4.24 - THE CRAFT (1996) & Bullying

Our next film in the high school genre is the 1996 horror/comedy/supernatural drama THE CRAFT. After some largely positive reviews, we talk about how this is ultimately a film about knowing your place, while also being a feminist revenge fantasy, and also discuss the way in which this film exists at the confluence of supernatural battles and teenage toxicity.

Next Time
The next ‘high school’ film in our series is the 1999 movie 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU.

Recent Media
THE BOYS (2019–): Eric Kripke, Karl Urban, Jack Quaid
HAPPY DEATH DAY (2017): Christopher Landon, Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard
ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE (2017): John McPhail, Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming

Recommendations
ALMOST FAMOUS (2000): Cameron Crowe, Billy Crudup, Patrick Fugit
SCREAM (1996): Wes Craven, Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox
TREMORS (1990): Ron Underwood, Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward
EMPIRE RECORDS (1995): Allan Moyle, Anthony LaPaglia, Maxwell Caulfield

Footnotes Firstly, as we’re well into our season now, it would seem to be a good time to mention this list. At one point in the episode, we spend some time talking about the racial abuse suffered by Rochelle; this article is pertinent to this. Sam talks about the links between this week’s film and one about a similar experience — although admittedly a very masculine-centred one — from the previous decade; our episode about THE LOST BOYS is here. Finally, on the subject of the particularly toxic elements of ‘nerd fandom’ culture, see here.