Hocus Pocus

Hocus Pocus

Starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Omri Katz

Directed by Kenny Ortega

The Story:
In Salem 1693, witch sisters Winifred (Bette Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Mary (Kathy Najimy) Sanderson have concocted a spell to remain eternally young, by feeding on the souls of children.  They're stopped by Thackery Binx (Sean Murray), but not before they got some of their youth back, and putting a curse on Binx, turning him into an eternally alive cat.  They're hanged in the town square, and thought to be dead for good.

In 1993, newcomers Max (Omri Katz) and his young sister Dani (Thora Birch) arrive in town from Los Angeles, and upon hearing the curse of the Sanderson sisters, Max doesn't believe it.  His crush, Allison (Vinessa Shaw), takes them to the Sanderson house, where Max inadvertently awakens the witches from their death slumber.  Taking her spell book, the three kids (and Binx the cat) must find a way to survive to daylight, or else the witches will feast on the souls of children and remain forever young.

The Synopsis:
When Disney released "Hocus Pocus" in theaters, it only garnered around $40 million, and was considered a flop.  However, as the years passed and the movie hit the small screen in an almost continual loop during Halloween, the film has garnered a huge cult following, and in all honesty I found it totally hilarious and a great Halloween film that the whole family can enjoy.

Sure, the story isn't very original - three witches, striving for eternal youth, feed on the souls of children - but it's due to the magical talents of Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy that really steal the show (interesting tidbit: Rosie O'Donnell was originally approached for Najimy's role, but she turned it down).  The three actresses make bad look so good, in their hilarious hijinks that's reminiscent of a classic "Three Stooges" affair, and it's so weird to root against them, even though they seek to essentially kill children, due to their own offbeat nature.  When they hit the modern world, they freak out over a road (they called it a "black river"), a bus ("what is this contraption?"), and marvel at the different demons and evil things on the road (they're actually children dressed up in costumes).

Bette Midler does well as Winifred, the Moe of the group, who leads the sisters in their wicked endeavors and orchestrates all the plans.  Midler plays her part with glee, even saying in 2008 that this film was her most favorite, and it shows.  She also shows off her incomparable singing talents with a humorous mini-concert at a party.  Sarah Jessica Parker plays Sarah, the Curly of the sisters, and also the youngest.  She's the most attractive and seeks out male attention, and also plays the air-headed bimbo to a T.   Kathy Najimy is Mary, the Larry of the sisters, who is sweet (ish) and unassuming, serving as a bloodhound who smells children nearby.  She's the most loyal of the sisters and always wants to help, even if it's not needed and also a bigger detriment than anything.  These three actresses work their magic together, and they're a laugh riot.

The remaining cast members also do well, including Omri Katz's Max (which was originally offered to Leonardo DiCaprio) who plays off the older brother role well.  Thora Birch is cute-as-a-button Dani, but also tough-as-nails.  Vinessa Shaw is the no-nonsense townsgirl Allison, who also does most of the thinking for the group.  Like the witches, these three also play off each other beautifully, and adds to the special quality this film has.

From start to finish, the film is a hilarious Halloween romp through the stereotypical world of Salem, Massachusetts, offering stereotypical witches and a stereotypical story, but somehow manages to rise above the stereotype.  The ending itself is a surprise emotional punch, one that wasn't expected but well-received.  What else adds to the reason why the film is such a cult classic is the adult jokes thrown into this otherwise family-friendly affair.  They're not raunchy by any means, but adults will definitely pick up on the humor that goes above the younglings' heads.  That is another aspect of the film that adds magic, a Halloween film that can be watched with the whole family instead of sending the children to their rooms to enjoy a "Friday the 13th" marathon.

One final testament to its staying power: even though it was a flop in theaters back in 1993, you still see Winifred Halloween costumes at pretty much any Halloween store.  That, truly, is staying power.

The Summary:
Even though it was considered a flop during its run, "Hocus Pocus" has garnered an insane cult following thanks to three terrific leads, a family-friendly story, and a humorous adventure with surprising heart.

The Score: A+