Moviefone Editorial

Tag: @movieid:8235

  • ‘Hocus Pocus’: Bette Midler Had a Hilarious Reaction to Rewatching the Movie After 20 Years

    ‘Hocus Pocus’: Bette Midler Had a Hilarious Reaction to Rewatching the Movie After 20 Years

    Bette Midler in Hocus Pocus
    Buena Vista Pictures

    Watching “Hocus Pocus” is a Halloween tradition for many, but not for Bette Midler. Until recently, she hadn’t watched the movie in more than two decades.

    The acclaimed actress opened up to People magazine about finally rewatching “Hocus Pocus” after 20-odd years, and it turns out time gave her new perspective. She admitted something hilarious: She’d never realized how good her co-stars were in the movie before because she’d been so focused on her own performance.

    “The first time I watched it I was only watching myself,” Midler said. “But this time I saw everybody. And I tell ya, those girls in the back — they were going full blast! They were giving me a run for my money. The kids were great, everybody was great!”

    Yep, she’d managed to overlook the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, and Thora Birch. Still, we can’t totally fault her. It’s got to be a different experience watching a movie in which you star.

    Luckily, Midler finally can appreciate what a good job they all did. She now seems to understand exactly why their film has become a classic.

    “I loved it!” Midler told People. “I loved it!”

    [via: People]

  • Watch Tiffany Haddish Join a Wild ‘Billy on the Street’ Witch Hunt

    Watch Tiffany Haddish Join a Wild ‘Billy on the Street’ Witch Hunt

    Billy on the Street still
    Billy on the Street TV/YouTube

    The time has come for a woke “Hocus Pocus,” and who better than Tiffany Haddish and Billy Eichner to find some diverse witches?

    The latest episode of “Billy on the Street” follows the two comedians as they run around the streets of New York, in search of some possible contenders. They claim they need a third person to join them in playing the three witches originally portrayed by Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler, and Kathy Najimy. It turns into a pretty hilarious witch hunt. Eichner gets excited over some “Crazy Witch Asians,” Haddish shows off Brazilian dance moves, and many, many blunt questions are asked.

    “I’m gay, she’s black. What do you bring to the table?” Eichner says to a man at one point.

    Watch the witch hunt below.

    As you can see at the end, the video isn’t just meant to entertain. Eichner reminds viewers to vote on Nov. 6, and he also highlights a Lyft promotion for voters who need a free or discounted ride to the polls.

  • 9 Reasons Why You’ll Always Love ‘Hocus Pocus’

    You’ll grow out of trick or treating and getting in costume, but “Hocus Pocus” is forever.

    The 1993 Disney Halloween classic is practically as old as the Sanderson sisters these days — the film turns 25 on July 16, 1993 — although it doesn’t look a day over “let’s watch it again!”

    There are many reasons “Hocus Pocus” stands the time (Three top-of-their-game leads! Curses! Folklore!), so here are nine that will make you want to put the film on right this minute.

  • ‘Hocus Pocus’ Is Getting a TV Remake, But the Original Cast Is MIA (For Now)

    Fans of Disney’s Halloween cult classic “Hocus Pocus” are in for either a trick or a treat, depending on their attachment to the original cast: The flick is set for a TV movie remake on the Disney Channel. But will Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy be back?

    The answer to that question is still up in the air, but for the time being, it appears to be “no.” Deadline reports that the new version is “a reimagining” of the 1993 film, which will be written by Scarlett Lacey (“The Royals”), and will have an all-new cast.

    The original “Hocus Pocus” starred Midler, Parker, and Najimy as the Sanderson sisters, a trio of witches who are accidentally brought back to life in modern day Salem, Massachusetts. While all three actresses have been vocal in the past about their interest in returning for a potential sequel, Midler quashed fans’ dreams back in 2015 by stating that she didn’t think such a film would ever materialize.

    According to Deadline, this new movie seems to be a completely new concept based on the original, though David Kirschner, a producer and co-writer of the story of the first film, will be back as an executive producer this time around. Original director Kenny Ortega will not be returning, sadly.

    We’ll have to wait and see what the story is before we give this remake our official stamp of approval, though if Disney bases it off of fans’ ideas, we can probably get on board. Stay tuned. (And keep your fingers crossed that the flick finds a way to insert a cameo from the original Sistahs.)

    [via: Deadline]

  • Bette Midler Dressed as Her ‘Hocus Pocus’ Character for Halloween

    There may never be a sequel to Disney’s beloved Halloween flick “Hocus Pocus,” but that doesn’t mean that star Bette Midler is done celebrating her character from the film.

    The actress busted out her best Winifred Sanderson cosplay during a Halloween party this past weekend, dressing as the witch at her annual Hulaween event, which raises money for the New York Restoration Project. Midler shared a photo of herself decked out as Winnie on her Facebook page, sporting a mischievous grin, giant orange hairdo, and resplendent purple and green robes, just like her onscreen alter ego.

    It’s fun to see Midler paying homage to the film, which has become a cult classic since its 1993 release, when it initially failed to connect with audiences and critics. But fans have since fallen in love with the spooky Disney comedy, which costars Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, and have been clamoring for a sequel for years.

    That prospect initially seemed promising a couple years ago, when all three stars vehemently voiced their support for a follow-up. Alas, last year, Midler said that a sequel would probably never happen, citing the fact that so much time had passed since the original hit theaters. We’ll keep our fingers crossed anyway — maybe Midler’s Halloween costume will catch Disney’s eye.

    [via: Bette Midler/Facebook]

  • Bette Midler Just Crushed Our ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ Dreams

    A sequel to 1993’s “Hocus Pocus” has been talked about for years and years (and years), and while there have been some recent rumors that the beloved Disney flick is set for a revival, star Bette Midler just officially crushed our dreams.

    In a Facebook Q&A with fans this week, Midler answered a query about whether “Hocus Pocus 2” would ever happen — and said, in no uncertain terms, that it would not.

    “After all these years and all the fan demand, I do believe I can stand and firmly say an unequivocal no,” Midler responded.

    That’s a different tune than the one Midler was singing just a year ago, when the actress said in a Reddit AMA that she would be on board for a sequel, and urged fans to inundate Disney with requests to make it happen. Costars Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy also chimed in with their support for a second flick.

    So what changed? It’s unclear, though Midler isn’t wrong that a lot of time has passed; it’s been more than 20 years since the film first hit theaters, and you’d think that if Disney wanted to make another one, they would have already done so. The Mouse House briefly conjured up sequel talk again when they staged a new “Hocus Pocus”-themed show at Disney World this year, but no further announcement ever materialized.

    While we’re disappointed by Midler’s statement, we can’t say we’re surprised. We’ll keep our brooms crossed just in case a miracle happens, but it seems we’ve seen the last of the Sanderson sistahs.

    [via: Bette Midler]

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  • These ‘Hocus Pocus’ Cast Memories Will Give You Serious Nostalgia

    hocus pocus, hocus pocus cast, vinessa shaw, thora birchNot a Halloween goes by without fans clamoring for a sequel to beloved cult classic “Hocus Pocus,” which turns 22 this year. And while a follow-up seems about as dead as the Sanderson Sisters at the end of the flick, there are still plenty of new memories for the movie’s cast to share.

    In an interview with E! News, three members of the 1993 film’s ensemble offered up their recollections about their time on set, ranging from the real-life friendliness of the women playing the witches to their amazement at the film’s continuing popularity all these years later. Vinessa Shaw, who played Allison, the love interest of Max (Omri Katz), told E! that she and Thora Birch (who played Max’s little sister, Dani) had tons of fun on the Disney lot, running around and singing songs, and getting into trouble with the young stars of “Home Improvement,” which was shooting nearby.

    “I’d talk with Sarah Jessica Parker and she’d ask me if I really loved what I did as an actress,” Shaw, who was 16 at the time of filming, told E!. “She’d say ‘It’s a wonderful job if you love it.’ So, she was just very sweet and curious and made me feel really comfortable.”

    For her part, Birch told E! that one of the most memorable moments of filming for her was dealing with both the real and fake versions of the film’s anthropomorphic cat, Benjamin. “You never knew what would happen,” Birch recalled of working with both live an animatronic felines.

    Doug Jones, who played Billy (the zombie with his mouth sewn shut), compared “Hocus Pocus” to another classic film.

    “It’s become ‘The Wizard of Oz‘ for Halloween,” Jones told E!. “I had no idea that we’d have kids outside of our original audience becoming fans in 2015, but it has been such a sweet blessing.”

    Shaw agreed.

    “I don’t think any of us had any idea of the magnitude of how popular it would be ’til this day,” the actress said. “It just goes to show that when you are young you watch things over and over again and it gets in your head, and just sticks.”

    For more from the cast, check out the full interview over at E!.

    Photo credit: Why So Blu?

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