Buffyfest

Tonight's the Night! Join Buffyfest & Dark Horse for a Live Twitter Chat with the Buffyverse Writers!

buffyfest@aim.com (Buffyfest.Blogspot.com) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:22:32 PDT

Reminder! The Buffyverse comics are all gearing up for a major finale. Tonight we're co-hosting a GIGANTIC live chat event with Dark Horse Comics and all the MAJOR writers on the current Whedonverse comics roster! Get your questions answered from the creators themselves!

Use hashtag #BuffyS9Chat to join the fun! And make sure to follow:

Follow: @andrewchambliss, @christosgage, @janeEspenson, @drewZachary, @victorgischler, @jeffparker @DarkHorseComics and of course @Buffyfest .

In addition to that awesomeness, there will be some crazy prizes too! Spread the word and don't miss it! Tonight at 5pm PT/8pm EST.

Joss Whedon on 'The Avengers 2': "We're All Our Own Worst Enemy"

buffyfest@aim.com (Buffyfest.Blogspot.com) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:00:01 PDT

Prior to winning, Joss Whedon spoke to The Hollywood Reporter on the red carpet at the MTV Movie Awards last night. He let on that he's is already hard at work on the sequel to The Avengers and said he's nearly done with the first draft.

"It's been enormous fun, followed by deep, deep panic," Joss told THR. "I'm in the deep panic stage now. Actually, I've gone past panic into a vague nether-stage."

See the full video below:

Joss Whedon & Avengers Hotties win at the MTV Movie Awards, Get Cut Off. Wah Wah!

buffyfest@aim.com (Buffyfest.Blogspot.com) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:02:53 PDT

Last night's MTV Movie Awards was bizarre, to say the least....but I really didn't expect to see Joss Whedon there in his skinny jeans winning the awards for "Best Fight" AND "Movie of the Year" alongside hotties Tom Hiddleston, Chris Evans and um, Samuel L. Jackson (sure, why not?) Best line? "What's the opposite of humbled? We're Biebered to be standing here." HA!

But even though I didn't notice at the time, Perez Hilton reports "MTV pulled an OSCAR and cut Joss Whedon’s mic during his acceptance speech. NOT COOL." Oh snap!

Oh well, at least our boy got the win, right? See the full clips below:

Get More: 2013 MTV Movie Awards, Latest Movie News

We're Co-Hosting a Live Twitter Chat With a Ton of Buffy S.9 Writers and Major Prizes!

buffyfest@aim.com (Buffyfest.Blogspot.com) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 17:04:42 PDT

Is the suspense from the final arcs of Buffy Season 9 making you nuts? Are the questions burning you from the inside? Well get ready to cool down because we'll have the writers ready to answer all those
inquries next Thursday!

In addition to getting soothing explanations, we'll be giving out some MAJOR PRIZES! Dark Horse will be sending 3 lucky winners signed Angel & Faith comics and one Grand Prize winner will win all four (4) volumes aka the ENTIRE RUN of the Season 8 Library Edition Hardcovers. Holy SMACK!

From Dark Horse's site:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 is gearing up for the final arcs of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel & Faith comics and we're stoked to see how this season's climax brings the scoobies back together. We've joined forces with Buffyfest to cohost a chat with all of the writers of the Season 9 comics!

Join @buffyfest and @DarkHorseComics next Thursday, April 18th at 5pm Pacific Time for a Live Twitter Chat with Andrew Chambliss, Christos Gage, Jane Espenson, Drew Greenberg, Victor Gischler, Jeff Parker.

Follow: @andrewchambliss, @christosgage, @janeEspenson, @drewZachary, @victorgischler, @jeffparker

We'll be taking over the Dark Horse Twitter feed for one hour next Thursday April 18th to chat with Season 9 Writers about the season and the various comics that have brought us to this final arc and what it's like writing for one of the most beloved pop-culture series!

We will host the chat using the #BuffyS9Chat hashtag.

Join us to ask your questions about the series, the writing process, and what we can expect from our favorite heroes in the future in this #BuffyS9Chat!

Participants will have the opportunity to win prizes! One (1) Grand Prize winner will win all four (4) volumes of the Season 8 Library Edition Hardcovers. Two Other Winners we'll receive a signed copy of Angel & Faith TPB Vol. 1, signed by Christos Gage!

We'll pick three (3) random winners that qualify and work with you to ship your prizes to you! Participants must use the Hashtag #BuffyS9Chat in at least 3 separate tweets with appropriate questions or comments. Winners will be chosen randomly at Dark Horse Comics discretion.

Make sure you're prepared for this incredible #BuffyS9Chat!

Be there or be square!

We have a Winner of MARCH MADNESS 2013: The "Most Shocking Moment" of the Whedonverse Tourney!

buffyfest@aim.com (Buffyfest.Blogspot.com) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 08:50:00 PDT

March has come to an end and so has our 7th tournament here on Buffyfest. We finally have an answer to a complicated and heavy question: Of all the shocking moments this 'verse has brought us over the years, which is the most abominable? Of those scenes that are usually followed by a black screen saying "Created by Joss Whedon", which was the most atrocious? Which makes you shake your fist in the air and scream "Joss!" more than any other?

The answer and clear winner is:

The Death of Tara Maclay,
"Your shirt"
May 7th, 2002

Jossss!!

As we all know, Joss Whedon has killed so many of his beloved characters that it's arguably no longer even shocking. But there were a certain few special deaths that were particularly detestable and scandalous - Tara's is now officially the #1.

Who can say the exact reason why? Tara was a VERY popular character on BTVS and her profoundly moving relationship with Willow is considered a LBGT milestone in television and pop culture. People tend to describe Tara as genuine, compassionate and kind. It was all of these things combined that likely made viewers so devastated at the loss of her spot on the show. At the time of her death, fans pretty much revolted. The backlash and hate mail was considered staggering by the Mutant Enemy team and the media that covered it. It clearly still stings to this day! RIP, Tara....and damn you Joss Whedon.

Well that's all for this year! If you missed the tournament, Click here to see how the entire month of shockers went down. Thanks so much to everyone who played this year's March Madness and the hundreds of people who voted. Until next time!

Vote for the Champion! MARCH MADNESS 2013 Tournament: "Most Shocking Moment" of the Whedonverse

buffyfest@aim.com (Buffyfest.Blogspot.com) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 21:24:15 PDT

And then there were two.

Well this is it! Earlier this month we started with 64 shocking moments of the Whedonverse and have whittled 62 of them away. Here's a recap of the last round:

1. Anya's death made it pretty damn far in this thing! The public believed she deserve some recognition for her place among the Scoobs and then being sliced right in half in the series finale. But then there was Wash. He slammed through every single battle from the start with ease. Winner: Washburn dies and a little piece of us goes with him.

2. Ugh, Tara's death vs Buffy's mom's. Seriously? So horrible. It was pretty close, but Willow's girl took it 228-174. Winner: Tara gets shot through the heart, and you're to blame!

So of all the crazy moments of the entire Whedonverse that make you yell "JOSS!", we're finally down to the final two. And wouldn't you know, they are a couple of doozies! Let's lay it out for you:

Wash was a leaf on the wind. We all watched as he soared...dipping and diving, skirting around both Alliance jerks and psycho Reavers hot on Serenity's tail. He managed to land them clean and everyone was safe until BAM! Wash was impaled right through the chest by a Reaver spear with a resounding gasp from the audience. Effing Reavers. They really don't make good friends. And Zoe's reaction was just devastating.

Then we have Tara. Good and pure. She was Willow's rock, the moral compass of the Scoobs and a fan-fave to say the least. JUST as she and Willow had gotten back together after a heart-wrenching break up, Warren starts shooting up the place, the dick, and Tara takes a stray one right in the chest. Since it was a natural death no magic could save her, sending Willow on a downward spiral to crazy town and the rest was history.

These above events were arguably the cruelest and definitely the most shocking as voted by you, the fandom. Have fun voting between these suckers! Sheesh, I need a tissue.

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OK, this is it! The final vote! We're giving it the entire weekend - Voting ends this Sunday, March 31st at 11:59 pm EST.

Obviously there are **Major Spoilers** in this tourney. If you're not familiar with all things Whedon, tread lightly or avoid.

If your curious to see what's lost so far and what's ahead, click the below bracket image to enlarge:

The Final Four! MARCH MADNESS 2013 Tournament: "Most Shocking Moment" of the Whedonverse

buffyfest@aim.com (Buffyfest.Blogspot.com) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 21:05:20 PDT

All month long we've been trying to answer a complicated question: Of all the twisty, stomach-turny, mouth-gapey, shocking moments of the entire Whedonverse, which was the most stupefying? One of the moments that make you scream into the air "JOSS!" or sometimes "WHY JOSS?! WHY?? OH GOD...(sobs)"

Ahem.

After 64 of these such moments duking it out one by one, we're finally down to the Final Four. And wouldn't you know it? They are all beloved character deaths. Just *great*. Let's do this!

Here's a recap of the last round:

1. The neck snap of Jenny Calendar made it pretty far! But good ole' Wash is flying his way right through this tournament. Winner: Wash's demise!

2. In what can only be described as an upset (for us anyway) Xander's eye gouging faced Anya's finale death and things went awry! But with 400 votes, the people have spoken. Winner: Anya's slice and dice!

3. Warren killed Tara then Willow flayed Warren. How does the madness end? Answer: With a Yellow crayon. Winner: Tara gets shot!

4. Finally, Buffy jumping off that tower into a magical cloud of doom was arguably one of the most unexpected moments on this show. Alternatively Joyce's brain tumor was around for half a season! Still, moms dying and stuff....ugh. Winner: Joyce's death

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OK, time for the Final Four! Voting ends this Thursday, March 28th at 11:59 pm EST.

Obviously there are **Major Spoilers** in this tourney. If you're not familiar with all things Whedon, tread lightly or avoid.

If your curious to see what's lost so far and what's ahead, click the below bracket image to enlarge:

The Elite Eigh! MARCH MADNESS 2013: "Most Shocking Moment" of the Whedonverse Tourney

buffyfest@aim.com (Buffyfest.Blogspot.com) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 21:36:43 PDT

OK, March is winding down and so are we. With only 8 "most shocking" moments to go, this March Madness is getting crazy and a little too sad! Whose idea was this again?

Here's a recap of the last round:

1. Angelus killed Jenny, Twangel killed Giles. Guy sure knows how to crack necks (and break doors)! Winner: Jenny Calendar's neck snaps right into the Elite Eight!

2. The only moment to give Wash's death a run for it's money so far is this one: Lorne shooting Lindsay MacDonald dead against his will in the series finale. Still, the gasp in the theater rings in our ears to this day. Winner: Wash's gets impaled by a Reaver spear!

3. Doyle's death vs Anya's death. Both were demons (though one was decidedly more evil), both fought bravely in battle (though one was definitely more fearless and heroic), both were background characters (yet one should've been offed years ago). Yeah not quite sure what happened here. Winner: Anya gets sliced in half!

4. More bodily harm here as we have Xander's eye vs. Wes getting his throat sliced in the madness of Angel Season 3. THE EYE PREVAILS! Winner: Xander's eye can't be stopped!

5. Dawn's crazy-random introduction to the series vs. Warren's flaying was a suuuuper tight fight! Winning the battle by a very slim margin (163 votes to 169 votes!) - Winner: The Black Eyes of "Shut up" Willow!

6. Buffy was hardcore when she stabbed Faith with the intention of feeding Angel her slayer blood! But that was no match for Tara's demise. Winner: Tara's death by a landslide!

7. Arguably the first real crazy "Joss!" moment was when Angel and Buffy bumped uglies and caused Angel to become an evil, psychotic, mass murderer. That was a pretty harsh PSA if we ever saw one! Still, the portrayal of the events surrounding Buffy's mom's death stuck with us. Winner: Joyce's death

8. And finally, in another pretty tight fight, Wes's swan song vs Buffy's swan dive. Winner: Buffy saved the world a lot.

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OK, time for the Elite Eight! Voting ends this Tuesday, March 26th at 11:59 pm EST.

Obviously there are **Major Spoilers** ahead in this tourney. If you're not familiar with all things Whedon, tread lightly or avoid.

If your curious to see what's lost so far and what's ahead, click the below bracket image to enlarge:

The Sweet Sixteen! MARCH MADNESS 2013: "Most Shocking Moment" of the Whedonverse Tourney

buffyfest@aim.com (Buffyfest.Blogspot.com) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 21:05:59 PDT

We're down to the Sweet Sixteen! Sixteen heart wrenching, "Damn you Joss Whedon" moments! If you're just jumping into this tourney now, you have missed a LOT. But there's still a ways to go so don't worry. Here's a recap of the last round of the "Most Shocking" Tournament:

1. The day Buffy got a random sibling was the first Buffy ep I ever watched in real time, so that was definitely a shocking (and confusing!) moment for me. When compared to an already "beige"Angel letting the lawyers die, the winner's pretty clear. Winner: Dawnie says to Angel "Get out, get out get OUT!!"

2. Willow went dark....real effing dark. Like black. With the hair and the eyes and could you be more literal? So anything she did after that shouldn't seem so shocking. But on the other hand, Bennet getting shot after all of that twisted trickery? Hmm...not sure about this one but the people have the final say. Winner: Willow takes Dollhouse out of the tournament!

3. Sure, Wes and Lilah did the nasty but come on....we cannot compare that to what happened to Tara. And after she just made the credits! Winner: Tara's Death

4. Was anyone really shocked that Angel came back from his hundred years in hell all naked and sweaty? Even in the early internet days, that spoiler had to be out. Winner: Buffy shanks Faith in the gut!

5. It's Angel vs Angel in this battle! First he loses his soul, then goes all psycho and Buffy has to run him through with a damn sword. I guess the first part threw people for a bigger loop! Winner: Angel's soul gets the gypsy vengeance!

6. Mr. Universe was awesome but vs. Buffy's mom? No contest. Winner: Joyce's aneurism makes us cry

7. We've been discussing this on twitter all week: when Buffy jumped off that tower the world was like "WHAT THE F@CK!?" It seemed waaay more real than the first time. In contrast, when Cordy killed Lilah it was more like "Whoa, dude Cordy is being cray". See the difference? Winner: Buffy Dies! (The 2nd time)

8. And finally, yes it was very, very annoying when the Scoobs kicked Buffy out of her own house, even though they were all living there, freeloading, eating all the cereal, while she has to pay all the bills and property tax (and with no help from the Watcher's Council!) But Wes died. He died and didn't come back. Winner: Wesley's death

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OK, time for the sweet sixteen! Voting ends this Sunday, March 24th at 11:59 pm EST.

Obviously there are **Major Spoilers** ahead in this tourney. If you're not familiar with all things Whedon, tread lightly or avoid.

If your curious to see what's lost so far and what's ahead, click the below bracket image to enlarge:

End of Round 2! MARCH MADNESS 2013: "Most Shocking Moment" of the Whedonverse Tourney

buffyfest@aim.com (Buffyfest.Blogspot.com) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 21:11:45 PDT

OK, we're on to the second half of Round 2 and this tourney is getting tense! Basically, we've weeded out some of the less shocking moments and all that's left from here on out is doom and gloom! I mean, really...who's idea was this again?

If you're just joining us, this year's tourney begs the question: What is the most dramatically shocking moment of the Whedonverse? The times that made you shake your fist in the air and scream "Joss!!" Here's a recap of the last part:

1. "You think you are Jenny Calendar now!!?" Not anymore. Darla got resurrected but Jenny was a Gypsy no longer. Doesn't really seem fair! Winner: Angel snaps Jenny Calendar's neck!

2. This Angel murdering thing just won't quit! Even Spike's ultimate(ish) sacrifice couldn't stop Angel from his reign of terror in this tourney. Winner: Angel snaps Giles' neck!

3. Poor Lorne. He's not a killer. And Wes having Justine locked in the closet really wasn't so out of character by that point in his crazy. Winner: Lorne murders Lindsay!

4. Spike got a soul but Wash speared to death. Oh Joss, what did you do? Winner: Wash's death.

5. I actually really thought Angel trying to suffocate Wes with that pillow was going to make it to the Sweet 16, but apparently people are still mourning Doyle. It was pretty shocking, especially being so early in his story. Winner: Doyle's sacrifice

6. It was Anya vs Anya in this battle! Poor Anya, she was socially awkward but not sure she deserved all this. Winner: Anya's death.

7. Cordy ascending to higher powerdom was pretty ridiculous and is definitely no match for THE EYE! Winner: Xander loses a damn eye!

8. Shockingly, Wes getting his throat sliced by Justine gave people the "Joss!" more than Buffy's first death. Well, it did only last a second and that "Father will kill the son" arc was cray. Winner: Wesley's throat slice!

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OK, last part of Round 2! Voting ends this Thursday, March 21st at 11:59 pm EST.

Obviously there are **Major Spoilers** ahead in this tourney. If you're not familiar with all things Whedon, tread lightly or avoid.

Here is the Region 2b Battle, taking place on the east side of the bracket (Stark Headquarters/The Hyperion).

If your curious to see what's lost so far and what's ahead, click the below bracket image to enlarge:

Round 2 Begins! MARCH MADNESS 2013: "Most Shocking Moment" of the Whedonverse Tourney

buffyfest@aim.com (Buffyfest.Blogspot.com) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 21:04:59 PDT

Round 2 has officially begun! Thanks to everyone who has voted in this March Madness so far. If you're just jumping now, this year's tourney begs the question: What is the most dramatically shocking moment of the Whedonverse? The times that made you shake your fist in the air and scream "Joss!!" We've weeded out a lot of amazingly crazy moments in Round 1. Here's a recap of the last part:

1. Ooh, Giles big comeback scene during Dark!Willow's ragefest might've been a fantastic moment, but Buffy spearing Angel straight to Hell was a quintessential Whedonverse moment. Winner: "Close your eyes"

2. In a related event, Angel losing his soul was also a pivotal moment in Buffy and apparently more shocking than leaving the entire Angel series on a cliffhanger. The people have spoken! Winner: The Gypsy Curse's random caveat!

3. Alexis Denisof was a surprising choice for Benedick! But Mr. Universe meeting a similar demise as Angel took the cake here. Winner: They killed him with a sword, Mal.

4. Compared to Buffy's mom dying, Angel murdering Drogyn to prove his loyalty to the bad guys shocked pretty much no one. Winner: Joyce's death

5. The tinkly piano of ConCord sex was playing, and viewers were gagging. Thank goodness that the epicness of Buffy plunging to her death was against this one because I don't know if I want to envision that squick again any time soon. Winner: Buffy's death (the second time).

6. Shockingly, I guess viewers didn't find that Spuffy kiss all that shocking! Evil Cordelia takes it by a smidgen! Winner: [Possessed] Cordy murders Lilah Morgan!

7. Angel set Drusilla and Darla on fire. HE SET THEM ON FIRE. But the Scoobs kicking Buffy out of her own house (when she should've just told them to shove it hard) was really nutso. Winner: Buffy gets kicked out of Revello Drive!

8. Maybe it's just because not many people have read Fray (do it!) but Wes dying with Illyria-as-Fred by his side took this one by a landslide. Winner: Wesley's death

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OK, time for Round 2! Things are going to start speeding up now. Voting ends this Tuesday, March 19th at 11:59 pm EST.

Obviously there are **Major Spoilers** ahead in this tourney. If you're not familiar with all things Whedon, tread lightly or avoid.

Here is the Region 2 Battle, taking place on the west side of the bracket (The Bronze/Miranda).

If your curious to see what's lost so far and what's ahead, click the below bracket image to enlarge:

Reavers Don't Make Good Friends!

buffyfest@aim.com (Buffyfest.Blogspot.com) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 12:30:00 PDT

I have no idea how we missed this, but thanks to tweep @mbatz that's changed! Basically, Reavers are wretched, this we know, and now that fact has been put to song in the most hilariously epic manner possible. Try to hear this song and not lol and laugh all over, just try...I dare you:

Mbatz says the creators are pretty awesome dudes in person, they play comic cons and the like. Check out their other tunes honoring Star Trek, Avatar, Inigo Montoya, and more!

Last Part of Round 1 - MARCH MADNESS 2013: "Most Shocking Moment" of the Whedonverse Tourney

buffyfest@aim.com (Buffyfest.Blogspot.com) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 21:35:02 PDT

OK, this last part will close out Round 1! It has been a very fun and enlightening tournament so far. Thanks to all the readers who are participating and if you're just joining us, this year's March Madness is aiming to learn: What is the most dramatically shocking moment of the Whedonverse? You know, those moments that make you scream "Joss!!" Here's a recap of the last round:

1. Faith murdered a man but apparently that wasn't all that surprising compared to the randomness of lil' Dawnie. Winner: Buffy gets a sister!

2. Reavers being chemically tweaked people was quite the twist! But Angel reigned when he went super darn and locked those lawyers in a room with Dru and the newly sired Darla. Winner: Angel lets the lawyers die!

3. In this "Evil Trio" themed battle, Jonathan's death fought Warren's death....no surprise that Dark Willow won the fight. Winner: Willow flays Warren!

4. Bennet and Penny's death were frickin neck-and-neck down to the last minute. Tragedy strikes often around these Whedony parts, and the fandom sure does get divided. Anyway Winner: Bennet's death (by 1 vote!)

5. This next one was a "sexy-time" theme. In the one corner we have Wes sleeping with the enemy, W&H's Lilah Morgan! In the other corner we have Faith (in Buffy's body) seducing Riley! Talk about a mind f*@k! Winner: Wes & Lilah do the nasty!

6. The moments leading up to when Dru waltzed in and re-sired Darla after she decided on a heroic human death were definitely intense, but come on. There is little in this tourney that will match Tara's demise. Winner: Tara's death!

7. One of Firefly's best moments was Mal locking Jayne out and nearly floating him out to space in "Ariel", but fans must have been rabid waiting for Angel's return bc it wasn't all that shocking, was it? Winner: Angel returns from Hell

8. This one was also super close! It was 50/50 well into midnight and actually held this post going up. In the end, the majority slightly favored "Buff going gangster on Faith" (to quote tweep @mbatz) over Darla offing herself for the life of baby Connor Winner: Buffy stabs Faith!

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OK, time for the final part of Round 1! Voting ends this Sunday, March 17th at 11:59 pm EST.

Obviously there are **Major Spoilers** ahead in this tourney. If you're not familiar with all things Whedon, tread lightly or avoid.

Here is the Region 1d Battle, taking place at the good ole' Hyperion Hotel in Los Angeles.

If your curious to see what's lost so far and what's ahead, click the below bracket image to enlarge:

Round 1c of MARCH MADNESS 2013: "Most Shockingly Joss! Moment" of the Whedonverse Tourney

buffyfest@aim.com (Buffyfest.Blogspot.com) — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 21:01:01 PDT

Halfway done with Round 1 and 32 "Shocking Moments" have already been knocked out in this year's March Madness! If you're just joining us, this year we're attempting to figure out: What is the most dramatically shocking "Joss!" moment of the Whedonverse? Here's a recap of the last round:

1. That little shit Connor sent his dad straight to the bottom of the sea (a storyline much echoed in this season's premiere of Being Human) but that wasn't any match for the late, great Glenn Quinn and Doyle's swan song. Winner: Doyle's Sacrifice

2. Angel trying to suffocate Wes in the hospital was one of the craziest things of a pretty crazy season, so it's not surprising that it beat Lilah beheading Linwood Murrow in W&H's offices. Winner: Angel Pillow-smothers Wes

3. Apparently, Angel having sex with Darla (even though he had a pretty major no-sex clause at the time) was shocking to absolutely no one, but Anya's death was! Winner: Anya gets chopped in half!

4. And just to give Anya a one-two punch, Xander leaving her ass at the alter was more Joss! than Connor returning from Quar'Toth as "The Destroyer" Winner: Poor Anya get's ditched

5. To quote tweep @thesadeianwoman "dude, if river's assassin skills reveal had been up against most other options I would've picked her. But The eye trumps!" Winner: Xander loses an eye!

6. In what might just be the lamest battle of this tournament: Cordy becoming a (faux) higher being was only slightly more Joss! than Buffy's robotic pregnancy in the comics. Winner: Cordy ascends!

7. Mal kicking Crow through the engine is a fan-favorite moment on Firefly but it was no match for Buffy's first death. Winner: Buffy dies in Prophecy Girl

8. This last one was a body slicing theme: Mal's ear vs. Wes's throat. Probably due to the excessive whoa! factor in that storyline, Wes won the battle. Winner: Justine slices Wes's throat!

OK, time for the next part of Round 1! Voting ends this Wed, March 13 at 11:59 pm EST.

Obviously there are **Major Spoilers** ahead in this tourney. If you're not familiar with all things Whedon, tread lightly or avoid.

Here is the Region 1c Battle, taking place at the Stark Tower Complex in NYC....

If your curious to see what's lost so far and what's ahead, click the below bracket image to enlarge:

Much Ado About SXSW: Nathan Fillion Peed A lot!

buffyfest@aim.com (Buffyfest.Blogspot.com) — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 14:31:31 PDT

So "Much Ado About Nothing" made it's US premiere yesterday at the SXSW Festival to much praise and critical acclaim! Apparently fans had been lined up since 1am for the screening. Not surprisingly, the amazing Much Ado bus was found to be Harlem Shaking and of course there was was live tweeting before the event.

After the screening there was a Q&A (which you can read in full here.) Besides confirming Agent Coulson's fate in the S.H.I.E.L.D series, here are some highlights:

A week after The Avengers wrapped, you decided to make Much Ado About Nothing at your own house instead of going on vacation to Italy. When you got the call to make a movie at Joss’s house, how did you respond?

Amy Acker: It was fun. And weird.

Joss: There were rooms [in the house] we didn’t use, and I regret every single one.

How do you prepare yourself for a quick turnaround like this?

Alexis Denisof: When Joss asks, you say yes! Says it was a labor of love, but also a lot of labor. That was part of the fun about it. It was a constant hive of activity.

Nathan, I heard you were hesitant. You haven’t done Shakespeare before.

Nathan Fillion: I was intimidated, terrified, frightening… I peed a little. I might have peed a lot.

Actually, I signed on right away and tried to chicken out afterward. Joss talked him off the ledge… “I don’t have a replacement so you have to do it.”

Nathan – I love Castle, I only watch it because of you. And I’ve loved Dr. Horrible and Firefly. So my question is, how did you get to be so awesome?

Nathan: That’s a good question. First of all, you sir have excellent taste. I have made a career of riding coattails. The secret to being awesome is picking the right coattails. I enjoy acting and I love telling stories, but until I met Joss I wasn’t good at it.

So if you're at the fest or in the Austin area, there will be additional screenings today and Wednesday. Everyone else, you'll have to wait to see the film which features almost the entire inside of Joss Whedon's house and our favorite actors on June 7th!

Round 1b of MARCH MADNESS 2013: "Most Shockingly Joss! Moment" of the Whedonverse Tourney

buffyfest@aim.com (Buffyfest.Blogspot.com) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 21:03:19 PST

OK, we're making our way through Round 1 in this here March Madness! If you missed the first part, this year we're attempting to answer the question: What is the most dramatically shocking moment of the Whedonverse? You know those crazy moments that make you shake your fist in the air and scream "Joss!"

In the first part of Round 1, the results themselves were pretty shocking! Here's the rundown:

1. All of "Sleep Tight" is pretty intense, what with Wes getting jacked and Lilah staging a coup against Sahjan then Holtz stealing baby Connor and taking him to Quar'Toth! Whew! But even with all that, Darla's ressurection back in season 1 took the lead here. Winner: Darla's Ressurection

2. The race was super-tight between the iconic image of Angel snapping Jenny Calendar's Neck against that window and Fred's Death/Illyria's introduction....but I guess readers saw that Illyria thing coming! By a slim margin of just 5 votes out of nearly 600 Winner: Jenny's Neck Snappage

3. We're going with the theme here in the next one - Giles death in a similar fashion vs. Darla's Pregnancy Winner: Giles Neck Snappage!

4. Both proud sacrifices - Topher's vs Spike's. Winner: Spike Saves the World!

5. We grew to love Agent Coulson throughout the Marvel movies and his death was sad, but there are few things more shocking than poor Lorne's one last thing Winner: Lorne murders Lindsay McDonald.

6. In the S.4 premiere of Angel we learn Wes has Justine tied up in the closet, which I guess was crazier than Buffy's bi-curiosity since that was all over the media. Winner: Wes stashes Justine!

7. When it comes to Wash's death, not even Shepherd Book and an entire colony can shock more. This thing is going the distance, that's for sure. Winner: Wash's impalement!

8. Cordy giving birth to a power-that-be? Psshh, come on. Spike's soulfulness is a fan favorite. Winner: Spike gets a soul!

OK, time for the next part of this round! Voting ends this Sunday, March 10 at 11:59 pm EST.

Obviously there are **Major Spoilers** ahead in this tourney. If you're not familiar with all things Whedon, tread lightly or avoid.

Here is the Region 1b Battle, taking place on the Planet (whispers) "Miranda"....

If your curious to see what's lost so far and what's ahead, click the below bracket image to enlarge:

Much Ado about 'Much Ado'!

buffyfest@aim.com (Buffyfest.Blogspot.com) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 19:07:14 PST

The internetz is ablaze today with all things Much Ado About Nothing! First up, the official trailer hit (below). It's of course full of our favorite actors and was filmed in a jif at Whedon's house in Santa Monica last year. Check out Fred/Wes back in effect!

Next, hell hath frozen over as Joss Whedon himself joined twitter for the first time ever using the handle @MuchAdoFilm. So if you're not already follwing Joss, get going. I have a feeling it's going to be a temporary thing...unless he feels the power of the twitter verse and finally decides to kick off that fake @JossWhedon by getting an official one of his own! Anyway, to prove it was really him, he tweeted this pic from the Party Bus (more on that below):

Finally, Joss commented over on Whedonesque about the Tour Bus Party he's currently throwing en route to Austin to show the film at SXSW. Fun! If you have the time and resources, go hunt that Tour Bus down and report back to us, god knows the debauchery taking place. If Tom Lenk is present, you know shit is cray up in there. See Joss's comment below:

"Oh My God! Or, the acronym of Oh My God! It looks so good! Let's all go see all the parts that weren't in the trailer when they come out in the movie! And show our friends! And destroy our enemies! And burn their villages, except for their multiplexes, where we will watch the movie parts once more!

Okay. I'm okay. Got a little excited there. Sorry. Let's not burn stuff. It's just that it's a big day for me. The trailer is up. I tweeted a tweet (more on that). But most of all, tonight we ride. We ride to Austin.
We ride the Arty Bus.

Me and a bunch of cast members are taking the scenic route to the SXSW fest. 24 hours on the road, from L.A. to Austin. The bus sleeps twelve (as if we'll sleep). It can be easily distinguished by the words MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING on the outside. We will trundle into it full of hope, comradery and excitement, and emerge a day later glassy-eyed with guilt and terror, and missing one cast-member.

On the way we'll laugh, sing old songs, resort to cannibalism WAY too early, and abuse social media. Yes, I will be tweeting. It'll be @MuchAdoFilm, since I'm still too lazy/confused to get my own account, but it won't just be me trying to drum up business for the film (In theaters this June!) -- I promise at least a couple of appalling pix of Fran and Ashley resorting to cannibalism (#waytooearly).

The route should take us through Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Actual Mexico, Florida... Um, Pennsylvlorida, the Middle ages, the Mist, the Mason-Dixon line, The Donner Pass (Fran and Ashley SWEAR it's on the way, for some reason), The Place Where We Buried The Thing, and maybe your town too! If you see us, wave! Or honk! Or bleat! We 're excited to be joining SXSW the way the pioneers of old attended film festivals. And we're excited to show the movie to a new audience. Those of us that make it. Hope I'm one!

Wish us luck, enjoy the trailer, and get ready for 140 characters of PURE ADRENALINE. I'll see you in Hell. (I might not. There's a lot of people there. Maybe text me and let me know where you're damned, and I can try to get there.) Kiss Noise!

Joss "Shut up, it's art if it's in black and white" Whedon."

We'll leave you with a pic of the bus. Oh to be a fly on the wall of that thing! Click to Enlarge:

MARCH MADNESS 2013: "Most Shockingly Joss! Moment" of the Whedonverse Tournament

buffyfest@aim.com (Buffyfest.Blogspot.com) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 14:49:00 PST

Welcome readers new and old to our 7th Tournament here on Buffyfest! This is going to be a big one as we attempt to figure out something pretty heavy. You know those shocking moments this 'verse has brought us over the years? The ones where right after the screen turns black and says "Created by Joss Whedon" you shake your fist in the air and scream "Joss!" For instance Tara getting killed with a simple Willow response "your shirt", Buffy jumping into a magical hole of Heeeaavvaaan or Darla staking herself into oblivion to save her human child? In a nutshell: What is the most dramatically shocking moment of the Whedonverse? Jossss!

This tournament will have 64 randomly paired shocking moments fighting for the title. The contenders are spanning the Whedonverse and yes, The Avengers, Fray and Much Ado are up in that piece too!

Rounds will always end at 11:59 pm EST on the day indicated, after which we'll post results and the nominees for the next round. Voting for this part ends this Thursday, March 7 at 11:59 pm EST. Let the games begin!

Obviously there are **Major Spoilers** ahead in this tourney. If you're not familiar with all things Whedon, tread lightly or avoid.

We'll be starting with the Region 1 Battle, taking place at The Bronze in Sunnydale, California:

If your curious to see what's ahead, click the below image of the entire bracket to enlarge:

'Superglue is the Best!' A Whedon Fan's Completed Lego Serenity Ship.

buffyfest@aim.com (Buffyfest.Blogspot.com) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 09:30:02 PST

Big Kudos to reader Rayna Forbes a.k.a tweep @ODonWhedon, who successfully built a full-on, light-up Firefly Serenity ship using over 2,200 Lego pieces declaring, "it was the most awesome pain in the ass ever! (I cried once)" but adding that it was "totally worth it!" If you want to take a crack at it, Rayna used the instructions on this website. The full unofficial Lego kit is nearly $400, but is on backorder anyway...so she simply purchased the instructions to make her masterpiece. Wonderful job Rayna! Seriously Jealous.

See below for some work-in-progress photos and the kick-ass final piece.

Serenity's Dining Hall

All lit up!

Work-in-progress: The pre-fully assembled parts.

Loading Ramp

Wo de ma he ta de feng kuang de wai sheng dou!

Wacky Combo Alert! Sarah Michelle Gellar Filming a Comedy Pilot with Robin Williams!

buffyfest@aim.com (Buffyfest.Blogspot.com) — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 10:46:00 PST

The last we heard, Sarah Michelle Gellar developing a family comedy about the lives of parents when their children are out of the house exec produced by Don't Trust the B's David Hemingson and Margaret Riley. That project has seemingly failed to move forward...but when one door closes another apparently opens because now the unexpected comedy pairing of Robin Williams and SMG may be gracing our small screens!

The CBS single-camera comedy is called Crazy Ones. The show will focus on the family-run Roberts and Roberts Advertising Agency. Mr. Williams is set to play Simon Roberts and Smidge will play his intense, driven and overly practical adult daughter Sydney. Boston Legal's David E. Kelley will be writing and Jason Winer (Modern Family, 1600 Penn) will be directing the pilot.

Hope it gets picked up! Sounds fun. Robin Williams is a legend and we all know Smidge has some uncanny comedic timing. Fingers crossed!

Scary! A Man Has Been Threatening to Kill Alyson Hannigan and Family!

buffyfest@aim.com (Buffyfest.Blogspot.com) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 17:44:44 PST

The Royal Family of the Whedonverse has a very serious stalker situation on it's hands! Alyson Hannigan says John Hobbs is a mentally unstable man (with a legal permit to carry a gun, to boot!) who continues to threaten and stalk her on the internet and sending death threats. I really hope this isn't a Whedon fan, I'm just saying! Scary stuff!

Apparently Hobbs has created a romantic relationship with Alyson in his mind. She is seeking protection for her family and a temporary restraining order was granted. In her petition, she states Hobbs has "posted a barrage of threatening messages directed at me and my family on various websites" and that "he seemed to be living in an alternate reality." Police say Hobbs is unstable and was recently discharged from a mental hospital. A judge will decide if the orders will become permanent on March 6.

I don't want to post his image or the messages he's been sending her, it seems too creepy to copy and paste them here...but they are really sick and frightening! Hobbs refers to Alexis, as "Mr. Evil 2" in them, as well. WTF?

See a full news report on ABC news here.

Be careful Hannigan-Denisofs! This must be a very stressful time for them, hope this situation resolves itself quickly and cleanly!

Robin Sachs' Two Dogs Now Need a Home

buffyfest@aim.com (Buffyfest.Blogspot.com) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 07:58:51 PST

As we mentioned yesterday, Robin Sachs passed away last week. Unfortunately he has left behind two adult dogs. Now a Facebook page has been created to spread the word and find a home for Fiona and Tiny. If you're in the LA area and are willing to adopt them (ideally together), go to the link and mail the page owner.

From the page:
"Meet FIONA, 6 yrs old, gorgeous blonde female pitbull, and TINY, 4 yrs old, slate gray male pitbull/mastiff mix. Their owner, Robin Sachs, died unexpectedly a few days ago, and these sweet dogs need a new loving home. They are exceptionally friendly, both with humans and other animals. Currently, they are in a Los Angeles, CA rescue shelter, which will house them until March 1st. If anyone knows of someone who would adopt them, preferably together, please FB mail me. Thank you to those who are already spreading the word and doing anything they can to help place these lovely dogs."

'Buffy's' Ethan Rayne, Robin Sachs Dies at 61

buffyfest@aim.com (Buffyfest.Blogspot.com) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 15:09:08 PST

What a terrible first post back from hiatus! It is with a somber heart we report that British actor Robin Sachs, best know for playing the deliciously dark Ethan Rayne on Buffy, died last week just a few days short of his 62nd birthday. He was only on 4 episodes but he definitely made a big impact on the entirety of the story and added great texture to the background of Giles' character and his Ripper past. I always loved in "A New Man" when Ethan and Giles are sitting in the bar and Ethan says "I know we're not particularly fond of each other, Rupert, but we are a couple of old mystics" in that buttery voice of his. One of my favorite lines in one of my favorite episodes. His passing is such sad news.

According to his official webpage, the death was sudden and unexpected. No other details of his death have been reported. Staff wrote: "Please join us in raising a glass to Robin - goodbye, dear friend. Thank you for all the laughter and the cookies. We will miss you so very much."

We will too, Mr. Ethan Rayne. Rest in Peace.

Happy 5 year Anniversary, Buffyfest!

buffyfest@aim.com (Buffyfest.Blogspot.com) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 20:54:11 PST

Hard to believe that it was 5 years ago this week that our little band of buggered started this here Buffyfest blog. It's gone through some changes over time, but it's still a part of who we are and still reflects the heart of others like us, this fandom we belong to.

Happy Anniversary guys!

Alyson Hannigan and Family Ring in the New Year!!

buffyfest@aim.com (Buffyfest.Blogspot.com) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 18:14:00 PST

Happy 2013 from Buffyfest! Hope all of our dear readers had an amazing Holiday season.

Kicking off the year is the Whedonverse Royal Family (sans Alexis)! Alyson Hannigan, 7 month old baby Keeva and a ridonkulously dressed Satyana took a stroll in their Brentwood neighborhood just before the end of 2012. How cute is Saty in that outfit! She's got an Abby Cadabby hat, a Purple and Pink number with some tie dye thrown in, green ballet flats, and is that a stick she fashioned into a magic wand?! She's like a cracked out, fuzzy fairy godmother. And check her out, hamming it up for the paparazzi. Saty's an old pro by now. Happy New Year guys :)

Images via Daily Mail