Edition Description
- Color
- Runtime: 96 minutes
- NTSC (Canada and USA)
From Our Editors
The year is 1693 and Winifred (Bette Midler),
Sarah (Sarah Jessicah Parker) and Mary (Kathy Najimy) are behaving
very badly indeed. The people of Salem burn them at the stake for
stealing the souls of children and consorting with the devil, but
the evil trio vows to return one Hallows Eve and wreak a terrible
vengeance. Three hundred years later, a young skeptic named Max
(Omri Katz) inadvertently returns the witches to the land of the
living. Now he, his sister Dani (Thora Birch) and his pretty
classmate Allison (Vinessa Shaw), not to mention a talking cat,
have until dawn to send the three furies back to where they came
from… or the whole world will pay the price. Deliciously
over-the-top acting from Midler, Parker and Najimy as the three bad
girls in question makes Hocus Pocus an
entertaining riot for kids eight and up.
Synopsis
In 1693, the citizens of Salem, Massachusetts go into a frenzy when they discover that 3 among them -- Winifred, Sarah and Mary Sanderson -- are witches. Fearing their pagan villainy, the community agrees to hang the old hags. But head sorceress Winifred vows they'll come back to life one day and seek vengeance. 300 years later, Max, a cynical teenager stuck chaperoning his kid sister as she goes trick-or-treating, is spotted by classmate-dream girl Allison. In order to impress her, Max lures them into the Sanderson sisters' house where they accidentally bring the wretched shrews back to life. The witches now have one night to renew their life force -- or they'll disappear forever. Can the kids stop them from achieving their nasty purposes?
Description
The Sanderson Sisters are 17th century witches who were conjured up by unsuspecting pranksters in present-day Salem. The key to their immortality involves three children and a talking cat, who also turn out to be their biggest obstacles.
Notes
As directed by Kenny Ortega, `Hocus Pocus' relies heavily on visual and special effects. For example, the mystical talking cat is computer-generated, and thanks to stylized matte photography, the director was able to pull off a number of other visual illusions. Rated BBFC PG by the British Board of Film Classification. Shot in Technicolor.
Video Release: August 5, 2003
Theatrical Release: 1993
Runtime: 96
Rating: PG (MPAA)
Studio: Buena Vista Home Video
UPC: 717951003584
