Hocus Pocus

( 30 )

Overview

Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy romp around like coked-up versions of The Three Stooges in the frantic Disney romp Hocus Pocus. The film begins in 1693 where three witches -- Winifred Bette Midler, Sarah Sarah Jessica Parker, and Mary Kathy Najimy -- are preparing a potion that will grant them immortality and eternal youth. But before they finish mixing their cocktail, the people of Salem capture them and execute them for practicing witchcraft. Before their deaths, they vow to return to Salem...
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Blu-ray (Wide Screen / Restored / Enhanced / Bonus DVD)
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More About This Product

Overview

Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy romp around like coked-up versions of The Three Stooges in the frantic Disney romp Hocus Pocus. The film begins in 1693 where three witches -- Winifred Bette Midler, Sarah Sarah Jessica Parker, and Mary Kathy Najimy -- are preparing a potion that will grant them immortality and eternal youth. But before they finish mixing their cocktail, the people of Salem capture them and execute them for practicing witchcraft. Before their deaths, they vow to return to Salem 300 years hence on Halloween to exact their revenge. Three hundred years later, a skeptical, newly transplanted Californian, Max Omri Katz, explores the ruins of the legendary witches' house and dares the witches to manifest themselves. Disregarding the warnings of his sister Dani Thora Birch and girlfriend Allison Vinessa Shaw, Max lights the Candle of Black Flame. With that, the witches reappear to wreak havoc on the town. The kids take off with the witches' spellbook and a musty tome of hexes and recipes. The sorceresses, who will die by the morning light if they don't recite the incantation for immortality, have to get the books by whatever means they can. So, Winifred, Sarah, and Mary hop on their broomsticks for a chase through Halloween night.
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Editorial Reviews

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler
Children (though not young children) who find the humor of the Three Stooges just a wee bit too subtle may enjoy Hocus Pocus, but it's hard to imagine anyone else standing for this annoying piece of hokum. Putting criticism aside for a moment -- which in this case is pretty hard to do -- it's hard to imagine just who the folks at Touchstone/Disney aimed this piece of claptrap at. It's too disturbing for very young children, too obnoxious for adults and too dull for anyone in between. There's plenty of blame to go around, but let's start with the quartet of screenwriters, who took what should have been a workable high concept and destroyed it with a story which is totally unfocused (and makes no sense), dialogue that evokes physical pain in the listener, and characters that are both one dimensional and unlikable. At times, the story telling is so inept that it almost seems as if the screenplay was fashioned by having one writer "create" until he got tired, then having another writer take it from there -- but without letting him read what had come before. Almost as bad as the writing is Kenny Ortega's amazingly poor direction. Ortega seems to think that the way to cover up flaws in the writing is to play a scene as loudly as possible. If volume alone doesn't get the desired result, he adds in as much flailing as possible. As a result, Bette Midler is encouraged to offer a performance so excessive as to become genuinely vulgar -- and boring, to boot. Kathy Najimy is given one note to play and plays it incessantly, and Omri Katz is actively annoying. Sarah Jessica Parker comes off best of the leading players, managing against all odds to inject a few moments of interest and humor into the film. But the only actors to actually score big are Garry and Penny Marshall, whose little cameo is the high point of the film. Some of the special effects are good, some are not. The "I Put a Spell on You" sequence, however, was ill advised. Hocus is a fright, alright, but not the kind it intended to be.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 9/4/2012
  • UPC: 786936826753
  • Original Release: 1993

    • Rating:

  • Source: Walt Disney Video
  • Region Code: 1AB
  • Presentation: Wide Screen / Restored / Enhanced / Bonus DVD
  • Language: English
  • Time: 1:36:00
  • Format: Blu-ray
  • Sales rank: 25,809

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Bette Midler Winifred Sanderson
Sarah Jessica Parker Sarah Sanderson
Kathy Najimy Mary Sanderson
Omri Katz Max
Thora Birch Dani
Vinessa Shaw Allison
Sean Murray Thackery Binx
Larry Bagby III Ernie "Ice"
Tobias Jelinek Jay
Stephanie Faracy Jenny
Charles Rocket Dave
Mary Gail Artz
Vanna Bonta
Teda Bracci Calamity Jane
Barbara Cohen
Kathleen Freeman Miss Olin
Leigh Hamilton Cop's Girlfriend
Peggy Holmes Dancer
Doug Jones Billy Butcherson
Joe Malone Singer
Jason Marsden Voice Only
Michael McGrady Cop
Amanda Shepherd Emily
Ezra Sutton Fireman #2
Norbert Weisser Thackery's Father
Don Yesso Bus Driver
Technical Credits
Kenny Ortega Director, Choreography, Screenwriter
Greg Beeman Screenwriter
Peter E. Berger Editor
Rosemary Brandenberg Set Decoration/Design
Bonnie Bruckheimer Co-producer
Neil Cuthbert Screenwriter
John Debney Score Composer
John M. Elliott Jr. Makeup
Terry Frazee Special Effects
Mick Garris Producer, Screenwriter
Whitney Green Production Designer
Steven Haft Producer
Peggy Holmes Choreography
Martha Johnston Set Decoration/Design
David Kirschner Producer, Screenwriter
Don Kirshner Producer
Peter Montgomery Special Effects
Hiro Narita Cinematographer
Nancy Patton Art Director
Brad Ricker Set Decoration/Design
William Sandell Production Designer
Mary Vogt Costumes/Costume Designer
Ralph Winter Executive Producer
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Scene Index

Disc #1 -- Hocus Pocus
1. Opening Titles/Life Force Spell [8:41]
2. The Legend of Thackery Binx [5:20]
3. New Kid in Town [6:18]
4. Trick or Treat [6:26]
5. Black Flame Candle [5:24]
6. Return of the Sanderson Sisters [4:32]
7. Hallowed Ground [7:15]
8. Bus Ride into Town [4:04]
9. The Master's House [6:14]
10. Town Hall Party [7:03]
11. Witch Burning [4:39]
12. Ugly Chicks Stay Up Late [2:20]
13. Opening the Book [6:15]
14. Come, Little Children [6:50]
15. Winifred's Potion [7:39]
16. The Spell is Broken/End Credits [6:57]
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Menu

Disc #1 -- Hocus Pocus
   Scene Selection
   Set Up
      Captions: English for the Hearing Impared
      Captions: None
   Play
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 30 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(20)

4 Star

(7)

3 Star

(3)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 30 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 3, 2001

    A PG-13 movie.

    This movie is great for ages 13 and above because it has some adult humor that young children may NOT understand. Young children may be scared of the zombie and witch characters. (my child was scared) BUT as for a movie - it was hysterically funny in our opinion and should be watched EVERY Halloween.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted October 1, 2010

    great movie

    hilarious

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted October 1, 2010

    I Also Recommend:

    High School Musical
    Complete Kathy & Mo Show: Parallel Lives/the Dark Side
    Halloweentown Double Feature

    HALLOWEEN HILARITY AT ITS BEST

    This is a staple of halloween in my household. Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy are fantastic as the ficticious "Sanderson Sisters" from Salem, Mass. Fans of Najimy will recognize the line, "You're right I'm wrong", from a scene "Parallel Lives" from "the Kathy and Mo Show". Midler and Parker are hysterical, with Midler as the mad genius and Parker as the nitwit. The movie is family friendly and not too scary for kids. And High School Musical fans, the director of HSM 1,2, and 3 directed Hocus Pocus.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    LOVE it!

    I love to watch this movie every year around Halloween. I've watched it like that every year for as long as I can remember and it still never gets old! A great movie!!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Sean Murray

    An oldie movie but a good one. Sean Murray an very good actor - especially now that he's on NAVY NCIS.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    great halloween movie

    This movie is so much fun! The autumn scenery is just perfect and the 3 witches are completely hysterical. I've watched it every year since 1993 and it never loses its magic!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    I agree with Laura

    If You don't already own this movie go buy it. I guarentee you will LOVE it. Because it has the best actors ever in it. I''ve loved this movie as long as it has been out, and I promis you will too!!!!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Hocus Pocus

    Hocus Pocus takes 3 17th century witches: Winne(Bette Middler)Sarah(Sarah Jessica Parker)and Mary Sanderson(Kathy Najimy)and puts them in 1993's version of Salem. The only way they can stay alive though is to suck the lives out of all the children in Salem before Halloween is over, but Max,a teenager,and friends step in the way of their plans. The movie is really funny and full of eye-poping special effects.I really enjoyed it and you are guarranteed a cauldren full of fun with Hocus Pocus!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Thackery Binx !!!!!

    i loved the movie and i thought Thackery Binx (sean murray) is the best

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Awesome movie

    This movie is so good. I watched it when i was little basically everyday, I loved this movie. And now I'm buying it to watch it again. Check it out, you won't be dissapointed.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    The Best Yet!!

    I've seen this movie every year since I was young. This is the best Halloween movie I've seen. If I were you, I'd go and rent it, you'll enjoy it.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    the best halloween movie

    this movie is so good to watch on halloween plese try it out on halloween night you wont be sorry

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  • Anonymous

    Posted November 14, 2008

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 21, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted July 23, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted August 29, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 8, 2008

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 23, 2008

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted November 15, 2008

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted June 24, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 30 Customer Reviews