Thoughts On the Hocus Pocus 2 Trailer

When Hocus Pocus premiered in 1993, critics didn’t have a high opinion of the film. Almost thirty years later, it has become a cult classic and a staple of the television schedule in the fall.

The teaser trailer for Hocus Pocus 2 was released this week. The story as we know it to be (as of now) is as follows: three young ladies light the black flame candle and bring the Sanderson sisters back to life. Winifred (Bette Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker), and Mary (Kathy Najimy) are once more eager to wreak havoc on the residents of Salem.

Though it is not clear if the original child actors (Omri Katz, Vinessa Shaw, and Thora Birch) will be returning, it looks (as of now) to be a perfect follow-up to one of my favorite childhood films.

Hocus Pocus 2 will be available for viewing on September 20, 2022, on DisneyPlus.

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Thoughts On The 22nd Anniversary Of Now And Then

Twelve is one of those ages that always stands out. At 12, we are in that in between stage of starting to grow up, but are still in a sense a child.

On November 1 1995, Now And Then hit theaters. It was the story of four best friends living in an average American suburb. The film takes place in two different time periods: 1970 when the characters are 12 and 1995 when the characters have grown up. Roberta (Christina Ricci/Rosie O’Donnell), Teeny (Thora Birch/Melanie Griffiths), Samantha (Gaby Hoffman/Demi Moore) and Chrissy (Ashleigh Ashton Moore/Rita Wilson) have been friends forever. They reunite to relive that memorable summer of 1970.

In Hollywood, it’s rare to to see a film where female characters, especially young female characters are the focus. It’s not about boys, it’s about their relationships with each other and how important female friendship is, especially at the age of 12.

I have fond memories of this movie and I absolutely recommend it, especially to young girls growing up now. It is worth the time to watch.

 

Throwback Thursday- American Beauty (1999)

The American suburbs are supposed to reflect the ideal life. A husband and wife, 2.5 kids, a dog perhaps, all behind a white picket fence.

That image, like all mirages is a fake.

The 1999 film American Beauty, revealed what really happens behind closed doors in suburbia. And it is not always pretty.

Lester and Carolyn Burnham (Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening) appear to be the ideal married couple. Their teenaged daughter, Jane (Thora Birch) appears to be the average teenage girl. But appearances are deceiving.  Carolyn is having an affair. Lester, in the midst of a midlife crisis, is simultaneously depressed and attracted to his daughter’s best friend, Angela Hayes (Mena Suvari).

While her parent’s are going through their crisis, Jane is going through one herself. She is spending more of her time with Ricky Fitts (Wes Bentley) the mysterious boy next door who is being physically abused by his father, Colonel Fitts (Chris Cooper).

This movie was one of the best movies of 1999 for a reason. This dark dramedy reveals what life is truly like and who we truly are when we take down the mask and reveal our true selves.

I recommend it.

Flashback Friday- Now And Then (1995)

Being a girl on the edge of adolescence is not easy. Life, as we know it, will change.

Now And Then (1995), is the story of four twelve year old girls during the summer of 1970. The movie then flashes back and forth to the girls, decades later, reuniting as adults. Roberta (Christina Ricci as a girl, Rosie O’Donnell as an adult), Teeny (Thora Birch as a girl, Melanie Griffith as an adult), Samantha (Gaby Hoffman as a girl, Demi Moore as an adult) and Chrissy (Ashleigh Ashton Moore as a girl, Rita Wilson as an adult) are all best friends.  What they do not know is that the summer of 1970 will be a turning point in their lives and forever affect who they will become as adults.

We all grow up, we all experience both the good and the bad the life offers. But for that short span of time that is early adolescence when we are in between being a child and growing up, it can be magical and life altering.

I recommend it.

Flashback Friday-Hocus Pocus (1993)

There is something about a movie from your childhood that no matter how old one gets, that movie brings you back to that point in your life.

With Halloween just around the corner, anything relating to witches is becoming popular, as it does every fall.

In 1993, Disney added to the lore of witches with Hocus Pocus.

In 1693 Salem Massachusetts, Winifred, Mary and Sarah Sanderson (Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker) are accused using dark magic and executed. The warn that they will return. Three hundred years later, Max (Omri Katz), a recent west coast transplant who is skeptical of the myth of the Sanderson sisters, is stupid enough to bring the witches back to life.  Now it is up to Max, his sister Dani (Thora Birch), Max’s crush Allison (Vinessa Shaw) and an immortal cat to destroy the witches once and for all.

The child in me has fond memories of this movie. At the end of the day, it’s just an innocuous Disney movie (aren’t they all?) from the early 90’s that is fun to watch. I love the balance of the comedic and villainous elements that come out of three witches, especially Bette Midler.

With Halloween coming up quick, sometimes I don’t want to watch blood and gore. Sometimes I want to watch something that will make me laugh, without keeping me up at night.

I recommend this movie.