Hocus Pocus (1993)

I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

Best movie ever!

Awesome Movie

Admirable film.

Back in 1693, the Sanderson sisters are hung for performing witchcraft. 300 years later they become resurrected after a sceptical teenager lights the infamous black candle as he believes the legend of the Sanderson sisters to be merely 'Hocus Pocus'. Newly resurrected, the mighty Sanderson sisters are set to bring about a new reign of terror on the town of Salem with only 2 teenagers, a young girl and an immortal cat intent on trying to stop them.Strangely, the best way for me to analyse a film like Hocus Pocus is to imagine yourself being sober and being in the company of a bunch of drunk people; they start off amusing and you find yourself being able to have a bit of a laugh with them in the early stages, but then the longer the evening progresses and the more drunk they get you start to notice that they become louder, more annoying and harder to tolerate. Interestingly, this was my perception of this whole film....In the last paragraph I am specifically referring to the 3 witches (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy). To be fair, their performances are excellent here and they are definitely responsible for the funniest moments in the film, but when watching them it does feel like you're in the company of the 3 of the most irritating people in the world (Najimy as Mary says 'I smell children' quite a lot and this is her only real memorable contribution). Parker puts in a good performance, but it essentially just consists of her either being flirtatious or childish - again a mix that works well at the start, but begins to wear out its welcome in the latter stages). Midler is easily the best of the 3 and is able to carry the film with ease - it probably helps that as the leader of the group that she's given more of a character to work with, but she's the only one who really shows any general menace. All 3 women are guilty of overacting at times and their scenes together also feel quite theatrical a lot of the time. The supporting cast are actually OK, but are not as compelling as the leads with only Thora Birch really being able to display any real talent (Birch is probably better known for her work in American Beauty).Aside from feeling like a wacky, zany and crazy acid trip the film is also rarely funny and seems overly reliant on star power to get by; the story is actually quite weak and isn't particularly involving - this isn't helped by the obligatory trite teenage romance slotted slap bang in the middle of the picture which seems to dominate proceedings.I also felt that the film missed out on opportunities to be smarter or funnier; the witches are resurrected 300 years later, but the only comments they make on their new society relate to firemen being witch-hunters and Bette Midler asking a bus driver what the strange contraption is that he's driving... More tit-bits like this would have given this film an edge and just made it a bit funnier than it was.I have to admit that although there were a lot of things that I disliked about this film it's still a colourful and fairly lively film at times and Midler, Najimy and Parker do breathe some life into the film and make it much better than it has any right to be. I suspect that the basic level of escapism that it provides will please older children (its darker themes make it unsuitable for young children). For me though, despite it having some historical significance I just found the story a little weak and found the whole thing to be a little too wacky and crazy and sadly these things came at the expense of it being funny most of the time.

"The proof is in the pudding!" I need to always remind myself of this line. Too many times I have not watched certain movies due to the premise not appealing to me or having seen terrible reviews. Then I have to remind myself of 2 things: (1) Most movies nowadays pretty much suck out of the gate, AND (2) Many movies of yesteryear actually hold up because they by default have so much going for them: genuine dialogue, more practical effects, better and original stories. There are films that I never dared watch as a kid that I have since re-visited that have become personal faves.This Halloween treat HOCUS POCUS (1993) has become a holiday favorite of mine having seen it for the first time marathon-ing a slew of Halloween-themed movies. While it's definitely flawed, it's funnier than 99.9% of the comedies now. Hell, let's just for the even 100! "Hocus Pocus" is the tale of 3 Salem witch siblings who were persecuted in the 17th century, but are revived 300 years later on All Hallows Eve 1993 by the opening of their book of spells by an unwitting teenager named Max (skillfully played by Omri Katz of "Dallas" fame; he played the character John Ross Ewing for the longest time frame in the original series). Katz does a commendable job carrying the "kid" portion of the film, but it's the witches themselves who steal the show!The 3 witches are hilariously realized by Bette Midler (Winifred), Kathy Najimy (Mary), and Sarah Jessica Parker (Sarah). Midler, Najimy, and Parker are a laugh riot throughout, with Midler the crafty, witty, wisecracking oldest sister, Najimy the goofy middle sister, and Parker the ditzy youngest sister. I even dare say that as hilarious as Midler and Najimy were, it was Parker who stole the show perfectly playing the brainless blonde bombshell! Parker is so effortlessy ditzy and sexy in this, I'm surprised she never really played another role like this at any other time in her career. She's almost unrecognizable. Also, this is perhaps my favorite of all of Midler's comic performances. She really lets loose here as this is probably her most broad comic role. Midler also makes the best, most funny facial expressions. And Najimy's acting choice of making her character slur her speech totally works and would have sunk in the hands of a lesser comedic talent. And I love the way the 3 actresses show the symbiotic relationship of the witches and do things in sync throughout the fim.The "kid" cast isn't half bad either. The aforementioned Katz is all in and exudes charisma as the put-upon teenage newcomer to Salem, as his family has just moved from LA to put down roots in the infamous, historical town. Katz gets great support from then-child actress and scene-stealer Thora Birch (playing Max's precocious younger sister Dani) and fashion-model-actress Vinessa Shaw (as Max's love interest Allison). Shaw is kind of the weak link among the "kids" as she is obviously more mature than Katz and it's somewhat of a stretch at times she'd be attracted to Max's clutzy, innocent character. Although it's always nice when the nerd gets the girl! Also, there are a few memorable minor characters, most notably the zombified Billy Butcherson (played memorably by Doug Jones), and also the 2 teen bullies who harass Max and steal candy from the trick-or-treaters, the bus driver who has the hots for the witches, the "cop" who doesn't believe the kids story about the witches, and none other than Garry and Penny Marshall, who play a rather creepy married couple. Also, there's Thackery the cat! Can't forget his contribution.There are even a couple of musical numbers, as Midler gets to show off her singing prowess with a memorable number "I Put a Spell on You". Also, Parker gets to show off her singing chops with a spellbinding rendition of "Come Little Children" during the film's climax. The movie boasts an upbeat and fast pace, nonstop laughs, and 3 iconic comic performances from Midler, Najimy, and Parker. The actresses comedic chemistry and timing is something to behold. I really enjoyed how Winifred was the brains and her younger sisters Mary and Sarah spent virtually the entire film mimicking her. It was like they were all sharing Winifred's brain! LOL I will say that the kid's storyline kind of lacked the humor when they were on their own and really amped up when they were in the presence of the 3 witches, which makes sense as the 3 actresses were noticeably more adept and skilled at comedy and comic timing than the younger ones. But, trust me, I've seen a lot worse child actors, a LOT worse! This is one of those movies that further supports my theory that film critics know jack squat about entertaining movies. Last time I looked, comedies were supposed to be FUNNY! If they don't pass that test, they fail completely. Thankfully, "Hocus Pocus" succeeds!

I didn't like this movie at all. It felt more like an episode of Power Rangers than a Halloween classic. One problem I have with most of the Disney Channel movies is that they follow a very small group of characters around, trying to deal with whatever problem for just long enough to fill a feature length running time. They end up feeling very insular and formulaic, like the Hardy Boys mysteries that all had about the same number of pages in them. Hocus Pocus had a few good ideas, but no one was interested in developing the story further than a basic repetitive chase sequence. The performances were terrible. The three leads--the witch sisters-- should have been fun, over-the-top characters, but without the right direction, they didn't find the right tone. It's too embarrassingly silly for anyone over 8, but also a little scary and graphic for very young children--and did they have to mention that the protagonist was a virgin so many times? You make a movie that's too stupid for almost any age, then throw in concepts that are inappropriate for your already limited audience? Disney's main feature studios are extremely good at developing scripts that can be enjoyed by all ages, but the other arms of the company just seem to churn out junk like this quickly.

I always make an effort to watch this film every Halloween, and it never disappoints! If you like Halloween films that are more comedic than scary, then this film is for you. It's fun for the whole family, really! The main plot of the film revolves around the Sanderson sisters, Winifred, Mary, and Sarah, who were hanged in Salem, Massachusetts in 1693 for the "spiritual" and untimely death of Emily Binx (the witches literally sucked the "youth" out of her), sister of Thackery Binx, who was later cursed by the sisters to eternally live as a feline after attempts to save his sister from the witches, failed. However, before their deaths, the witches cast out a spell which will resurrect them once a virgin lights the "black flamed candle" on Halloween night. Once the sisters are hung in front of the whole town, Thackery Binx ends up guarding the Sanderson sisters home for the next 300 years. However, on October 31, 1993, the witches are brought back to life after a curious virgin, Max Dennison, lights the black flamed candle in the witches former residence. Upon doing so, all three witches immediately come back to life, astounded at how much has changed in the world since they were last alive. After Max, his younger sister Dani, and his girlfriend from school, Allison, flee from the cottage after meeting Binx the cat and stealing the witches unique spell book with a moving eye, the Sanderson sisters, after being sprayed with water from the sprinkler system in their home, which was later converted into a museum for historical purposes, then come to the realization that the water is harmless and that the spell they cast only calls for them to be alive on that Halloween night. Knowing this information, the sisters then go on a hunt for their stolen book and the kids that have it. Mayhem ensues as they attempt, and fail, to capture the kids throughout the film. The sisters are then lured into a high school, where they are tricked into an incinerator, burned up and reduced to smoke. However, they survive and return home. Later on, Max and Allison eventually end up opening the spell book to see what's inside. By doing so, a strong green light emits from it, which immediately alerts the witches of its whereabouts. Knowing this information, the witches travel to Max's house, retrieve the book and kidnap Dani and Binx. In response to this, Max and Allison slowly make their way, by car, to the Sanderson's cottage due to all of the children in the street thanks to Sarah's hypnotizing song. Upon their arrival, Max then tricks the sisters into thinking that the sun is coming up using the headlights of their Ford Explorer, with Max jokingly referring to it as "daylight savings time." They all then make a break for the cemetery, where they run into Billy Butcherson, who is a former deceased and mummified lover of Winnie, and who was also poisoned by her after having an affair with Sarah. Billy unwillingly follows Winnie's orders to go after the kids, only to ignore her as time goes on. Dani is later captured by Winnie again, and at that point, Max manages to steal the potion from Winnie, which was only enough for one child after Max tipped over and spoiled most of the potion earlier in the film. In any case, Max then threatens to smash the bottle in an effort to let his sister live. Winnie then threatens to kill Dani in return. Max then drinks the potion himself, which causes her to let go of Dani and pick up Max, who puts up more of a struggle. However, Max then manages to knock Winnie off of her broom, with her other two sisters following suit. Because the cemetery is hallowed ground, the witches turn to stone, with the sun rising not long after, and their statues explode into dust. After their battle is won, Billy returns to his grave, once again entering into eternal rest, and because the witches are gone, the spell on Binx is rescinded, who therefore dies. Binx then re-emerges in spirit with his sister Emily, thanking them for what they have done. After many years of being apart, Binx and Emily then walk off together into eternal life.Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy all put on a fine performance in this film and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is a fan of family friendly Halloween films.