don't really watch TV" or something similar, it's pretty much strikes 1, 2, and 3. In a related vein, if I consider you a very good friend, I will bother you endlessly with TV/movie recommendations to the point of annoyance. I do it out of love, I swear.

4. I love movie trailers. Sometimes they're my favorite part of watching movies in the theaters and I actually get disappointed when they end and the movie begins. With that said, when I watch DVDs, I will only watch the trailer AFTER I have seen the movie. Then judge it to see how well it represented/sold the film.

5. Sometimes when I hear a song, I usually imagine my own music videos for them. It's just a thing I started doing when I was younger and I've sorta just kept at it. Maybe in another life I was a music video director or something. Who knows?

6. Even though I'm a big movie/TV fan, I actually do not have a large collection of DVDs. Most of that is because I'm a veritable cheapskate, but I think it's also because I ALWAYS have a list of movies to watch for the first time or TV shows to catch up on thus finding myself not really having any time to re-watch or revisit films/shows. Plus with Netflix and Hulu and friends who have large DVD collections, I'm not really left hanging dry.

7. I guess I'll share some non-movie/tv/tennis personal facts about me. I majored in Psychology in college. I've fallen off a side of a mountain and almost drowned in a swimming pool. I hate driving. I am tone deaf. I learned Italian in middle school, French in high school, and sign language in college. Sadly, I've more or less forgotten how to converse in any of those languages save for a few words and phrases here and there.

Now I'm obligated to pick 15 bloggers who I think are fabulous to do this. Now, I read quite a few blogs, but (a) they would never do this, (b) I wouldn't want to ask them to do this, or (c) they've already done this. So 15? No. Can't do it. With that said, here are two...

Bunny's Pop Culture Blog
A Blog Next Door

You really can't go wrong with either one.

TV Meme: Day 06

"30 Days TV Meme"


Day 06 | Favorite episode of your favorite TV show

As difficult as it was to pick just one episode, it had to be done. I somehow narrowed it to about 13 or so episodes and then I looked at them and asked myself which episode I wanted to re-watch RIGHT THAT MINUTE and the answer came: "The Wish" (Season 3, Episode 9)

What's not to love about this episode? I'm such a huge fan when TV shows do the whole alternate reality thing, because if done right those types of episodes not only give insight to the show and its characters, but also give a chance for the actors to show off their skills. This episode did all of that and more.

The basic premise of the episode is that Cordelia comes to the realization that Buffy is the cause of everything awful that has happened to her, more recently being dumped by Xander, and wishes that Buffy had never come to Sunnydale. Her wish is granted by the demon Anyanka and the rest of the episode takes a look at this brave new world where Buffy never made it to Sunnydale, the Master and his vampires rule, and everything is upside down.

I can't even begin to list all of the things that make this episode so exceptional. First of all, you could tell the actors really had fun with this episode, probably Alyson Hannigan and Nicholas Brendon most of all being asking to play leather-donned-fierce vampires. Charisma Carpenter had a few, but poignant scenes where you could really feel the pain she felt being ostracized by the kids in school and losing the support and friendship she had with the Scooby gang. Finally, Sarah Michelle Gellar played the emotionless anti-happy-go-lucky version of Buffy that made you really appreciate regular Buffy's gung-ho persona.


Second, the episode had so many stunningly shocking and unforgettable scenes. When the vampire versions of Xander and Willow killed Cordelia in front of a helpless Giles, I was stunned they actually went there. Little did I know that later on in the episode, the show would deliver a more powerful and absolutely beautiful scene/sequence i.e. the battle at the warehouse--Buffy not flinching at Angel's death, Xander getting staked by Buffy, Willow killed by Oz, the Master snapping Buffy's neck. To say I was breathless throughout that whole sequence would probably be undercutting the emotions I felt during it. The voice overs from Giles and Anyanka (plus the musical score) just added to the layer.

Third, we got our first appearance of Anyanka and of course one of my favorite villains, Vamp Willow. Whenever I re-watch the episode, I can't help but smile knowing the full journey that the character of Anya will go through leading to her heartbreaking death in the series finale. Then of course there's Vamp Willow. Alyson Hannigan was pure brilliance in this role and was solely responsible in me using "Bored now" for years to come. And actually one of the things I liked about this episode is related to Anya/Vamp Willow in that as much as I like alternate realities and those sort of story lines, I sometimes am disappointed that there's usually just one big reset button in the end. And while this is true for this episode as well, we do get Anya who remembers it all and of course the re-appearance of Vamp Willow later in the season.

The timing of the episode, too, was like a perfect storm as it aired right after a very good "Lover's Walk" when Spike made his welcome return to Sunnydale just in time to cause havoc and drama to the group and right before a truly classic Buffy episode in "Amends" where the gang tried to juggle the holidays with their first encounter with The First Evil. So with those three episodes, all in a row, it was just a plethora of awesome for Buffy fans everywhere. Furthermore, one can even think of "The Wish" as the first part of a two-parter episode with another fantastic episode "Dopplegangland" in which Vamp Willow crosses over to our reality. That episode was much more an Alyson Hannigan showcase, which frankly, rocks and was in fact THIS close to being my answer today for this meme!

Finally, I just want to give a shout-out to the general awesomeness that was season 3. When trying to answer this meme, I was shocked to see how many episodes I loved coming from this amazing season. Like the featured episode, what's not to love about it? We had the peak of Willow/Oz, the introductions of Faith, Wesley, and Anya, the senior year of the Scooby Gang, and some of the best episodes the series had ever delivered. All that and it was also the final season of Angel and Cordelia as cast regulars! Make sure to check out my friend's Bunny's Pop Culture Blog where she also picked a S3 BtVS episode for her Day 6 entry.


Some choice quotes:

Buffy: Your logic does not resemble our Earth logic.
Xander: Mine's much more advanced.

Oz: So Cordelia wished for something? If it was a long, healthy life, she should get her money back.

The Master: Hungry? I've lost my appetite for this one. She keeps looking at me. I'm trying to eat and she looks at me!

Buffy: World is what it is. We fight, we die. Wishing doesn't change that.
Giles: I have to believe in a better world.
Buffy: Go ahead. I have to live in this one.

Willow: Uh-oh. Puppy got out.

A Whedonless Buffy? Craziness!

The rumors are swirling that my beloved Buffy the Vampire Slayer will be relaunched in movie form. At first I was excited. It was about damn time! But then when I read the article, I was shocked and perplexed, as I am sure a lot of people were to find out that this new movie will NOT involve Joss Whedon nor any of the original cast members of the TV show!

Now I can see why they might not want to include Willow, Xander, Giles et. al since getting all the principal actors together might be too difficult. Plus it's a reboot so it would make sense not to have these characters we've known and love. With that mindset, I can even see why they wouldn't want Sarah Michelle Gellar to play Buffy Summers since they would want to cast younger. While I would rather have a continuation of the series, I would relunctantly support this reboot, but ONLY if Joss Whedon is part of the project.

Face it, the original movie was campy and had as much substance as cotton candy. Joss Whedon took that movie and made TV gold. Without Joss Whedon, this new incarnation will fall flat in its face no less because Whedonites everywhere will be rioting, this blogger included.

I don't see why they can't take the world that Whedon created and just tell another story about another vampire slayer. Why Buffy? Why not work with Whedon? Why take a risk in alienating the fans who are still so enthrenched in the fandom?

You know I blame the success of Star Trek and The Dark Knight since now everyone is all about rebooting franchises. Now, I highly enjoyed both of those movies, but Hollywood, take a deep breathand evaluate. I also blame Twilight. It's all about vampires now. I say just go pop in DVDs of BtVS and Angel and enjoy.