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Sabtu, 31 Oktober 2015

Film Review: Hocus Pocus (1993)

USA; 96 min.; comedy, family, fantasy
Director: Kenny Ortega
Writing: David Kirschner, Mick Garris
Cinematography: Hiro Narita
Cast: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Omri Katz, Thora Birch, Vinessa Shaw

Bubble, bubble! I'm in trouble! - Bus driver (encountering the Sanderson Sisters)

Hocus Pocus – the evergreen, the classic, the monster of a family-fun movie! How do you even form some sort of verdict?! No idea, but here’s my attempt:

When Disney released this movie in July 1993, it’s doubtful they thought they would create a film that would reflect Halloween’s status as a favorite holiday for the whole family – not just the adult horror freaks or young trick-or-treaters.

Hocus Pocus tells the story of three witches of Salem, the Sanderson Sisters, who are accidentally resurrected 300 years after their execution, on Halloween night 1993. They have just that one night to secure their return to life. Only Max (a Salem and Halloween skeptic) and his little sister Dani, who are new in town, and Binx, the feline nemesis of the witches, can stop them. All right then. The whole occasion of Halloween of course calls for the fantastical and dark, but Hocus Pocus really can’t deliver all that darkness and ridicules it at every other corner.

Indeed, to me, that’s the beauty of the movie and the secret to its success. It wasn’t a box-office hit when it was first released, but annual television reruns helped secure its place in the homes of America and around the world. The charm of Hocus Pocus and the reason it’s a cult classic 22 years on, is that indeed everyone in the family can enjoy it – for all kinds of different reasons. Young children may indeed be spooked by the graveyard scenes and mean witches, but also charmed by the spell book with a face and the talking cat. Older kids can then discover the more comical features of the film and realize it isn’t as scary as they remembered it. Musical lovers will enjoy the opulent costumes of the witches and the people at the masquerade ball, as well as catchy musical numbers. The proud all-American will rejoice in Disney’s shallow attempt at historical grounding and national mythology by invoking the witch trials of Salem. Parents love the joyfull “ooohs” and “ahhhs” their kids make watching it, while stuffing their faces with candy. And the rest of us simply enjoy the trashy, Sharknado-like ridicule of it all, while reveling in childhood nostalgia.

So, if you aren’t hitting the Halloween party train tonight, gather ‘round the TV with your loved ones and let Bette Midler put a spell on you. Happy Halloween, guys!

Features: Halloween Treat

Happy Halloween BSPeeps!

Today is a very special day, and so we prepared some very special treats exclusively for you – like the picture puzzles you will find below.

The pictures I have chosen are not from any famous or not so famous horror movies, as you might expect. Instead, I had a look at some cartoons I loved as a child, but that are retrospectively a little more creepy and disturbing than any show for children ought to be. Like the dystopian nightmare Darkwing Duck is set in bears a greater resemblance to a duckified Gotham City than bright, innocent Duckburg. Or have you ever heard the theory that the Rugrats babies are all dead and the show is just a figment of Angelica’s deranged imagination?

There goes my childhood…

And I guess the monster-hunting Scooby Doo is self-evident. But there’s far more. Almost all of the old Disney-movies, Spongebob Squarepants and what have you, feature a dark side you might have not picked up on as a kid, but thinking back now, there’s quite a lot to unearth. But do we really want that?

Anyhow, now to the more fun part of this so far kind of gloomy sounding post. As I said, I prepared three picture puzzles with creepy scenes from actually not supposed to be creepy cartoons and added a few mistakes. There are each five in the Darkwing Duck and Scooby Doo picture, and, because it’s so much fun, there are ten mistakes in the Rugrats one.

Have fun searching!