Review of Hocus Pocus (1993) by Gill L — 04 Oct 2013

So much overacting, especially from the witches. You know the acting is bad if you think the most impressive performance came from the youngest cast member of the main cast (Thora Birch, in this case). It's almost so camp and cheesy that it is fun and hilarious to watch. I can see why this has a cult following. It is perfect for getting into a nostalgic Halloween mood. I laughed a lot, but half of the laughs were from how over-the-top and terrible the witches' performances were. I think Sarah Jessica Parker found her niche with this movie; as a crazy dumb blond witch.

The plot is full of inconsistencies. Why didn't the cat talk when he needed to get the attention of his parents at the beginning of the movie? Wouldn't his gift of gab have helped when he was trying to get Max not to light the candle? And if Winnie doesn't know what a bus is, how can she come up with topical highway patrol references to throw at Max?

The special effects were also hilariously bad, like the animatronic cat and the fake lightning. However, there is something about this movie that is fun and hilarious so I will give it 3 stars.