Good Witch, Bad Witch: ‘Hocus Pocus’ In Focus

Twenty-five years ago, “Hocus Pocus” first appeared in theaters and immediately put a spell on audiences and critics alike… Except it didn’t. When the film was first released, it was largely considered a failure. Opening at number four in the box office, and dropping out of the top 10 within just two weeks, audiences clearly weren’t itching to see it. Critics called the movie “dreadful,” “depressing as hell,” and “about as much fun as celebrating Mardi Gras under the influence of candy corn.” Today, “Hocus Pocus” is considered to be one of the greatest Halloween films of all time. It consistently brings in more than $1 million in DVD revenue every October. This year, an average of 8.2 million viewers have tuned in to each showing on Freeform’s Halloween marathon. Assuming we haven’t all fallen victim to a curse that forces us to enjoy a legitimately terrible movie, something about our perceptions has changed. But what?

“Hocus Pocus” opens in 17th century Salem, with the execution of three malicious witches known as the Sanderson sisters. Just before their deaths, Winifred (Bette Midler), the oldest of the three, promises that “On All Hallow’s Eve, when the moon is round, a virgin will summon us from under the ground.” The virgin in question is Max (Omri Katz), a 20th century kid who has just moved to Salem from California. With the help of his sister, his crush, a zombie, and a talking cat, Max manages to stay one step ahead of the terrible trio and ultimately (25-year-old spoiler alert) destroys the witches, saving the day.

Part of what makes “Hocus Pocus” so popular today is its ability to seamlessly blend darkness and hilarity. Not many movies can begin with a hanging and still manage to fit in jokes about calling breasts “yabos.” Ironically, this was originally a subject for criticism, as critics deemed the film “too dark for children,” but “too silly for adults.” Now, however, as the line between intended audiences blurs, “Hocus Pocus” has become a movie that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. The witches, in particular, provide a distinctly dark sense of humor and innuendo that is entertaining enough for a child, but even more so for adults.

Despite their status as the antagonists, the three witches are undeniably the stars of the show. Though Winifred is certainly the scenestealer, Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Mary (Kathy Najimy) each get their own moments in the spotlight as the flirt and the suck up respectively. The trio features prominently on all advertisements for the film, take up at least half of the runtime, and even get to perform the breakout song “I Put a Spell on You” that has been inextricably associated with the film ever since. As a result, your opinion on the witches could make or break your opinion on the movie as a whole.

Perhaps this explains the difference in reception of the film from 1993 to today. After all, our perceptions of witches have completely changed from the early ’90s. “The Witches,” a film which came out just three years before “Hocus Pocus,” portrays the titular characters as unambiguously crazy, ugly, and evil. These witch characters are a force to be reckoned with, not a source of entertainment, reflecting the general consensus on witches at the time — from the Salem witch trials to “Maleficent,” witches have consistently been seen as villains. To those in the early ’90s, there was probably nothing scarier than a woman with power.

By the late ’90s, however, a new generation of witches had appeared. These witches were charming, beautiful, and most importantly, morally good. Sabrina the teenage witch, Willow from “Buffy,” and the Halliwell sisters from “Charmed” all showed that a woman with power is not something to be feared, but something to be admired. It is under this new feminist lens that “Hocus Pocus” thrives. After all, the Sanderson sisters represent the compromise between these two views. Yes, they are evil, but they are also hilarious and relatable. They are meant to be feared, but they also aren’t old hags with warts and crooked noses (Sarah Jessica Parker’s character in particular represents an extreme divergence from the typical witch’s appearance). In this way, “Hocus Pocus” can be seen as a turning point in popular media depictions of witches.

Whether or not the film had anything to do with the shift in witch representation, the film certainly benefited from this new attitude. Today, “Hocus Pocus” is a Halloween staple. The town of Salem regularly puts on “Hocus Pocus” themed tours, Disney has added attractions based on the movie to its theme parks, and there have even been talks of a potential sequel or TV remake. As this year marks the 25th anniversary of the cult classic, Freeform recently aired a “Hocus Pocus 25th Anniversary Halloween Bash,” which reunited members of the original cast. Clearly, these celebrations of the film could not have happened in 1993. For better or for worse, “Hocus Pocus” is now a definitive part of the Halloween experience, and the Sanderson sisters will live on far longer than their movie deaths suggest.