Disney’s Hocus Pocus is now available in a special 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray and digital combo pack. Yes, it’s been a quarter century since the Sanderson sisters returned from the grave to once again bedevil Salem, Massachusetts—and, yes, it’s okay if that makes you feel like a wizened seventeenth-century hag yourself. Time, it would seem, just keeps on passing.
Though it obviously lacks the pomp and circumstance surrounding most Disney anniversary edition releases, Hocus Pocus arrives in a manner befitting its status as an unlikely fan favorite, complete with both its original 1993 form and a brand new way to watch the old classic, the “We ♥︎ Hocus Pocus: Trivia and Treats Edition.”
Featuring video extras like deleted scenes, cast commentary, behind-the-scenes secrets, and much, much more, this Trivia and Treats mode is perfect for your umpteenth rewatch of this family Halloween classic.
But wait—you say your clan has never experienced the delightfully high-caliber 1990s cheese-fest that is Hocus Pocus?
(Admittedly, I find this admission suspect, but I’ll indulge you nonetheless.)
Salem newcomers Max Dennison and his little sister Dani—played by a pre-pubescent Thora Birch—unwittingly resurrect a trio of witches bent on stealing the youth of the town’s citizenry to assure their own immortality. However, while the Dennisons (and Max’s would-be crush Allison) are the heroes of the day, the film truly belongs to the Sanderson sisters themselves.
With Kathy Najimy as the child-tracking Mary, Sarah Jessica Parker as siren-like Sarah Sanderson, and Bette Midler as the buck-toothed, scenery-chewing leader Winnie, Hocus Pocus‘ star power is clearly on the side of evil, and the film’s all the better for it. There are spells and incantations galore, a talking cat, a sinister and vaguely Necronomicon-like tome, a zombiefied ex-lover (played by monster-man extraordinaire Doug Jones), and far more uses of the words “hell” and “damn” than you’d expect in a Disney feature.
Thanks in no small part to its annual October rotation on basic cable, Hocus Pocus achieved an enduring cult status, but this release serves as a reminder that, despite its outmoded visual effects (and even more dated wardrobe), the film endures because it’s truly a joy to watch.
Presented in 1080p and 5.1-channel audio, the Blu-ray provides a superlative viewing experience, and the bundled digital code lets you take Hocus Pocus with you via the Movies Anywhere app. In short, this 25th Anniversary Edition is the perfect way to bring Hocus Pocus home—and anywhere else you’d care to take it.
Review materials provided by: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
