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List Price: $14.99 | | Label: Walt Disney Video
Salesrank: 24
Released: June 4, 2002 |
| Our Price: $7.99 |
| Used Price: $7.91 |
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MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
You're in for a devil of a time when three outlandishly wild witches -- Bette Midler (BEACHES BIG BUSINESS) Sarah Jessica Parker (HONEYMOON IN VEGAS) and Kathy Najimy (SISTER ACT) -- return from 17th-century Salem after they're accidentally conjured up by some unsuspecting pranksters! It's a night full of zany fun and comic chaos once the tricky 300-year-old trio sets out to cast a spell on the town and reclaim their youth -- but first they must get their act together and outwit three kids and a talking cat! Loaded with bewitching laughs HOCUS POCUS is an outrageously wild comedy that's sure to entertain everyone!Bonus Features Producer David Kirschner came up with the idea for the movie one night while he and his young daughter were sitting outside and his neighbor's black cat strayed by. Kirschner began to unspool a narrative of how the cat was once a boy who was changed into a feline 300 years ago by three witches.Actress Kathy Najimy described her character Mary as "Eddie Haskell as a witch" referring to the character on the classic TV series "Leave It To Beaver." "She sucks up to Winifred [Bette Midler's character] every chance she gets. She wants to be part of the power club and Winifred's got the power." To create the costumes designer Mary Vogt read many historical books about Salem Massachusetts. "I even read diaries of women who were hanged as witches" she says.System Requirements: Runing Time 96 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating: PG UPC: 717951003584 Manufacturer No: 01775800
Description of Hocus Pocus:
This big, fat theatrical bomb has a lot going for it. There's the three leads, Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker, playing three resurrected witches who wreak havoc on Salem, Massachusetts, 300 hundred years after they were hung. There's music, special effects, and magic. There's a surprisingly horror-filled plot. Whoops, hold up on that last one. It's probably the extremes that this film goes to (displaying a Disney label), such as the witches sucking the life out of a little girl in the first five minutes, that put the brakes on any success for Hocus Pocus. Older children, however, in the 8 and up range should get a kick out of all the weird goings-on. It's a good measure of Halloween thrills and chills. --Keith Simanton
Hocus Pocus Reviews:
Favorite Movie 
2008-09-30 - I love this movie and I watch it often. I bought the video when it came out in the 90's and now I have trouble watching it on our new HD TV, so
now I purchased it in the DVD form. The actors were great in this movie. I can't get enough of the movie.
Great movie but not a true "WIDESCREEN" format as stated. 
2008-09-29 - This is a great movie but it is not in 1:85 widescreen format. It is in a 4:3 aspect. I called Disney and they tried to explain that it is their only release of the movie. They admitted it wasn't in a true 1:85 widescreen and will not fill a 16x9 hi-def T.V. (looks great on a 4:3 T.V.) After playing mind checkers with the Disney operator for a few minutes, they could'nt give a reason why it is advertised as a widescree movie.
Great Halloween Fun For The Whole Family!
2008-09-28 - For my family no holiday is complete without a long list of holiday movies to watch and enjoy. This movie is absolutely on our list, and it has long been a favorite.
Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy deliver hilarious performances as the wicked and witchy Sanderson sisters; back after a long awaited rest they are ready to wreak havoc on the town of Salem and regain their youth. Funny, sweet and good for the entire family, it's one of Disney's best. (Despite some critcism from uptight people who have issue with the word "virgin".) I think there are far worse words being used on TV these days, but hey to each their own. I love this movie and so do my kids, for us Halloween is not complete without it!
Outstanding Halloween Comedy, Horror, and Suspense
2008-09-25 - Along with "Clue," this is what I consider one of the greatest Halloween movies ever made. It starts with the death of 3 witches (Winifred, Sarah, and Mary). Also, Zachary gets turned into a black cat by them after he unsuccessfully tries to save his sister Emily. We then move to a present day classroom in Salem where a class has heard about what happened. Did what we see really happen, or was it just an acted out story the teacher was telling? GREAT AMBIGUITY! Max doesn't believe the story, which makes him somewhat of an outcast. He seems interested in Allison; she is not exactly rude to him, but she doesn't seem overly interested in forming a relationship with him either. We also see that Max has some problems with his younger sister Danielle. (He doesn't want to take her trick or treating.) But they patch things up, and they run into Allison. They decide to visit where the 3 witches they learned about in class died. In a dramatic, but also hilarious fashion, the 3 witches are resurrected, and they plan their revenge on Salem. This movie is great that while the 3 witches are unquestionably evil, they carry a charm that makes them hilarious and lovable despite. Basically, they want to kill enough people so that they can make a potion that will enable them to live forever. (Another thing that is so funny is that they are trying to take over a world they don't know. They don't know what a bus is; they think fire men are witch hunters; they think the trick or treaters are real monsters, etc.) In an especially hilarious moment, Winifred walks into a kitchen and says: "Behold! A torture chamber!" Allison, Max, and Danielle, along with the black cat Zachary are sometimes uneasy allies, but they are determined to stop the witches from taking over Salem. Overall, there is a phenomenal combination of horror, suspense, and comedy. Even characters with small parts like Danielle's parents make the most of their roles. (Danielle's mother is humiliated when she tries to explain an R rated costume she wore to an adult party. Of course, she didn't expect Danielle to find her there!) There is also a great climax with a touch of tragedy. Probably one of the best things about this movie is that often we are not sure as to whether we are watching a horror movie or a comedy. But it's all Halloween! And of course with Bette Midler as the head witch, there is a great song in the middle (which in this case turns out to be a spell). If you love Halloween, this movie is a MUST!
Hocus Pocus
2008-09-17 - Hocus Pocus: This is a great movie at halloween. The cast really looks the part. It is alot of fun to watch.
