Synopsis
Three witches resurrect after 300 years to exact revenge and begin a reign of terror after Max, a young boy who moves to Salem with his family, lights a cursed Candle of Black Flame.
Cast
Bette Midler…Winifred
Sarah Jessica Parker…Sarah
Kathy Najimy…Mary
Omri Katz…Max
Thora Birch…Dani
Vinessa Shaw…Allison
Best Character
If your favourite character isn’t Dani then I don’t think we can be friends. She’s by far the smartest and most likable. I do love Thackary but Dani is an absolute queen.
Best Supporting/Obscure Character
The random little trick-or-treating extra who looks directly into the camera. It’s the one wearing the pumpkin outfit and a mask. It makes me cry laugh every single time I watch Hocus Pocus.
Ralph the dog belonging to ‘satan’ chases the sisters out of his house. He’s so tiny but they’re terrified of him. Big love for Ralph, he’s a cutie.
Favourite Scene
Dani asks Max to take her trick or treating but instead of just saying no he starts playing the drums and ignores her. This is far too funny. It’s just so random.
The moment when the black fame candle is lit and everything in the Sanderson house begins to move. I especially love the green light under the floorboards and the entrance of the Sanderson sisters.
The Halloween party looks really fun and I love the ‘chase’ scene and the bit where Winnifred sings ‘I put a spell on you’. Such an iconic moment.
Best Quotes/Lines
Winifred: Oh look, another glorious morning. (pause) Makes me sick!
I say this quote way too often. It’s probably one of my favourites as it’s so iconic.
Thackary: You hag! There are not enough children in the world to make thee young and beautiful.
Nothing too iconic about this, it’s just absolutely savage.
Dani: Max, I’m not going up there. My friends at school told me all about that place. It’s weird.
Max: Dani, this is the girl of my dreams.
Dani: So, take her to the movies like a normal person.
Max: Dani! Look, just do this one thing for me and I’ll do anything you say. Please? Please?!
Dani: Okay, okay. Next year we go trick-or-treating as Wendy and Peter Pan, with tights, or it’s no deal.
It’s the ‘with tights’ part that makes this interaction so great. Dani knows what she wants and exactly how to get it. We stan a queen.
Dani: Okay, Max, you’ve had your fun. It’s time to go. Come on, Allison.
Allison: Max, she’s right, let’s go.
Max: Oh, come on, it’s just a bunch of hocus pocus.
He said it! I both love and hate it when they reference the title in the film. It makes me cringe but also makes me happy.
Mary: Think soothing thoughts. Rabid bats. Black death. Mummy’s scorpion pie.
Ah yes. Soothing thoughts.
Winifred: Tell me friend, what is this contraption.
Driver: I call it a bus.
Winifred: A bus.
Mary: A bus.
Winifred: And it’s purpose?
Driver: To convey gorgeous creatures such as yourselves to your most forbidden desires.
Winifred: (laughs) Well, see, we desire children.
Driver: (laughs) Well that may take me a couple of tries, but I don’t think that’ll be a problem. Hop on up.
Winifred: Marvelous!
This joke went completely over my head as a child. Now that I’m older it’s both hilarious but also kind of creepy. I have no love for the bus driver.
Sarah: Farewell mortal bus boy.
There’s something about the delivery of this line that makes it so funny. Sarah is one of my favourite characters because she’s pure chaos.
(The Sisters walk up to the deserted school.)
Sarah: What is this place?
Mary: It reeks of children.
Winifred: It is a prison for children.
This one speaks for itself.
I couldn’t do this quote justice just by typing it out. It’s possibly one of the funniest moments in the whole film. I adore Bette Middler in this film, she is incredible.
Billy: Go to hell!
Winifred: Oh, I’ve been there, thank you. I found it quite lovely.
Favourite Outfit
Everyone wears the same outfit for the whole of Hocus Pocus so it’s actually quite hard to choose a favourite. I do really love the Sanderson sisters’ dresses, Sarah’s in particular is my favourite.
Favourite Setting
It’s got to be the Sanderson cottage. The ‘witchy’ aesthetic is one of my faves and they did it so well here. It’s hard not to feel the Halloween spirit once you get to the cottage.
Best Musical Moment
The opening music is pretty iconic and always gets me in the Halloween mood.
‘Dead man’s toe’ that Sarah sings when they are making the potion at the beginning. Not an actual song, but it’s great all the same.
Everyone knows the ‘I put a spell on you’ scene. It’s absolutely iconic but I’ve always wondered how Winifred knows the melody when she’s been dead for 300 years?
Jay and Ice sing row row row your boat at the end when they are still locked up in the cottage and it’s great because they are getting what they deserve. Is that a bit savage? Yeah probably.
Thoughts/Opinions That Don’t Fit Into A Specific Category
As someone who is a seasoned fishkeeper, Max’s fish tank makes me very sad. He puts way too much food in, it’s too small and there aren’t any live plants.
Sarah hanging off the cemetery gate makes me cry laughing every time. It’s the fact that the other sisters don’t even acknowledge that she’s doing it.
I feel bad but flattened Thackery makes me laugh especially when he re-inflates.
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