Friday, January 11, 2019

Blast From The Past: Randall Batinkoff


Buffy : You left me a message?
Jeffrey : You weren't home! Like always.
Buffy : You broke up with my machine?

Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1992)

As passionate I was about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the TV show,  I never was too interested in check out the movie that inspired it.  Although I know the brilliant Joss Whedon wrote both, the movie seemed a little light, and silly compared to the television version.


Silly and light might seem like ironic adjectives to use given the show was about a high school attending vampire slayer, but fans of the show know how dark could get, and how serious it was taken.  I now however, want to catch that original film.  It was on last weekend and I caught about five minutes before having to head out for the day.  I caught enough to hear the writing was witty and crisp and that actor Randall Batinkoff has a supporting role.


I first began crushing over Batinkoff after seeing him in 1992's School Ties.  The actor played the very ivy leagued sounding character Rip Van Kelt, one of the many hot guys occupying the dorms of St. Matthew's, an exclusive Massachusetts prep school.  Although Batinkoff again took on a supporting role, that handsome and distinctive face of his had him standing out whenever he was on screen.


It was that adorable face that brought New York born actor into show business.  After an agent saw the six year old Batinkoff in a toy store, he began getting work in commercials, followed by roles in film and on television.

The Stepford Children (1987)

Although Batinkoff played his share of lead roles, including the 1988 film For Keeps?, (below) his film career was made up of mostly supporting roles, some in big films (As Good As It Gets) but most often in smaller and independent films throughout the late 1990's and 2000's.  The actor has continued to work steadily and has a series of projects coming out including re-teaming with his School Ties co-star Cole Hauser in the upcoming The Last Champion.

For Keeps? (1988)

Although Batinkoff had his fair share of shirtless scenes, he doesn't have any scenes I could say were officially a nude scene.  He did have a 'tame' shower scene in For Keeps? however, where the main topic of conversation was focused on his character Stan's penis.


If you're a fan of Batinkoff, or were impacted as much as I was by his 1992 film, School Ties, check out part 2 of my piece on Batinkoff with a brief look back at School Ties on Page 2 HERE:

Christy (1994)

Relativity (1996)

Dead Man's Curve (1998)

On the set with Matthew Lillard in Dead Man's Curve



Hefner: Unauthorized (1999)

37 (2014)

A more recent shot of Randall

No comments: