Under The Magnifying Glass

[Fehmina]

So i was watching Afterlife last night, and noticed something i never did before. I know visually, the directors are extremely clever when cutting certain shots and scenes together, but i realised the image that suddenley flashed at me was extremely poignant.
It was the image of Buffy walking through the graveyard, and for a split second she appears to be an angel (a sad, dark, 'fallen angel'):

http://www.screencap-paradise.com/ca...486&fullsize=1

I just love how as the viewer we are dropped hints to certain aspects of the storyline, which if you closed your eyes and listened to the show you would never get. For example, in the same episode, when Buffy gets home and looks at a picture of Joyce. You can only imagine the emotions that must be going through Buffy at that moment, having just been in heaven and being "torn out of there", where she was most probably with her mother.

Anyway, i was just wondering if anyone else had noticed anything from any other episode that they thought, 'wow, that was a great visual technique'.
I know i can think of tons!

hehe...

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[vampmogs]

Yeah that's one of my favourite images in the show actually. As a matter of fact I'm actually currently using that image in a Buffy character banner I'm making, I've always been a huge fan of it

[holypotatoes]

You're link is telling me access denied so I'm assuming it will do that for other's who aren't members of screencap paradise. Here's the link that everyone can use. http://www.screencap-paradise.com/ca...486&fullsize=1 (at least I hope that's the right cap. *fingers crossed)

And may I say I never noticed that before. I absolutely adore After Life and I can't believe I never saw that. Honestly that cap show's the theme for the entire season. I'm surprised they didn't use that for the dvd menu.

[Fehmina]

oh thanks for correcting the link holypotatoes
you're right, it could be used as the theme for the entire season. i have to say i love this season for the fact it deals with the darker side of the scoobies, and their addictions. i recently read an article about it which brought up other issues within the season, especially buffy's abusive behaviour towards spike, and how it was dealt with pretty flippantly by the writers, which really made me think.

I have to say vampmogs, the first time i saw it, i sort of filed it away mentally to use in the future for a wallpaper, hehe.

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[Weredog]

Yeah, I only noticed that a few months ago! Long after the episode first aired...

There are tons of visual bits that can only be picked up if you study the episode. The only one I can think of is the quick frame of the Cheeseman from "Restless" who appears in Andrew and Jonathan's nightmare in "Storyteller." But I'm sure most people caught it too.

And I remember in "Who Are You", I noticed Eliza Dushku pulling the front of her hair with her pinky which is something I had noticed Sarah/Buffy often do in prior episodes. I don't know if it was an Eliza thing or a Joss thing, but it definitely helped me (I don't know about any one else) really fall for this body swap.

Oh, and of course, Giles' Eeghyon tattoo makes a second appearance in "Goodbye, Iowa" when he reaches for the TV, even though they made absolutely no mention of it. Same with Riley's chest scar in "Out of Mind" from the time he cut into it in "Primeval." In both cases, they could've gone away without it, like they have with Buffy's neck scars.

[Fehmina]

cool, i never noticed the hair thing in "Who Are You".... -rushes off to watch-
and i also never noticed the scar and tattoo... but to be honest, "Goodbye, Iowa" isn't an episode thats amazingly memorable for me, neither is Riley. -shrugs-

But i did notice the cheeseman... how can we forget our fav. cheeseman, hehe.

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[Weredog]

cool, i never noticed the hair thing in "Who Are You".... -rushes off to watch-

It's when Buffy(Eliza) and Giles are at his place having a little interrogation.

and i also never noticed the scar and tattoo... but to be honest, "Goodbye, Iowa" isn't an episode thats amazingly memorable for me, neither is Riley. -shrugs-

Honestly, are either of them memorable to anybody?

Oh, and I thought of another visual bit. I didn't catch on it until I listened to the audio commentary to the episode when they mentioned it. Anyway, it's the episode "Killer in Me" when Buffy and Spike are in the Initiative and they are beginning to hear demons in the dark. And in one shot, there is a window to another room in the background behind them. This other room is lit red (in contrast to the dark lit room that Buffy and Spike are in) and subtly you see a demon silhouette walk across this window. There's no "shwing! terror! terror!" sound effect; simply just a silhouette passing by........ it gave me chills, I'm not gonna lie. Heh.

[Fehmina]

subtly you see a demon silhouette walk across this window. There's no "shwing! terror! terror!" sound effect; simply just a silhouette passing by......

I remember seeing that and thinking i'd imagined it, so i rewinded the tape, and showed my sister, hehe.
But yeah, thats another great moment. Thanks for reminding me!

I was watching Bargaining the other day, and i just love the part when the scoobies are saying goodbye to Giles at the airport, and they're each giving their little gifts. And Tara gives him a little monster, and does the "grr, argh!" Not really a subtle visual effect, but i just love it, hehe.

I remember seeing that scene with Eliza and Antony in "Who Are You", and thinking, 'wow, well done Eliza'. She's steadily been going up in my estimations, as is Faith (i've been catching up on my Angel too).
I don't think i thought, 'that hair thing is a Buffy thing! it's Buffy!!', but it must have effected me really subtly, because she was very Buffy.
-nods-
If that makes sense, heh.

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[holypotatoes]

Okay I have one but I'm not sure if it's really what we're looking for in this thread. I guess we'll find out won't we. I was just talking about this the other day so I thought I might as well talk about it here too. In Helpless right after Bangel was doing their rough housing/training in Angels mansion, they talk about not being able to do anything with eachother even though they want to. Well in the next scene when Giles is trying to hypnotise her with the crystal's Buffy's playing with a long crystal in her hands (in a dirty way ) and Giles say's something to the effect of what's up and Buffy looks up kind of surprised and quickly puts down the crystal. She then tells him she has some pent up energy (ie: sexual tension). I don't know it's just something most people never notice. I think Mog's was talking about this awhile back in a different thread.

[Fehmina]

haha thats fantastic!
I think i watched that when it was first aired, and didn't quite 'get' it, what with being a kid and all. But watching it back, that's such a hilarious part.
And yes, that's a great suggestion! Especially what with it being interlaced with the wonderful humour of the Buffy writers... ;-)


I just remembered that great scene at the end of Him, when Anya turns off the radio because it's reporting on a recent bank robbery.... hehe that reminds me why Anya's such a great character.
She, along with Andrew, provided alot of much needed humour in S7... it was almost like early BtVS...

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