Big news this month! An very special Buffy Sing Along screening comes to Houston, Texas - with a couple of very special guests.

THE BUFFY SING ALONG in Houston, Texas
special benefit screening for
Swamp, the Southwest Alternate Media Project
with special guest AMBER BENSON
Hosted by Buffy Sing Along co-founder Henri Mazza
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Event and Ticket information

The Buffy Sing Along is back! It’s been a couple of years since you’ve had the chance to sing and dance with the best episode of television ever (that is, unless you’ve been lucky enough to get into a screening at a convention somewhere), but finally you can do it again. You lucky dogs in Houston, Texas get a one time chance to catch the show in all it’s glory - at an amazing outdoor screening that can accommodate up to 3000 people!

If you don’t live in Houston this is serious road trip fodder, because the one and only AMBER BENSON will be there in person. You can purchase tickets to a special meet and greet reception, and Amber will be doing a live Buffy-oke challenge with one lucky member of the audience.

Visit the Swamp website for all the details.

This special event brings up another important question that I am often asked: “When are you bringing the Buffy Sing Along back to (wherever)”? The answer is, I am sad to say, pretty much never. But that just means that we are no longer doing them. The door, nay, the floodgates are now open for YOU, dear fans, to THROW YOUR OWN SING ALONGS!

Now, you can’t do the shows quite like we did - in theatres and for admission. But you can purchase the rights to use Once More With Feeling in a non-theatrical venue and for benefit fund raising purposes. Find your favorite local charity, contact Criterion Pictures USA (you have to pester them a bit, they can be slow responders), and make it happen in your town.

Also, I welcome anyone who is arranging their own charity screening to email me (buffysingalong@gmail.com) and I will send you all the details on what goes in the goody bags and where to get it and how to plan your event. Heck, I’ll even come host (or help hook you up with a good host) if you would like. The only thing I can’t do at this point is make it happen for you.

Go forth, sing along fans! Don’t let the dream die! Keep Once More With Feeling alive and singing in your community!!!!

The creators of the Buffy Sing Along present:
THE SUNNYDALE HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 1999
10 YEAR HIGH SCHOOL REUNION

Two nights! Two locations!

UPDATE: More details added!

Back to High School Edition: 
Wednesday, May 27th @ 7:00pm
at The JCC of Manhattan 
344 Amsterdam Avenue (Amsterdam and 76th)

This show is FREE and all-ages. Donations at the door will be gratefully accepted. 
No advance tickets are available, but email us at Sunnydale1999@gmail.com with your name and number of people and we will add you to the reservations list. 

The Bronze Edition: 
Wednesday, June 3rd @ 8:00pm
at Galapagos Art Space  
16 Main Street, Dumbo, Brooklyn (directions)

This show is 21+up only, and there is a $10 cover charge.
Purchase advance tickets NOW!
(make sure to use the “select date” drop down box when ordering tickets)

Greetings, classmates. Can you believe that ten years have passed since we last walked the hallowed halls of our beloved high school? True, we blew up those same halls on Graduation Day and bonded together to battle a giant snake, but who among us doesn’t look back in fondness at those glory days of Sunnydale High?

- Michelle Blake-West, Sunnydale Class of 1999 co-Homecoming Queen

It was ten years ago that Buffy the Vampire Slayer finished a year filled with tales of a re-ensouled vampire back from hell; a slayer-gone-bad who was a “lethal combination of beauty, power, and death”; an evil, invincible, and germ-phobic mayor; and…band candy. But most thrilling of all, Buffy and all the students of Sunnydale High did the unthinkable.

They graduated high school.

The creators of the Buffy Sing Along, the Rocky Horror style Buffy event that was the hit of the West Village in 2007, are staging an all new event that celebrates those late 90s teenage glory days: THE SUNNYDALE HIGH SCHOOL CLASS REUNION.

Ever wonder what happened to the Sunnydale High graduating class of 1999…or, for that matter, what happened to the entire town of Sunnydale? At these special reunion events we’ll find out!

Each attendee will be assigned their own Sunnydale student identity kit at the door. Then we’ll party like it’s 1999 with with an evening of dancing to music videos from the end of the century, challenging Buffy trivia contests, our always popular Buffy-oke competition, and other Buffy related party games. Over the course of the evening, our alumni will be going head-to-head in all these activities, with one student selected at the end of the night to win our custom “Class Protector” award (and a ton of Buffy schwag).

Plus musical guests, fan-made videos, and other surprises!

Costumes from the show and/or the late 90s are encouraged - or just come as you are.

Just announced:
The Galapagos show on June 3rd will also feature special musical guest ORB OF THESULAH performing their song “I Heart Buffy” and other Joss-inspired ditties as well.

Bonus: Each night will feature big screen presentations of the awesome Buffyverse Trailers, which turn Seasons 1-3 into excellent movie-style theatrical trailers. Friend them on facebook for a sneak peek.

This is a word-of-mouth Buffy fan event! The Reunion Committee kindly requests your help in spreading the word. Please tell any other former Sunnydale students you may know about the reunion celebrations and direct them here for more information.  

Special thanks to our favorite fan blog, Buffyfest, for helping promote this special event. We’ll be seeing them at the reunion as well!

For some inspiration, check out this awesome Sunnydale class reunion planning page via hantonmckenzie.

May 8 & 9 at midnight
THE BIG LEBOWSKI party
at the IFC Center 
Tickets: $15 general admission, $12 IFC Center members
Now on sale!
Friday | Saturday

The Coen Brothers’ 1998 comedy THE BIG LEBOWSKI is a film whose dedicated fans have inspired countless bowling bowling parties, drinking games, it’s own fan convention (Lebowski Fest) and even a book dedicated purely to its unstoppable cult following (I’m A Lebowski, You’re A Lebowski). In bringing this oddball slacker classic back to big screen glory, we’re not only showing the film - but making it a party! 

Before the film, join us and test your skill at Nintendo Wii Bowling on the big screen, as well as contests of rug peeing (Yes, rug peeing!), trivia, impressions, and the f-word speed round. Winners get special Lebowski prizes and a chance to show off their bowling shirts to an adoring crowd. 

May 29 & 30 at midnight
THE LOST BOYS revived
at the IFC Center
$12.50 general admission, $9.50 IFC Center members
Now on sale!
Friday | Saturday

Back in the 80s vampires weren’t cuddly vegetarians who are easily slain by teenaged girls - they were the bad-ass extreme-livin’ motorcycling undead who ruled Southern California with an iron fang! And they were a sexy and cool as a very young Kiefer Sutherland. Yeah, that’s right, we’re talking about a classic here, 1987’s teen vampire movie THE LOST BOYS!

For this screening we’re giving the audience cues to interact with movie. Taunt the hero. Scream as victims bleed. Cheer the first meeting of the Coreys. And of course, ooh and ahh at the palpable gay subtext of nearly every scene. Plus goodie bags featuring your own set of chomping vampire teeth, and — look out — that’s not rice, it’s maggots! 

Buffy gets season-by-season trailer treatment from YouTube user Buffyverse12, who does a great job of turning seasons 1-3 and Angel 1 & 2 into big-screen looking event movies. Good stuff.

UPDATE: YouTube continues the sad copyright war, so all Buffy stuff keeps disappearing. But all the Buffy trailers have been reuploaded to facebook. Friend them here and enjoy the videos in even better resolution.

So, I’ve been devouring each issue of the Buffy Season 8 comics as fast as they have been coming out. Some non-comic reading Buffy fans have told me that they can’t really get into it because comics read so differently. I understand that, but if you are one of those people, you should really try reading them in the longer graphic novel format. Season 8 has seriously had some of the finest writing in the entire Buffyverse, and you really shouldn’t miss out. Start with the first collection, The Long Way Home, and you’ll see how the longer formats help the comic play out more like the show (each 5 issues or so equates to one episode).

If the start of Season 8 isn’t quite working for you (there is an adjustment period, I admit), jump ahead to Brian K. Vaughan’s Faith story No Future For You. That story is so darn good that it had me seeking out every other comic Vaughan has written - and they are all gems. So, thanks to the Buffy comics not just for keeping my favorite characters alive, but also for turning my on to all the other cool books at my local comics shop.

After a bit of a delay in the fall, Season 8 has given us a knockout holiday season in the Buffyverse. The shocker ending to “Time of Your Life” totally bummed out my Thanksgiving, while Jeph Loeb’s “After These Messages…” was a lovely Christmastime reminder of what the Buffy cartoon series could have been. And now that we enter the new year we get…Harmony! She’s living it up in her own reality show that cashes in on our new vampire-hip culture. Oh yeah, and we also get to welcome the newest writer to join the comics team: Jane Espenson!

And don’t forget to become Harmony’s MySpace friend. You are still on MySpace sometimes, right?. At the very least you need to go there on occasion to read MySpace Dark Horse Presents.

Speaking of which, Dark Horse editor Scott Allie also said some nice words about the Buffy Sing Along team in his December Buffy Zone column.

For those of you here in Portland, Malcolm Rollick’s putting on a show at the Fez called Down Low (Get it? Shhh), performing the songs from Once More, with Feeling. We all miss Clinton McClung’s sing-alongs, so I’m looking forward to Malcolm’s show on January 11. It’s a benefit for the Arabella Women’s Performance Festival, and Dark Horse will be making donations for the raffle.

Speaking of which, Clinton McClung is still busy in the Whedonverse, safe from the galactic empire that squashed the sing-alongs. He ran a Dr. Horrible sing-along at the Paley Center in New York on December 19, and hopes to organize other events in the near future.

Thanks for the shout-out, Scott! And if any Portland fans attend “Down Low”, let us know how it is.

By the way, is it just me, or are other Buffy fans just sick to death of the Twilight hype. Yeah, I’m not a fan. Compared to the show we know and love it just seems like a really shallow imitation. Of course, author Stepenie Meyer has stated that “I have never seen an entire episode of Buffy or Angel”, so I’m not saying that she ripped anything off. It’s not like the idea of mixing vampires and romance is exclusively Buffy territory (see Lost Boys or Dark Shadows or all those silly Anne Rice novels for precedents). However, it just seems neglectful to purposefully ignore something as iconic as Buffy if you’re going to write contemporary vampire teen fiction. I understand that Meyer probably didn’t want it to influence her own work (and her veiled religious agenda, of which I am also not a fan), but in my humble opinion…Twilight could have used a bit of influencing. But at least she didn’t try to include a slayer in the mix. That IS exclusively Buffy territory!

Is a coincidence that Buffy’s current Big Bad is named Twilight as well? Probably. But I like to think there’s a little jabbing commentary in there. Heh.

PS - I haven’t talked about the Angel:After the Fall comics simply because I haven’t been reading them so much. They don’t really grab me as much as the Season 8 Buffy series. But I’m not going to be critical. Other fans I’ve talked with have really been into After The Fall, so I’ll let them carry that torch.

It’s officially happening!

The Paley Center for Media presents
A Sing-Along Screening of
DR. HORRIBLE’S SING ALONG BLOG
Friday, December 19 at 7:30pm

Free for Members - now available
$10 general public - available Fri, Dec 12 at noon
Tickets can be reserved or purchased here

The New York City branch of The Paley Center for Media is pleased to announce a rare presentation of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog on December 19 - the same day that the DVD officially ships (currently only available on Amazon).

This 43-minute musical mini-masterpiece was produced during the WGA writer’s strike exclusively for the internet by Joss Whedon in collaboration with his brothers Zack and Jed Whedon, along with Jed’s fiancée Maurissa Tancharoen. Staring Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion, and Felicia Day, this toe-tapping emotional roller coaster became an overnight sensation.

Ever since it’s debut, fans have been clamoring for the chance to get together and put the “Sing Along” concept into action. And so — we are turning on the subtitles so that everyone in the audience can sing along! You also get a FREE Dr. Horrible Bag Of Evil on your way into the show so you can participate in a variety of interactive prop activities, including bubbles, streamers, disguises, and a Bad Horse of your very own.

Don’t miss your chance to see Dr Horrible on the big screen in this one-of-a-kind sing-out-loud experience!

Also – check out the Paley Center’s Perspectives on Media Dr. Horrible feature, which not only features tons of behind the scenes photos, but video clips of all those that came before and inspired our good bad Doctor.

And - this just in from the Dr Horrible crew:

Dear Horrible Fans, Hammer Groupies, Penny-Savers, Bad Ponies, Fake Thomas Jefferson’s Axe of Congress and of course the Towelettes,

It has been brought to our attention that some of you have been using your powers for good. This we can not forgive! Your fierce and effluvia-removing punishment can only be forestalled by quick and decisive action: Vote for Dr. Horrible on the People’s Choice awards site (under “Favorite Online Sensation”). Every day. This is the kind of exposure that will allow the doctor to continue his reign of hummable terror. The time is now! Actually, the time is always now. Like, right now - still now. Hmmm. Neat.

Fear us! Vote! Kisses! -Team Horrible.

UPDATE:
The fine fans at Buffyfest did a little interview with me before the show, and then came with their video camera. Here’s their recap of the show. Thanks again to Buffyfest for the support - and for the round of sake!

This just in — the first New York City Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog: the Sing Along is happening December 19th at the Paley Center For New Media in New York City! This will be a fully interactive big screen sing along extravagnza just like our old Buffy Sing Alongs - in fact, yours truly is hosting the evening and will be on hand with goodie bag action!

All tickets proceeds will benefit the Paley Center and will be on sale to members first starting tomorow. Watch their site for details, and we’ll post more info as it comes in.

Note: No LA Paley screenings are planned just yet, but word is that you lucky devils already had quite the Halloween bash!

Our other sing along show returns, and heads for the wilds of Long Island…

THE XANADU SING ALONG!
The original 1980 film back on the big screen
With Audience Participation and more!
THIS Wednesday, October 1 @ 7:30pm
at the Cinema Arts Center, Huntington, New York
$12 regular price/$9 CAC members

Admission price includes goodie bag, pre-show activities, and of course the sing along version of the big-screen classic XANADU!

If you missed the NYC show, here’s your chance to catch a new sing along - to one of the worst films of all time. That’s what THEY say. We say it’s one of the BEST!!! Click here for more on what happens at the Xanadu Sing Along.

MTV News posted this article about the Xanadu Sing Along!

Nothing to report yet on sing alongs for Dr Horrible. However, you could join the Evil League of Evil yourself and make them happen. Buy you only have until October 11th! After that, you have to settle for being a bit less than evil. For instance:

Or maybe it was that name that turned someone from “naughty” to “evil”. More here.

Wish we could say more about the return of the Buffy Sing Along, but until Hollywood’s SAG negotiations are done we can’t even talk to anyone. So, the waiting continues.

In the meantime, we’re talking with Mutant Enemy about bringing Doctor Horrible to the theatres for a new Sing Along*. First they need to finalize the DVD release and some other loose ends, but we are already humming the songs and thinking up interactive moments. So, keep praying that this new uber-catchy musical production will hit big screen soon! Seriously, praying…

(From Spaced, a DVD set you need to own!)

* Note: despite the chatter at Whedonesque, this is still something we’re just talking about. Nothing has been determined yet!

Oh, and we are also giggling with anticipation to read the Shepherd Book story (finally the mystery will be solved!) and feeling weird, dirty, tingly feelings about Dawn.

Get them while they are hot:
THE XANADU SING ALONG!
The original 1980 film back on the big screen
With Audience Participation and more!
Friday & Saturday, July 18 & 19 @ midnight
at the IFC Center, 323 Sixth Avenue, New York City
Now on sale!
Friday, July 18
Saturday, July 19
$13.50 regular price/$10.50 IFC Center members

Admission price includes goodie bag, pre-show activities, a chance to win tickets to Xanadu on Broadway, and of course the sing along version of the big-screen classic XANADU!

Also, big ups to the New York Magazine’s Culture Vulture Blog for a big shout out about the show. Could this mean we’ll be selling out? Why chance it.

And in related kismet, the latest issue of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Comic book not only brings the slayer to New York City, but also mentions the Broadway show of Xanadu!

UPDATE: MTV News posted this article about the Xanadu Sing Along! It includes a bit of background on the Xanadu mention in the Buffy comic as well.