OK, there is nothing wrong with that film. It is kinda fun, a nice popcorn chewer halloween film.
But I see ads, T-shirts, memes, and all sorts of other stuff, the kind of things I expect to see in a really big blockbuster film with a huge following, such as Raiders, Star wars, etc.
Anyone know why all the excitement for a 38% Rotten Tomatoes rating flick? (I’d give it a little better than that, myself)
It seems like, over the past decade or so, it’s become a cult film – it’s a Disney film, and it seems like they play it to death on their cable channels during October.
Halloween, in general, has become a lot more marketed (and to adults as well as kids) in the last few decades, and there aren’t that many Halloween-themed films (especially if you exclude horror films). Plus, because it’s owned by Disney, it has that company’s marketing muscle behind it.
It seems odd to me to but it definitely seems like a thing to a certain narrow age group.
My wife is a few years younger than me, (I was born 81, her 85, the original movie came out in 93) and while i remember the original movie and thought it entertaining enough for her it’s like a cherished childhood memory. We have to watch it at least once around Halloween every year. And yes she’s stoked their making a sequel next year.
Just people who remember it from their childhood, really. And it’s really not a bad family movie at all - it stands the test of time.
Yes, I agree, it is not bad at all. But I just didn’t expect all this hoopla.
It was a movie where tween girls saw three women as leads in a movie made for them. That resonates.
In fact any movie that had primarily girls in the cast was a rare and significant thing. Troop Beverly Hills, Annie, etc, all have a special place in a certain age group’s heart.
Also, apologies if this sounds too obvious, but if you clicked on one of those items or articles out of curiosity then you’re going to see tons of ads and articles about Hocus Pocus.
You can find practically any TV show or movie on t-shirts and canvas bags and stickers on those sites that exist to sell such things. Hocus Pocus might be at the top of those pages because Halloween is approaching, but they will have been available all year round.
Yep. I can see that. It’s funny you mention Annie as that’s another of her favorite childhood movies. Add Pippi Longstocking to the list as well.
Whoops I accidentally hit flat instead of reply and I don’t know how to cancel it but I hope I cleared it. If I didn’t, it was fat fingers, no problems here.
Anyway, I love the movie. I didn’t see it right when it came out and I am just a bit older than the kids in the movie. I mean when it was filmed the actors were probably my age. It’s charming, if one pardons the pun.
Nightmare before Christmas came out the same year. Both movies weren’t all that successful when they were released, but have taken off since, becoming more popular than they ever were when they were out.
It’s a cult movie appealing to women. Men have their own cult movies. Move along, you can’t possibly understand.
It’s also huge among gay men, I know two guys who are absolutely obsessed with it and half of their apartment decor consists of Hocus Pocus from September 1-November 1.
Are you a female type poster?
Fascinating.
Isn’t it though?
Well, for one thing, there’s a sequel that was confirmed in 2019 to start filming in 2022. Of course, that was pre-pandemic.
But there wouldn’t have been a push for a sequel if it wasn’t a beloved movie. It is a Halloween movie staple for a lot of us who were kids when it came out. It hit a sweet spot, being a kids movie from Disney was spooky but not scary or horror or macabre. The campy fun of it is just something we enjoy.
There’s a similar but lesser fervor around the Disney Channel Halloweentown movies. They joined Hocus Pocus as Halloween staples. The first one, this is because it’s decently good despite the budget. The other two I would say rode off the original’s coattails. All of them, including Hocus Pocus, would be aired on Disney Channel, which a lot of kids watched. I don’t remember The Disney Channel airing The Nightmare Before Christmas much, but it also likely became a staple.
As someone who doesn’t really like horror, scary movies, and the like, these are the types of I watch to this day when Halloween comes around. I love the campy fun. The performances in Hocus Pocus take it a step beyond. And you get a look at some really good early CGI with the cat, who was not in fact a puppet—at least, not in the face.
I’m sure there’s a female empowerment aspect to it, as described upthread. There’s a reason why it was Lindsay Ellis’s big break making a “Nostalgia Chick” video about it. She got to dress all witchy/goth, which already felt a bit nostalgic in 2009.
But I’d say the movie has appeal beyond that, for anyone who was a kid around that time. For many of us, it was one of our first Halloween movies.
I hadn’t known this before this thread (originally from a previous post above). Is the sequel film based on the book? If so, I flipped through it at the bookstore a while back, and I’m curious to see if Disney actually has its first lesbian/bisexual protagonist.
This is actually the first I’ve heard of the book sequel. But, seeing as it came out in 2018, and the sequel movie was announced in 2019, it would make sense if it was based on that. Still, I’ve not read the book, and now would not want to in case it spoils the movie.
What I can do is give you what plot detail rumors I’ve found for the movie. It says there will be three girls who accidentally resurrect the Sanderson Sisters anew. There’s the main character Becca, her quirky oddball friend Izzy, and Mean Girl bully Cassie. TThere’s also another classmate and magician named Sam, a magic store owner Giles, and Becca’s step-mother Luann. Sam is a supposed possible love interest, but there’s no direct mention if the character is male or female that I’ve seen. The girls also apparently get the new black flame candle from the magic shop.
So, if that sound like the plot from the book, then it probably is based on it. The book’s official plot summary (in the marketing materials) is quite sparse. I can tell that the main character has a different name (Poppy, daughter of Max and Alison from the first movie) but that’s all I can tell for sure is different.
Oh, yes, it is a campy movie, so I’m not surprised!.. I just know more (middle aged) women than gay men, and the women are the big fans, not so much their partners or kids.
I actually find this answer rather satisfying. “Dumb shit women like” works quite nicely for categorizing it and ignoring it. And, yes, I consider most men’s cult movies to be “Dumb shit men like”, even (especially) the ones I enjoy.
If anyone cares, the book that @Leaper mentioned is free on Amazon right now—on Kindle, of course.
I’m still curious if @Leaper thinks the info about the movie fits what he read in the book, or seems more like it’s a completely different story. I’d rather not be spoiled for the new movie by reading the book version.
But there’s no way I would not get the book with it being free.