Why is this a cult classic?
I don't get the hype surrounding this movie. To me, it is one of those typical fun 90's movies you would watch growing up. Like Home Alone. I don't get why it has its own specific fanbase.
shareI posted this link already but I'll go further to explain what's in this video, specifically at the 5 minute mark:
https://youtu.be/8_MBnwgdCbQ?t=325
As for why Hocus Pocus is such a cult classic now besides simple nostalgia and a booming Halloween industry, well there are several reasons according to that video:
- The overall lack of good family friendly Halloween films. Hocus Pocus especially stands out because it's a comedy and not a scare-fest. So Hocus Pocus gives "scaredy-cats" a way to enjoy Halloween without being terrified. It has a near perfect blend of comedy and spookiness. It's spooky enough to make it appealing as a Halloween film while keeping its family friendly tone intact.
- Unlike other kid friendly Halloween films or TV shows like say, Halloweentown or the Charlie Brown specials, Hocus Pocus just stands above the rest because it's able to draw a wide audience. Like I just said, it's a comedy but it's not something that has "kiddie-humor". Hocus Pocus has surprisingly inappropriate jokes for a kids movie, which actually just makes it even more fun to watch as an adult.
- The film is campy in the best way thanks to Bette Midler's performance and the musical numbers. The campiness was ironically, the thing that critics hated the most about the movie at the time.
I also think that the three lead protagonists (Omri Katz, Thora Birch, and Vinessa Shaw) don't get enough credit since we perhaps rightfully and understandably, focus first and foremost on the Sandersons. What I mean is that Hocus Pocus is one of those kids movies or TV shows, where the kids seem to act like real, normal, and authentic kids. They don't talk like adults (https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1crkhrh/i_really_dislike_when_children_in_movies_speak/) or stereotypical, Disney children (i.e. over acting, overly precocious, and cheesy) in other words.
https://www.reddit.com/r/acting/comments/191zwvw/disney_good_and_bad/
https://www.reddit.com/r/acting/comments/3f4nke/why_does_the_disney_channel_involve_overacting/
This thread better explains it:
https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/xsi3pi/comment/iqnf7n4/