Accidental Rewatches: Hocus Pocus

Hocus Pocus has been on the telly a lot lately. I guess that means it's October? I started to watch but Bette Midler forced me away with her insane voicework. I swear every other word in every line of her dialogue she treats like it's the climax of the sentence AND the movie. It's just impossible to listen to. Good grief that movie is noisy.

And so much mugging! I'm surprised I still had a wallet by the time the credits rolled.

Remember when Sarah Jessica Parker was a silver screen sex symbol? That girl has had so many acts in her career. The comic but non-ironic sex symbol years were inbetween the memorable TV personas from the early Square Pegs geekery and the Sex and the City Mega-Icon status. Let's call it the "SanDeE*" years. What a strong stretch that was for her. So many enjoyable performances in mostly good films: L.A. Story, Ed Wood, Honeymoon in Vegas, Til There Was You, Miami Rhapsody, Mars Attacks!, The First Wives Club. 

Do you think her career has a fourth act in it?

But back to Hocus Pocus... when was the last time you watched it? And do you think the remake/sequel idea that was floated last year is ever going to happen?

Cast This! "Hocus Pocus" Sequel

A new rumor swirling round the internet this weekend is that Disney is considered a sequel to Hocus Pocus (1993) that mildly amusing witchy family comedy starring Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker which was a much bigger success on video than it was in theaters. I remember liking it -- I love funny women trios as I just mentioned -- but wishing it was as funny as we all know all those actresses to be.

Moviehole reports that Disney may fast track this new film for release next year and is calling it Hocus Pocus: Rise of the Elderwitch. /Film reports that Disney is denying it entirely. The title sounds, to me, like an unecessarily complicated title when modern trends suggest that they'll probably just remake it (excuse me "reboot" it) and attempt a new franchise.

If you were making a magical comedy about three naughty witches, who would you cast? You need really funny girls to live up to Midler, Najimy & Parker and as is the tradition with female comedy trios from 9 to 5 to Witches of Eastwick and Hocus Pocus and on through the Charlie's Angels movies, you need distinctly different personalities / hair colors.

If you don't include Ari Graynor in your triple wish list, I will never hire you to cast my own debut feature. Go!