“The Craft” (Andrew Fleming, 1996)
A lower-rung entry in the mid-nineties teen horror renaissance, “The Craft” is the tale of a new girl (Robin Tunney – anybody seen her recently?) who arrives at a new school and falls in with a group of girls rumored to be witches (Neve Campbell, Fairuza Balk, and Rachel True). Campbell made the most compelling witch because she seemed the most believable – you could understand her being seduced by dark forces; she seemed fragile and alone and yet also totally willing to transform herself, possibly with the aid of supernatural forces. We’re a sucker for any tale of female empowerment, especially one that involves black magic, and while it isn’t as successful a parable as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (which was airing at the same time), it is kind of fun. There’s a memorable sequence where Campbell rids herself of horrible scars that have been a source of embarrassment and consternation her whole life. (She kind of “wipes” them away, in a surprisingly effective make-up effects gag.) Campbell would end up being the ’90s Scream Queen, but her most poignant role might be this witchy woman. – DT
“Hocus Pocus” (Kenny Ortega, 1993)
A surprising holiday cult hit, Disney’s Halloween favorite “Hocus Pocus,” co-written by horror movie favorite Mick Garris and directed by “High School Musical” helmer Kenny Ortega, features a trio of villainous witches resurrected in the year 1993. The witches are played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, three Salem sisters who are up to a whole lot of no good. And while Parker and Najimy equip themselves admirably, with Parker being goofy and Najimy being ghoulish, it’s Midler who really steals the show. She brings a kind of Broadway theatricality to the role, able to switch from menacing to funny and back again in a heartbeat. As any rapper will tell you, they love a woman who can “work the pole,” but Midler makes magic happen when you give her a broom. – DT
“Kiki’s Delivery Service” (Hayao Miyazaki, 1989)
If we’re talking about pure adorableness, Kiki (voiced by Minami Takayama in the original Japanese version and Kirsten Dunst in the Disney-supervised dub) will win hands down. As written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, primarily seen as Japan’s answer to Walt Disney, Kiki is a young witch whose supernatural powers haven’t developed much beyond her being able to ride a broom (and she’s not exactly an expert at that, either). She decides to set up a delivery service and heads off to the big city, with her wise-ass talking cat (in the Disney version it would end up being the last role from Phil Hartman). Kiki is a surprisingly nuanced and complex character, with the situation setting up a rich coming-of-age tale wherein we watch Kiki experience self-doubt, learn about herself, and ultimately become empowered. Of course, given that this is a Miyazaki movie, the thematic undercurrents remain subtle and unobtrusive. The adorableness, however, is front and center. – Erica Bahrenburg
“The Woods” (Lucky McGee, 2006)
Long before Darren Aronofsky made his arty Oscar-winning riff on “Suspiria” with “Black Swan,” indie horror director Lucky McGee mined the same material for “The Woods,” his super smart, super scary, woefully under-seen gem about a girls’ boarding school in the ’60s that’s lorded over by malevolent forces. There’s no force more malevolent than Patricia Clarkson’s Ms. Traverse, a headmistress with a dark-ass secret (hint: she’s a fucking witch). What makes her so scary is that she at first seems to be perfectly sweet and amiable, but this is before she’s sending evil trees to attack Bruce Campbell and murdering students (Agnes Bruckner, as the student most psychically traumatized, nicely channels Sissy Spacek in “Carrie” as well as Jessica Harper in “Suspiria”). While “The Woods” falls apart as the weirdness starts to pile up, Clarkson is a genuinely wonderful witch – the kind that you could imagine luring children into a gingerbread house or, in this case, strictly running a girls’ boarding school. – DT
“Practical Magic” (Griffin Dunne, 1998)
Seeing something of a renaissance this year — see the thinkpieces — when “Practical Magic” was released 20 years ago, it was hexed with the wretched curse of bad box office, making $68 million worldwide against a $75 million budget. As a result of its financial underperformance, it remains severely underrated. However, it still is a good film to watch on Halloween regardless and also good for anyone who doesn’t want to get too frightened. It is a darkly funny romp that features charismatic turns from A-list actresses Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman who play Sally and Gillian Owens, two sisters gifted with magical powers. Even though they’ve gone down different paths with Sally trying to repress her magic and Gillian freely practicing hers, they still remain connected thanks to the strong bond of sisterhood. Once both sisters reunite after becoming distant, the film becomes more heartfelt, and part of the reason is that the sisterly chemistry between the two leads feels quite genuine. Funny, scary, and dramatic at once, “Practical Magic” uses various ingredients to cast a magical spell. As an added bonus, it also has Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest who are scene-stealers as the eccentric aunts of the Owens sisters. – Matthew St.Clair