Joss Whedon's vampires on Buffy the Vampire Slayer had transformative faces and turned to dust on death for a few very specific reasons.
While vampire lore has permeated many aspects of pop culture through film and television,Buffy the Vampire Slayer presented the creature in two different ways: facial transformation and turning to dust upon death for specific reasons.
Joss Whedon's popular TV series branched off from the 1992 movie of the same name and aired in 1997, running for seven seasons until its series finale in 2003. The show starred Sarah Michelle Gellar in the titular role, and co-starred David Boreanaz, Alyson Hannigan, Nicholas Brendon, Anthony Stewart Green, and others. Joss Whedon has gone on to be associated with several other shows, includingFirefly,Dollhouse, and movies likeThe Cabin in the Woods and even lent his talents to the MCU withThe Avengers. As a showrunner and writer, Whedon made some specific decisions regarding his take on vampires, which remained the central monster of his series, despite Buffy contending with numerous other types of evil as she battled the forces of darkness on Sunnydale, California's Hellmouth.
Related: Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Every Event Teased In The Season 4 Finale
Though care was taken to keep some existing facets of vampire lore forBuffy the Vampire Slayer, Whedon and his colleagues made a few changes to the classic monsters that edged them away fromDracula (even though he made an appearance in season 5) and other more stagnant tropes. In horror, the vampire is one of the most mutable and ever-changing, and has run the gamut between incredibly vicious and terrifying to played for laughs in movies and television likeWhat We Do In The Shadows. Despite being off the air for almost twenty years,Buffyhas endured as a prevalent feature in pop culture, and Whedon's changes to vampires have since become iconic, though he changed them up for surprisingly practical reasons.
Although a tedious process to secure the prosthetics that actors had to wear in order to shift into 'vamp-face', Whedon had his reasons for wanting vampires that looked like monsters instead of normal people. Other shows, such asTrue Blood, have done very little to differentiate between vampires and regular people; inTrue Blood, for example, the only real difference was the extending of fangs from normal to clicking down into sharpened versions of very human-looking canines. InBuffy the Vampire Slayer, a vampire's whole face changed from their natural state to a more monstrous one, with a bumpy forehead, different colored eyes, and a mouth full of sharp teeth.
Whedon chose to lean on this transformation to show a difference between a normal-looking person and a threat, and has commented that he felt a show that required the level of human on vampire violence asBuffydid would be a bit more palatable to audiences if they looked like monsters instead of regular people. If they looked normal, and there was little to no distinction, the idea of a high school girl killing them by stabbing them in the heart could be a little darker than he intended.
When Buffy stakes a vampire on the show, they turn to dust. This, along with their unique facial structure, has also become iconic, but it was for a very practical reason. Whedon has stated that he didn't want to explain all the random bodies that Buffy would leave lying around Sunnydale in the show's plot, and also it would take away from the budget to spend the crew's time cleaning up after every episode. The animations were refined over the course ofBuffy the Vampire Slayer's seven seasons, and even lent to some additional creativity as to how Buffy and the Scooby Gang actually dispatched their undead foes.
Next: What To Expect From The Buffy The Vampire Slayer Reboot
American Horror Story: Every Seasons Connection Explained
Jack Wilhelmi is the horror features editor at Screen Rant, and has been with the site since 2019. He is a lifelong fan of the horror genre, and loves any excuse to discuss genre-related topics, since none of his friends dare challenge him in horror trivia. He has been published on the independent horror blog Morbidly Beautiful, and has covered major genre film festivals such as Cinepocalypse in Chicago. He has also served as a judge for the Ax Wound Film Festival.In his free time, he is a devoted dog dad to a high-spirited rescue pup named Peter Quill and enjoys volunteering with various animal rescue organizations. Jack likes to travel and explore dark tourism-related and other various haunted locations. He enjoys studying psychology, the paranormal, and will watch literally any schlocky B-movie on the planet for a laugh. Follow him on Twitter @JackMacabre or his dog on Instagram @quillthethrill.
Read the original post:
Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Why The Vampires Transform & Turn To Dust - Screen Rant
- Is This a Real Photo of Vampire Queen 'Madam Violet,' Voted UK's Scariest Woman Alive in the 1880s? - Snopes.com - March 16th, 2024
- The erotic 70s horror where lechy men turn into bloody-hungry vampires - Dazed - March 16th, 2024
- The vampires ball is coming to an end - Meduza - March 16th, 2024
- Oregon son, 56, who is accused of killing his mom by shoving a huge makeshift stake through her throat claims - Daily Mail - March 16th, 2024
- Muni Bond Games and the IRS' Lurking Arbitrage Vampires - Governing - March 16th, 2024
- Ball of vampires', nuke warning: Key takeaways from Putins interview - The Times of India - March 16th, 2024
- Putin compares western elites to 'VAMPIRES' who 'fill their bellies with human flesh' - GB News - March 16th, 2024
- Every Time Alaric Died In The Vampire Diaries & Legacies - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- V Rising declares a 1.0 release date, climbing from the grave of a years-long early access to become your next time ... - Yahoo Movies UK - March 16th, 2024
- 15 Actors That Could Play Edward Cullen in the Twilight TV Series - MovieWeb - March 16th, 2024
- BLOOD HUNT #1 Preview Releases A Horde Of Vampires On The Marvel Universe's Greatest Heroes - CBM (Comic Book Movie) - March 16th, 2024
- Man accused of killing mother in Siletz believed she was a vampire - Yahoo News - March 16th, 2024
- Stephen King approved 'Salem's Lot' movie to stream on Max this year - Yahoo Movies Canada - March 16th, 2024
- Empire of the Damned Review: A Wickedly Good Time | Arts - Harvard Crimson - March 8th, 2024
- The BLOODCOVEN: Marvel's Vampires Get Their Own Avengers With 6 "Supervampires Fed on the Blood of ... - Screen Rant - March 8th, 2024
- 17 fantasy and science fiction books to read in March 2024 - Winter is Coming - March 8th, 2024
- This MCU Hero Returns to Fight Vampires as Marvel's Massive BLOOD HUNT Begins - Screen Rant - February 28th, 2024
- These Vampons by 'Artisan Vampires' Will Make Your Period Goth AF - Loudwire - February 28th, 2024
- Bloodsuckers Through the Ages - A History of Vampires (Video) - Ancient Origins - February 28th, 2024
- 'Blood Hunt' #2 Cover Shows the Avengers Are Bloody, Battered, and Broken - Marvel.com - February 28th, 2024
- Vampires Invade the Marvel Universe in New Blood Hunt Trailer - Superherohype.com - February 28th, 2024
- 'Near Dark' Is the Acid-Soaked Vampire Western You Need to See - IMDb - February 19th, 2024
- In The Sci-Fi World I Created, Vampires And Werewolves Are Still A Huge Problem (20 New Pics) - Bored Panda - February 19th, 2024
- Kathryn Bigelow's 'Near Dark' Is the Acid-Soaked Vampire Western You Need to See - Collider - February 19th, 2024
- Interview With the Vampire review Tom Cruise and Brad Pitts brilliant bloodsucking bromance - The Guardian - February 19th, 2024
- Is This Too Niche: Vampires - The Post - The Post - February 19th, 2024
- ALEX VAN HELSING Novel Trilogy Being Adapted as a TV Series By Kit Williamson GeekTyrant - GeekTyrant - February 19th, 2024
- The Supernatural Romance Of Vampire: The Masquerade Blood-Stained Love - Forbes - February 19th, 2024
- Leaving the shadows for passion: Why vampires are classic monsters that best reflect our fears and desires - EL PAS USA - February 19th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend to Embark on 2024 Tour, Releases Two New Singles - Variety - February 19th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend adds second Austin show to 2024 tour - Laredo Morning Times - February 19th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend's summer 2024 tour will stop in Minneapolis - Bring Me The News - February 19th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend Announce Massive Tour in Support of New Album Only God Was Above Us - Rolling Stone - February 19th, 2024
- Harry Potter: Are There Vampires in the Wizarding World? - CBR - Comic Book Resources - February 19th, 2024
- The Midnight Sons return, Black Panther becomes a vampire, and much more in Marvel's Blood Hunt tie-ins - Gamesradar - February 19th, 2024
- Morbius is The Secret To Saving Marvel's Entire Universe (Yes, Seriously) - Screen Rant - February 19th, 2024
- Geometry Survivor is a little Geometry Wars and a bit Vampire Survivors - GamingOnLinux - February 19th, 2024
- The War with Angels Is On! SYFY's Reginald the Vampire Officially Returns for Season 2 in May - Yahoo Entertainment - February 19th, 2024
- BLOOD HUNT: Marvel Comics Reveals T'Challa/Black Panther Will Be Transformed Into A Vampire This May - CBM (Comic Book Movie) - February 19th, 2024
- Interview With The Vampire season 2 teaser reveals May 12 release date - Winter is Coming - February 11th, 2024
- Interview with the Vampire Season 2: Cast, Latest News, and Everything You Need to Know - TV Guide - February 11th, 2024
- 'Interview with the Vampire' Season 2 coming to AMC in May - Yahoo Lifestyle UK - February 11th, 2024
- Vampires Are Here to Spill Some Blood in the Newest Max Win Gaming Slot Release Midnight Thirst Deadspins - World Casino Directory - February 11th, 2024
- Everything We Know About INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE Season 2 - Yahoo Entertainment - February 11th, 2024
- Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler's top secret vampire movie will be set in the 1930s and have anime influences - Gamesradar - February 11th, 2024
- Sean Strickland has weird altercation with 'vampire' Machine Gun Kelly, Dana White offers hilarious reaction | Video ... - MMA Mania - February 11th, 2024
- Interview With The Vampire Season 2's Claudia Recast Impact Explained By Star & Producer - Screen Rant - February 11th, 2024
- Interview With The Vampire Season 2 Book Accuracy Explained By EP - Screen Rant - February 11th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend Announced Their 'Only God Was Above Us' New Album - UPROXX - February 11th, 2024
- Interview with the Vampire - AMC Sets Season Two Premiere Date - Bloody Disgusting - February 11th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend announce new album 'Only God Was Above Us' & Austin total eclipse show - Brooklyn Vegan - February 11th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend tease new music with a cryptic video - NME - February 11th, 2024
- Louis and Lestat Are Coming Back: Interview With the Vampire Season 2 Has a New Trailer - Them - February 11th, 2024
- Expansion Of Anne Rices Immortal Universe In Development; Interview With The Vampire & Mayfair Witches Season 2 Updates From AMC - Deadline - February 11th, 2024
- 'Interview With the Vampire' season 2 is FINALLY on the horizonhere's when you can watch it - Out Magazine - February 11th, 2024
- Introducing the 'Vampire Virus' and What It Means for Connecticut and New York - i95rock.com - February 11th, 2024
- 'Interview With the Vampire' Season 2 Release Date, Cast, Plot, and More - The Mary Sue - February 11th, 2024
- Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 Is Already Making One Big Mistake - Screen Rant - February 11th, 2024
- AMC's very good, very sexy Interview With The Vampire sets its return - Yahoo Entertainment - February 11th, 2024
- Man accused of burning down home said voices told him the place contained vampires - KOIN.com - February 3rd, 2024
- Dolly Parton on 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' reboot: 'They're still working on that' - USA TODAY - February 3rd, 2024
- Become the ultimate vampire In V Rising, coming to PS5 this year - PlayStation - February 3rd, 2024
- Here's Your First Look At Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 Gameplay From Its New Developer - Game Informer - February 3rd, 2024
- The Vampire Diaries: Be Transported To Mystic Falls With These Best Books For Fans - GameRant - February 3rd, 2024
- Our first look at Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 shies away from what makes it a vampire RPG, and that has ... - Gamesradar - February 3rd, 2024
- Hulu's ACOTAR Show Could Kick Off The Next Early 2000s Vampire Craze - Screen Rant - February 3rd, 2024
- Dolly Parton On Potential Buffy The Vampire Slayer Revival: Theyre Still Working On That - Deadline - February 3rd, 2024
- Here's 15 minutes of The Chinese Room's Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 - Eurogamer.net - February 3rd, 2024
- Sink Your Fangs into This Extended Gameplay Reveal of Vampire: the Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 - MMORPG.com - February 3rd, 2024
- They're still working on it: Dolly Parton teases Buffy The Vampire Slayer revival - Gay Times Magazine - February 3rd, 2024
- 'Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2' gameplay revealed in new trailer - NME - February 3rd, 2024
- Dolly Parton Hints At 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer' Reboot - Purple Sneakers - February 3rd, 2024
- All 8 The Vampire Diaries Seasons, Ranked Worst To Best - Screen Rant - February 3rd, 2024
- 10 BTS The Vampire Diaries Details That Will Change How You See The Show - Screen Rant - February 3rd, 2024
- Is Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot still in the works? Here's what Dolly Parton says - Sportskeeda - February 3rd, 2024
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot still in the works, says Dolly Parton - PinkNews - February 3rd, 2024
- Dolly Parton shares Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot revelation - The Independent - February 3rd, 2024
- Dolly Parton Spills the Tea on Potential 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' Reboot - American Songwriter - February 3rd, 2024
- Hit Vampire RPG V Rising Arrives on PS5 This Year - Push Square - February 3rd, 2024
- Blade Theory: Mahershala Ali isn't Hunting Vampires, He's Hunting Followers of Knull Planning an Incursion - FandomWire - January 26th, 2024
Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero