Hocus Pocus (movie)
Hocus Pocus is a 1993 American family fantasy horror comedy movie. It was directed by Kenny Ortega. It stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy. The movie is about a family of witches, known as the Sanderson Sisters. They were resurrected by a teenager named Max (Omri Katz) along with his sister Dani (Thora Birch) and girlfriend Allison (Vinessa Shaw). The movie received negative reviews from movie critics. However, it performed well in theaters where it grossed $39,514,713. After the movie was released on home video, it received a cult following.
| Hocus Pocus | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Kenny Ortega |
| Produced by | Steven Haft David Kirschner |
| Screenplay by | Mick Garris David M. Evans Neil Cuthbert |
| Story by | David Kirschner Mick Garris |
| Starring | Bette Midler Sarah Jessica Parker Kathy Najimy Omri Katz Thora Birch Vinessa Shaw |
| Music by | John Debney (Score) James Horner (Song) |
| Cinematography | Hiro Narita |
| Edited by | Peter E. Berger |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Buena Vista Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $28 million |
| Box office | $39,514,713[1] |
Plot
Three sisters, who are witches, are sentenced to death in the 17th century. They returned 300 years later because of a curse by Winifred Sanderson (Bette Midler). Three kids try using a chant to stop them from scaring modern-day Salem, Massachusetts on Halloween. They plan to turn immortal with the lives of modern day trick-or-treaters.
Release
Theatrical
Hocus Pocus was released in the United States and Canada on July 16, 1993. It opened in fourth place with $8.1 million.[2] The movie grossed $5.2 million in its second week. The movie fell out of the top ten, ending its domestic box office run with $39.5 million.[1][3] The film was released to foreign markets in October 1994.
Home video and television
The movie was released to VHS in North America on January 5, 1994.[4] Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection release on April 2, 1996. After part of the Walt Disney Gold Classic Collection release on August 2, 2000 and later to DVD on June 4, 2002.[5] Someone as the VHS and DVD release on September 2, 2003 in the United States in THX. It continues to show strong annual sales. It ranks in more than $1 million in DVD sales each October.[5] On September 4, 2012 Hocus Pocus was released by Disney on Blu-ray for the first time.[6]
Cast
- Bette Midler - Winifred Sanderson
- Sarah Jessica Parker - Sarah Sanderson
- Kathy Najimy - Mary Sanderson
- Jason Marsden - Voice of Thackery Binx (voice)
- Omri Katz
- Thora Birch
- Vinessa Shaw
Awards and nominations
| Year | Association | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Saturn Awards | Best Actress — Bette Midler | Nominated |
| Best Supporting Actress — Kathy Najimy | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actress — Sarah Jessica Parker | Nominated | ||
| Best Fantasy Film | Nominated | ||
| Best Special Effects | Nominated | ||
| Best Costumes | Won | ||
| Young Artist Awards | Best Youth Actress Leading Role in a Motion Picture Comedy — Thora Birch | Won | |
| Best Youth Actress Leading Role in a Motion Picture Comedy — Vinessa Shaw | Nominated | ||
| Best Youth Actor Leading Role in a Motion Picture Comedy — Omri Katz | Nominated | ||
| Best Youth Actor Leading Role in a Motion Picture Comedy — Sean Murray | Nominated | ||
| Best Youth Actor in a Voice Over Role - TV or Movie — Jason Marsden | Nominated |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Box office information for Hocus Pocus". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2010-08-09.
- ↑ "The Top Movies, Weekend of July 16, 1993". The Numbers. Retrieved 2011-11-03.
- ↑ "The Top Movies, Weekend of July 23, 1993". The Numbers. Retrieved 2011-11-03.
- ↑ Amazon - Hocus Pocus (1993)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Hocus Pocus - DVD Sales". The Numbers. Retrieved 2011-11-03.
- ↑ "Upcoming Disney Catalog Releases for 2012". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved 2012-03-16.