Soundtracking: Hocus Pocus
Wednesday, October 30, 2019 at 10:00AM by Chris Feil
As derided as Hocus Pocus was at the time of its release it was ultimately wholeheartedly embraced by a generation well-accustomed to watching Disney villains sing splashy musical numbers. In just a few numbers, Hocus Pocus somewhat accidentally honors a tradition that the audience instinctively recognizes. It may not be a complete musical, but Hocus Pocus falls right in step to Ursula’s “Poor Unfortunate Souls” or Scar’s “Be Prepared”. It’s no wonder that fans constantly demand it be given the Broadway treatment -- they already think of it as belonging to the genre.
Perhaps you can blame that on the presence of Bette Midler. The film was among the films in Midler’s multi-picture deal with Disney that allowed the multi-hyphenate to sing onscreen, most successful among them being Beaches. What the film’s youngest fans might not remember is that this was the era of adult contemporary musical domination from Midler - the television remake of Gypsy, the omnipresence of “From a Distance”, her second Oscar nomination for the music-heavy For the Boys. You could see how some might forget that Hocus Pocus isn’t technically a musical just by her as a headliner during this time.
But Midler’s Winnie Sanderson earns her place among the great singing Disney villains without even having her own original song. True to the film’s campy spooky season, big band blues classic “I Put A Spell On You” is used in a wink. But because of its place in the 90s era of Midlerdom, it feels like an excuse to let the star shine as only she can, with her costars singing backup while she hexes the town’s partying parents. As the film suddenly becomes a Bette Midler concert, it feels both completely absurd on a narrative level but exactly right in terms of giving its core audience what they expect.
Aside from being one of the film’s signature sequences, the number has become a late day staple for Midler, who performed it on tour once the Hocus Pocus cult had taken its stronghold in the aughts. The film has grown beloved enough that when we think of the Midler songbook, we certainly have to consider “I Put A Spell On You” among the signature songs.
Oddly the one who does get their own original song is Sarah Jessica Parker’s Sarah Sanderson. Hers is almost the opposite of Midler’s brassy cover - original, authentically spooky, and understated - but both genuine earworms for any musical to envy. “Sarah’s Song” is a creepier lullaby to instead lure Salem’s children under the Sanderson Sisters’ spell, sung tenderly by the actress otherwise playing very broad throughout the film. Parker hasn’t really sung since getting Sex And The City-uberfamous, but Hocus Pocus was closer to the forgotten era that she was a Broadway ingenue. But her performance, especially following Midler’s showstopper, help builds a sense of what a full blown Hocus Pocus musical could be and how it could serve multiple stars.
The only thing that’s missing is a solo for Kathy Najimy’s Mary.
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Reader Comments (6)
I have to admit I didn't watch Hocus Pocus until around five years ago, after Kate Covington's cover of Sarah's Song "Garden of Shadows" (and the My Little Pony fan animation Children of the Night which uses the cover as a soundtrack.) I was surprised to find out that the song originally came from Hocus Pocus. It is kind of a shame the song wasn't longer in the original movie since it seems more fitting with the film's themes.
Easy to understand the fascination that actresses have in playing prostitutes and witches - both are transgressive figures who at one point were demonized and symbol of the worst in humanity / society. They are universal and timeless and fit any genre of film.
I love "I Put a Spell on You". Screamin' Jay Hawkins did create a classic that was so good that it was covered by an array of people and bands. Creedence Clearwater Revival, Diamanda Galas, Bryan Ferry, and Marilyn Manson yet none of them hold a candle to what the Divine Miss M did with that song. She made it her own and then some.
Despite it’s silliness, I love this movie. I envision a sequel going very hard in horror and a full-blown musical.
I can't speak highly enough of "Sarah's Song." It's the creepiest thing and SJP delivers it flawlessly. Everything that usually annoys me about her as an actor works for this performance as a child abusing witch. She's never been better.
TIL that "Come Little Children" is actually called "Sarah's Song"