Nestled amongst the receipts, change and plastic in my wallet lies a ticket stub and a goofy little plastic monster. A blue one.
Here, let me show you.
This, along with a grrrrreat big grin and the occasional hummed refrain is what lingers after attending the Happy Bats Cinema presentation of “Once More With Feeling” at the Pacific Cinematheque with Shu and D (and at least a hundred other fans) a couple of weekends ago.
I’d never been to one of these events before and thought I had no idea what to expect. Then I had my non-expectations stomped. Thoroughly.
It started with the lineup
A lineup which stretched all the way from the CP’s entrance, turned, and ran parallel to the sidewalk until it reached the corner, marring the view of the Starbucks worshippers inside. There were costumes. Fan-T-shirts. Excited chatter. And something I hadn’t expected: one of the strongest blasts of positively-charged energy I’ve felt in a while. I’d expected the first three, but not the last. Hmm.
I’d been a little stressed before getting there, but Sully™ (my little black cloud) couldn’t withstand all the happy, and huffed off to crankier lands. By the time we got in the theatre, I’d got caught up in it as well – I was officially giddy. Giggling even, though I won’t ever admit it in person.
Then there were monsters
At the entrance we were gifted with variations on the little monster in my photo. If you’ve ever watched BtVS through to the credits, you know what that’s for right?
Yup – Grr. Argh.
(Fan)Videos and Scream Therapy
While we were hanging out waiting for things to begin I got a chance to really soak in the elements. A couple of rows up from me was Evil AU Willow. There was a very young (maybe 10 years old?) Spike, complete with blonde hair and long trench a few rows back. Sticking to the theme, music videos with BtVS cast members were screening in the background. . D (bless him!) came back with coffee and chocolate.
And that’s when I got my first view of the BtVS fanvid that provided a summary of the full seven seasons in under 3 minutes. I think it was set to Ride of the Valkyries, which made me giggle to no end.
To get us primed for the main event they screened “Hush”, an episode best known for the lack of talking, the melodramatic music, and hilariously inappropriate hand movements. Oh, and the scream at the end. Ever been in a theatre where the audience is encouraged to go for that catharctic release? Yeah, it got very, very loud for a moment. And then it all fell apart with the giggling.
The Main Event: Once More With Feeling
I knew all the words.
I didn’t know that until that day.
It’s not like I set out to learn them. It’s not like I’ve seen the episode more than a handful of times. But I knew them (and the harmonies).
Around the 3-minute mark I realized that most of the people in the audience were singing along. Some of them quite badly, but who cared? They were having more fun than most people I know.
And that’s when it occured to me that in the grand scheme of things, being a fan of all things Buffy really isn’t really something to be embarassed about…
you went and didn’t tell me? i’m so jealous!
bummed that I missed that – it is a classic episode
hello, my name is Kathryn and I am a 30-something Buffy fan
Despite my complete ignorance of all things Buffy — hey — that’s not true — I’m not completely ignorant of all things Buffy — I know a number of people who are nerdy in a wondrous kind of way that adore Buffy — I’m somehow impressed with the coolness of this thing here.
I especially like goofy little plastic monsters and have been known to carry them with my in my pockets. I don’t have a blue one though.
I cannot believe that I did not know such a thing existed….I am so bitter
Happened across this post today, and was overwhelmed to read about your experience that afternoon. I was the fella who put the show on, and am waiting for the Screen Actor’s Guild to settle their contract dispute so we can do it again. I am really glad that you had such a good time, your review really touched me. Thank you.