Hocus Pocus
Hocus Pocus
PG | 16 July 1993 (USA)
Hocus Pocus Trailers

After 300 years of slumber, three sister witches are accidentally resurrected in Salem on Halloween night, and it is up to three kids and their newfound feline friend to put an end to the witches' reign of terror once and for all.

Reviews
Micransix Crappy film
Dorathen Better Late Then Never
Taha Avalos The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.
Lachlan Coulson This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.
kafskittles OMG this movie was like nails on a chalkboard to sit through. Of course the 3 witches were mildly entertaining bc the actresses that play them are top rate but the rest of it was so so so bad and cheesy. I can't believe the user reviews are so high on this movie. Phew 1.5 hours of my life I'll never get back.
bayardhiler There are certain movies that I look forward to watching every time the leaves change color and that spooky time of year comes around. One of these is the delightful 1993 "Hocus Pocus" from Disney. Ever since I was a kid, it's a movie I've always cherished, and I think anyone who loves Halloween will too. When a group of kids decide to light the black candle, they unknowingly release a trio of witches who are determined to kill every last child in Salem to prolong their existence forever, unless they can be stopped first. Bette Midler shines in the role as head witch Winifred, bringing the right mixture of comedy and menace, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy equally shine as her comedic sisters bent on mischief and malice. Mick Garris and Dave Kirschner wrote a magical script that's all too delightfully directed by Kenny Ortega. Oh, did I mention there's a talking cat? If you want some Halloween magic, this is not to be missed!!!!
aharmas "Hocus Pocus" is fun, simple, silly, and delivered in a long gone style. There is nothing deep or complicated but a tale of legends and children who dare to play with forbidden objects. The line " I told you so" is probably one that one could hear over and over. Instead, we just tag along and enjoy the various episodes dealing with black cats, vengeful witches, and adventurous children.Back in the time of Salem, three witches are executed, leaving enough proof of their existence and becoming the heart of the many legends in a small Northeastern town. There's nothing really scary or threatening here. Yes, the witches are back for revenge and speak of having people for dinner. However, as the lines are delivered by Midler with a twinkle in her eyes and her sisters ham it up for the camera (Najimi being more successful than Parker), the comedy is broad; the type that children will enjoy the most, and adults can be willing participants to feel like kids again.I was mostly impressed by the quality of the production, obviously filmed in a studio, yet good enough to give the illusion of a Halloween fairy tale. You will see witches flying, some double entendre for the adults, and a hint of zombies. Just tune in, get some pop corn and enjoy a bit of magic.
jfgibson73 I didn't like this movie at all. It felt more like an episode of Power Rangers than a Halloween classic. One problem I have with most of the Disney Channel movies is that they follow a very small group of characters around, trying to deal with whatever problem for just long enough to fill a feature length running time. They end up feeling very insular and formulaic, like the Hardy Boys mysteries that all had about the same number of pages in them. Hocus Pocus had a few good ideas, but no one was interested in developing the story further than a basic repetitive chase sequence. The performances were terrible. The three leads--the witch sisters-- should have been fun, over-the-top characters, but without the right direction, they didn't find the right tone. It's too embarrassingly silly for anyone over 8, but also a little scary and graphic for very young children--and did they have to mention that the protagonist was a virgin so many times? You make a movie that's too stupid for almost any age, then throw in concepts that are inappropriate for your already limited audience? Disney's main feature studios are extremely good at developing scripts that can be enjoyed by all ages, but the other arms of the company just seem to churn out junk like this quickly.