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Blu-ray Review: “Hocus Pocus” Is Still Campy And Full Of Fun

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After three centuries, three witch sisters are resurrected in Salem, Massachusetts on Halloween night, and it is up to two teenagers, a young girl, and an immortal cat to put an end to their reign of terror once and for all.

Back in 1993, when I was in middle school, “Hocus Pocus” showed up on the Disney Channel just in time for Halloween. Despite a personal distaste for Halloween, this movie is one of those necessary cutesy movies for pre-teen girls. Now, this witch movie with a talking cat is everything necessary to relax on an October night with my own children. Add a bowl of popcorn and settle in for the perfect movie night. The new Anniversary edition is available on Blu-ray and comes with the original production (digitally enhanced for your viewing pleasure) and a Trivia and Treats Edition with deleted scenes and many other extras.

Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy star as the Sanderson Sisters, three witches from the seventeenth century in Salem, who come back to the current day (well, 1993) on Halloween hoping to steal the essence of children so they can live forever. Rewind back three hundred years when the witches originally killed a little girl and turned her brother into an immortal talking cat. If that wasn’t enough, the witches promised to come back when a virgin little a candle in their home to continue their mission of eternal youth.

In the nineties, a new family moves to Salem, Max (Omri Katz) and his little sister Dani (Thora Birch). While out trick-or-treating, Max runs into Allison, his crush from school, and to impress her, he agrees to go check out the Sanderson Sisters’ haunted home. Trying to prove he is not scared, Max lights the candle that returns the Sisters back to earth and the present day. Winifred (Bette Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker), and Mary (Kathy Najimy), in their over-the-top garb and Three Stooges act, endear the audience to their plight as they hunt down Max’s little sister Dani with the help of a zombie named Billy (Doug Jones). The cat, Thackery Binx (Sean Murray), determined to right his sister’s death, assists Max and Allison in their attempt to rid the world of the witches and save Dani’s life. They have to work fast; the witches need to suck out the youth of Salem before sunrise or perish, and those witches are fast! Especially, the one that flies on a vacuum instead of a broom.

Some movies, when you re-watch them as adults, you cannot stand them as they seem super dorky now. While campy, “Hocus Pocus” is still a lot of fun, even for grown-ups. I mean come on; the movie has a talking cat and a cuddly zombie. The acting is over-the-top in all the best ways and the kids in the movie are solid and sassy. Kids will love the musical scene and the song, “I put a spell on you,” a vocal treat for Bette Midler fans. The plot is filled with laughter and visual surprises. This movie is still a hit and a cult classic Disney Movie. No Halloween is complete without a little “Hocus Pocus.”

Now available on a 25th Anniversary Blu-ray Edition

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UUMsInka2s
 

 

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