Max Denison (Omri Katz) had recently moved to Salem,
Massachusetts from California. He’s spending his first Halloween in what has
become the witch capital of the United States, thanks to the infamous witch
trials that were held here in the 1600s. But Max considers himself too mature to
go trick or treating, or to celebrate Halloween in any way. Even when his
teacher entertains his class with a spooky story about the Sanderson Sisters, a
local legend about three sisters who were hung by the town for being witches 300
years ago, Max refuses to get into the spirit of the occasion by cynically
claiming that Halloween was created by the candy companies to sell more of their
product.
Yet Max is forced to deal with Halloween when he is required to escort his
little sister Dani (Thora Birch) trick or treating on Halloween night--which
doesn’t turn out to be a really bad thing once they stop by Allison’s (Vinessa
Shaw) house. Allison is the cute girl in class whom Max has been trying to get
to know better. When the three of them go up to the old Sanderson house on a
dare, their shenanigans manage to awaken the Sanderson Sisters, who--some 300
years later--are all eager for a night out on the town. But Max, Dani and
Allison learn that the Sanderson Sisters’ idea of fun may well cause this
Halloween night to be the town’s very last.
If you’re looking for graphic, intense horror the likes of Wolf Creek, you may
want to skip this film, because Hocus Pocus is more of a warm, fuzzy comedic
family film than a straight out horror movie--which is understandable, when you
realize that it was made by Disney. Yet by sticking to its horror roots, Hocus
Pocus does contain some gruesome stuff (such as a witch sucking the soul out of
a child, a beheaded zombie running around) that belies its Disney
origins. It's such a joyously fun movie that revels in the fun, magical side of
Halloween without going overboard with the gross-out factor. Small children may
still find it too intense, but if your kids are fans of the Harry Potter films,
then they may enjoy this. Another reason that Hocus Pocus is so much fun is the
performances by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy. The
chemistry between these three fine actresses is so good that they are a pure
joy to watch. The sly execution of their roles, featuring some in-jokes for the
adults, effectively balances what little sappiness exists in the film. The
special features on the DVD are slim, but the movie itself is worth having as an
enjoyable salute to all things Halloween. Be sure to have plenty of candy corn
on hand when you do watch it.
--SF
