I have been slowly getting into the Halloween aesthetic alongside the seemingly rapid arrival of October 31st, alongside the community contest that is currently running. I started off watching through American Horror Story which I have been enjoying, but felt like watching something a little less serious, more fun and relaxed that still pertains to the Halloween holiday.
I noticed recently that there was a sequel from the now very much soulless Disney for the 1993 Hocus Pocus film, which I don't actually remember watching at all. I found this surprising given over the years I have often roamed through various film lists and libraries in search of all kinds of fun both serious and not as serious Halloween related films. For some reason, Hocus Pocus has been a film that somehow I have overlooked. I don't recall ever seeing it, even in my childhood. Though I'm sure I did, I am still surprised that the film did not come to my attention before in the past as I searched and searched to keep the Halloween viewing month seem fresh.
While I do not suspect I'll ever watch the most recent sequel to the 1993 film, I did decide to finally check it out. Being reminded of a more simple time from both Disney and Hollywood when it came to making cheap but enjoyable family films. Hocus Pocus is far from being a good film, but it is one that certainly gets you into the Halloween mood with its various themes of witches, zombies, and of course Halloween night setting. That alone makes it worthy of checking out over the month. Looking back at when Disney did make films for the family, ones void of agendas and with entertainment in mind.
Hocus Pocus
Hocus Pocus starts off with three witches from Salem being sentenced to death for their witchcraft, though making the promise that one day they shall return once again under certain conditions. Fast-forward to 1993 and we have a teenager from Los Angeles that just moved into the area, somewhat lost in the new location and not quite fitting in. Made evident when he meets two other teen locals on the area which are incredible stereotypes of the era with its heavy Metallica and Vanilla Ice influences. As hip-hop and metal were the two hot things among the youth, and of course spawning an entire generation of corporations attempting to act cool and fit in in efforts to market themselves towards the youth. Though these stereotypical characters appear to be displayed in a more self-aware manner which made their introductions less serious, and less threatening as it is made clear the two are to be considered the local bullies.
Well, it's Halloween night and our protagonist hailing from Los Angeles is out with his younger sister trick-or-treating, and he's desperate to impress a local girl he has a crush on. Teenagers being teenagers, he does something stupid in efforts to act cool, taking the two to the now museum in which served as the home of the witches. The conditions align and the result is the revival of the three witches which are then plagued with a game of cat-and-mouse as they chase the kids around with hopes of obtaining their spell book again which can grant them life after the Halloween night is over.
It is a pretty simple narrative and one that isn't all surprising given the decade of Disney's family film creations. Ones in which the budgets were often small and their runtimes followed, often barely clocking in at 90 minutes. It feels as if half of the film is focused on the mere setup of the revival of the witches and just mere context regarding the location, lifestyle of our protagonist, and the Halloween night and its aesthetic. I don't consider this to be a negative, however, it does a nice job at getting you into the mood for Halloween and of course being successful in creating an atmosphere around it. Through a nice use of visuals that despite with a relatively small budget, do a great job in looking pleasing. Shot in 1993, it certainly does look like a very different world, one more empty, slower paced, but full of life and community. Additional immersion coming from the fact that things do feel less modern, with no smartphones and still being the very early days of the Internet.
The world it builds is visually pleasing. Full of Halloween colours and locations. Graveyards, spooky looking houses. The more relaxed look of Salem which is quieter and certainly different to our protagonist's prior Los Angeles setting. Some use of sets and interiors for outdoor locations but for the most part looking rather authentic in exterior settings. The good use of both makes the film feel less cheap, even if the acting isn't all that great in parts. Though we don't watch Disney films for the great visuals or acting, do we? At its core Hocus Pocus is a Halloween family film, one that contains character development and humour that matches various age groups; particularly evident in scenes that reference our protagonist being a virgin, or the pointy-breasted Madonna costume the mother is wearing. I can't really see Disney having the guts to do something like this today, and this also contributes to the film seeming like it was shit in a completely different time and place. I like it for this, however. It is cheap, somewhat poor in parts, but good for the time it came out. These more adult undertones don't quite feel like undertones in parts and are quite direct, though the younger viewers probably won't catch them.
The narrative as it slowly unfolds does seem to have more focus, but for the most part Hocus Pocus really is just a film about three silly and foolish witches seeming harmful but generally being quite wholesome due to their stupidity as they chase after kids through the modern streets on Halloween. Their interactions with the world display their more wholesome and silly nature as they somehow interact with the modern world and discover the many changes it now holds to their era. The three witches almost having a Three Stooges appearance. The way it is done isn't bad at all, and definitely puts Disney's more modern releases to shame in pretty much every other aspect. Which brings me to the next stage of this review of Hocus Pocus: the family adventure.
The Family Adventure
The family adventure genre died in the later end of the first decade into the millennium, as the idea of a blockbuster completely changed as superhero films grew into popularity and the big film production companies in Hollywood looked to maximise profit. The idea of the family film quickly changed and withered away in favour for nostalgia and known franchises, throwing out reboot and remake and sequel until to no surprise the film industry began to crumble and fatigue settled into audiences. All alongside the rise of streaming giants which placed families at the heart of their living rooms and bedrooms with all the (relatively shallow) content they could (definitely wish they had more to) watch. Content made specifically for the individual age groups now and less for the entire family to view together, each with something for them all to enjoy.
Hocus Pocus may not be an amazing film, but it is a glimpse at the era of films made for the family to enjoy. Showing us a glimpse of a more simple time where technology did not use us like cattle, telling us what to watch and how to enjoy it. Hocus Pocus is one of the family films that aimed to bring us all together over the Halloween holiday and enjoy the atmosphere together regardless of age and interest. To remind us of connection, family and friendships. Showing us the simple life of a teenager who only really wants to just have a healthy relationship with a girl he has a crush on. It shows the simple life and mind of the youth. One void of political influence telling them how to act and what to think. A story void of agendas as the production company at the time had less idea of how to profit from their creations without algorithms and ESG influencing direction.
For these reasons I can recommend the film. But perhaps skip the recent sequel, though.
