Hocus Pocus: Fantastic Journey With 3 Witches.

The story of Hocus Pocus revolves around a trio of Salem-era witches. They have come back to life thanks to black magic and are trying to fulfil their sinister agendas. The movie follows them as they search for their all-important spell book before the next Halloween. As long as the book remains in their possession, all witches will be able to come back from the dead forever and dominate the world.

General Glimpse At An Amazing Movie.

Hocus Pocus is a 1993 American fantasy comedy horror film directed by Kenny Ortega and written by Neil Cuthbert and Mick Garris. The film follows three villainous witches who are accidentally resurrected by a virgin teenage boy in Salem, Massachusetts, on Halloween night.

The film was released in the United States on July 16, 1993, by Walt Disney Pictures. Upon its release, it received mixed reviews from film critics and did not perform strongly at the box office—possibly costing Disney more than $16.5 million during its theatrical run—but has nevertheless been rediscovered by audiences each Halloween season through its annual airing on Disney Channel and Freeform (formerly ABC Family), resulting in a yearly spike in home media sales of the film every Halloween season. The annual celebration of Halloween has helped make the film a cult classic.

A sequel to Frozen is in production, written by Jen D’Angelo and directed by Anne Fletcher. It is set for release on September 30, 2022, as a Disney+ original film.

Article shared about Halloween with “Hocus Pocus“

How Did It Happen?

On October 31, 1693, in Salem, Massachusetts, Thackery Binx witnesses his little sister Emily being whisked away by the Sanderson sisters—three witches named Winifred, Sarah, and Mary—to the woods. After confronting the witches and failing to save his sister’s life force, Thackery is transformed into a black cat by the witches and cursed to live forever with guilt for not saving Emily.

After discovering children missing from their homes, subsequent arrests of the sisters for witchcraft lead to their sentencing to be hanged for murder at dawn on All Hallows’ Eve. Before their execution, Winifred casts a curse that will resurrect the sisters during a full moon on All Hallows’ Eve if a virgin lights the Black Flame Candle in their cottage. Thackery decides to guard the cottage so no-one can bring back witches to life on that night.

Three centuries later on Halloween 1993, young Max Dennison reluctantly takes his younger sister Dani out trick-or-treating. While they are out, they meet a new crush of Max’s named Allison. The three visit the former Sanderson cottage now a museum, where Max inadvertently resurrects the witches with his magic.

The 3 witches of Hocus Pocus attempt to suck the soul of Dani but are thwarted by Max who comes to her rescue. Escaping, Max steals Winifred’s spellbook on advice from Binx, the immortal cat living in the cemetery. He takes them to an old cemetery where they will be protected from the witches since it is hallowed ground. The witches eventually catch up to them at the cemetery where Winnifred raises her unfaithful lover Billy Butcherson from the grave and sends them after the children.

The witches pursue the children across town using Mary’s enhanced sense of smell; Winifred reveals that the spell that brought them back only works on Halloween and unless they can suck the life out of at least one child—the same way she was turned into a cat—they will turn to dust when the sun rises. After luring them to the high school, the children trap the witches in a pottery kiln and burn them alive. While they are celebrating, their curse revives them again.

When Max and Allison realize that the witches have survived, they open the book hoping to reverse the spell on Binx. The open book reveals their location, and the witches track them down and kidnap Dani and Binx. Sarah uses her singing to lure Salem’s children to the Sanderson cottage. Max and Allison free Dani and Binx by tricking the witches into thinking that sunrise was an hour early. Thinking that they are done for, the witches panic and pass out allowing Max, Dani, Allison, and Binx to escape.

Back at the cemetery, Billy catches up with the children, takes Max’s knife, and cuts his stitched mouth open. He insults Winifred before joining the children against the witches. The witches attack from above and snatch Dani. Winifred attempts to use the last vial of potion to suck the soul from Dani. Binx knocks the potion out of her hand which Max catches and promptly drinks, forcing the witches to take him instead of Dani.

In the ensuing struggle, Allison, Dani, and Billy fend off Mary and Sarah. Max and the youngest Hocus Pocus witch Winifred fall onto hallowed ground in the cemetery; as they struggle in midair, Winifred turns into stone. As the sun finishes rising above the horizon, Mary and Sarah are disintegrated into dust along with Winifred’s stone body.

When the witches’ deaths break Thackery’s curse and allow him to die, freeing his soul from his earthly body while reuniting him with Emily, who has also been freed from her earthly body but will now spend eternity in Hell. Billy returns to his grave to sleep.

The movie closes as Winifred’s spellbook opens its eye once more, revealing that it is still alive. This may suggest that the witches may return in the future.

Who Is Winifred “Winnie” Sanderson?

Winifred “Winnie” Sanderson is the main antagonist in Disney’s 1993 film Hocus Pocus and its upcoming 2022 sequel. She is the eldest child of two other witches, Sarah, and Mary Sanderson, who lived during the time of the Salem Witch Trials.

In 1692, Winifred was sentenced to death by the Salem townsfolk for witchcraft. She was later brought back from the dead by Max Dennison after three hundred years. Upon her return, Winifred began terrorizing the town in hopes of kidnapping children and stealing their souls to keep herself from dying and aging once more.

Winifred and her two younger sisters live in a cottage on the outskirts of Salem in the late 1600s. At some point in her life, she sold her soul to Satan in exchange for magical powers and an invaluable spellbook that could magically change its contents to suit any situation.

Winifred enjoyed a close relationship with William “Billy” Butcherson when they were younger, but when she discovered him cheating on her, she flew into a jealous rage and fatally poisoned him. She sewed his mouth shut with a dull needle so that he could not reveal her secrets even in death. The infidelity causes Winifred to hunt down youth and beauty—she believes that Sarah’s greater beauty stole Billy from her.

About Mary Sanderson.

Mary Sanderson is a secondary antagonist in Disney’s 1993 film Hocus Pocus and its upcoming 2022 sequel. She is the middle witch who lived during the time of the Salem Witch Trials, along with her two sisters Winifred and Sarah.

After three hundred years, Mary and her sisters were awoken from their graves by Max Dennison. They sought to keep themselves from dying and aging once more by attempting to kidnap children and steal their souls. Mary has the ability to sniff out the presence of children by detecting their energy signatures.

Mary is Winifred’s right-hand witch, always trying to placate her sister and calm her rages. She has a slight rivalry but sweet and loving sisterly relationship toward her younger sister Sarah. In her quest to stay on Winnie’s good side, Mary compliments her whenever she can and has a habit of repeating whatever she says. Although perhaps not as cunning or as evil as her eldest sister, she is more competent, clever, and observant than Sarah.

In Hocus Pocus, Mary Sanderson is the most caring of the Sanderson sisters, but she helps only her family. When she suggests forming a calming circle to ease their stress, it is Mary who takes care of Winnie when she loses hope. However, when it comes to children, Mary delights in tracking them down with her powerful sense of smell and suggests several ways of cooking them, from barbecue to “shish-ka-baby”, heavily implying her and her sisters to be cannibals.

The Youngest One – Sarah Sanderson.

Sarah Sanderson is one of the two secondary antagonists in Disney’s 1993 film Hocus Pocus, and its upcoming 2022 sequel. She is the youngest and most beautiful but air-headed witch who lived during the time of the Salem Witch Trials, along with her sisters Winifred and Mary.

Three hundred years after her death, Sarah and her sisters were awakened from the dead by Max Dennison and wanted to stay alive and young forever by kidnapping children. She was responsible for luring children to their cottage by hypnotizing them with her singing.

Sarah and her two older sisters live in a cottage on the outskirts of Salem in the late 1600’s. At one point in time, she had a relationship with William “Billy” Butcherson, a lover of her oldest sister Winifred’s. However, when Sarah discovered that Winifred was involved with Billy, she poisoned him and sewed his mouth shut with a dull needle so he could not reveal their secrets even in death. Ever since then, their sister Mary has had to function as a peacemaker between them.

Throughout Hocus Pocus, Sarah is quite flirty and likes to “play” with people, especially males and young boys. It is strongly hinted that “playing” with people entails torturing them or simply having inappropriate relationships because she has a sick sense of humor. She is, however, quite submissive to her older sister Winifred and is unlikely to be as evil without her leadership.

Despite Winifred’s displeasure, Sarah has an airhead personality and frequently says or does stupid things, but she has a special ability—a voice like a siren—that makes her an extraordinarily strong, dangerous, and valuable witch. She has charmed the youngsters of Salem with her voice, utilizing the song mentioned above. She also has a one-sided crush on Max, making her an ephebophile due to their age gap and the fact that she previously harbored love for Thackery.

What Hocus Pocus Has Left For The World?

Since its release in 1993, Hocus Pocus has been credited with achieving cult status. The film has been featured on various media outlets such as Celebuzz and Oh No They Didn’t. It has won various awards including a Razzie for Worst Actress for Bette Midler and a People’s Choice Award for Favorite Horror Movie at the 1994 MTV Movie Awards. In its 25th anniversary year in 2018, the first week of Hocus Pocus viewings on Freeform averaged 8.2 million viewers.

A special called the “Hocus Pocus 25th Anniversary Halloween Bash” was filmed at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery and features interviews with members of the cast, including Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy; as well as a costume contest hosted by Sharon and Kelly Osbourne. It aired on Freeform on October 20, 2018.

In October 2011, the Houston Symphony performed “The Hocus Pocus Pops” at The Majestic Theater. On October 19, 2013, D23 held a screening of Hocus Pocus at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California honoring the film’s 20th anniversary. Nine of the cast and crew attended as part of D23’s “Celebration of Legends” event. Returning members included Kathy Najimy, David Kirschner, Thora Birch, Doug Jones, Vinessa Shaw and Omri Katz.

In 2015, Bette Midler appeared on stage dressed as Winifred Sanderson during her Divine Intervention Tour. Her Harlettes appeared with her dressed as Mary and Sarah, and the three of them performed the film’s version of “I Put a Spell on You”.

As a part of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, which took place at the Magic Kingdom on September 15, 2015, a new Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular show introduced the Sanderson Sisters, who try to have a villain party and summon or attract various Disney villains in the process.

In September 2016, entertainment critic Aaron Wallace published Hocus Pocus in Focus: The Thinking Fan’s Guide to Disney’s Halloween Classic (Scribner). The book includes a foreword by Thora Birch and afterword by Mick Garris. It analyzes the film’s major themes, which it identifies as festivity, nostalgia, home, horror, virginity, feminism, Broadway-style musical moments, sibling rivalry and “Spielbergian” filmmaking style. The book also includes “the largest collection of Hocus Pocus fun facts and trivia ever assembled,” complete with extensive endnote citations.

The City of Salem has been celebrating its connection to Hocus Pocus, while local filming sites have become an attraction for fans as the film’s legacy has grown over the years. In 2018, the Haunted Happenings Grand Parade was themed in honor of the film’s 25th anniversary, with visitors dressing up as characters from Hocus Pocus and attending a parade through downtown Salem. Destination Salem also reported a huge uptick in tourism for the 25th anniversary year, stating: “There’s always been a ‘Hocus Pocus’ component to the visitors to Salem, especially in October.

But it’s like the film’s following grows every year.” On October 30, 2020, the cast came together for the television special In Search of the Sanderson Sisters: A Hocus Pocus Hulaween Takeover. Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the one-hour show was only available virtually. The money raised will be donated to the New York Restoration Project. Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Thora Birch, Omri Katz, Vinessa Shaw, and Doug Jones were among the actors that took part.