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Amok, amok, amok, amok! Let’s take a ‘amok’ at the Halloween cult classic, Hocus Pocus (1993).
Hocus Pocus was released in theatres on July 16, 1993. It was directed by Kenny Ortega and was written by Mick Garris and David Kischner. The film stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, Doug Jones, Thora Birch, Omri Katz, Sean Murray, and Vinessa Shaw.
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Synopsis
After moving to Salem, teenager Max Dennison (Omri Katz) explores an abandoned house with his sister Dani (Thora Birch) and their new friend, Allison (Vinessa Shaw). After dismissing a story Allison tells as superstitious, Max accidentally frees a coven of evil witches (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy) who used to live in the house. Now, with the help of a magical cat, the kids must steal the witches’ book of spells to stop them from becoming immortal.
Oh, come on! It is just a bunch of Hocus Pocus trivia!
First up, let’s talk about creepy crawlies.
Both Sarah Jessica Parker and Doug Jones were committed to their roles for Hocus Pocus. Sarah Jessica Parker dined on a live spider as Sarah Sanderson, and Doug Jones had real live moths fly out his mouth for a scene as Billy Butcherson. That is a high level of commitment for a role. Talk about method acting!
Being a witch is apparently in Sarah Jessica Parker’s blood. She discovered that her 10th great grandmother was accused of acts of witchcraft in Salem in the 1600s. Before standing trial, she was able to flee and escape persecution. Thank goodness, because no one else could have captured the essence of Sarah Sanderson like Sarah Jessica Parker.
It seems hard to believe that Hocus Pocus was a box office flop, but it was set up for failure. It clearly is a movie meant for the Halloween season, but it was released in the summer to prevent competing with the box office numbers from Disney’s A Nightmare Before Christmas. The summer of 1993 kids were much more interested in watching Free Willy and not ready to think about pumpkins, witches, and black cats quite yet.
The love that this cult classic now celebrates has been earned over the years. It has become a movie ingrained in Halloween tradition and has put a spell on decades of audiences.
Celebrate Halloween in July by revisiting Hocus Pocus on its 30th anniversary!
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