When a film gains the title of being a “Cult Classic,” it immediately points out to me that it will not be everyone’s cup of tea. I mean, to
even gain the title in the first place a film would have to gain popularity outside of the mainstream and gain a faithful and devoted fanbase. However, to me that shows that if you are one of the few to like said film it will go down as one of the greats. While I previously kept a lot of distance between myself and “Hocus Pocus”, I felt that it would be in the spirit of this spooky month we’re in to let in a movie that has brought so much joy to so many others over the years, and I am happy to report that this film was a pleasant surprise to myself.
To give a brief synopsis to those uninitiated, “Hocus Pocus” tells the story of the Sanderson sisters, a group of three witches who live in Salem, Massachusetts and prey on the young to keep themselves young and beautiful. They are sealed away for the next 300 years due to an incantation used on them but soon wake up in the present day of 1993 and it all ends up to a teenager named Max Dennison to fend them off now that the 300-year spell has finally broken. While there are many other plot points such as Max being aided by a talking cat who possesses the soul of the boy who originally defeated the sisters, and two bullies who want to beat the California accent out of Max, the gist lies in the faceoff of Max vs. the witches.
What really reeled me in with this film is the high level of care and earnestness that was taken by all the actors involved, but special mention needs to be given to the Sanderson sisters themselves. Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy frankly steal this show and bring to life these characters that could have easily fallen flat if not taken with such sincerity and care that these three women brought to the table. On top of the acting, this movie also really does capture the warm and inviting atmosphere that people who love Fall and the Halloween season absolutely strive for. It really helps to make this film one of the ones that gets you in the mood for the season as we prepare for the festivities that always occur in the last quarter of the year.
Now, while this film makes you want to cozy up on the couch and really feel the autumn vibes, this film is not groundbreaking by any means. It is fairly cheesy and simple in most of its scopes. The movie came out in 1993 and falls into the limited effects that were available at the time, which leaves a lot of scenes to today look rather off than what they must have intended. Even with all of that said, I have to remind myself that it’s not particularly a bad thing for a movie to be simple. If this movie was high octane and tough to digest, it would not be one to repeatedly be watched year after year by so many people. Sometimes, we need to appreciate when a movie sets out to be a mainstay year after year rather than burning out in a blaze of glory, losing its staging power just after release.
