CRAFT, THE - Blu-ray review

The two worst words in the English language just might be: high school. To some, high school is a place of great triumph and to others it's a place of great cruelty. Some hope to forget their time there while others look back and wish they could relive it again. The social landmines of high school have been the fodder for many films. "Clueless," "Heathers," and just about every John Hughes film (especially "The Breakfast Club") are the best examples. "The Craft" takes those same themes of isolation and the stratification of class and tosses in a dose of the supernatural.

Robin Tunney (currently on "The Mentalist") stars as Sarah Bailey who has moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles with her father and stepmother. Sarah's real mother died during childbirth and Sarah has struggled to come to terms with her death all her life. She has even attempted suicide and her parents hope the change in environment will do her good. Enrolled in a Catholic school, Sarah catches the attention of a trio of outcasts who dabble in witchcraft. The clique includes Nancy (Fairuza Balk), the Gothic leader of the group who lives with an abusive stepfather and alcoholic mother; Bonnie (Neve Campbell) who is incredibly self-conscious about the burn scars covering her back; and Rochelle (Rachel True), an African-American girl who deals with the racist taunts of the stuck-up Laura (Christine Taylor).

Sarah completes the witches' circle that the other girls have been trying to fill with each girl representing a different element. The girls cast their first spells as Bonnie makes her scars go away while Rochelle gets revenge on Laura by causing her hair to fall out. Earlier, Sarah went out with Chris (Skeet Ulrich), the school's star football player, who spread false rumors about her being a slut after she shot him down. Sarah casts a love spell on Chris causing him to follow her around like a puppy dog. However, the spells being going too far as Chris becomes absolutely obsessed with Sarah. Soon, Nancy becomes corrupt with power and Sarah must find a way to stop to her.

"The Craft" draws some obvious allusions to the perils of teenagers. Love, lust, puberty, and the dangers of fitting in are major components of the film. Though the cast is well past high school age, they're quite good in their roles. Fairuza Balk had to be an easy casting choice to play the angst-ridden Nancy. She has the Goth look down pat and is very knowledgeable about Wicca and paganism in real life. Neve Campbell was on the cusp of superstardom at the time. Already a star on "Party of Five," "The Craft" was her first major film while "Scream" and "Wild Things" were still on the horizon.

Interesting tidbit, Robin Tunney wore a wig throughout the film shoot. She had just shaved her head for "Empire Records" and it hadn't grown back yet.

VIDEO:
The audio is presented in anamorphic widescreen with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The 1080p transfer is relatively clean though the quality dips up and down throughout the film. For the most part, the image is soft and up close doesn't look very well defined. Some of the day scenes come off much, much better while a few of the darker night scenes have a distracting graininess to it.

AUDIO:
The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 with alternate French and Portuguese dubbed tracks. The sound fares much better than the picture. "The Craft" isn't a wall-to-wall action movie, but what sound effects do occur have a deep boom to them. Lightning strikes, explosions, and other crashes will rattle your system.

EXTRAS:
All the extras on the Blu-Ray have been ported over from the special edition DVD. First up is an audio commentary track with director Andrew Fleming ("Nancy Drew," "Hamlet 2"). Fleming is informative if a bit dry. There are only rare gaps of silence as Fleming discusses many aspects about the making of the film.

You'll also get two featurettes in standard definition.

Conjuring the Craft (24:35) features interviews with the film's stars, the director, producer, and screenwriter. Each talks about making the film and its reception since its release. Both Neve Campbell and Fairuza Balk appear briefly and only in archival footage.

The Original Behind the Scenes of The Craft (5:59) is a quick EPK look that's mostly superficial with a slightly cheesy voiceover.

There's also three deleted scenes with optional director's commentary and previews for other Sony releases such as "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "Ghostbusters," and "Men in Black." The Blu-Ray is also BD-Live enabled.

FILM VALUE:
"The Craft" isn't exactly the type of film that stays with you long after viewing or makes you think. Then again, I'm not really the target audience. "The Craft" will probably play better to young women, teens, and those into alternative culture. It's part "Heathers," part "Carrie."