A tale of supernatural LA high-school high jinks featuring the three members of a teenage 'coven' - 'The Bitches of Eastwick'. Outsiders all - Nancy (Balk), the

"The Craft" got surprisingly mixed reviews when it came out in 1996. But over 20 years later, it's easy to see why it's become such a beloved classic.

I haven’t seen the trailer for “The Craft,” but I bet it’s a pip.This teen-oriented horror show about four witches at a private California high school fairly shines with incandescent visual style and blow-the-house-down special effects. And it has the kind of supersimplified plot line and performances that make for slam-bang TV trailers and theatrical […]

The Craft (Supernatural comedy-thriller -- Color) #A Columbia release of a Douglas Wick production. Produced by Wick. Executive producer, Ginny Nugent. Co-producer, Lisa Tornell. Directed by Andrew Fleming. Screenplay, Peter Filardi , Fleming, based on Filardi's story. Camera (Technicolor), Alexander Gruszynski; editor, Jeff Freeman; music, Graeme Revell; executive music producer, Ralph Sall; production design, Marek Dobrowolski; art direction, Gae S. Buckley; set decoration, Nancy Nye; costume design, Deborah Everton; makeup, Jeffrey Hamilton; sound (Dolby), Jim Stuebe; special effects coordinator, David Kelsey; visual effects produced by Sony Imageworks; visual effects supervisor, Kelley R. Ray; assistant director, John R. Woodward. Reviewed at Hollywood Galaxy, L.A., April 25, 1996. MPAA Rating: R. Running time: 100 min. Sarah ... Robin Tunney Nancy ... Fairuza Balk Bonnie ... Neve Campbell Rochelle ... Rachel True Chris ... Skeet Ulrich Grace ... Helen Shaver Mr. Bailey ... Cliff De Young Laura ... Christine Taylor Lirio ... Assumpta Serna Four gifted and attractive actresses struggle hard to lend a semblance of dramatic coherence to "The Craft," a neatly crafted film that begins most promisingly as a black comedy a la "Heathers," but gradually succumbs to its tricky machinery of special effects. Still, young au- diences, particularly women, are likely to connect with this energetic high-school tale about the vengeful empowerment of rebellious misfits, resulting in a reasonable spring B.O. entry for Columbia.

Read the Empire Movie review of The Craft. With suitable suspension of disbelief this makes for agreeable enough...

Teen witches made high school a dark and brooding place long before vampires took over as the kings of teen cool.

Dark deeds done because, like, you know, nobody understands me, OK? `The Craft' is a teen movie from heaven

In the opening scenes of "The Craft," a teenage girl and her family move into a vast, crumbling old mansion, overgrown with vines and apparently set within