Hocus Pocus is an October favorite for many. The film came out on July 16th, 1993 and made a total of $39.5 million at the box office. Ever since, it has been the perfect October movie to curl up in bed to and get you right into the spooky mood. The film has the perfect balance of horror and humor. A great choice for both parents as well as kids. Although the witches are the villains, they are still humorous characters due to their confusion to the new time period.
The director of the film was Kenny Ortega. The film is set in the present of 1993, in Salem Massachusetts. It is based around three witch sisters from the seventeenth century who used to kill young children and take their souls so they could be young. Before they were put to death, they set a curse so that one day on Halloween a virgin soul would relight the black flame candle. In the film, 300 years after the witches deaths a young boy named Max takes his young sister Dani trick or treating. He is new to town and doesn’t believe in the legend of the Sanderson sisters. In an attempt to impress Alison, a girl who he likes, he relights the black candle and reawakens the Sanderson sisters. After the candle is lit, a feline friend who used to be a real boy comes to save the day. His name was Sean Murray and he was the older brother of a young girls whose soul was taken by the witch. Throughout the rest of the movie it shows the events of the night that gets the witches back into the grave. Through the film there are some great laughs as well as a blossoming romance between young Alison and Max
The cast of this movie includes Bette Midler playing Winifred Sanderson, Mary Sanderson played by Kathy Najimy, Sarah Sanderson played by Sarah Jessica Parker, Dani Dennison played by Thora Birch, Alison who is played by Vinessa Shaw, Sean Murray played by Thackery Binx, and Max Dennison played by Omri Katz.
In 1994 Hocus Pocus won the Saturn award for best costumes. It was also nominated for the best special effects as well as Best Fantasy Film Saturn award. Although, Thora Birch who played Dani, was given the Young Artist Award for the Best Youth Actress Leading Role in a Motion Picture Comedy.
Hocus Pocus was given a seventy percent score on rotten tomatoes. Parents from Common Sense Media say that the perfect age for watching this movie is ten plus, and kids from Common Sense Media say it should be eight plus. For anyone looking for a great movie night, Hocus Pocus is a great film for all.
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