|
|
|
PLANET
SF HOME | BUFFY
HOME | BUFFY
COMICS | BUFFY FEATURES/FICTION
| BUFFY NOVELS |
|||
|
|
It has to be said, Hepburn have the most tenuous link with BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER and the truth be told, only had minor success in the UK. Number eight with the song on this video and a couple of Top 20 hits for their most recent singles. So why were they chosen to be on the BUFFY soundtrack and provisionally asked to be on the show? For this a little backstory is needed. Hepburn are four young females. Jamie is the lead singer, Sarah and Lisa lead and bass guitar and new recruit (Beverley left to become a TV presenter) Natasha plays drums. Here in the UK, Hepburn shot to fame with their debut single I Quit (which is the song in question) penned by the same writers who wrote Natalie Imbruglia's Torn. A little known fact is that this song was offered to several other artists before it was offered to Hepburn. In my opinion they wouldn't have even been successful if it wasn't for I Quit and Hepburn certainly wouldn't have been on the BUFFY soundtrack without it. My connection with Hepburn is that I have a supposed link with Lisa, the guitarist and know her brother, sister, fiancé and her fiancé's sister. As a result, I was one of the first to know of their involvement with BUFFY and to be honest was more than a little miffed as I happen to be a huge BUFFY excessive whereas Hepburn supposedly like watching the show, but are not as big as fans as you or me who are reading this. Hepburn came to be on the soundtrack after Joss Whedon heard I Quit, loved the song and asked them to be on the show. Now, there comes a time when even a genius such as Joss makes mistakes like these (ALIEN RESURRECTION anyone? Me: I'm thinking of changing it to, "Naming Ryan Sook as his favourite BUFFY comic artist," but I'm not sure how many people would identity with that being a mistake!) So Hepburn went to LA for two weeks last September to allegedly film their parts in an episode of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER and record a new video of I Quit featuring BUFFY for a US release. As well as get that Sarah Michelle Gellar autograph I asked for... That was what was supposed to have happened. Instead, they didn't appear in an episode, they only made a new I Quit video which didn't even contain any new BUFFY footage. The video was just old clips from the episodes DEAD MAN'S PARTY and DOPPELGANGLAND with Hepburn inserted into the action. Instead of being depressed about this, I've decided I should try and appreciate the outcome of what was produced and cast a very critical view of the video featuring BUFFY, that Hepburn made for the US. The basic outline of the video involves the Hepburn girls are performing I Quit in places within Sunnydale, mostly UC Sunnydale with Hepburn walking through the halls interspersed with them playing the song in a classroom. The video then cuts to a scene from the third season episode DEAD MAN'S PARTY when Buffy goes searching for her friends after she arrives back from LA. In the original scene Buffy fights a vampire outside The Bronze after finding Xander there. She gets into trouble with a vampire and the rest of the Scooby Gang pull the vamp off her and slam him against the wall. Buffy then stakes the vampire and the rest of the gang fall to the ground, surprised and happy to see her. In this version, the Scooby Gang are replaced with Hepburn. The video then cuts to The Bronze where Hepburn are performing the song. The place is taken over by vampires - and Hepburn's vamp alter egos. Buffy runs in and fights the vampires, killing several but seems to ignore the Hepburn vampires because this is a scene from DOPPELGANGLAND. Originally Buffy does exactly the same but the difference this time is one gets away and runs off via the stage where the real Hepburn are performing. Buffy runs off in the same direction. A slight continuity error I'd like to point out is, in the DOPPELGANGLAND scene, Buffy is wearing dark trousers but when she goes running after the vamp that got away, she's wearing bright red trousers! Continuing...the real Hepburn don't seem to realise any of this is going on and carry on with the song and the vamp Hepburn leave The Bronze. It then cuts back several times to the classroom and The Bronze. Vamp Hepburn start to appear at UC Sunnydale (during daylight??) and walk around the halls. The video then ends with vampire Jamie snarling at the camera. The song: I loved the song I Quit when it was released last year, but after a while it really starts to grate and then you just want to smash the CD into tiny little pieces! Jamie seems to have such a screechy and very annoying voice. My dog is far better vocally trained! I'm also of the opinion that Hepburn aren't really the kind of music to be on the BUFFY soundtrack, they're just a little bit too pop for the show, and many other people I know agree with me on this. Whenever my friends play the BUFFY soundtrack, they always skip this track! The video: From the review I've given so far, I really haven't said anything nice at all about this video. Rightly so, but one thing is worth mentioning that could be seen as me giving praise! This is a fairly average music video, certainly not award winning material. But I'd like to say that the clips from BUFFY inserted into the action are very well done. It's hardly noticeable that the scenes didn't originally contain Hepburn. I'd also like to say that if anyone could tell me what it says on the blackboard behind Hepburn in the classroom, then please tell me. I can only make out that it says "Have you ever..." and it's been bugging me ever since! A final grumble from me concerns Hepburn as vampires. Was Todd McIntosh on holiday or something? There is no BUFFY trademark vampire makeup but what looks like makeup applied at a face painting session. The only reasons you can tell they are vampires are the pale faces and fangs. Clichéd or what? My overall view is if you're a casual BUFFY fan then don't waste your money or phone time on this. I'd only recommend getting it if you're an obsessive and have to buy every piece of merchandise ever available. Otherwise, don't bother. Little known facts: Contrary to belief, Hepburn did not, I repeat did not meet any of the cast when they filmed this video, and only met Sarah's stunt double, Sophia Crawford. They were surprised to find that Sarah no longer does any of her own stunts and they confirmed both when they appeared on Channel 5's EXCLUSIVE. I was also disappointed as I never received my SMG autograph. Maybe I've been a little harsh about this, but wouldn't you be, if you'd been told that they were going to be in an episode and making a new video with the BUFFY cast? As to whether Hepburn will still be appearing in an episode is unlikely according to Jamie when I asked this question on a webchat they participated in at dotmusic: "I'm a huge fan of BUFFY and was disappointed to find out that the video you made didn't actually contain any new BUFFY material. What I'd like to know is, will you still be appearing in a future episode of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER?" Jamie replied: "Not too sure yet - it's whether they pay us enough money. We'd love to." Which leads me to the conclusion as that being a "no" then... To see the video for yourself, it is available in the UK on CD2 of Hepburn's most recent single Deep, Deep Down. BACK TO THE TOP |
DON'T
QUIT THE DAY JOB |
|
