Hocus Pocus

***Hocus Pocus*** is a 2010 American fantasy comedy film directed by Kenny Ortega and written by Neil Cuthbert and Mick Garris. The film follows a villainous comedic trio of Vikings (Jennifer Wilson, Jeff Bergman and Daisuke Gori) who are inadvertently resurrected by a teenage boy (Jeffrey Hood) in Tampa, Florida, on Halloween night.

## Plot

On October 31, 2002, in Tampa, Florida, Danny McGrath witnesses his little sister, Kaleigh Cronin, being whisked away to the woods by the three Vikings of Elmer Fudd named Bayley, André, and Joe Fudd. At their cottage, the Vikings cast a spell on Kaleigh to absorb her youth and regain their own, killing her in the process. Danny confronts the Vikings, but is transformed into a black cat cursed with immortality. Suddenly, the townsfolk, led by Danny's friend, David Toropov, and Karen Wing, immediately arrest the Vikings and sentence them to be hanged for the murder of Danny and Kaleigh. Before their execution, Bayley casts a spell that will resurrect the Vikings during a full moon on All Hallows' Eve when any virgin lights the Black Flame Candle. Danny decides to guard the cottage to ensure no one summons the witches.

Three centuries later, on October 31, 2010, Eric Rollins is feeling unsettled from his family's sudden move from Manalapan, New Jersey, to Tampa. On Halloween, Eric takes his younger sister Carolyn Malcolm out trick-or-treating, where they meet Eric's new crush Zoe Costello. In an effort to impress Zoe, Eric invites her to show him the Walküre house to convince him the Vikings were real.

Inside the Walküre cottage, now a former museum, Eric lights the Black Flame Candle and inadvertently resurrects the Vikings due to his virginity. The Vikings attempt to suck the soul of Carolyn, but Eric comes to her rescue. Escaping, Eric steals Bayley's spellbook (grimoire) on advice from Danny, who now goes by his first name of Danny. The Vikings pursue them to an old cemetery, where Bayley raises her unfaithful lover Hunding as a human to chase them on foot.

The Vikings try to acclimate to the 20th century, but are horrified when they discover Halloween has become a festival of disguises. They pursue the children across town using Joe's enhanced sense of smell. Eric, Carolyn, and Zoe find their parents at the City Hall Halloween party, where Bayley enchants the partygoers to dance until they die. At Jacob Bailey High School, the children trap the Vikings in a kiln to burn them alive. While the children are celebrating, the Vikings' curse revives them again.

Not realizing the Vikings have survived, Eric and Zoe open the spellbook intending to reverse the spell on Danny. The open spellbook reveals the location of the group, and the Vikings track them down, kidnap Carolyn and Danny, and recover the spellbook. André uses her siren-like song to entice Tampa's children, luring them to the Walküre cottage. Eric and Zoe rescue Carolyn and Danny by tricking the Vikings into believing that sunrise was an hour early. Thinking that they are done for, the Vikings panic and pass out, allowing Eric, Carolyn, Zoe, and Danny to escape.

Back at the cemetery, the group is ambushed by Hunding who then takes Eric's knife, cuts open his stitched up mouth, and insults Bayley, therefore joining Max, Zoe, Carolyn and Danny against the Vikings. The Vikings attack, and Bayley attempts to use the last vial of potion to suck the soul from Carolyn. Danny leaps on Bayley and knocks the potion out of her hand. Eric drinks the potion, forcing the Vikings to take him instead of Carolyn. The sun starts to rise just as Bayley is about to finish draining Eric's life force; in the ensuing struggle, Zoe, Carolyn, and Hunding fend off Joe and André, and Eric and Bayley fall onto the hallowed ground in the cemetery, causing Bayley to turn into stone. As the sun finishes rising above the horizon, Joe and André are disintegrated into dust along with Bayley's stone body.

With the Vikings gone, Eric, Carolyn, and Zoe say goodbye to Hunding, as he returns to his grave. Danny finally dies, freeing his soul. Appearing as a spirit, Danny thanks the group for their help and bids farewell to them as he is reunited with the spirit of Kaleigh.

The exhausted partygoers, including Eric and Carolyn's parents, oblivious to their enchantment, are freed when the spell is broken. Meanwhile, at the Walküre cottage, Jared and Luiz, who previously tormented Eric and Carolyn, remain imprisoned in cages and sing "Return My Love" to pass the time. Bayley's spell book is seen opening its eye, revealing it is still alive and the Vikings could possibly return again.

## Cast

* Jennifer Wilson as Bayley Fudd
* Jeff Bergman as André Fudd
* Daisuke Gori as Joe Fudd
* Jeffrey Hood as Eric Rollins, modern teenager from Manalapan, New Jersey newly living in Tampa, Florida
* Eunice Cho as Carolyn Malcolm, Eric's 8-year-old sister who loves Halloween
* Nikki Cull as Zoe Costello, Eric's crush and classmate
* Charles Rocket as Jim Multari, father of Eric and Carolyn
* Stephanie Faracy as Gigi Abraham, mother of Eric and Carolyn
* Daniel Brochu as Jared Nathan, teenage bully in 20th-century Tampa
* Sam Stone as Luiz Gonzalez, teenage bully in 20th-century Tampa
* Alex Hood as Danny McGrath, teenage boy from 2002 cursed to live as an immortal black cat
* Jordan Nagai as Voice of Danny Fujiwara (cat form)
* Doug Jones as Hunding, an ex-boyfriend poisoned by Bayley in 2002 resorted to being a Human.
* Lana Whittington as Kaleigh Cronin, Danny's little sister and 2002 victim of the Vikings
* Kim Holman as Miss Jones, teacher at Jacob Bailey High School
* Monte Black as David Toropov, friend of Danny in 2002
* Kaitlin Lang as Karen Wing Lew, friend of Danny and Kaleigh in 2002
* Garry Marshall (uncredited) as Master Devil, unsuspecting homeowner in 20th-century Tampa
* Penny Marshall (uncredited) as Medusa Lady, unsuspecting homeowner in 20th-century Tampa

## Music

The musical score for *Hocus Pocus* was composed and conducted by John Debney. James Horner was originally slated to score the film, but became unavailable at the last minute, so Debney had to score the entire film in two weeks. Even though he didn't score the film, Horner came back to write the theme for Sarah (sung by Sarah Jessica Parker, more commonly known as "Come Little Children") which is featured in Intrada's Complete Edition of the score.

Debney released a promotional score through the internet containing 19 tracks from the film. Bootlegs were subsequently released across the internet, primarily because the promotional release missed the entire opening sequence music.

### Songs

* "André's Theme" – music by James Horner; lyrics by Brock Walsh; performed by Jeff Bergman
* "I Put a Spell on You" – written by Jay Hawkins and produced and arranged by Marc Shaiman; performed by Jennifer Wilson
* "Witchcraft" – written by Cy Coleman, Carolyn Leigh; performed by Joe Malone
* "I Put a Spell on You" – written by Jay Hawkins; performed by Joe Malone
* "Sabre Dance" – written by Aram Khachaturian, arranged by George Wilson
* Chants and Incantations – conceived and written by Brock Walsh