Hey all, I’m back with a fantasy comedy film from 1993 for this week’s Movie Monday that’s perfect for the season. It’s Hocus Pocus.
Plot: This is a fairly classic Disney Halloween film, and honestly, it is still pretty great. The movie follows three witches from 17th-century Salem who are accidentally brought back on Halloween night in modern times, leaving three kids and a talking cat to stop them before they can cause even more trouble.
Considering that Hocus Pocus finally got a sequel in 2022, and there’s a third movie in development, that should tell you how much staying power this film has had. It was not always treated like a huge classic when it first released, but over the years it became one of those movies people return to every Halloween.
Casting: The biggest reason Hocus Pocus still works is the cast, especially the Sanderson sisters. Bette Midler plays Winifred Sanderson, the leader of the trio, and she is easily the standout. She plays the role with a huge amount of theatrical energy, making Winifred funny, sinister, and ridiculous all at once. It is the kind of performance that could have been too much in a different movie, but here it fits perfectly.
Sarah Jessica Parker plays Sarah Sanderson, and she brings a much lighter, sillier energy to the group. Kathy Najimy rounds out the trio as Mary Sanderson, giving the sisters another very distinct personality. The three of them work extremely well together because none of the witches feel interchangeable. Winifred is commanding and overdramatic, Sarah is airy and strange, and Mary is more physical and goofy. That balance is a huge part of why the movie is still remembered so fondly.
The younger cast is solid too. Omri Katz plays Max Dennison, the new kid in Salem who accidentally helps bring the witches back. Thora Birch plays Dani, his younger sister, and she gives the movie a lot of its heart. Vinessa Shaw plays Allison, who helps Max and Dani fight back against the witches. Jason Marsden also does strong voice work as Thackery Binx in cat form, giving the character more personality than a talking cat probably had any right to have.
Doug Jones also deserves mention as Billy Butcherson, the undead former boyfriend of Winifred Sanderson. It is a mostly physical performance, but he makes the character memorable and funny without needing a huge amount of dialogue. Overall, Hocus Pocus has a much stronger cast than it probably needed for a Disney Halloween comedy, and that is one of the reasons it has lasted so long.
Cinematography: By today’s standards, it’s not spectacular, but it was pretty good back in 1993. Now, it definitely shows its age in places. That said, the Halloween atmosphere still works. The Salem setting, candlelit rooms, graveyards, and witchy effects give the movie the right seasonal look, even if some of the effects are obviously older now.
Music: The music fits the film perfectly, leaning into the Halloween theme without becoming too distracting. The big musical moment, “I Put a Spell on You,” is probably the part of the movie that most people remember, and it works because Midler and the rest of the cast fully commit to the scene.
Overall: Hocus Pocus is considered a Halloween classic for a reason. It’s funny, weird, theatrical, and still has a lot of nostalgic charm. The Sanderson sisters carry the movie, but the kids, Binx, and Billy all help make it a fun seasonal adventure.
If you’ve never given it a watch, or if you have young kids who enjoy spooky but family-friendly movies, Hocus Pocus is definitely worth your time. It may show its age in a few places, but it still has enough magic to make it a Halloween favorite.
For those who like: Fantasy, Halloween, Comedy, Magic, a Fun Cast of Characters, and a Good Plot.
Not for those who don’t like: Any of the above, but you really ought to give it a try.
