Hocus Pocus (1993)

After 300 years, three sister witches are resurrected in Salem Massachusetts on Halloween night, and it us up to two teenagers, a young girl, and an immortal cat to put an end to the witches reign of terror once and for all.

Director:

Kenny Ortega

Writers:

David Kirschner (story), Mick Garris (story),

Stars:

Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy

2 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bette Midler	...	Winifred
Sarah Jessica Parker	...	Sarah
Kathy Najimy	...	Mary
Omri Katz	...	Max
Thora Birch	...	Dani
Vinessa Shaw	...	Allison
Jodie-Amy Rivera	...	Emily (as Amanda Shepherd)
Larry Bagby	...	Ernie 'Ice' (as Larry Bagby III)
Tobias Jelinek	...	Jay
Stephanie Faracy	...	Jenny
Charles Rocket	...	Dave
Doug Jones	...	Billy Butcherson
Karyn Malchus	...	Headless Billy Butcherson
Sean Murray	...	Thackery
Steve Voboril	...	Elijah

Storyline

300 years have passed since the Sanderson sisters were executed for practicing dark witchcraft. Returning to life thanks to a combination of a spell spoken before their demise and the accidental actions of Max, the new-kid-in-town, the sisters have but one night to secure their continuing existence...

---

Plot Keywords:

halloween | cat | candle | salem massachusetts | witchcraft | 

---

Taglines:

It's just a bunch of Hocus Pocus!

---

Genres:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Horror

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some scary sequences, and for language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 July 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Abracadabra

Filming Locations:

Plimouth Plantation - 137 Warren Avenue, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$28,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£1,430,123 (UK) (12 November 1993)

Gross:

£1,992,531 (UK) (10 December 1993)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Brother and sister Garry Marshall and Penny Marshall play husband and wife. He's the one dressed as Satan.

---

Goofs

When the kids are hiding in the alley and Mary smells the scrod, she says they are good with bread crumbs and margarine. Her character, having lived 300 years ago, would not have known about margarine which was invented in 1869.

---

Quotes

Sarah: [singing in the sky] Come little children, I'll take thee away / Into a land of enchantment / Come little children, the times come to play / Here in my garden of magic.

---

Connections

Referenced in Jeopardy!: 2012 Teachers Tournament Semifinal Game 2 (2012)

---

Soundtracks

"Sarah's Theme"
Music by James Horner
Lyrics by Brock Walsh

User Reviews

The critics couldn't be more off-target!

While I've been enjoying this film for years, I only recently decided to read some reviews for it, and am shocked! The truth is, this film is a wonderfully comical and charming tale of three Salem witches that are resurrected by a teenage boy, who, with the help of his little sister and love interest, must try to stop them from stealing the souls of children. This movie really sparkles in the representations of the witches, who are all cast perfectly. Bette Midler provides for a hilarious and almost frightening Winifred (the leader), Sarah Jessica Parker shines as the sexy, dim-witted Sarah, and Kathy Najimy is marvelous as the funny, perky Mary. What makes the film even better is that there are two stunning musical numbers--Midler's delightful "I Put a Spell on You" and Parker's hypnotic "Come, Little Children." Ignore the critics, "Hocus Pocus" is perfect not only for Halloween, but for any time of the year!