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78-470: Hamoun has since gained a cult following in Iran. Hamid Hamoun is an executive at a leading import-export firm in Iran. He lives with his wife Mahshid who is a budding abstract painter . Mahshid hails from a rich family but marries the middle class Hamoun after falling for his intellectual tastes and progressive views. After 7 years of marriage, Mahshid, who once was very much in love with Hamoun soon, sees him as

156-451: A commercial starring actress Nicole Kidman in its theaters and on television. The commercial became a surprise hit among audiences, who came to appreciate the unintentional campiness of its earnestly rhapsodic style and script, particularly the line "Somehow, heartbreak feels good in a place like this." It has inspired internet memes, parodies, and in-theatre audience participation rituals. Hocus Pocus (1993 film) Hocus Pocus

234-458: A pottery kiln and burn them alive. But while the children are celebrating their victory, the witches' curse revives them again. Not realizing that the witches have survived, Max and Allison open the spellbook, hoping to reverse the spell on Binx. The opened spellbook reveals the group's location to the witches, who track them down and abduct Binx and Dani, taking back their spellbook in the process. Sarah uses her singing to lure Salem's children to

312-733: A constricting force against her desire to do something meaningful with her life. Hamoun who wishes to pursue a career as a writer, while simultaneously preparing for his PhD thesis, occasionally takes out his frustration at his wife. Mahshid soon demands divorce from him. Hamoun is shocked to learn that his wife loves him no more. The story then depicts Hamoun's incapability to deal with the reality of losing his wife and living with his unfulfilled dreams. The subsequent scenes portray Hamoun's realisations, coupled with dreamlike sequences resembling those from some of Federico Fellini 's films. Hamoun vigorously attempts to meet his teacher Ali, whom he greatly admires, but never does. He then gives his grandmother

390-454: A cult classic after leaking in 2006 and being notoriously shelved by Interscope Records . The musically experimental album quickly developed a following and acclaim online, becoming what The Village Voice writer Craig D. Lindsey called "the black-music equivalent of Fiona Apple 's once-shelved (and also notoriously bootlegged) album Extraordinary Machine ". Pop singer Carly Rae Jepsen 's post-" Call Me Maybe " career has been called

468-401: A cult following after their cancellation, which may cause interest in renewal. Arrested Development , which was cancelled in 2006 after its third season , was renewed by Netflix in 2013 and received two additional seasons. Futurama was cancelled in 2003 after its fourth season on Fox , but was later picked up by Comedy Central for an additional three seasons. In 2022, it was announced

546-453: A cult following, sometimes due to prestige like Apple and Supreme , while others like Spam do so for cultural reasons. There are also many cult car brands ranging from Trabant to Volvo and even specific models like the Fiat 500 , Ford Crown Victoria and Toyota AE86 have all spawned dedicated followings within the car enthusiast community. In September 2021, AMC Theatres began airing

624-433: A cult success, particularly her third studio album, Emotion . Japanese dub and dream pop band Fishmans gained a dedicated online cult following after the death of frontman Shinji Sato via word-of-mouth spread on imageboard and music forum sites throughout the 2000s and 2010s. Atlanta rapper Playboi Carti has gained a cult following after releasing his second studio album Whole Lotta Red . Brands can also attain

702-480: A cult-classic status among followers of hardcore punk. Some alternative albums have also developed cult followings. The American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails released their 1989 debut Pretty Hate Machine to modest success on the Billboard 200 , peaking at number 75. It developed an underground popularity in subsequent years and sold enough to receive a platinum RIAA certification in 1995, becoming one of

780-402: A film with his "rival." Various rewrites were made to the script to make the film more comedic and made two of its young protagonists into teenagers; however, production was stalled several times until 1992, when Bette Midler expressed interest in the script and the project immediately went forward. Midler, who plays the central antagonist of the film (originally written for Cloris Leachman ),

858-433: A level of irony when describing such entertainment. Sometimes, these cult followings cross the border to camp followings. Fans may become involved in a subculture of fandom , either via conventions , online communities or through activities such as writing series-related fiction , costume creation, replica prop and model building, or creating their own audio or video productions from the formats and characters. There

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936-424: A major success by small core groups or communities of fans. Some cults are only popular within a certain subculture . The film Woodstock (1970) is especially loved within the hippie subculture, while Hocus Pocus (1993) holds cult status among American women born in the 1980s and early 1990s. Certain mainstream icons can become cult icons in a different context for certain people. Reefer Madness (1936)

1014-559: A mean witch. Principal photography began on October 12, 1992. The film is set in Salem, Massachusetts , but most of it was shot on sound stages in Burbank, California . However, its daytime scenes were filmed in Salem and Marblehead, Massachusetts , during two weeks of filming with the principal cast. Production was completed on February 10, 1993. Pioneer Village , a recreation of early-colonial Salem,

1092-457: A script by Mick Garris , that was bought by Walt Disney Pictures in 1984. The film's working title was Disney's Halloween House ; it was much darker and scarier, and its protagonists were all 12-year-olds. Garris and Kirschner pitched it to Steven Spielberg 's Amblin Entertainment ; Spielberg saw Disney as a competitor to Amblin in the family film market at the time and refused to co-produce

1170-475: A sequel which was going to be developed as a Disney+ exclusive film was announced, with a screenplay which was written by Jen D'Angelo. Midler, Parker, and Najimy all confirmed their interest in reprising their roles. In March 2020, Adam Shankman signed on to direct. In May 2021, it was confirmed that Midler, Parker, and Najimy would reprise their roles as the Sanderson Sisters and it was announced that

1248-468: A short titled Hocus Pocus: As Told By Chibi . This continues the trend started by Big Hero 6: The Series shorts spin-off Big Chibi 6 The Shorts and continued with Amphibia , Phineas and Ferb , Halloweentown , Big City Greens , DuckTales , Tangled: The Series , Descendants , Moana , Zombies , The Ghost and Molly McGee , High School Musical , The Owl House , and Hamster & Gretel as Chibi Tiny Tales . The short

1326-440: A small team which continues as of 2023 . One of the earliest cult classics in rock was The Velvet Underground 's 1967 debut album, The Velvet Underground & Nico . While hugely influential, it originally flopped commercially and alienated radio stations, music retailers, and magazines, who found the content too controversial to market. Over the next decade, it received greater recognition from rock critics , who helped make

1404-415: A visit, the purpose of which is to get a rifle which his grandfather had left. Hamoun unsuccessfully attempts to kill his wife, who is now leading a good life on her own. Driven to the brink of madness by helplessness, Hamoun tries suicide by drowning himself in the sea. Hamoun goes through a dream where all his acquaintances and relatives, including his mother and former wife, console him. Hamoun finds out (in

1482-402: Is a 1993 American fantasy comedy film directed by Kenny Ortega from a screenplay by Mick Garris and Neil Cuthbert, and a story by David Kirschner and Garris. It follows a villainous comedic trio of witches ( Bette Midler , Sarah Jessica Parker , and Kathy Najimy ) who are inadvertently resurrected by a teenage boy ( Omri Katz ) in Salem, Massachusetts on Halloween night. The film

1560-431: Is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium . The latter is often called a cult classic . A film, book, musical artist, television series, or video game, among other things, is said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fanbase . A common component of cult followings

1638-407: Is a muddled family-friendly effort that fails to live up to the talents of its impressive cast." Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 43 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale. Gene Siskel , reviewing for The Chicago Tribune , remarked that the film

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1716-557: Is freed due to the death of the witches, allowing him to reunite with Emily in the afterlife. During the credits, the adults at the party finally leave exhausted, no longer under the witches' curse. Back at the cottage, Two bullies Jay and Ice, who tormented Max and Dani earlier, are still trapped in the cages the Sisters put them in earlier for calling them ugly chicks. As they sing Row, Row, Row Your Boat in their boredom, Winifred's spellbook below them opens its eye once more, suggesting that

1794-434: Is hallowed ground. The witches eventually catch up to them at the cemetery, where Winifred raises her former lover Billy Butcherson from the grave and sends him after the children. As 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, they will turn to dust when

1872-435: Is not always a clear difference between cult and mainstream media . Professors Xavier Mendik and Ernest Mathijs, authors of 100 Cult Films , argue that the devoted following among these films make them cult classics. In many cases, films that have cult followings may have been financial flops during their theatrical box office run, and even received mixed or mostly negative reviews by mainstream media, but are still considered

1950-400: Is noted worldwide as lying somewhere between cult and mainstream cinema. Also, certain cult phenomena can grow to such proportions that they become mainstream, such as the filmography of cult directors like John Waters , John Sayles , John Cassavetes , Armando Bó , Eliseo Subiela , Ruggero Deodato , Takeshi Kitano , Abbas Kiarostami or Jesús Franco . Certain television series develop

2028-408: Is quoted as saying that Hocus Pocus "was the most fun I'd had in my career up to that point". Ortega met with Leonardo DiCaprio about playing the role of Max after being "impressed" by his audition but he was too busy to take on the role as he was working on What's Eating Gilbert Grape . Rosie O'Donnell was offered the role of Mary Sanderson but she declined as she did not want to play

2106-463: Is the emotional attachment the fans have to the object of the cult following, often identifying themselves and other fans as members of a community . Cult followings are also commonly associated with niche markets . Cult media are often associated with underground culture , and are considered too eccentric or anti-establishment to be appreciated by the general public or to be widely commercially successful. Many cult fans express their devotion with

2184-477: Is weak, the action poor and it's got Bette Midler, simply dreadful." Over the years, the film has achieved cult status . 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

2262-487: The Hitman franchise to be the first and last great Hitman game, despite its outdated controls and gameplay, and not receiving deserved acclaim at the time, Alan Wake (2010), an action-adventure game whose story is modeled similar to a thriller television series format and has gained loyal followings despite its underselling, Spec Ops: The Line (2012), a critically acclaimed third-person shooter known for its portrayal of

2340-613: The UK Albums Chart , but only 105 in the US. The Man Who Sold the World ' s influence on future musicians, such as The Cure , Siouxsie and the Banshees , and Gary Numan , as well as the dark wave genre, lent it a cult following in the music scene. Punk rock has produced several albums with cult followings. The Ramones ' 1976 self-titled debut album sold poorly, but was hugely influential on

2418-536: The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California , to honor the 20th anniversary of the film. Nine of the cast and crew gathered for the screening, and hundreds of D23 members attended. Returning members included Kathy Najimy, David Kirschner, Thora Birch, Doug Jones, Vinessa Shaw, and Omri Katz. During her Divine Intervention Tour in 2015, Bette Midler appeared on stage dressed as Winifred Sanderson. Her Harlettes appeared with her dressed as Mary and Sarah, and

Hamoun (film) - Misplaced Pages Continue

2496-423: The " horrors of war " and the deep psychological impact of armed conflict on soldiers , and Dwarf Fortress (2006), a construction and management simulation and roguelike indie video game known for its roguelike cuboidal-grid world model and sometimes difficult text-based interface , rich and complex simulation gameplay, similarly rich procedural world generation and history of continuous development by

2574-499: The American hardcore punk band Bad Brains released their self-titled debut exclusively on cassette, struggling to gain an audience in the vinyl-dominated marketplace. The appearance of the single " Pay to Cum " on the compilation album Let Them Eat Jellybeans! (1981) helped Bad Brains develop a following in the UK, while the album's musical innovation and growing influence later ensured it

2652-646: The Australian soap opera Prisoner: Cell Block H , the Indian soap opera that ran for eight years Kasautii Zindagii Kay and the mock animated talk show Space Ghost Coast to Coast aired on Cartoon Network , which then spawned many spin-offs and other shows that had a similar sense of humor as Coast to Coast when Adult Swim became a block on the network. A large proportion of the titles aforementioned within this article might not be considered cult classics due to their wide saturation within contemporary audiences, though

2730-492: The Black Flame Candle in their cottage. Binx devotes his life to guarding the cottage to ensure that no one can bring the witches back to life. Three centuries later, on October 31, 1993, teenager Max Dennison has recently moved to Salem from Los Angeles . After reluctantly agreeing to take his younger sister Dani out trick-or-treating , they meet Max's new classmate Allison Watts, whom Max is attracted to. The three visit

2808-459: The Sanderson cottage. Max and Allison free Dani and Binx by using a car's headlights to trick the witches into believing that the sun has risen an hour early . Believing that the sunrise has sealed their fate, the witches panic and pass out, allowing Max, Dani, Allison and Binx to escape. Back at the cemetery, Billy catches up to the children and cuts open his stitched mouth with Max's knife, and joins

2886-539: The Season " becoming a surprise hit the following year. While the Zombies disbanded just before its release, the album's status grew as a cult classic in the following decades. David Bowie 's 1970 album The Man Who Sold the World also did not impact the record charts on its original release while receiving mixed reviews from critics. After Bowie achieved mainstream success in the early 1970s, its 1972 reissue reached number 24 on

2964-477: The United States. Hocus Pocus was made available to stream on Disney+ . Whip Media , which tracks viewership data for the more than 25 million worldwide users of its TV Time app, calculated that Hocus Pocus was the seventh most-streamed movie in the U.S. during the week of October 31, 2021. It ranked second from September 30 to October 2, 2022, seventh during the week of October 9, 2022, and ninth during

3042-470: The album more popular. The Beatles ' self-titled album known as The White Album at first received mixed reviews from music critics who considered its satirical songs unimportant and apolitical amid the turbulent political and social climate of 1968, but later attracted acclaim, and has since become a cult classic. The Zombies ' 1968 album Odessey and Oracle was also originally a critical and commercial flop, failing to chart despite its single " Time of

3120-461: 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 October 20, 2018. In October 2011, the Houston Symphony celebrated various horror and Halloween classics, including Hocus Pocus , with "The Hocus Pocus Pops". On October 19, 2013, D23 held a special screening of Hocus Pocus at

3198-474: The children against the witches after revealing his hatred of Winifred. The witches snatch Dani back after attacking the children from the air, and Winifred attempts to use their last vial of potion to suck out Dani's life force. Binx manages to knock the potion out of Winifred's hand, and Max catches the potion and drinks it, forcing the witches to take him instead of Dani. As Winifred attempts to drain Max's life force,

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3276-587: The creation of a "cottage industry" selling memorabilia to the EarthBound fandom , Conker's Bad Fur Day (2001), an unusually mature 3D platform game for the Nintendo 64 celebrated for its dark humor and story, Yume Nikki (2004), a surreal free-to-play Japanese horror game , Psychonauts (2005), an initially unsuccessful platformer that has consistently kept one of the strongest fan followings, Hitman: Blood Money (2006), considered to many long-time fans of

3354-437: The design of later video games. An example of a cult video game is Ico (2001), an initial commercial flop that gained a large following for its unique gameplay and minimalist aesthetics, and was noted as influencing the design of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (2013) and Rime (2017), among other games. Other games that have cult followings include EarthBound (1994), another unsuccessful game that later resulted in

3432-441: The dream) that all his problems have been solved, only to wake up in the boat after being rescued by Ali, his teacher. Due to its dream-like sequences and the treatment, Hamoun has been described as having a Federico Fellini touch. In 1997, Hamoun was voted the best Iranian film ever made by a survey of Iranian film critics. The Cow by the same director had previously held that honor. Cult following A cult following

3510-468: The film every Halloween season. The annual celebration of Halloween has helped make this film a cult classic . Walt Disney Home Video released the film on VHS and LaserDisc in the United States and Canada on January 5, 1994. and later to DVD on June 4, 2002. Following the film's release on DVD, it has continued to show strong annual sales, raking in more than $ 1 million in DVD sales each October. In

3588-464: The film was released on Blu-ray . Disney re-released the film on Blu-ray and Digital HD on September 2, 2018, as part of the film's 25th anniversary. The new release contains special features, including deleted scenes and a behind-the-scenes retrospective. On 15 September 2020, the film was released on Ultra HD Blu-ray in 4K resolution with HDR . The movie has grossed $ 40,627,466 in domestic weekly DVD sales and $ 16,588,298 in weekly Blu-ray sales in

3666-567: The film would be released in 2022. The film was released on September 30, 2022. Hocus Pocus 3 was announced to be in development as of June 4, 2023. During an interview on The Big Seance Podcast in September 2021, creator David Kirschner revealed that a Broadway adaptation of the original film is in development. During an interview leading up to the release of Hocus Pocus 2 in September 2022, he stated that "I just want to pinch myself, and I’m just afraid that I’m going to be nine years old and on

3744-496: The film's legacy and includes "the largest collection of Hocus Pocus fun facts and trivia ever assembled", complete with extensive endnote citations. The City of Salem has celebrated 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, an annual Salem festival held every October,

3822-572: The first full-length book written about the film. The book includes a foreword by Thora Birch and afterword by Mick Garris . Billed as a "lighthearted but scholarly look at the film", the book analyzes the film's major themes, which it identifies as festivity, nostalgia, home, horror, virginity, feminism, Broadway-style musical moments, sibling rivalry, "Spielbergian" filmmaking style, Disney villain traditions, and more. Wallace also analyzes Walt Disney World 's Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular as part of

3900-516: The first independently released albums to accomplish the feat. Also in 1989, Nirvana 's debut album Bleach was released to some positive notice from critics, but failed to impact record charts, until the band's massively successful 1991 album Nevermind drew further interest to it. Radiohead 's albums Kid A and Amnesiac both received mixed reviews from fans and critics, but later attracted some praise and became cult classics. The R&B singer Bilal 's second album, Love for Sale , became

3978-408: The former Sanderson cottage, now an abandoned museum, where Max inadvertently resurrects the witches by lighting the Black Flame Candle. The witches attempt to suck out Dani's soul, but Max comes to her rescue. Escaping, Max steals Winifred's spellbook on the advice of Binx, who remains an immortal black cat. Binx guides the group to an old cemetery, where they are protected from the witches since it

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4056-505: The growing popularity of the movie. In a November 2014 interview, Bette Midler said that she was ready and willing to return for a sequel, and she also said that her co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy were also interested in returning for a sequel. Midler stressed the fact that Disney had yet to greenlight any sequel. In October 2016, Sarah Jessica was asked the prospects of a sequel and said "I would love that. I think we've been very vocal that we're very keen." In October 2019,

4134-450: The mid-to-late 1990s, the film was rebroadcast annually all throughout October on ABC and Disney Channel before switching over to ABC Family 's 13 Nights of Halloween lineup in the 2010s. The film has continuously brought record viewing numbers to the lineup, including a 2009 broadcast watched by 2.5 million viewers. In 2011, an October 29 airing became the lineup's most watched program, with 2.8 million viewers. On September 4, 2012,

4212-455: The month of October, Hocus Pocus has been rediscovered by audiences, 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 . The film spawned a franchise , consisting of a sequel novelization , a theme park attraction , a TV special , a short film . A sequel, Hocus Pocus 2 , written by Jen D'Angelo and directed by Anne Fletcher ,

4290-504: The passable special effects should keep younger campers transfixed [...] [T]he sight of the Divine Miss M. mugging her way through a cheesy supernatural kiddie comedy is, to say the least, dispiriting." Kim Newman of Empire gave the film two stars out of five, writing, "Trying to break expectations isn't always a wise idea and here Disney show how not to do it. With this supposed-family movie, they disappoint on nearly every level. The plot

4368-537: The reveal of Laura Palmer 's murderer, who was left intentionally unknown by Lynch. Eventually, the show was canceled, ending on a cliffhanger. It was not until 2017 that Twin Peaks returned as a limited series on Showtime , ending one of the longest hiatuses in television history. Series often considered cult classics include the long-running BBC science fiction series Doctor Who , the ITC sci-fi thriller series The Prisoner ,

4446-412: The score. Debney released a promotional score through the internet containing 19 tracks from the film. Bootlegs were subsequently released across the internet, primarily because the promotional release missed the entire opening sequence music. The film was theatrically released by Walt Disney Pictures in the United States and Canada on July 16, 1993. The film received mixed reviews from film critics at

4524-454: The series would be renewed for 20 additional episodes (released weekly) on the streaming service Hulu . Star Trek was cancelled after three seasons, but in broadcast syndication it gained a more substantial following, ultimately spawning a successful media franchise . David Lynch 's Twin Peaks ran on ABC for two seasons from 1990 to 1991, initially garnering high ratings and critical acclaim. Ratings and reception declined following

4602-571: The summer. In October 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic , Hocus Pocus was re-released in 2,570 theaters. It made $ 1.9 million over the weekend, finishing second behind Tenet . The following two weekends it made $ 1.2 million and $ 756,000, respectively. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes , Hocus Pocus has an approval rating of 41% based on 64 reviews, with an average rating of 4.8/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Harmlessly hokey yet never much more than mediocre, Hocus Pocus

4680-412: The sun begins to rise. In the ensuing struggle, Allison, Dani, and Billy fend off Mary and Sarah. In a mid-air struggle atop Winifred's broomstick, Max and Winifred fall onto the hallowed ground of the cemetery, turning Winifred to stone. As the sun rises above the horizon, Mary and Sarah disintegrate into dust along with Winifred's stone body. Billy returns to his grave, Binx's curse is broken, and his soul

4758-405: The sun rises. The children attempt to alert the town's adults at a Halloween party where Max and Dani's parents are in attendance, but the witches arrive at the party and distract the adults by taking the stage, using a performance of " I Put a Spell on You " to cast a curse that will force the adults to dance until they die. After luring them to the local high school, the children trap the witches in

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4836-399: The term cult classics may have loose classifications such as an initially unsuccessful release or large number of cliches (intentional or otherwise) leading to such a broad range of classification relative to personal experiences of its assigner. Some video games, often those with unique concepts that fail to gain traction with the mainstream audience, attract cult followings and can influence

4914-402: The then-young punk movement, and eventually sold well enough to earn a gold sales certification in 2014. The British post-punk band Magazine also released their debut, Real Life (1978), to little popular success, reaching only number 29 in the UK. Its subsequent acclaim as an innovative and influential work in the burgeoning post-punk genre earned it a reputation as a cult classic. In 1982,

4992-721: The three of them performed the film's version of "I Put a Spell on You." On September 15, 2015, the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular was introduced at the Magic Kingdom as a part of Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party . The show introduces new actresses as the Sanderson Sisters who try to make 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,

5070-403: The time of its release. It was not a critical or commercial success upon its release, possibly losing Disney around $ 16.5 million during its theatrical run. However, largely through many annual airings on Disney Channel and Freeform (formerly ABC Family) all throughout the month of October, Hocus Pocus has been rediscovered by audiences, resulting in a yearly spike in home video sales of

5148-664: The triple-threat actress combo, Hocus Pocus won't be the Sister Act of 1993. There are a lot of gotta-sees this summer, and this isn't one of them." Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote that the film "has flashes of visual stylishness but virtually no grip on its story". Ty Burr of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a C−, calling it "acceptable scary-silly kid fodder that adults will find only mildly insulting. Unless they're Bette Midler fans. In which case it's depressing as hell"; and stating that while Najimy and Parker "have their moments of ramshackle comic inspiration, and

5226-554: The week of October 23, 2022. Hocus Pocus was released July 16, 1993, and came in fourth place on its opening weekend behind Jurassic Park , In the Line of Fire and The Firm , grossing $ 8.1 million. It dropped from the top ten ranking after two weeks of release. The film was released the same day as Free Willy . According to Kirschner, Disney chose to release Hocus Pocus in July to take advantage of children being off school for

5304-407: The witches transform Binx into a black cat and curse him to live forever with his guilt for not saving Emily. Having been alerted by Binx's friend Elijah, the townsfolk arrest the witches for Emily's murder and sentence them to death. But before they are hanged in the town square, Winifred casts a curse that will resurrect the sisters during a full moon on All Hallows' Eve if a virgin lights

5382-549: The witches will return again someday. In the 1994 TV prequel Hocus Pocus: Begin the Magic , and on the film's Blu-ray release, producer David Kirschner explains how he came up with the idea for the film one night. He and his young daughter were sitting outside and his neighbor's black cat strayed by. Kirschner invented a tale of how the Sanderson Sisters came about, stemming from the Winifred Brood. Hocus Pocus started life as

5460-596: Was Hocus Pocus -themed in honor of the film's 25th anniversary. A representative for 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.” The cast reunited for "In Search of the Sanderson Sisters: A Hocus Pocus Hulaween Takeover" which aired on October 30, 2020. The one-hour broadcast

5538-489: Was a "dreadful witches' comedy with the only tolerable moment coming when Bette Midler presents a single song." Roger Ebert in The Chicago Sun-Times gave the film one star out of a possible four, writing that it was "a confusing cauldron in which there is great activity but little progress, and a lot of hysterical shrieking". The Miami Herald called it "a pretty lackluster affair", adding this comment: "Despite

5616-460: Was composed and conducted by John Debney . James Horner was originally slated to score the film, but became unavailable at the last minute, so Debney had to score the entire film in two weeks. Even though he did not score the film, Horner came back to write the theme for Sarah (sung by Sarah Jessica Parker, more commonly known as "Come Little Children") which is featured in Intrada's Complete Edition of

5694-451: Was originally intended to warn youth against the use of marijuana , but because of its ridiculous plot, overwhelming number of factual errors and cheap look, it became watched by audiences of marijuana smokers and has gained a cult following. Quentin Tarantino 's films borrow stylistically from classic cult films, but are appreciated by a large audience; therefore, Tarantino's filmography

5772-458: Was released in North America on July 16, 1993, by Walt Disney Pictures . Upon its original release, it received mixed reviews from critics and was initially a box-office bomb , possibly losing Disney around $ 16.5 million during its theatrical run. However, largely through many annual airings on Disney Channel and Freeform (formerly ABC Family, Fox Family and The Family Channel) all throughout

5850-498: Was released on October 15, 2022, simplifies the plot of the first Hocus Pocus . The Sanderson Sisters appear as playable characters in Disney video games such as Disney Magic Kingdoms and Disney Heroes: Battle Mode . In 2023, Disney re-released the film in select theaters on October 6 to commemorate its 30th anniversary. In 2024, Disney re-released the film in select theaters again on October 18 to celebrate its 30th anniversary and

5928-457: Was released on September 30, 2022, on Disney+ , with a third film currently in development. On October 31, 1693, in Salem, Massachusetts , Thackery Binx discovers that his younger sister Emily has been whisked away to the woods by the three witches Winifred, Mary and Sarah Sanderson. Binx confronts the Sanderson sisters at their cottage but fails to stop them from draining Emily's life force to restore their youth. To punish him for interfering,

6006-521: Was used for the opening scenes set in 1693. Other locations included Old Burial Hill in Marblehead, where Max is accosted by Ice and Jay, the Old Town Hall in Salem, where the town Halloween party takes place, and Phillips Elementary School, where the witches are trapped in a kiln. The exterior of Max and Dani's house is a private residence on Ocean Avenue in Salem. The musical score for Hocus Pocus

6084-798: Was virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic , and the proceeds will go to the New York Restoration Project . Members of the cast who participated were Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Thora Birch, Omri Katz, Vinessa Shaw, and Doug Jones. Other notable participants of the benefit included Meryl Streep , Mariah Carey , Cassandra Peterson , Glenn Close , Billy Crystal , Jamie Lee Curtis , Todrick Hall , Jennifer Hudson , Anjelah Johnson-Reyes , Michael Kors , Adam Lambert , George Lopez , Alex Moffat , Martin Short , Sarah Silverman , John Stamos , Kenan Thompson , Sophie von Haselberg , and Bella Hadid . In 2022, Disney Channel ran

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