Rating: 
Summary: Great DVD Release! I hope other episodes come out!
Review: I love buffy, always have, but the problem I have is I can't always watch TV, I miss some of the episodes because I have things to do and go out and have fun. Yet I have this intense feeling of wanting to watch it. I finally get to watch all my favorite buffy episodes without having to look at a single commercial. The commentaries and interviews are quite amazing and I wish they would do this with other seasons as well. I hope the other buffy releases come about some time soon.
Rating:
Summary: About Time!!!!!
Review: Okay....the DVD was delayed a year and now we finally have it! Great! Now, why does the rest of the world get Seasons 2 and 3 already (we MAY get #2 by Spring) with plans to release Season 4 in the next few months? The UK and other countried even get ANGEL on DVD! Any word on its release here? Its home country?!!!Anyway...this DVD is a wonderful package. Most of the interviews are repeats from the earlier VHS release of select episodes. Joss Whedon's commentary is a kick to hear! Plus, I love how he credits his cast with why the show is such a success. In interviews and TV reviews people often say that a show fails or succeeds based on the writing. Here, the writer turns his praise to his cast (and crew). Its quite refreshing. Joss Whedon says how he has borrowed from various "vampire myths" to carve out the Buffy-verse. He has done so brilliantly. Hopefully, when the next few seasons are released, you will see why many people feel he was robbed of an Emmy for such classic episodes as HUSH and THE BODY.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Series, Mediocre DVD
Review: I won't go on about Buffy TVS, other than to say it's a great series with the perfect blend of drama, comedy, and action that always conveys the right emotion at the right time. The DVD could be better. It's light on special features, with little more than a few short interviews (mostly Whedon discussing just some of the episodes) and the original TV promo. The most disappointing feature, however, is the sound. Without another thought, 20th Century Fox should have remastered the audio into Dolby 5.1; there's no excuse for the 2-channel Pro-Logic audio, especially on such a cinematic series with many special effects. Even "The Simpsons Season 1" DVD was released with 5.1 audio, overkill for that series. In short, buy it to own the series, on a medium (DVD) that lasts forever, and expect nothing more.
Rating:
Summary: A Worthy Start To Television's Best Show
Review: I am not what's assumed to be the "typical" Buffy viewer. I am not a teenager, and not female. After discovering the show almost by accident, I have become a devotee, and say simply this: Buffy is the best show on television. I had seen the show once or twice, and chuckled at its cleverness, but (I'm now ashamed to say) I was in that mass of people who looked down on it wrongly as tacky and absurd. It's easy to be ignorant of something you're not familiar with! But I was very wrong. I became a regular viewer two years ago, and discovered the esoteric knowledge that is Buffy. It's a bit ironic -- knowing how excellent the show is is a secret similar to those Buffy and the Scoobies must keep. Everyone not "in the know" thinks you're crazy. Many critics have declared Buffy television's best show, though the award-givers continue to shun it. That's okay; it's the peril of being esoteric. But the reasons WHY it is the best show are worth review. Of course there is the simple matter of wit; the scriptwriters have a trendy command of humor that is always on display. They've even created their own way of speaking -- these characters have their own cadence and linguistic patterns, so you really enter their world. (Take that, "West Wing" fast-talkers!) But there's more. The characters evolve throughout the series in a way unparalleled in television -- not through the contrived life crises that pass for character development on many shows, but through subtle shifts as well as major traumas. The show also has the longest memory of any I've ever seen, with minor one-episode figures mentioned years later. (This adds to the depth of the relationships -- an awkward pause or a slight wince when something that happened years ago is remembered sometimes suggests things yet to come. Buffy's also the only show I've seen where events are foreshadowed several SEASONS in advance -- by design or by chance. Watch some of these older ones and see what I mean.) But Buffy's true greatness lies in the use of metaphor -- not just Joss Whedon's famed use of Slayer-secrets as a metaphor for closeted homosexuality, but the show's knowing exploration of all sorts of personal issues through parallels. Any recovering alcoholic would recognize Angel's remorse and repentance; Willow's struggles in recent episodes are almost too painful and too real to watch. As for this collection itself, it is more interesting as a "backgrounder" for the immersed fan. The first season -- which was just a mid-season replacement not expected to last -- is not as strong as what was to come. But it's still fun to see these characters naive and unaware, and just coming to know one another. (It's hard to believe the Willow of Season One is the same person as today, but the show has developed her perfectly -- a tribute to its merits.) But accept it: This is a great show. And if you don't accept it, it's your loss. As for fellow devotees, don't worry if your friends laugh at your obsession: If you want to be a Scooby, you need to be able to keep a secret.
Rating:
Summary: It's this whole big sucking thing....
Review: Oh, not the DVD - VAMPIRISM! The DVD is 5 stars because the series is 5 stars. I do wish there was a seperate field to rate extras though. Joss Whedon (the creator) did a wonderful job of audio commentary of the first two episodes. My complaint? It is not enough - would have loved more commentary. Hey, Buffy fans are rabid! We cannot get enough background info on the creative process. For the less rabid they can just watch the episodes which are worth the purchase of the DVD all by their lonesome. Buffy is a show that surprises you. It is not what the title implies. It is better than the average show on the air in that there is a layered detailed Buffyverse that is fascinating. Even in the midst of demons and almost always the possible end of the world as we know it the characters are likable and identifiable. The first season, which is that this DVD is comprised of, shows that highschool can be just as traumatic as any vampire. We are introduced to Buffy, a tiny blonde that kicks butt but cannot tell this to her mother who thinks she is an irresponsible problem child. Willow, a red-headed computer whiz with a goofy vulnerability is her best friend. They are joined by Xander who is a hormone factory but a loyal friend. Rupert Giles is Buffy's Watcher - something like a personal trainer and mentor, but also the person that they ALL can turn to. It is a mostly unspoken truth that Giles is more of a father to Buffy than her rarely seen biological dad. As a woman in her thirties there is much in the series to maintain my interest. The trials and tribulations of Buffy and Willow. The extreme, um, yumminess of Giles is made for women that like their men intelligent but with a hint of badboy beneath the surface. If you like your men badder and -er -badder there is Angel (A vampire with a sould - due to a curse) or Spike (although we do not meet him until season 2). This show rewards the loyal viewer by having seemingly throw away comments become important plot points later on. But it, watch it, love it, tell your friends! So 5 stars for Buffy, Season One - and a wish sent out for more extras like more audio commentary when subsequent seasons come out.
Rating:
Summary: Buffy the DVD
Review: My review is of the DVD, and not the show. I love the show. Unfortunately, I came here to decide if I wanted to buy it and found mostly reviews on the show itself. As far as the DVD goes, here is the lowdown: 1. The price: I got it for 29.99 which I think is good for 3 disks. It was on sale, so the normal price is 39.99, which I think is too high. 2. Show quality: This was quite good. 3. Bonus features: My first point is that there are too few of them. No outtakes or deleted scenes. There is a commentary through the first episode which is interesting and a couple of interviews. The photo gallery contains images I have seen before and their quality is not great. The "Joss on the Witch" and for other episodes are short, and have already been seen before. On a scale of 1 - 10, I would unfortunately give the bonus features a 6. 4. UI: You need to select an episode to watch BEFORE the bonus features appear, which had my friend and I wondering how the darn thing works for about 15 minutes.
Rating:
Summary: Heaven!
Review: The sound! The clarity! After waiting so (excrutiatingly) long for the DVD set of Season 1 to come to the US, my patience has been rewarded, and I'm in absolute heaven. True (as another reviewer has commented), there are some spots that are grainier than we've come to expect from DVD quality, but nothing that is bothersome or would inhibit anyone's enjoyment of the episodes. Most people probably wouldn't even notice it. Also, Joss' commentaries for "Welcome to the Hellmouth" and "The Harvest" are not to be missed. I only wish there were commentary for all of the episodes. I can't recommend the DVD set highly enough for any Buffy fan(atic). Can't wait for Season 2!
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Incredible
Review: I wasnt fortunate enough to be able to watch the entire first season on television....In fact I didnt even hear of "Buffy" the series until around 1999. I did however see the Movie with Kristy Swanson and loved it. BUY THIS DVD set!!!! Its awesome! You have all the episodes on three discs--NO COMMERCIALS which is a huge plus! I have watched the entire set twice already! I can not wait until the 2nd season comes out! According to the flyer in the DVD set, the second season will be coming out in June 2002. If you really want something to start collecting--get this set! I know I WILL own all of them!
Rating:
Summary: It's FINALLY here!
Review: In England, they're up to something like Season 4 for Buffy and Season 1 for Angel released on DVD. Here in the States, it's taken a bit longer, but it was worth the wait. The full Buffy, and not just highlights of particular episodes, is here on DVD. Well, the first season, anyway. the first season of BtVS was one of those Summer filler series, so it's only 12 episodes long. It stars Sarah Michelle Gellar in the title role, first played by Kristy Swanson in the 1992 campy comedy of the same name. Both ladies are excellent actresses, but SMG started a little more in line with Buffy's age and status as a high school student; Kristy is darn well talented and performs well in the role, but requires a bit more imagination to believe she's a high school student. Anyhow, Buffy is your usual high school student, popular, on the cheerleading squad, wanting nothing more than to graduate high school, tour Europe, marry Christian Slater and die, or so says Kristy in the movie. Except her watcher -- that is, her trainer and guide -- shows up to inform her that she is the slayer, the chosen one with the strength and ability to stop the vampires. There's only one, you know -- one slayer dies, another is called up for duty. Well, only one until Buffy dies momentarily at the end of season one, calling up Kendra and then Faith when Kendra dies, but that's not until later seasons of the TV show. Anyhow, most of that is background from the movie. Joss Whedon wrote the original screenplay for the movie, but never had creative control, so he was never happy with the final product. Then he launched the TV show, which although it is still very funny, is much darker and serious than the camp classic movie. A darling with fans and critics alike, it's consistently referred to as pure genius, and the freshest and best writing on television today. The TV show picks up where the movie left off, or at least Joss Whedon's original concept of what the movie should have been. After defeating the vampire Lothos and his minions by trapping them in the Hemery High School gym and burning it to the ground (this is a slight variation on how the movie portays it), Buffy is subsequently expelled for her actions. Her parents divorce, and she and her mother relocate to Sunnydale, a one Starbucks town about two hours from Buffy's native Los Angeles, and Buffy hopes to start over. Only on her first day at Sunnydale High School, a body is found drained of all its blood and stuffed in a locker -- turns out, Sunnydale sits on top of a Hellmouth, which means no rest for a slayer who thought she could retire in Sunnydale and lead the life of a normal teenage girl. Aided by her watcher, Rupert Giles (Anthony Stewart Head), and the Slayerettes (also called the Scooby Gang), computer geek Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and just plain geek Xander (Nicholas Brendon), along with the mysterious Angel (David Boreanaz) who seems to know a lot about Vampires (and eventually gets his own TV show, but that will be another DVD set one day), Buffy fights more than just vampires -- there are witches, demons, you name it. And of course, there are boys, and snotty girls like Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter) to contend with. It all comes together to keep life interesting. As for this DVD set, it's all 12 episodes of the first season in once nice neat package. It also contains biographies and photos of the cast, DVD-ROM features, and interviews mostly with creator Joss Whedon but also with David Boreanaz. One thing that was rumored to be in the set was the original never aired pilot for the series, a low-budget half-hour long episode that features a different actress playing Willow (and one not as talented as Alyson Hannigan); I've seen the pilot on the Internet, and it feels more like a rough package they used for pitching the idea to network executives and never really intended to air in the format it was in. It's not on this set as was rumored (unless it's hidden somewhere, like one of those infamous Easter eggs), but the good news is that most of the really good gags and such were re-worked into the two-part pilot that did air, Welcome to Hellmouth/The Harvest, which is on this set. As a first season goes, Buffy was off to a good start; but the show only got better. As good as this set is (the video and audio quality were impressive), the thing in my copy that excited me the most was the little tag that said Season 2 will be released in June 2002 (22 episodes on 6 DVDs, a full season). Certainly, I can't wait until the release of Season 2 (and Season 3, 4, etc.). But for now, I've got the 1992 movie and Season 1 in my DVD collection to help me keep my Buffy fix going.
Rating:
Summary: A buffy addict's dream come true
Review: I admit it, I'm addicted to Buffy the Vampire Slayer series. The first season on DVD does not disappoint. The 3 disc set comes in a nice sturdy folding case along with a guide that briefly describes each episode. According to a small card that comes with the DVD set, the second season is expected to be out June 2002. If you enjoy Buffy the Vampire Slayer series this DVD collection is a must have.
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