"Oh look, another glorious morning! Makes me sick!"
I realize that when it comes to Hocus Pocus, I am using the term horror extremely loosely. In fact, the movie isn't so much scary as it is absolutely hysterical. But at the same time, it is such essential Halloween holiday viewing, I just had to include it. With a witty script and a delightfully over the top Bette Midler performance, it's hard not to love it.
The film opens on 17th Century Salem, as three witches (and sisters), Winifred (played by Bette Midler), Sarah (played by Sarah Jessica Parker), and Mary Sanderson (played by Kathy Najimy) are brewing a potion to suck the life out of the little children of Salem, including one they have already swiped, Emily (played by Amanda Shepherd). Her brother Thackery (played by Sean Murray, but dubbed by Jason Marsden) tries to stop them, but fails and is turned into an immortal black cat. Before the witches can kidnap any more children though, the townspeople catch up to them. Two of the sisters, Winifred and Mary try to pass themselves off as kindly old spinsters until Sarah literally announces they are sucking the lives out of little children. This leads to them being promptly hanged, but not before Winifred gives one last curse, stating that one Halloween night, a virgin will light the black flame candle and then they will return.
We then jump ahead 300 years as a new family has just moved to Salem from Los Angeles. The brother, Max (played by Omri Katz) is having trouble fitting in. He's not feeling the Halloween spirit, doesn't believe the stories of the Sanderson sisters and to top it off, two moronic school bullies stole his sneakers. He just wants to be left alone when he finds out he has to take his younger sister, Dani (played by Thora Birch) trick or treating. However, things take a turn for the better when their paths cross with Allison (played by Vinessa Shaw), a girl Max has a crush on. She takes them to the old Sanderson house at Dani's request. Of course, in an attempt to prove that it's all fake, Max light's the fabled black flame candle and much to their shock, the witches actually return. As it turns out, the three witches have one night to re-brew their potion and suck the life out of another child or else they're dead for good. In an effort to hinder them, the three kids steal their spell book in an attempt to keep them from being able to do this. What follows is an epic chase throughout Salem as the Sanderson sisters attempt to retrieve their book and the three kids, along with cat Thackery, try to stop them.
Much of the humor of this film comes from the three Sandersons trying to deal with a modern world, unfamiliar with even paved roads. Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy are absolutely priceless in their roles, with infinitely quotable line after infinitely quotable line and each trying to outdo the other makes for three memorable comedic performances. Still, it's Bette Midler who effectively steals the show as Winifred. She gives such a beautifully over the top performance and is clearly having a blast doing it. She also perfoms a magnificent rendition of "I Put a Spell on You" because if you have Bette Midler in your movie, she has to sing at some point, it's required. Also it is frustratingly not on the soundtrack album. Midler has since stated several times that Hocus Pocus is her favorite of the movies she has done and I'm inclined to agree.
It's funny to see how popular this film has become now because it was a bit of a flop when it first came out in 1993. Of course, a lot of this can be blamed on some brainless Disney executive deciding to release the movie in July of all times. If they had released it in October when people were in the mood for a movie about Halloween and witches, it may have been a hit. Nonetheless, the movie has had the last laugh and thanks to repeated TV showings has become the Halloween classic is always should have been. No Halloween celebration should be complete without it.
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