Featured Image: Mel Lhuillier|Marlin Chronicle
Opinion
The first day of October, starting the beginning of the Halloween season, is always when the Sanderson Sisters put a spell on us. “Hocus Pocus” takes everyone on a trip to Salem, Massachusetts, from the starting scene of Sarah Sanderson’s shadow flying ominously along the field.
Then, viewers watch the sisters curse the village as they are being hanged for Witchcraft, while the sisters insist that a virgin will bring them back on a full moon on All Hallow’s Eve. Seeing the sisters vanish to dust at dusk after Halloween, we can believe that this is the true end of the Sanderson Sisters.
The movie features a star studded cast of Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy playing the Sanderson Sisters, Winifred, Sarah and Mary, respectively.
“Hocus Pocus” was released on July 16, 1993 and is, in my opinion, one of the best movies these ladies have done. It’s one of the movies they are most known for, while some know Sarah Jessica Parker from the television show “Sex in the City.”
“Hocus Pocus” will forever be one of my personal favorite movies and watching it brings me joy. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and I struggled finding a movie that I could watch while eating Pillsbury pumpkin sugar cookies because that’s what I envisioned for a Halloween movie night.
The movie takes viewers through numerous emotions while watching. I had my best laughs while watching this movie and a small cry of sadness when I thought Binx had died. I ended up having a cry of happiness when Binx finally got to be with his sister again after many years.
“Hocus Pocus” is one of those movies that will forever be in everyone’s movie queue for Halloween and will always be an option for Halloween for those who may not be a big fan of slasher films.
“Hocus Pocus 2” came out on Sept. 30, 2022, and while to many, it was an amazing movie, I think it should have stayed an idea.
Following a short introduction of the Sanderson Sisters’ past, viewers are pushed into 2022 to follow three girls who used to do a birthday ritual until they had a falling out.
As many may have seen from TikTok, the sisters went to Walgreens and seemed like it was a big joke. The whole sequel was too modernized and seemed as if it was stretching to keep people engaged with the movie.
When I saw the news regarding the sequel, I was ecstatic. I loved the original and had hoped to find a second favorite movie. I was disappointed, to say the least. It felt drawn out and overly hyped up to the point where I was expecting an amazing movie. Frankly, the best parts of the movie were the first ten and the last ten minutes. The whole movie was unnecessary because of the added story, essentially creating a way for there to be a television show that follows the storyline but also another movie.
In spite of this, I loved learning the sisters’ backstory, because it showed how they grew up and why they are so close.
Also, seeing what changed the Sanderson Sisters into who they are made me happy because as a viewer, I better understood them. Keeping the same actresses for the Sanderson Sisters was probably one of the best decisions that could have been made for this film. After 30 years, this was honestly what many fans of “Hocus Pocus” needed since it gave some closure to their past.
“Hocus Pocus” is the most popular during Halloween. I think having the sequel come out now was a good idea, but the end product wasn’t as good as it could have been. The sequel will still get the hype and the views and people will still want to watch it at least once or twice because it is a new movie and the sequel to a well-known movie.
I would definitely recommend everyone to watch it to get their own opinion, since I may be biased in favor of the original.
From brooms to swiffers, it has truly been a ride with the Sanderson Sisters watching this movie on Disney+.
With it only being on Disney+, it may be difficult for people without Disney+ to watch, but this is one of those movies where it wouldn’t be that big of a loss if you can’t watch it.
The whole hour and forty-three minute movie could be an interesting end to the story of the Sanderson sisters, but one never knows. The movie ends with the possibility of a third movie, but we don’t know what will happen next.
By Mikayla Moscatelli
mamoscatelli@vwu.edu
