Hocus Pocus (1993) Reviews

 I'm completely aware that this is a kids' film and everything, but this is a film I've liked since my childhood, and even now at the age of 19, I enjoy watching this classic film.

It's a great film to watch on Halloween (Halloween daytime mind you. On Halloween night I prefer to watch real horrors), and it's also the perfect film for children to watch on Halloween, as it's a kid's horror. I remember watching this one on Halloween about ten years ago now, and to me at the time it gave a brilliant atmosphere.

It has a good cast of characters such as Bette Middler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker as the Sanderson sisters.

The film begins in the year 1693, when a boy named Thackery Binks wakes up early one morning to find his younder sister Emily missing. He spots her heading towards the woods along with one of the Sanderson sisters Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker). Thackery has a friend of his get help while he chases after Emily, where he is lead into the Sanderson sisters' cottage.

The Sanderson sisters are witches and have grown old. They've decided to decrease their age so they can be young again by making up a potion. The nasty part is that they need Emily (or any other child for that matter) to drink the potion so they can suck the life force out of her, thus killing her and returning themselves to young age (though they're still ugly. Especially Winifred with those teeth of hers).

Thackery attempts to stop them and save Emily, but fails completely. As punishment they transform him into a black cat and give him immortal life, so he can eternily suffer with the guilt of failing Emily.

The Sanderson sisters are then captured by the townspeople of Salem and the Sanderson sisters are hung. But before being hung however Winifred (Bette Middler) casts a spell. If a virgin lights the black flame candle on a Halloween night, then the Sanderson sisters will return.

The film skips ahead 300 years on Halloween in the year 1993, where the story is legendary. The part of Thackery is a mystery to the people of Salem, as they never found out what had become of him. It has also been rumoured that a black cat guards the Sanderson house every Halloween, making sure that nobody brings back the Sanderson sisters.

A boy named Max Dennisen who's just moved to Salem from Los Angeles and isn't at all happy about it finds the story perposterous and not in the least bit interesting. That evening he's forced to go trick or treating with his 8 year old sister Dani. That evening he runs into a girl he fancies named Allison. In an attempt to impress her, he decides the three of them can visit the Sanderson house. At the house Max (despite the warnings and assuming the story is a load of crap) lights the black flame candle, and is horrified when he finds the legend is true.

The Sanderson sisters return and are ready to continue what they started. They have that one evening to brew up another potion (the same they made 300 years earlier) and drain the life of a child.

Thackery has a lot of info about the witches and teams up with Max, Dani and Allison. The fate of Salem and the kids of that town rests with them. If they succeed in stopping them, the Sanderson sisters will be gone for good, but if they fail, then the Sanderson sisters will be back for more than just that evening. They'll be back for ever unless of course they are hunted by someone. The only problem is that no one they confide to with regard to the Sanderson sisters believes them and some take it as a Halloween joke. Great film.