Witchcraft

Romance is the most powerful spell of all or so one teenager learns in this fun teen fantasy starring Robyn Lively ( Chicago Hope ), Zelda Rubinstein (the Poltergeist trilogy), Dan Gauthier ( Beverly Hills, 90210 ) and Dick Sargent ( Bewitched ). Filled w

In 1692, in the Ipswich Colony of Massachusetts, five families with untold power formed a covenant of silence. One family, lusting for more, was banished'their bloodline disappearing without a trace. Until now. Four young students at an elite private school who are descendants of the original families who settled in Ipswich Colony in the 1600s, are bound by their sacred ancestry and special powers. When the body of a dead student is discovered after a party, secrets begin to unravel that threaten to break the covenant of silence that has protected their families for hundreds of years.

Sculpted boys, scantily-clad girls, and supernatural powers are the recipe for the neo-gothic romance The Covenant. A pack of boys with pouty lips and impressive pecs just happen to be both the popular guys at their prep school and the descendants of old New England witches. The nicest of the pack, Caleb (Steven Strait, Sky High), falls for a new girl on campus, Sarah (Laura Ramsay, She's the Man)--but their love is threatened when another boy with powers and a grudge shows up. The plot encompasses everything from stormy nights in a spooky old barn to shower scenes in a spooky old dormitory; the movie zips along at a reasonably effective pace, with bits of CGI spectacle at regular intervals to make up for the complete lack of emotional content. The boys are hunky but interchangeable; the only way to tell them apart is by their distinctive haircuts. Ramsay, with her sexy yet angelic looks and a hint of intelligence in her eyes, stands out and could go on to a solid career. With the right expectations, The Covenant can be enjoyed as a teen potboiler with lots of eye candy for everyone. --Bret Fetzer

Four teenagers with supernatural powers face the ultimate battle when a mysterious member of a banished family comes into town looking to take over. Extras include director's commentary & behind-the-scenes featurette.

Sculpted boys, scantily-clad girls, and supernatural powers are the recipe for the neo-gothic romance The Covenant. A pack of boys with pouty lips and impressive pecs just happen to be both the popular guys at their prep school and the descendants of old New England witches. The nicest of the pack, Caleb (Steven Strait, Sky High), falls for a new girl on campus, Sarah (Laura Ramsay, She's the Man)--but their love is threatened when another boy with powers and a grudge shows up. The plot encompasses everything from stormy nights in a spooky old barn to shower scenes in a spooky old dormitory; the movie zips along at a reasonably effective pace, with bits of CGI spectacle at regular intervals to make up for the complete lack of emotional content. The boys are hunky but interchangeable; the only way to tell them apart is by their distinctive haircuts. Ramsay, with her sexy yet angelic looks and a hint of intelligence in her eyes, stands out and could go on to a solid career. With the right expectations, The Covenant can be enjoyed as a teen potboiler with lots of eye candy for everyone. --Bret Fetzer

If a broom falls, company is due. When a circle rings the moon, trouble looms, Should you misplace your broom, sorry; a hand vac can't be used in an exorcism rite. Fun and excitement abound in the Owens family of wily witches. One problem, though: the men the Owens women fall in love with are doomed to an untimely death. Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman bring a sparkling screen magic to Practical Magic, adapted from Alice Hoffman's bestseller and directed by Griffin Dunne (Addicted to Love). They play Sally and Gillian Owens, sisters hexed by a centuries -old curse...and coping with a witches brew of events involving a possible love match (Aidan Quinn) for one, a zombie (Goran Visnjic) for the other and a need to resume the age-old witchcraft taught by two doting Owens aunts (Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest). Sit for a spell and enjoy.

Actor Griffin Dunne improves a bit on his first film as a director, Addicted to Love, with this drama-comedy about a family of witches. Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock play spell-casting sisters of different temperaments: the former is a high-living, free-spirited sort, while Bullock's character is a homebody who can't get around a family curse that kills the men in their lives. A widowed single mom, Bullock gets into a jam with an abusive Bulgarian (Goran Visnjic) and is helped out by her sibling, but the result brings a good-looking, warm, inquisitive cop (Aidan Quinn) into their lives. The film has a variety of tonal changes--cute, scary, glum--that Dunne can't always effectively juggle. But the female-centric, celebratory nature of the film (the fantasies, the sharing, the witchy bonds) is infectious, and supporting roles by Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing as Kidman and Bullock's magical aunts are a lot of fun. --Tom Keogh

Need someone with demonic dash to portray the Devil? There are only two choices. Old Ned himself. And Jack Nicholson. The Witches of Eastwick to the better actor-and came up with the sleekest, sexiest supernatural comedy/thriller to emerge from this or any other world, earning Nicholson 1987 Best Actor Awards from the New York and Los Angeles Film Critics. The "witches" are in three modern-day women yearning for Mr. Right in a quaint New England town full of Mr. Uptights. Played glowingly by Cher (Moonstruck), Susan Sarandon (Lorenzo's Oil) and Michelle Pfeiffer (The Age of Innocence), they're lovely enough to tempt even the most jaded netherworld denizen. Soon, wealthy Daryl van Horne (Nicholson) arrives. Is his sudden appearance a coincidence? Or the outcome of the women's unconscious sorcery in this smooth adaptation of John Updyke's novel? Conjure up an evening's entertainment with The Witches of Eastwick. And have a devil of a good time.

Jack Nicholson was born to play the devil, and in George Miller's adaptation of John Updike's novel he plays it for all he's worth. As a wolfish womanizer summoned by three bored women in a picturesque New England town, he's sating all of his appetites with a rakish grin. Cher, Susan Sarandon, and Michelle Pfeiffer play the women who discover their untapped magical powers by accident. The smart and sexy singles, out of place in the conservatism of their village, find happiness, however briefly, in the arms and bed of the libidinous devil, but he's got his own ulterior motives. Miller revels in the sensual display of sex, food, and magic, whipping up a storm of effects that finally get out of hand in an overblown ending. It's a handsome film with strong performances all around, but the mix of anarchic comedy and supernatural horror doesn't always gel and Miller seems to lose the plot in his zeal for cinematic excitement. The performances ultimately keep the film aloft: the hedonistic joy that Nicholson celebrates with every leering gaze and boorish vulgarity is almost enough to make bad form and chauvinism cool. --Sean Axmaker

When he comes the trees should be torn in half the birds shall be severed from the sky the waters will turn black as death and the land shall be tainted with blood. Satans only son is back.System Requirements:Starring: Julian Sands Chris Young Paula Marshall Joanna Pacula Steve Kahan R.G. Armstrong; Special Features: Theatrical Trailer; Video Format: Widescreen (no A.R. specified); Subtitles: English Spanish French; Audio Tracks: English: Dolby Digital Surround; running time of 98 minutes Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR Rating: R UPC: 031398707639

This follow-up to Warlock boasts more sophisticated visual effects, slicker production values, and bigger (and bloodier) action, but fans of the original's dry wit and tight story may be disappointed. It's really more a rehash than a sequel. The Devil is up to his old tricks again, sending his favorite son (the title character) on a mission to recover six runes--ancient stones that will allow His Satanic Majesty to escape Hell and once again walk the Earth. Leading the forces of good are a group of modern-day druids and a pair of teenage lovers who have no idea they've been selected to save the world. There are some genuinely spooky moments, a few laughs, and some nice visual touches, but the scattershot script keeps throwing out one cool idea after another, hoping something sticks. On the other hand, if watching Julian Sands writhe on the ground spewing black blood sounds like a good time, this may be just the ticket. Gremlins star Zach Galligan has a cameo (as the boyfriend of the Warlock's mom!) --Geof Miller

Carlos Enrique Taboada once again directs a great horror/thriller for the ages. In Grimm’s fairy tales, fairies are the traditional enemies of evil. In this dark fantasy, Fabiola, a lonely young schoolgirl, befriends Graciela, an orphan who is obsessed with witchcraft. Graciela convinces Fabiola that she is a witch and to enhance her evil powers, they need to search for poison for the fairies. The games grow increasingly gruesome and dangerous resulting in a series of bloodshed and mayhem.

Las historias de brujería que cuenta la cocinera de su casa despiertan la imaginación de la pequeña Graciela, quien presume de que ella misma es una bruja ante su condiscípula Fabiola. Ante la incredulidad de su amiga, Graciela aprovecha una serie de circunstancias fortuitas para convencerla de que ha sido ella quien las ha provocado, valiéndose de sus artes mágicas. La inocencia de estos juegos adquiere un cariz macabro, cuando Graciela insiste en que Fabiola la invite a unas vacaciones en el rancho de su familia, en donde podrá preparar un veneno para las hadas.

Ronny Yu (The Bride of Chucky, The Phantom Lover, Warriors Of Virtue) directs this highly operatic fable based on a well-known martial arts novel with LESLIE CHEUNG (Temptress Moon, Farewell, My Concubine) and BRIGITTE LIN (Dragon Inn, Deadful Melody) as doomed lovers caught in the crossfire of warring clans. With beautiful cinematography by PETER PAU (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and over-the-top action sequences, THE BRIDE WITH WHITE HAIR is one of the best swordplay fantasy film ever made.

The BRIDE WITH WHITE HAIR saga continues with the bloody massacre of the followers of the Eight Clans. Powerful, insane and obsessed with hatred, The Bride (Brigitte Lin) has gone on a killing rampage, and can only be stopped by the one person she loves (Leslie Cheung).

The magic scene sure has changed since Merlin's day. If writer-director Jon Jacobs's Lucinda's Spell is any gauge, modern spell casters are the equivalent of grunge rockers, hipsters doing their own thing on the fringes of society. Set in New Orleans, the drama covers the days before the Eve of Beltrane, and Jason (Jacobs), the last in Merlin's bloodline, must choose the mother of his child during a spell casting contest. Bottle blonde Jason slinks and glowers and poses his way through New Orleans as he hunts for his son, born of a one-night stand five years before, but the picture is all but stolen by Christina Fulton as Lucinda, the New Orleans "sex witch" who just happens to be the mother of his child. With more costume changes than Cher and more characters in her closet than Tracey Ullman, Lucinda plays everybody's fantasy with a breathless vitality, sliding from one persona to the next without losing her essential spark. A modest but colorful production, it never succumbs to the sexploitation one would expect with the tag line "sex is magic," though the smoke-and-mirrors, demon-conjuring climax does suggest a B movie version of Kenneth Anger imagery: sexual but not particularly sexy. Like many an American indie production, there's more conversation than spectacle, but it's a charming production centered on a spirited performance by Fulton, an actress on the verge of a breakthrough. --Sean Axmaker