Marc Blucas Movies
When college basketball star Marc Blucas did not make the NBA, he decided to apply to law school. The day before he was scheduled to take the Law School Admission Test, he unwound by watching Rob Reiner's courtroom drama A Few Good Men (1992) and realized that what excited him about the film was not the law, but the acting. A few years later, Blucas was a television veteran with several feature films under his belt and a coveted spot in Vanity Fair's prestigious Hollywood Issue.Born Marcus Paul Blucas on January 11, 1972, the actor grew up in the small town of Girard, PA. The son of a school superintendent and an education administrator, he made his stage debut as a cupcake in his third grade class' production of Hansel and Gretel. At 6'2" tall, he was the star center on the Girard High School basketball team. An All-State athlete, Blucas averaged 20.8 points and 10.1 rebounds per game and lead his team to two 2A championships. In his senior year, the team went undefeated and was ranked among the best high school basketball teams by USA Today. Blucas earned a full scholarship to Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC, where he majored in business with a minor in speech communication and played shooting guard and small forward for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. He competed in four NCAA tournaments and won the Murray C. Greason Sr. Athletic Academic Award and the Weaver-James-Corrigan Postgraduate Scholarship in his senior year. When Blucas was not picked in the NBA draft, he joined the Manchester Giants and played pro basketball in England for one season. After starting a company that was targeted to assist athletes in endorsement and contract negotiations, he intended to go to law school but tried his hand at acting instead.
Blucas had already appeared opposite Marg Helgenberger and Kris Kristofferson in the television movie Inflammable (1995), when a friend at Wake Forest informed him that the producers of the Whoopi Goldberg comedy Eddie (1996) were looking for a baby-faced basketball player to appear in the picture. He was a perfect fit and made his feature-film debut as a benched player on the New York Knicks. After working as the technical advisor on NBC's sports biopic Never Give Up: The Jimmy V Story (1996), Blucas was able to expand his part as an athlete in Pleasantville (1997) by coordinating the film's basketball sequences. He then dedicated himself to honing his craft through workshops and acting classes, before resurfacing as Jerry O'Connell's best friend in the NBC miniseries The '60s (1999), and as Carmen Electra's ex-beau in Jeff Abugov's The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human (1999). He also appeared on MTV's Undressed, the WB's Clueless, and HBO's Arli$$.
Blucas' breakthrough role came in the fall of 1999, when he was cast as a regular on Joss Whedon's hit series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Portraying Buffy's (Sarah Michelle Gellar) demon-hunting boyfriend, Riley Finn, he became a recognizable actor with a sturdy fan base. Blucas left the show in 2000 (with the promise that he would be back) in order to pursue film work. After starring in the baseball-themed Summer Catch (2001) with Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jessica Biel, he began a back-to-back shooting schedule that included Kevin Smith's Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001) with Ben Affleck and Jason Lee, John Sayles' The Sunshine State (2001) with Angela Bassett and Edie Falco, and Randall Wallace's We Were Soldiers (2002) with Mel Gibson and Chris Klein. He also joined the casts of the Gwyneth Paltrow comedy A View From the Top (2002), the thriller They (2002), and the period piece I Capture the Castle (2002).
While still swearing to fans that he will return to Buffy the Vampire Slayer as soon as he can, Blucas signed on to director Alex Steyermark's Pray for Rock 'n' Roll, which stars Gina Gershon, Jennifer Esposito, Jane Adams, and Shelly Cole as a struggling Los Angeles-based girl band. Despite his onscreen success and his busy schedule, the actor still makes time for basketball. He plays on an adult team and serves as a referee for a Los Angeles youth league. ~ Aubry Anne D'Arminio, All Movie Guide
- 2008
Adapted from co-authors Craig Spector and John Skipp's landmark 1993 lycanthrope novel, Animals stars Marc Blucas, Nicki Aycox, Eva Amurri, and Naveen Andrews in a tale about a blue-collar worker whose uneventful life receives a sudden jolt of uncontainable violence. In a dying factory town, a cursed love triangle spirals into a frenzied disaster that will consume the lives of all involved. Former Robert Rodriguez assistant/second unit director Doug Aarniokoski takes the helm for his feature directorial debut. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marc Blucas, Nicki Lynn Aycox, (more)
With their home planet in danger and no place in the known universe to seek shelter, a desperate crew of miniature alien humanoids boards a human spacecraft in hopes of saving their doomed world. Eddie Murphy stars in a sci-fi comedy that re-teams the longtime comic actor with Norbit director Brian Robbins. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Murphy, Elizabeth Banks, (more)
A psychotic madman with a penchant for sadistic riddles and impossible timelines corrals three unsuspecting individuals into a deadly game in which death draws closer with every second in director Robby Henson's dark, labyrinthine thriller. When the mysterious serial killer known as the Riddle Killer orders naïve seminary student Kevin Parson (Marc Blucas) to confess an unknown sin from his past, the clock soon begins to tick for this future man of the cloth. Fortunately for Kevin, police profiler Jennifer Peters (Justine Waddell) is determined to capture the elusive murderer before he strikes again. A well-known author who specializes in the subject of serial killers, Jennifer was scarred for life when she was previously targeted by the Riddle Killer and forced to watch as her brother was brutally murdered right before her eyes. As Jennifer and Kevin join forces to catch the Riddle Killer and end his murderous killing spree, Kevin's childhood friend Samantha (Laura Jordan) -- a former FBI agent-turned-insurance investigator -- returns to protect her friend, even if it means risking her own life. Now, with the minutes ticking away as Kevin struggles to recall the childhood sin that threatens to bring about his untimely demise, the three desperate souls journey into a grim world where your closest friend could be your worst enemy. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marc Blucas, Laura Jordan, (more)
First time filmmaker Eric Amadio offers a honest, sexy, and occasionally crude take on modern relationships in this comedy that uses the act of sex as a springboard to explore larger issues of intimacy and vulnerability. Beginning at the earliest stages of romance, following through to the final goodbyes, and tenderly exploring every area in between, the relationships shared by eight separate couples serve as the heart of this enlightening and entertaining take on human emotions and vulnerability. From Neil and Bob's conversations about who is the "femme" in their relationship and who is the "butch" to David and Jordy's quest to understand why their relationship failed, Kristy and Sam's first time, and Alana and Marco's struggle just to remember each other's names, this lively relationship comedy looks all kinds of relationships from a variety of unique perspectives. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mila Kunis, Jane Seymour, (more)
- 2007
Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) assigns House (Hugh Laurie) to treat John Kelley (Marc Blucas), an Iraq war veteran who may or may not be suffering from Gulf War Syndrome--and who happens to be the nephew of one of the clinic's biggest donors. This proves to be a major freak-out for House: He's been having a recurring nightmare in which the principal character is a Marine who looks just like Kelley! As if this wasn't enough for him to worry about, House's leg pains are getting worse by the hour. Meanwhile, Cameron (Jennifer Morrison) and Chase (Jesse Spencer) are caught in the act while engaging in "uncomplicated sex". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Robin Swicord's adaptation of the novel The Jane Austen Book Club concerns a group of women and a man who meet regularly to discuss the works of the popular author, but soon discover their lives are playing out much like one of the author's fictional worlds. Among the members of the club are Sylvia (Amy Brenneman), a recent divorcée; Bernadette (Kathy Baker), who has decided to accept her advancing age; and Prudie (Emily Blunt), who feels guilty about her persistent fantasies of cheating on her loving husband. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kathy Baker, Maria Bello, (more)
When a newly successful horror novel agent moves into a luxury penthouse apartment, the terror that follows far eclipses any frights he could have helped to publish on the written page. After years of struggling, David Lamont (Marc Blucas) has finally hit the big time. A literary agent who specializes in things that go bump in the night, Lamont has built his entire career on fear - and now that fear is about to return to him tenfold. Just as Lamont begins to get comfortable, photographs depicting a bloody crime scene in his very apartment turn up at his front door. Later, after receiving a videotape of him in his bed sleeping, Lamont begins to feel as if a malevolent stalker is tracing his every step. With each passing day, the grip of paranoia grows stronger. His mind soon consumed by paranoia and his thoughts clouded by lack of sleep, the frightened agent becomes so obsessed with discovering the identity of the stalker that he doesn't realize he is playing right into the madman's hands. Now, in order to solve the mystery of his own blood-curdling tale of terror, the man who made a mint by frightening the masses will be forced to venture deeper into the darkness than he ever anticipated. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marc Blucas, Shiri Appleby, (more)
A very special student deals with exams, first love, and national security issues in this teen-oriented romantic comedy-drama. Samantha MacKenzie (Katie Holmes) is a seemingly ordinary college freshman with one important exception -- her father happens to be the President of the United States (Michael Keaton). Samantha, however, would prefer to be as inconspicuous as possible as she begins her studies at Redmond University, so she asks a favor of her father -- remove the two Secret Service agents who follow her everywhere, and allow her to fend for herself at school. The president agrees, but out of concern for her safety, he sends in a young undercover agent, James (Marc Blucas), who will pose as the Resident Advisor at her dorm to keep an eye on her. Samantha and James strike up a fast friendship that grows into a romance, but when Samantha discovers the truth about James, she wonders if his love for her is real or just part of his cover. First Daughter was directed by actor-turned-director Forest Whitaker. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Katie Holmes, Marc Blucas, (more)
Re-teaming Dennis Quaid with John Lee Hancock, the director of 2002's The Rookie, The Alamo retells the story of the historic 1836 battle in the Texan War of Independence. Facing 4,000 Mexican troops, 186 Texan soldiers and volunteers -- including William Travis (Patrick Wilson), Davy Crockett (Billy Bob Thornton), and Jim Bowie (Jason Patric) -- retreat within the walls of the Alamo, a Franciscan mission that was converted into a military fort. Once inside, the men prepare themselves for what will be a bloody battle to the death, as General Sam Houston (Quaid) leads the charge from the outside. Emilio Echevarria and Jordi Molla co-star. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton, (more)
Based on the novel by Dodie Smith (101 Dalmatians), director Tim Fywell's comic romance follows 17-year-old Cassandra Mortmain (Romola Garai) and her quirky family as they attempt to make the best of their meager existence in a crumbling English castle. While her father (Bill Nighy) has been struggling for over a decade to repeat the success of his debut novel, her beautiful sister Rose (Rose Byrne) frequently voices her displeasure with their current situation, and nudist stepmother Topaz (Tara Fitzgerald) proves little help at much of anything. The arrival of American landlord Simon Cotton (Henry Thomas) and his brother Neil (Marc Blucas) provides a glimmer of hope as the initially repelled Rose soon takes a liking to Simon and the two arrange to marry. Lost in the chaotic shuffle of marriage plans and increasingly complicated relationships, the hapless Cassandra soon begins to blossom into womanhood as she experiences aspects of life that were heretofore unknown to her. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Romola Garai, Rose Byrne, (more)
Jacki (Gina Gershon, who also served as a producer) has always wanted to be a rock star. But after years of struggling to make it, she's turning 40, and she's thinking of giving it up. "Do you ever think about being 50 or 60 years old, hauling our gear around, passing out flyers, fighting with bookers, and still sweating around?" she asks her bandmates. Faith (Lori Petty), the talented lead guitarist, gives guitar lessons to hyperactive teens on the side. Faith is seriously involved with the much younger Sally (Shelly Cole of TV's Gilmore Girls), the band's good-natured drummer. Tracy (Drea de Matteo of HBO's The Sopranos), the bass player, is a trust-fund baby with a substance abuse problem and a manipulative lowlife boyfriend, Nick (Ivan Martin). Jacki's thoughts of quitting are put on hold when the band gets a shot at a recording contract for an independent label and a gig opening for X. Then Sally's big brother, Animal (Marc Blucas, formerly of TV's Buffy the Vampire Slayer), arrives in town, fresh out of prison, and stirs up Jacki's romantic life. But when two tragic events shake the band, Jacki is again forced to consider finding something else to do with her life. Prey for Rock & Roll was written by Cheri Lovedog, based on her own experiences in the rock world. It was originally performed as a stage play at CBGB in New York. The stage production was directed by Robin Whitehouse, who gets a writing credit for the screenplay. The film marks the directorial debut of accomplished film music producer Alex Steyermark. It was shown at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival and the 2003 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gina Gershon, Drea de Matteo, (more)
Brazilian filmmaker Bruno Barreto directs this comic look at the world of flight attendants starring Gwyneth Paltrow as Donna, a small town Nevada woman who dreams of seeing the world by becoming a first class international stewardess. Lacking the requisite poise and class, Donna finds a mentor in retired trade veteran Sally (Candice Bergen), a wealthy, best-selling author who assists with advice and her considerable influence. Despite Sally's help, Donna finds the process of fulfilling her career ambitions more difficult than she imagined when she’s betrayed by a trusted friend (Christina Applegate) during flight training, a daunting course taught by the bitter John Whitney (Mike Myers), a once-aspiring steward whose eye condition kept him forever out of the friendly skies. Donna also faces a romantic crisis when she falls for a handsome law student (Mark Ruffalo) whose education consigns him to Ohio, far away from the major urban hubs Donna dreams of working. A View from the Top (2002) costars Rob Lowe, Josh Malina, Kelly Preston and Jon Polito. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gwyneth Paltrow, Mark Ruffalo, (more)
- 2002
Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) finds her continued sexual hijinks with Spike (James Marsters) and her dead-end job at the Doublemeat Palace interrupted by an unexpected visitor: ex-boyfriend Riley Finn (Marc Blucas). Last seen heading off to fight demons in Belize (see "Into the Woods"), Riley seeks Buffy's help in tracking a Savolti demon, whose lightning-fast breeding cycle makes it particularly nasty. During the mission that follows, the old flames each get a rude surprise: Buffy, when she meets Sam (Ivana Milicevic), Riley's fellow soldier and wife; and Riley, when he stumbles onto Buffy and Spike in bed together. Although it's her insecurity at Riley's apparently quick recovery from their breakup that sends Buffy back to Spike's boudoir in the first place, she's horrified to have her ex learn about her own latest liaison. Ever the standup guy, though, Riley assures Buffy that no matter what's going on with her job or her love life, she's still the strongest woman he knows. Riley's visit doesn't turn out quite so comforting for a certain bleach-blond vampire. Not only does the do-gooder reveal Spike to be the mastermind behind the Savolti-breeding scheme, he also inadvertently spurs Buffy to break things off with Spike. Avowing that she could never love Spike and has just been using him, Buffy apologizes to her dumbstruck lover and walks out on him. Originally broadcast February 26, 2002, on UPN, "As You Were" marked episode 115 of the cult-favorite series. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
Writer and director John Sayles returns with another multi-layered look at an American community, subtly exploring how race, class, economics, and both national and regional history come together to shape people's lives. Plantation Island is a community on the coast of Florida; the island was once a notorious hotbed of segregationists, with most of the African-American population centered in the neighborhood of Lincoln Beach, while Delrona Beach is primarily home to white residents. Marly Temple (Edie Falco) is the sixth generation of her family to live in Delrona Beach, where she helps run a motel and cafe owned by her elderly and ill-tempered father (Ralph Waite) and drama instructor mother (Jane Alexander). Marly's former husband, Steve (Richard Edson), is a scruffy ne'er do well who's a sucker for get-rich-quick scams, while her current boyfriend, Scotty (Marc Blucas), is struggling to make something of himself as a golf pro. Meanwhile, Desiree Perry (Angela Bassett) is an actress who is returning to Lincoln Beach for the first time since she was a teenager, hoping to introduce her new husband, Reggie (James McDaniel), to her mother, Eunice Stokes (Mary Alice). Desiree was the center of a minor local scandal when she became pregnant as a teenager and moved away. Eunice has never quite forgiven her, while Flash (Tom Wright), Desiree's high school boyfriend and the man responsible, hasn't seen her since. Eunice is looking after Terrell (Alex Lewis), a troubled youth recently found guilty of arson, and Desiree and Reggie soon find themselves bonding with the misguided youth. In time, Delrona Beach and Lincoln Beach are brought together by a common concern; Greg (Perry Lang) and Lester (Miguel Ferrer) are representatives from a nearby resort community looking to expand, with Plantation Island looking like their most likely target. As homeowners debate whether to sell or stay put, local government officials and the town's business community argue the merits and faults of the resort's expansion into Plantation Island. Meanwhile, Marly becomes romantically involved with Jack (Timothy Hutton), a landscape architect affiliated with the developers who seems to believe his work is doing more harm than good. Sunshine State also features Mary Steenburgen, Alan King, and Bill Cobbs. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edie Falco, Angela Bassett, (more)
Screenwriter Randall Wallace, a specialist in sweeping historical epics, steps behind the camera for this fact-based Vietnam War drama that reunites him with his Braveheart (1995) star Mel Gibson. Gibson is Lt. Col. Hal Moore, commander of the First Battalion, Seventh Cavalry, the same regiment fatefully led by George Armstrong Custer. As part of the Pleiku Campaign of late 1965, Moore is assigned to an action at Landing Zone X-Ray in the Drang Valley, an area that would come to be known as the "The Valley of Death." Moore soon finds himself and his men contained to an area about the size of a football field, surrounded by more than 2,000 enemy troops and engaged in the first major battle of the war. Heroism becomes the order of the day as men like Moore, chopper pilot Bruce Crandall (Greg Kinnear), and Lt. Henry Herrick (Marc Blucas) refuse to yield, in spite of heavy losses of life. The film co-stars Madeleine Stowe, Chris Klein, Keri Russell, and Sam Elliott. We Were Soldiers is based on the book We Were Soldiers Once...and Young by Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore (retired) and UPI reporter Joe Galloway (played in the film by Barry Pepper). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mel Gibson
A college students discovers a horrifying truth behind the old saying "They only come out at night" in this thriller. Julia Lund (Laura Regan) is a college student studying psychology who, as a child, was haunted by "night terrors," hideous nightmares so vivid they seem real. As Julia's life becomes more stressful, her childhood nightmares begin coming back; what's more, her friend Billy (Jon Abrahams), who had similar dreams as a boy, also reports that his terrors have returned, complete with the same monsters he claims spirited him away for two days when he was little. Julia's boyfriend Paul (Marc Blucas) is certain they're both just imagining things thanks to too much studying and too little sleep, but when Billy turns up dead, an apparent suicide, Julia is convinced something really is out to get them. Certain there really are monsters which come out to get people when the lights go off, Julia is determined to find and harness these creatures of the dark, while Paul is convinced his girlfriend has descended into madness. While he's given possessive credit for the film in the United States, Wes Craven was not in fact a part of the creative team behind They. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laura Regan, Marc Blucas, (more)
- 2001
- R
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The frequently recurring title characters, employed by writer and director Kevin Smith as supporting players in several of his films, are put to rest with this comedy that focuses on them exclusively. Jay (Jason Mews) and Silent Bob (Smith) are a pair of stoned New Jersey slackers who have long been used as the templates for a pair of popular comic book heroes, Bluntman and Chronic. When they learn that their alter egos are to be turned into a major motion picture without their consent or compensation, the pair sets off for Hollywood to sabotage the production. Along the way, they encounter an ape, a nun (Carrie Fisher), the cast of Scooby-Doo, a Charlie's Angels-style band of sexy women who use them as stool pigeons in a diamond heist, and an unhinged wildlife ranger (Will Ferrell). They also meet up with some regulars from the Smith canon, including Alyssa Jones (Joey Lauren Adams), Brian O'Halloran as Dante Hicks, Jason Lee as Banky Edwards, Alanis Morissette as God, and actors Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in dual roles as themselves and two other familiar characters. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back co-stars numerous other recognizable performers in roles of various sizes, including Shannen Doherty, Jason Biggs, James Van Der Beek, Shannon Elizabeth, Tracy Morgan, Judd Nelson, Chris Rock, and George Carlin, among others. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, (more)
This blend of sports and youthful romantic comedy is from director Michael Tollin, who previously produced the sports drama Varsity Blues (1999). Freddie Prinze Jr. stars as Ryan Dunne, a ballplayer who's spending the summer as a pitcher for the famed, highly prestigious Cape Cod League, a non-professional farm team that has turned out numerous baseball legends. Ryan's under special pressure on a number of fronts. He's the first local boy to earn a slot in the league in years, and his blue-collar status earns him the enmity of a hot-shot college teammate, Eric Van Leemer (Corey Pearson). Although he's backed up by his best friend and team catcher Billy Brubaker (Matthew Lillard), Ryan adds more stress to his life by embarking on an affair with a beautiful, wealthy young Vassar graduate, Tenley Parrish (Jessica Biel), who's spending the summer on the Cape with her parents. Tenley is facing her own crisis as her father (Bruce Davison) pressures her to move to San Francisco and work with her uncle, though she'd rather remain in the East and become an architect. Summer Catch is the third onscreen teaming of Prinze and Lillard, and also stars Brian Dennehy, Wilmer Valderrama, Jason Gedrick, Fred Ward, and Brittany Murphy. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Freddie Prinze, Jr., Jessica Biel, (more)
- 2000
Christian Kane, who appeared as an unnamed Wolfram & Hart attorney in "City of Angels," makes the first of several return appearances here; his character's name is revealed to be Lindsey McDonald. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 1999
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As Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and her friends began the transition from high school to young adulthood, Buffy the Vampire Slayer went through a number of changes itself. New cast members, a new spin-off, and a new setting characterized a season that many fans and critics saw as a partially successful experiment. Experimentation was something of a theme for the season -- the experimentation of young adulthood and the experiments of a group of sinister government scientists known as The Initiative. Their shadowy military operations providing new elements of X-Files-like science fiction, The Iniative also managed to unleash Adam (George Hertzberg), the season's Frankenstein-like über-villain. As for the characters' personal lives, Buffy and Willow (Alyson Hannigan) enrolled at the fictional UC Sunnydale, whose campus became the locus of the action. Xander (Nicholas Brendon) began his aimless swim though the minimum-wage end of the labor pool, while ex-Watcher Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) faced an impending midlife crisis. The doomed love affair between Buffy and Angel had run its course, allowing David Boreanaz to launch his own show, Angel, with former series regular Charisma Carpenter in tow. When actor Seth Green asked to be released from his contract to pursue movie stardom, Oz, too, disappeared from the Scooby Gang.
These departures left room in the cast for new love interests and new comic relief. Emma Caulfield supplied both as Xander's girlfriend Anya, a vengeance demon reincarnated as a teenaged girl, who struggled to make sense of human customs and vulnerabilities. Amber Benson soon showed up as Willow's new partner-in-Wicca, then as her new partner, period. Though the WB nixed any explicit lesbian content, Willow and Tara's mutual exploration of the supernatural provided ample opportunity for metaphor. By the time Willow was ready to come out to her friends, the show was earning high praise from gay-rights groups. Buffy, too, found new love in the arms of Riley (Marc Blucas), her corn-fed new super-soldier boyfriend. The final cast addition was a blast from the past: second-season veteran James Marsters. Spike, the actor's hell-raising vampire villain, became more of a wacky neighbor than a threat once The Initiative's mad scientists put a chip in his head to keep him from killing humans. Other return appearances included renegade slayer Faith (Eliza Dushku) in one of several crossovers with the first season of Angel. As usual, series creator Joss Whedon stepped in to write and direct several episodes. "Hush" used the techniques of silent film to unleash primal horror on the Slayer and her friends, while season closer "Restless" consisted almost entirely of dream sequences. These formal exercises earned Whedon tremendous critical acclaim -- and, in the case of "Hush," an Emmy nomination -- and cemented the season's experimental tone. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
These departures left room in the cast for new love interests and new comic relief. Emma Caulfield supplied both as Xander's girlfriend Anya, a vengeance demon reincarnated as a teenaged girl, who struggled to make sense of human customs and vulnerabilities. Amber Benson soon showed up as Willow's new partner-in-Wicca, then as her new partner, period. Though the WB nixed any explicit lesbian content, Willow and Tara's mutual exploration of the supernatural provided ample opportunity for metaphor. By the time Willow was ready to come out to her friends, the show was earning high praise from gay-rights groups. Buffy, too, found new love in the arms of Riley (Marc Blucas), her corn-fed new super-soldier boyfriend. The final cast addition was a blast from the past: second-season veteran James Marsters. Spike, the actor's hell-raising vampire villain, became more of a wacky neighbor than a threat once The Initiative's mad scientists put a chip in his head to keep him from killing humans. Other return appearances included renegade slayer Faith (Eliza Dushku) in one of several crossovers with the first season of Angel. As usual, series creator Joss Whedon stepped in to write and direct several episodes. "Hush" used the techniques of silent film to unleash primal horror on the Slayer and her friends, while season closer "Restless" consisted almost entirely of dream sequences. These formal exercises earned Whedon tremendous critical acclaim -- and, in the case of "Hush," an Emmy nomination -- and cemented the season's experimental tone. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, (more)
