October 25, 2013 - Written by: Emma Farley

Feel Good Film of the Week: Hocus Pocus

If you care to cast your mind back a week or two, you’ll remember that we’ve taken a break from our regularly scheduled programming to bring you a film that isn’t exactly ‘feel good’, but rather is one of your (and our) favourite Halloween films. This could in fact still be a feel good film, as it could recall certain memories for you, but generally, we’re trying to up the scare factor. Or at least we were before y’all decided to vote for Hocus Pocus!

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And I’m glad you did! When I compiled the list of options for this week’s title, I asked the aliljoy writers for their favourite films to watch on Halloween. I selected Hocus Pocus first and at least two of the other writers would have had it as their first choice too if I hadn’t gotten there first. It’s one of those Halloween flicks which is silly and fun rather than truly terrifying. Kinda like Scream but with a lot less blood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UUMsInka2s

In 1693, the Sanderson sisters lure sweet, little Emily Binx to the woods in order to suck the life from her, thereby making themselves young and beautiful. But before they can crack on with the rest of the kids in Salem, her big brother gets turned into a cat, doomed to walk the streets forever for his efforts to save her, and the town folk hang the sisters. 300 years later and new kid on the block Max tries to impress the beautiful Alison by claiming he’s afraid of no ghosts and lighting the black flame candle. Turns out it’s not just a bunch of hocus pocus and the sisters are back and plan to kill the kids in town in their quest for eternal life. And they’re starting with Max’s little sister, Dani!

Everyone’s feelings towards films change as they grow up but Hocus Pocus will always hold a special place in my heart. I used to watch it every year with my little brother when it came on Nickelodeon, and even though it’s now 20 years old(!) it has aged really well. And am I the only one whose heart strings got tugged beyond belief when Thackery died at the end? I re-watched it on Tuesday and I swear it was nearly as bad as when I saw Glee last week! I must be getting soft in my old age.

I don’t think Halloween films are meant to make you cry at the end, but to me, a sign of a good film is its ability to make you feel something. Other Halloween faves for me include Scream and Scream 2 (which I saw for the first time at a Halloween sleepover when I was 11) and Carrie and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (again, which I saw for the first time at a Halloween sleepover when I was about 13). There’s something about that first time you watch a film and the circumstances in which you watch it. If the film is that powerful, it’ll stay with you forever.

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Halloween is still a few days away yet, so please share some of your favourites below. I’m always looking for new recommendations! If you fancy something a little bit more feel good amongst all the terror, pop in Amelie, as that’s the film not in the English language which you’ve voted for next week. Following that, I want to keep with the world cinema theme and go for a film in the English language made outside of America and England. Take your pick from Ugly Betty’s America Ferrera in Real Women Have Curves, Flight of the Conchord’s Jermaine Clement in the quirky romance Eagle vs Shark, the Irish musical Once, Abba-obsessive Toni Collette in Muriel’s Wedding and Felix, a South African high school flick about a jazz-loving boy.

But before you head off, check out these images from the Hocus Pocus reunion last weekend in Burbank California.