It's just a bunch of HOCUS POCUS! 🎃

I've never understood why Disney seems to have a love/hate relationship with it, since for millennials it is one of our most beloved films.

I don't get it, but I do love Penny Marshall's bit.

Absolutely love it! It’s a must watch at our house during Halloween.

It’s so underrated. Disney fucked up by releasing it in July instead of Halloween. It tanked at the box office, which is probably why Disney hates it.

R4 actually I saw a snippet on Hocus Pocus it really has a great fan base.

What children's movie is synonymous with Halloween? Hocus Pocus, of course.

The movie stars Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker as three Sanderson sisters and witches who are resurrected on Halloween night. But the film wasn't even released on Halloween, but rather on July 16, in 1993. And Hocus Pocus, which hit theaters 25 years ago to this day, was a box office flop, making just $39.5 million—far less than what is expected for a Disney production. It also garnered mostly bad reviews from critics. Tough crowd!

The movie was much more successful among TV viewers at home, years later, as a piece of nostalgia.

Over the years, thanks to better VHS, DVD and digital streaming sales, as well as positive social media responses to repeated airings during Disney-owned Freeform's annual "13 Nights of Halloween" programming block, the film has earned its status as a cult classic—and it has the memes and GIFs to prove it. The Disney Channel is even making a TV remake.

Hocus Pocus began as a bedtime story that producer and co-writer David Kirschner told his two young daughters in the '80s. It was even published in Muppet magazine. The film was also inspired by some personal events from his childhood; Even Binx the cat was named after his pet cat Inks.

"Halloween is a huge deal in our home, and it has been since our daughters were little," Kirschner told Yahoo! Entertainment in 2015.

"It speaks to me in a way that becomes so emotional for me and always has."

Kirschner told the outlet that when he pitched the movie to Disney in 1984, almost a decade before it was released, he created in the meeting room a Halloween-themed display, complete with witches' brooms suspended from the ceiling, child-drawn pictures of black cats spilled candy corn.

The movie was not originally titled Hocus Pocus, but rather Halloween House. And it also almost starred Leonardo DiCaprio as Max, the virginal black flame candle lighter. He turned down the role so he could film What's Eating Gilbert Grape and Omri Katz got the part instead, Yahoo! reported.

Thora Birch, who plays his little sister Dani, had starred with DiCaprio in the Parenthood TV series that ended its one-season run in 1991, two years before Hocus Pocus was released. The movie also has another DiCaprio connection; Oscar-winning late Titanic composer James Horner co-wrote "Sarah's Theme," the "Come little children" song that Parker's character sings in Hocus Pocus while riding her broomstick.

Rosie O'Donnell was also almost cast in Hocus Pocus; she was offered the role of Mary Sanderson, which ultimately went to Najimy.

Midler said on Katie Couric's talk show Katie in 2013 that she, Parker and Najimy "laughed the whole time" filming Hocus Pocus, adding, "We made it before the tidal wave of Halloween happened. Now it's like huge. It's huge—kids, grown-ups, everyone takes part in it. This movie was kind of like the beginning of the wave."

"For [Millennials], I think it's nostalgia," Freeform President Tom Ascheim told Vulture in 2017. "They get to wander back to that moment when Halloween was important in their lives."

All of us are just stunned," she said. "Kathy, Sarah Jessica and I have talked about it. We are totally thrilled to death. Because when it came out, it laid a tiny little bit of an egg, so we didn't expect much. And now look at it! OCTOBER is HOCUS POCUS MONTH!"

The acting is so horrible besides Bette.. and sorry this is the halloween movie for the lame kids. The cool kids prefer Coraline!

The only Halloween-themed movie I was allowed to watch

My childhood Halloween was always filled with HBO's annual airing of THE WORST WITCH starring Fairuza Balk, Diana Rigg, Tim Curry and Charlotte Rae!

R4 Yeah, I've never understood why they released it in July. What was that about? R1 It really is. I love that we made it what it is today. A must watch every Halloween. R3 ABSOLUTELY. R9 I barely remember that one. Haven't seen it since the late 80s.

R9 I have never seen that movie is it good?

R10 Studios can be crazy. In 1947, Fox released Miracle on 34th Street in June.

Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf.

Dropped into the bottomless gulf.

Venomous vipers come to us,

Covered in evil, ooze and pus.

We just love the wicked and worst.

Of all nature's things, they come first!

So if you're...

FILTHY

SMELLY

EVIL, WICKED AND CRUEL...

You'll fit right at home in my little school!

I wouldn't watch Bette in anything. She tries too hard.

Omri Katz was one of my early crushes. Now he looks like a hoobo

I've loved this movie since I was little but just now realized that the little girl is played by Thora Birch. Damn.

As kids, my siblings and I watched this movie on repeat.

SJP was probably at her hottest. Though more likely because she’s alongside Midler and Najimy .

Sarah Jessica Parker looked her best in First Wives Club and Hocus Pocus. If only she still looked like that good during the entire run of Sex and The City, then it would've made the series a bit more believable. Though that may be stretching it a little.

R18 she looked okay because her hair covered most of her face through out the movie.

r1 It definitely is a beloved millennial film. Everyone I know has a nostalgic fondness for it--including me. I don't know if I would want to sit through it again, however, since things rarely live up to how you remember them. Has anyone watched it recently? Does it?

R21. I did and it still holds up surprisingly well. It's still a bit cheesey in parts, but those moments don't make me cringe. I think what is interesting about this film is I can't picture the Disney of today making it.

Do not get the love for this movie, Can't believe Bette turned down Sister Act for this.

Disagree R20. In Hocus Pocus, LA Story and First Wives Club, SJP really was a knockout. I think she started exercising and dieting like crazy during Sex and the City which is why she never looked attractive in it outside of maybe the first two seasons.

I loved it when I was 9 and I love it now. I watched this with friends last year and it was even better with alcohol. Doing it again this year.

R23 Same here. Horrible acting and stupid plot. Unwatchable.

My coworker just had her annual Hocus Pocus viewing party this past weekend. We all just roll our eyes. She's 40-something. I don't think I've ever seen it in its entirety.

I just watched it this past weekend, I had remembered liking it but I was already 19 when it was first released so it wasn't of my generation. Honestly, it's a bit of a drag. The three witches are...okay, but not particularly funny, Najimy has a couple of moments. I'm never too fond of Midler when she plays negative and mean, as opposed to her more 'sassy' stage persona. Parker made the choice to have this oddly adenoidal voice which wasn't funny and just seemed contrived. But I thought the kid-centric scenes really dragged, Shaw and Katz were a bit low energy, and though Birch had a bit more energy, she was guilty of some of the most shitty child acting I've ever seen and I really wondered why they didn't cast Christina Ricci, Anna Chlumsky or Gaby Hoffman who were all better actors.

R21 Watch it every Halloween. It's cheesy, dated, and unrealistic. It doesn't matter. It's pure fantasy entertainment. I think you have to see it as a kid. As others have said, nostalgia is a big factor. Omri Katz played a huge role for my love of it. It was like the first time I felt feelings for a boy. But I loved everyone in it and still do. It's just Halloween fun. Nothing to really overanalyze. Some jokes are still HILARIOUS. It's a pretty dark story. Great fall/Halloween setting. It's cozy and always sets the mood.

Is Omri Katz gay? After retiring from acting he became a hairdresser.

Now he sells weed out in Cali.

[quote]this is the halloween movie for the lame kids. The cool kids prefer Coraline!

Pretty stupid comparison, especially since these films were released for a different generation of kids. They also operate in completely different fashions.

Anyway, Hocus Pocus is a classic, and I've seen it so many times growing up in the 90s and into adulthood and from what I remember it still holds up. I know it's got a large cult following comprised of various backgrounds, but I have to assume that a significant portion of the fanbase is gay. I mean, Bette Midler, the flamboyance, the camp... if I'm not mistaken it was directed by a gay man.

It was also the first time a lot of us were introduced to Doug Jones before even knowing who he was. He played the Frankenstein's monster send up of Billy, and we've seen him do great makeup/creature work ever since in films like Pan's Labyrinth.

ALSO! John Debney's score is great! Fits in with the others great 90s children's film scores.

The first time I saw it I think I was around 7 or 8 years old. I got a really bad crush on Thackeray Binks, the cat, but for some odd reason I was more into him in his cat form than I was in his human-boy form. We bought a copy of the movie on VHS and I would watch it not just for Halloween but whenever I got alone time with the TV. I also developed a crush on the skeleton guy who sings "I put a spell on you" at the Halloween party, and Winnie's dead zombie boyfriend 'Billaaaaay!' as Winnie would say it. I don't know why, I think I was intrigued by the way they sound, more than how they looked. I had the same experience with Casper, he was more appealing to me as a ghost than a living boy.

R32 I love the score! I have it on my ipod and listen to it every fall especially when walking through a cemetery.

R23, who would have believed that in 25 years, Sister Act is fairly forgotten when it was a HUGE hit at the BO and Hocus Pocus has become a holiday classic and was a Huge flop at the BO.

Honestly, I had forgotten it came out at the inopportune time of the year because, I remember that, I saw it at the dollar theater so it was closer to Halloween.

[quote]I got a really bad crush on Thackeray Binks, the cat, but for some odd reason I was more into him in his cat form than I was in his human-boy form.

I understand. If you're like me it's all in the voice acting... Thackerey was so sweet and kind as a cat, and there's an underlying tragedy to his story, so that makes him all the more appealing. Interestingly enough, Jason Marsden, Thackery's voice actor, didn't play the real life version of the character. Marsden has had a pretty rich career doing voice over work, and seems to have an especially strong working relationship with Disney as he voiced Goofy's son, Max, Kovu in The Lion King 2, and had a recurring role on Boy Meets World.

[quote]who would have believed that in 25 years, Sister Act is fairly forgotten when it was a HUGE hit at the BO and Hocus Pocus has become a holiday classic and was a Huge flop at the BO.

It's impressive right? The reason for this is in your descriptor of the film... a "holiday" classic. Films centered around holidays seem to have more staying power than most because they can be revisited every year, and they evoke such strong nostalgic/positive emotions in us. Sister Act was a blockbuster for its time, but holidays are timeless, and if you make a film people enjoy gathering around annually to rewatch, then it's likely you've made a classic of sorts.

TV is also a factor. I owned Hocus Pocus growing up, but I never needed to watch it because it aired multiple times on TV every Halloween season. I'm sure it still happens to this day. The film's quiet ubiquity helped it survive.

Bette, Kathy, and Sarah have talked about this film in recent years, right? I know there was talk of a sequel for a period of time. I get the feeling that whenever Sarah talks about it she's somewhat embarrassed, which is a shame because it's probably her best cinematic performance... maybe her best performance ever, to be honest.

r33 is Tina from Bob's Burgers who forgot to mention that she also likes zombies making out with each other.

R37, I also think Sister Act comes off a little bit preachy and sanctimonious whereas Hocus Pocus is just weird mindless fun. Yes, TV had a lot to do with it but Sister Act just does not have the same longevity and I think you can see that today if you view them side by side.

Yeah "Sister Act" is corny as fuck and does not hold up. Sarah Jessica loves HOCUS POCUS. She was one of the first one's I heard say she wanted to do a sequel and Disney told her no.

r37, is right. You just go back to Hocus Pocus when Halloween is around. When do you discuss Sister Act? When Whoopi does something Sister Act-y? When Dame Maggie Smith delivers a splendid punchline on Downton Abbey? When there's a singing, or guitar playing, nun on the TV?

Sorry, a singing, or guitar playing, nun on TV?

Yes Omri Katz is OUT and eligible! Confirmed!

R4, I didn't realise it was released in July in America. That's just weird. It was released in October in the UK. Similarly, Gremlins was first released in December in the UK but in June in America. I don't understand why anyone would want to watch a Halloween or Christmas film in summer.

Hmmm. I recall a recent interview(WWHL) where SJP said she has never seen it.

If he's gay, Omri Katz is not out.

R45 That isn't that surprising. Lots of actors do not watch their own films.

R45 Yeah, I must have seen the same interview, because in it I got the feeling that she wasn't all that into the film... though she's probably come around on it once she's seen how much of a cult following it has.

I don't know that Disney has completely written Hocus Pocus off though. They've been doing a sort of villains spectacular show at the Magic Kingdom centered around the Sanderson Sisters. It's actually... not horrible? Not horrible at all, and definitely the type of show I'd love to see if I were at the park.

I remember renting it a year after it came out - I liked it and wondered why it was so dragged through the mud. But then again - I love Midler and Najimy. SJP wasn't really on my radar back then.

Very happy it caught its base. I love when movies get that turnaround. Now if SJP REALLY wants to make a movie, they will do a Hocus Pocus Part 2.

Why haven't they made another? It's baffling.

It got dragged through the mud by critics because it's not a good movie, that it has a fanbase and is continually replayed speaks to the fact that there are very few family-oriented mainstream Halloween movies and was played repetitively by Disney owned networks from the '90s onward. It's cute and basically inoffensive but all this wonder about its 'standing the test of time' is no mystery and is not related to its quality.

It's a POS.

The movie is a Disney farce with comical, over the top villains. Of course, it's a holiday (Halloween) special favorite.

TWIST THE BONES AND BEND THE BACK!

R48 And they did that reunion anniversay show last year on TV. Jordan Fisher and Vanessa Hudgens were hosts I think. There at the magic kingdom. Sarah Jessica has said she had so much fun as they all have said and that they all wanted to do a sequel and Disney said no. Who knows. Maybe that's a good thing. The writing in the original is pretty bad at times but now because of the Cult/ICONIC status we have given it, it would have to live up to alot. Also the Sanderson sisters Sara and Mary blew up in the end. I know there is a sequel book and I've heard of the remake for Disney+ so I think Disney is happy about it now. I remember catching it on TV recently and it went from a two star rating to a three star. I laughed because I thought some millennial must be writing for the TV guide/synopsis.

You'll never hear Tim Curry speak ill of the WORST WITCH.

Of course you won't hear him speak much at all nowadays.

R32 There are not that many popular halloween themed movies for kids. The lame kids like this corny dreck , smart kids prefer dark masterpieces like Coraline and Corpse Bride.

R56 Imagine being a hipster about children's Halloween films. Hilarious. Anyway, Hocus Pocus, Coraline, and Corpse Bride are all wonderful films. One can be open minded enough to enjoy all these movies without pitting them against each other.

I was a kid when Hocus Pocus came out and had graduation from college by the time Coraline and Corpse Bride did. 90s kids are nostalgic about HP. Why the hell would I watch a kid’s movie that didn’t come out when I was a kid? THAT’S lame.

R35, I wouldn't say Sister Act is forgotten. It was a Tony-nominated musical almost 20 years after its release.

I can understand why The Marshalls went uncredited in Hocus Pocus.

I always wondered why Midler turned down Sister Act. Wasn't it written with her in mind?

R60 Maybe because she's Jewish.

I just checked this out from the library, I love this movie. I'm 62, but was babysitting a coworker's kid when I saw it. It's one of my favorite movies.

I met this eldergay today.

Speak of the devil. Sequel's in the scripting phase for Disney+. The intent is to bring back the Sanderson sisters. My guess is it takes place in the present day and the myth of the sisters lives on... so similar to the first film, but that narrative has now been incorporated into the legend. Perhaps some fanatical, maybe wannabe witch finds that book or some new incantation to bring the witches back. It's gotta be Halloween night again for sure, and the sisters wreak havoc. You can bring Billy back if you must... but I'd let the rest of the cast from the OG film move on. Introduce new kids and that. Gotta put another song in there for Sarah Jessica Parker. All that stuff.

I saw it in a theater, I remember being a bit underwhelmed. As noted above, it shouldn't have been released in July. They mis-marketed it as an action movie, the effects were minimal at best. This was Bette's fourth flop in a row. She didn't have another hit until 1996's The First Wive's Club (ensemble cast) which was her last hit movie. And we know how the CBS show went... Her last hit was 2012's Parental Guidance (putrid movie, ugh).

R65 the acting by all the teens and kids is straight to video worthy..

[quote]Studios can be crazy. In 1947, Fox released Miracle on 34th Street in June.

Darryl Zanuck insisted on that, saying that more people go to the movies in warm weather. The initial trailers also tried to conceal the fact that the movie takes place at Christmas. Despite such clueless marketing, of course, it was a huge hit and for many years (before "It's a Wonderful Life began being shown constantly on TV) was considered *the* Christmas movie.

R7 Paranorman

An annual watch, along with "The Nightmare Before Christmas," released the same year.

R64 In the book sequel that came out last year, Max and Allison are married and have a 17 year old daughter named Poppy. She is a lesbian and has a secret crush on her friend. She also has black friends for diversity. They go to the Sanderson house with a ouija board and summon Winnifred who then summons Sara, Mary, and Billy along with some other witches and stuff.

R61 and Whoopi has always identified with being Jewish, even though there is no proof that she or her family has any connection to Judaism. Also, being Jewish hasn’t stopped Bette from recording Christmas music not all of which was secular.

R69 Wow, those films DID come out the same year! They're two favorites of mine, and became classic in much the same way, though Nightmare Before Christmas was codified long before Hocus Pocus, which I'd say received its re-analysis in the last... five/six years or so? Anyway, two Halloween classics from Disney in one year... that's impressive.

A lot of seminal films came out in 93.

R72 Nightmare has been a cultural fixture for far longer than 5 years. It's been a pop culture phenom for a very long time. It may have even peaked in popularity several years ago when you could not go into a Halloween theme store or Hot Topic without being flooded with Nightmare merchandise and clothing.

Viewed without nostalgia, it's so uneven it might as well be two movies edited into one. There's the serious coming-of-age drama about the kids, and then there's the goofy campfest about the witches, and the two seem to have absolutely nothing to do with each other.

Still, the goofy campy scenes with the witches are fun enough, if there's nothing else on.

For the poster upthread who said Sister Act is mostly forgotten..

[quote] There's the serious coming-of-age drama about the kids, and then there's the goofy campfest about the witches, and the two seem to have absolutely nothing to do with each other.

That's the point. Would you rather have the entire film be a campfest about the witches or just a coming of age drama? That's what made it so appealing.

It's also amusing to hear people complain about the acting in this movie. The teens played off of the witches, of course their performances would be more subdued, otherwise you'd see them just try to outcamp each other. I'll also defend the teen characters to the death. Omri Katz, Vinessa Shaw, and the actor playing Binx were all very attractive and no doubt contributed to its success among young teens.

"Would you rather have the entire film be a campfest about the witches or just a coming of age drama? "

Campfest, please!

I couldn't care less about those boring kids.

R76, the teens played off the witches for about ten minutes at the end of the film, they were dull and low energy for the previous 80 minutes, as well. Thora Birch and her multiple scenes of forced tear-less sobbing, was unbearable.

Thora Birch is great in this movie. Drop dead, moron.

I was so hot for human Thackeray Binx and Max as a 90s gayling. They were adorable and Max’s middle part was on point. Cat Binx definitely pulled at my heartstrings. I didn’t realize it then but I think I crushed on him too lol. I love this movie.

Bette looked grotesque

I thought she looked better in the movie than in real life.

Sarah Jessica Parker looked very attractive in this movie, LA Story and First Wives Club. It was all downhill after that.

I’m watching it for the first time!

She was supposed to, R81.

I tried watching it again last night. It's definitely a bad movie, but bad in a different kind of way that unsophisticated people enjoy. None of the jokes land.

^^^It's a kid's Halloween movie. Something you had to see growing up. Watching now as an adult, you will get none of the magic.

Funny this is being discussed now.

One of my co-workers went to Salem, MA last weekend. I heard her discussing her trip with another woman in the office. She said, “Have you ever been to Salem? Well, you know the movie, “Hocus Pocus?” It was filmed there, so that’s it’s claim to fame.”

At that point I turned to her and said, “You honestly think that a film set is the “claim to fame” for Salem, Massachusetts?”

“What else?” she asked.

No words.

^^^😂 That is too funny. Clueless.

Watched it earlier this year when I heard it was apparently a thing among us millennial gays. Couldn't finish it.

Disney wanted all their hype and PR to go into "The Nightmare Before Christmas" that year which I still find a completely unsatisfying movie.

[quote] At that point I turned to her and said, “You honestly think that a film set is the “claim to fame” for Salem, Massachusetts?” “What else?” she asked.

You might have told her that "Bewitched" filmed three episodes on location there in 1970.

r88 Should've leaned into it and told her it was actually filmed in Salem, Oregon.

"..."The Nightmare Before Christmas" that year which I still find a completely unsatisfying movie. "

Glad I'm not the only one.

I love musicals, I love bizarre movies, I love strange animated movies... yet "ANBC" misses the boat on all fronts. I've tried hard to love it, but it's just an uninvolving little mess. Even "The Corpse Bride" is better.

[quote] that’s it’s claim to fame.”

Oh, dear-ing myself. Yikes!!

R90 It's not just gays. Don't do that. I know tons of straight women and some straight men. Well, at least they said they were straight.

R94 The corpse bride (and Coraline) are amazing , much better and deserve the hype that the over rated A nightmare before Christmas gets

"Coraline" is an incredibly good movie, I wish it would become a cult classic or a Halloween tradition instead of the weak "Hocus Pocus" or the disappointing "Nightmare Before Christmas".

Although I do admit that "HP" has enough camp to make it watchable.

Sarah Jessica Parker confirms the cast are returning for the sequel!

It's rumored they're only doing cameos which would suck. I hope it's not true.

R100 this wont work if it’s not at least 70 percent sanderson sisters.

[quote]Imagine being a hipster about children's Halloween films.

Marry me.

I'm reading through this thread and couldn't get over that poster trying to go on about what halloween movie the "cool kids" were into. That HP and Coraline came out 16 YEARS APART so it is a completely nonsensical attempt makes it even better.

It will be interesting to see if the sequel retains the charm of the first film. It was not a good movie, but it was just a very likable movie, and that can be tough to duplicate.

I tried watching it all the way through, but it was so bad I couldn't get through it. I did watch parts of it. It's a bad movie. It's like the script writers couldn't decide what it was, a comedy or a horror movie. So the end result was just dumb. I thought the "I Put A Spell On You" scene was good. I thought Penny Marshall was amusing. But the rest of it...meh. I wanted the witches to kill and eat those annoying children. And the acting was crummy, too. In the first part of the movie where they kill the little girl, the sister of boy who gets turned into a cat, the "dead" girl can be seen fidgeting. Oh, this movie was a mess.

So that's Omri Katz at R15? Wow, he's unrecognizable. Is he dying? Does he have AIDs? Sure does look like it. What a shame, when he was a kid he was so cute and was such an appealing young actor. It doesn't get mentioned much but he starred in a short-lived tv series, "Eerie, Indiana" which was quite good and became a kind of cult tv series. He hasn't acted in a long time. The latest that I heard about him was that he's now a "hairdresser."

So Sarah Jessica Parker says there will be a sequel? Yeah, right! I'll believe THAT when it happens.

[quote] So Sarah Jessica Parker says there will be a sequel? Yeah, right! I'll believe THAT when it happens.

There will be one, because Disney needs a lot of original content for Disney+, especially splashy nostalgic content that will drive adults to pay for subscriptions.

"When asked by a fan if there is “Any chance of a sequel?!” she revealed: “We have all said yes. Now we wait.” She went on to reply to another fan, asking about “Round 2?”, saying “We await instructions!”

I think Sarah Jessica Parker (and Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy) are going to be waiting a long, long time.

It has already been confirmed that a sequel IS in the works for Disney+.

What r104 said. This is exactly the type of thing Disney wants to put into production. Content with a preexisting fanbase that will encourage people to check out Disney+.

"In the works." Yes, that is SO definite. Well, if it does get made it will no doubt suck. Making a sequel to a movie that sucked and flopped at the box office...what an idea!

I'm here for the sequel. The Trick 'r Treat sequel, too.