Hocus Pocus Halloween
/Magic And Halloween
Halloween draws near. It's time to bask in the spells of magic and make the hair stand up on the back of your neck.
Getting in the mood for Halloween demands a viewing of the movie Hocus Pocus. It has become a Halloween tradition. It’s time to curl up with warm drinks and popcorn in front of the wide screen to watch this classic movie.
Hocus Pocus
Disney's 1993 movie, Hocus Pocus, is a light-hearted show the whole family can enjoy. True to Disney style, there's just enough play on words to keep the adults entertained too.
Get ready for magic and time travel.
“Hocus Pocus revolves around the Sanderson Sisters, a trio of witches, played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, who are resurrected inadvertently, 300 years after their deaths, on the eve of Halloween in 1993.
Hanged as witches those many years past, they live up to their reputations and wreak havoc across Salem. Only a teenage boy (Omri Katz), his girlfriend (Vinessa Shaw), his little sister (Thora Birch) and a talking cat (Sean Murray) are able to stop them. ”
I Put A Spell On You
In Hocus Pocus the witches cast a magic spell over the entire town.
However, apparently a magical spell was also cast so the movie wouldn't disappear into obscurity. The film has developed a loyal cult following.
“Critics tore apart the horror comedy, but it then went on to establish a cult audience thanks to its release on home video. ”
Who says magic's not real?
The Sanderson Sisters – Three Witches
“Bette Midler as Winifred “Winnie” Sanderson, the buck-toothed leader of the Sanderson sisters. She is the eldest and the wickedest of the sisters, as well as the most intelligent. She has a great knowledge of dark magic. Her robes are green.
Kathy Najimy as Mary Sanderson, the second witch sister. Often complimenting and comforting her domineering older sister Winnie, she likes to eat children. Her powers are smelling children. Her color is red.
Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson, the youngest and most beautiful witch sister; she also is ditzy and vague. Her powers are mesmerism (by singing a siren song), which she uses to lure children to feed upon their life force. Her somewhat revealing robes are purple.”
Wicked And Delightful
Listen to the resonant ring of Winifred's voice, "SISTAHS !!!" as she calls to her beloved sisters. They are bonded in a coven as sisters and witches, even if she does call them idiots at one point.
The three sister-witches are a goofy bunch (after all, it's a horror comedy) and while they’re pretty silly, their magic is certainly wicked enough. Sucking the life out of young children qualifies, don't you think?
Sarah's Enchanted Song
As the witches fly on their broomsticks, Winifred calls forth to Sarah:
“Use thy voice, Sarah,
Fill the sky!
Bring the little brats to die!
Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha...”
Sarah sings a melodious song as she weaves a thread of magic to lure the children of the town to the witches' lair. Perched on her flying broomstick, Sarah coos her lullaby into the night sky. Her dulcet tones melt onto the children, mesmerizing them into obedience.
“Come, Little Children, I’ll take thee away
Into a land of enchantment
Come, Little Children, the time’s come to play
Here in my garden of magic...”
Come Little Children
Sarah sings only one verse of the song, but its haunting melody enchanted people near and far.
Who is the author of the song's lyrics?
Some claim it was written by Edgar Allen Poe; that is simply not true. To add to the confusion, more verses were tacked on to create a longer version of the song.
It's our good fortune that author D. Melhoff launched an inquiry into the matter. Leaving no stone unturned, Melhoff's research on the topic provides the most satisfactory answers.
The first verse was written by Brock Walsh for the Disney movie Hocus Pocus and the music was composed by James Horner.
The origin of the added verses remains shrouded in mystery. Perhaps that's how it should be when you're dealing with a song that leads to the supernatural.
You can read all the circuitous details found by D. Melhoff in the post entitled: Who Really Wrote the Poem "Come Little Children"?
The singer, Erutan, also performs a full version of the song. She created a YouTube video with images from the movie Pan's Labyrinth as a cover.
Happy Halloween.
