The season of the witch is upon us as Shocktober 6 gets underway. Your favorite film analysis podcast starts Shocktober off right with The Craft.
The Craft Puts a Spell on Us
It is our favorite time of year, dear listener. The leaves are turning and the potions are a brewing. Black cats are crossing our path and horror films are screening 24/7. It’s the 6th annual Shocktober marathon! We decided to kick it off with a 90s cult classic, The Craft.
This 1996 horror film features four trod upon high school girls who look to witchcraft to solve their problems. It’s like an after-school drug PSA, but with witches. When new girl Sarah (Robin Tunney) arrives in LA, she discovers herself torn between the outcasts (Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, Rachel True) and the cool kid (Skeet Ulrich). After being slighted by Chris, she finds herself drawn into the magical circle that the girls have developed, and soon their magic grows—3 times 3.
The Craft has seemingly come up a lot in the social conscious over the past year, as many begin revisiting its legacy. We thought it was an appropriate way to kick off our annual scary movie marathon. On this episode, we talk about the portrayal of people groups and subcultures, and how even problematic portrayals can be the kick off for more nuanced and accurate portrayals down the road. We also discuss feminism in the film, and whether it is truly at the forefront or just a guise. We go down this rabbit trail after having read this article by Michelle Lopes.
In the spirit of cult cinema, we each picked out Top 3 90s Cult Classics. What are some of yours? Let us know on Twitter, or in the comments below.
Well, the witching hour is upon us. Have we cast a spell on you? Or do we need to find a new familiar?
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Dustin Sells is studying for a PhD in Screen Studies at Oklahoma State University. Sometimes he gets some sleep. Check out Dustin’s most recently viewed films on Letterboxd @DustinSells or follow him on Twitter @dustin_sells or follow him on Twitter
