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The Craft - Collector's Edition blu-ray

We are the weirdos, Mister.

Honestly, in a modern day viewing, The Craft feels richer than it did when I originally saw the film.  There is a lot to appreciate about the film and its tale of sisterhood among four high school friends.  The situations feel real and, certainly, the black humor helps.  It’s the final part of the film, where the special effects drown the story that I have the biggest issues with because, suddenly, we are thrust into another world completely and all the realness of the situation is absolutely lost.

"From the pranks from the Mean Girls to the love charms used to embarrass the boys, director Andrew Fleming’s teenage film can really speak to its target audience"


Beginning with an explosion of sorts as a trinity of teen witches declares that they have the power, 1996’s The Craft will forever be buoyed to the decade that thought having Our Lady Peace cover one of the trippiest Beatles’ songs, “Tomorrow Never Knows”, was a good idea.  It wasn’t and the soundtrack, which was an integral part of the movie, represents some of the best talents of the decade and a whole hell of a lot of the worst.  We have to deal with it as one Los Angeles high school gets taken over by the Bitches of Eastwick.

The Craft, starring  Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, and Rachel True, is what happens when Robin Tunney as Sarah Bailey, a San Francisco native, starts at a new high school in Los Angeles and goes to have a cup of coffee with these three troubled ladies.  The thing is that all of them are social outcasts in one way or another.  And their bond is immediate and intense, as they all dive into the occult and start worshipping a figure names Manon.  They want to be protected and they want all those who tease them to pay for every single taunt.{googleads}

Followed by a homeless guy with a snake (who then is slammed to the street and run over by a car), there are plenty of warnings for Sarah to ditch her three new friends.  They convince her otherwise as they tell her of their love for the deity they praise.  Thing is, Sarah does have a power.  She doesn’t have to invoke any spirit to do what she does; she is unlike them and wiser, too.  But that doesn’t really stop her for messing with Nancy (Balk), Bonnie (Campbell), and Rochelle (True). 

But will the power given to them by their Wiccan beliefs also be the same to end them all?  Is the Rule of Three that strong?The Craft - Collector's Edition blu-ray

Co-starring Skeet Ulrich as Chris Hooker, Christine Taylor as Laura Lizzie, and Breckin Meyer as Mitt, The Craft is at its best when it goes dark with its teenage dilemmas.  From the pranks from the Mean Girls to the love charms used to embarrass the boys, director Andrew Fleming’s teenage film can really speak to its target audience.  This is why the film is considered a cult classic.  It never really connected with an audience in 1996, but – with today’s teens feeling and experiencing so much more at earlier and earlier ages – it speaks volumes to today’s youth. 

Light as a feather, stiff as a board, The Craft returns thanks to Scream Factory’s excellent Collector’s Edition. 

4/5 beers

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The Craft - Collector's Edition blu-ray

MPAA Rating: R for some terror and violence, and for brief language.
Runtime:
101 mins
Director
: Andrew Fleming
Writer:
Peter Filardi
Cast:
Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell
Genre
: Horror
Tagline:
Welcome to the Witching Hour.
Memorable Movie Quote: "By the power of three times three, make them see, make them see."
Theatrical Distributor:
Columbia Pictures Corporation
Official Site:
Release Date:
May 3, 1996
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
March 12, 2019
Synopsis: The Craft also stars Neve Campbell (Scream, Wild Things), Fairuza Balk (The Island Of Dr. Moreau, American History X), Rachel True (Half Baked, Embrace Of The Vampire) and Skeet Ulrich (Scream, Riverdale).

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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

The Craft - Collector's Edition blu-ray

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Collector's Edition

Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray
- March 12, 2019
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles
: English SDH
Audio:
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

Presented in a crisp 1080p transfer, The Craft’s new scan of the original negative is a thing of pristine beauty.  The film is dominated with reds and greens that absolutely burst with color.  It’s a dark film, for sure, but the costumes are detailed and the simple backgrounds burst with new details and a nice level of clarity.  Black levels are solid and skin tones are natural.  Shadows are defined and the film has a new depth previously unseen.  Audio wise, the DTS-HD MA 5.1 and 2.0 mono soundtrack is clear and the dialogue is never lost or hard to hear.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • The commentary might be an old one, but it is still good thanks to director Andrew Fleming’s guidance.

Special Features:

Fans get a bevy of new supplemental materials with this release.  There is a NEW interview with Fleming, a NEW interview with the film’s producer, and a NEW interview with co-writer Peter Filardi.  The rest has been ported over from previous releases.

  • Directing The Craft – An Interview With Co-writer And Director Andrew Fleming
  • Producing The Craft – An Interview With Producer Douglas Wick
  • Writing The Craft – An Interview With Co-writer Peter Filardi
  • Effecting The Craft – An Interview With Makeup Effects Supervisor Tony Gardner
  • Conjuring The Craft
  • The Making Of The Craft
  • Deleted Scenes With Optional Audio Commentary
  • Theatrical Trailer

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The Craft - Collector's Edition blu-ray

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