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This Is Your Brain on Buffy: What's a girl to do when her gray matter is sucked by an evil (yet fashionable) She-God? Make a movie, natch. That's exactly what Amber Benson did when her Buffy alter ego, Tara, fell prey to big bad Glory last season. "It was perfect timing," she says, "because I was spouting babble and wandering around in my pajamas."
A few weeks ago, Amber was kind enough to invite me to a screening of Chance, the (not yet distributed) independent film she wrote, directed, produced and starred in. And if there's ever a question about whether the "Grr...Argh" tribe is tight-knit, let this be your answer: James Marsters (Spike), Andy Hallett (Lorne), Buffy writer David Fury and Buffy boss Joss penned the opening song. And Amber even has a makeout session with the real-life wife of Nicholas Brendon (Xander), Tressa DiFiglia. Talk about keeping it in the family.
"Poor James and Andy were working really hard on Buffy and Angel and then shooting for me on the weekends," Benson explained. "They were so dedicated. Friends are wonderful. They give you 150 percent."
The movie, filmed last April over a series of weekends, is about a girl named Chance (Benson) who finds a possible love connection in the most unlikely of places--with her stinky, bumbling roommate Simon (Marsters). But what will be most surprising to Buffy fans is the sizzling chemistry between Benson and Marsters (who actually dons a dress in one scene) and the fact that without the green makeup and horns, Hallett is one scrumptious specimen.
"I wrote Chance because I loved playing Tara," Benson said, "but I needed something else to do. As much fun as it was, sometimes I felt like an appendage just stating the obvious when Giles wasn't around. But it was inspiring to be on set because they are doing such good work."
Which leads us to what every Buffy fan is dying to know: What are the chances Benson will come back to the show? "It's been up for discussion," she admitted. "It's just kind of, like, what my schedule is and what they want to do with the character. I've become really protective of her. I want to make sure if Tara comes back, it's for good reason. And I know Joss cares about the character and the relationship that Tara and Willow had--or, I guess, continue to have, sort of...So we'll see."
In the meantime, Benson has had an offer from a straight-to-video vendor but is hopeful she'll find a place for Chance on the big screen--even if it's a brief run. "I just think it'd be so much fun to see it in the theater," she said, "but this movie is not brain surgery. I'm not trying to change anybody's perception of the world. I'm just trying to put something out there that's kind of fun."
"I've become really protective of her. I want to make sure if Tara comes back, it's for good reason." An interesting comment...
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"A man who fails well is greater than one who succeeds badly. - Thomas Merton
at: 10/31/02 7:28:59 pm
