Hocus Pocus (1993)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Kenny Ortega

Writers (WGA):

David Kirschner (story) and
Mick Garris (story) ...

Release Date:

16 July 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Horror

Tagline:

It's just a bunch of Hocus Pocus!

Plot:

More than 300 years ago, 3 witches were sentenced to die in Salem, Massachusetts and a boy was turned into a cat (a black cat...

Plot Keywords:

Sister | Salem | Halloween | Cat | Children

Awards:

2 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Bette Midler	...	Winifred 'Winnie' Sanderson
Sarah Jessica Parker	...	Sarah Sanderson
Kathy Najimy	...	Mary Sanderson
Omri Katz	...	Max Dennison
Thora Birch	...	Dani
Vinessa Shaw	...	Allison
Amanda Shepherd	...	Emily Binx
Larry Bagby	...	Ernie / 'Ice' (as Larry Bagby III)
Tobias Jelinek	...	Jay
Stephanie Faracy	...	Jenny Dennison
Charles Rocket	...	Dave Dennison
Doug Jones	...	Billy Butcherson
Karyn Malchus	...	Headless Billy Butcherson
Sean Murray	...	Thackery Binx
Steve Voboril	...	Elijah

MPAA:

Rated PG for some scary sequences, and for language.

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:10 | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Netherlands:6 | Germany:12 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Chile:TE | Peru:PT | UK:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Ballroom, Park Plaza Hotel - 607 S. Park View Street, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Walt Disney Pictures

Trivia:

Rosie O'Donnell was originally offered the role of Mary Sanderson, but it was ultimately given to Kathy Najimy. O'Donnell claims on her blog that she turned down the offer to work with the Divine Miss M because she didn't want to be a "scary witch".

Goofs:

Continuity: While in the museum, after being thrown to the floor, Max's lighter flies out of his hand and behind the desk. We don't see him pick it up, but once they're in the cemetery, he has it again.

Quotes:

Thackery Binx: Elijah! Elijah!
[he runs up to Elijah]
Thackery Binx: Hast thou seen my sister Emily?
Elijah: Nay. But look.
[he points to purple smoke in the sky]
Elijah: They conjure.
Thackery Binx: Oh, God. The woods!
[he and Elijah run towards the field and see Sarah leading Emily into the woods]
Thackery Binx: Emily!
Elijah: She's done for.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Women of Charmed (2000) (TV)

Soundtrack:

I Put a Spell on You

Pretty average although very funny in places.

I do like this film, though only moderately. In some places it's really funny and includes some adult humour as well as stuff for the kids, but a lot of it is predictable and has a pretty basic story line. I thought that Bette Midler's performance was brilliant (as usual) and that over all, I would watch this film again, but I wouldn't go out of my way to see it.