Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy in the Kenny Ortega movie ‘Hocus Pocus’

Family friendly mixed with comedy and fantasy for the season brings us to the Disney Studios movie Hocus Pocus (1993), which turned 30-years old over the summer. The live action movie as directed by Kenny Ortega spans 300-years, dating back to October 31, 1693 to some the same day in 1993, bringing the Sanderson sisters across time in Salem, Massachusetts for a story written by David Kirschner, Mick Garris and Neil Cuthbert.

(From left, Kathy Najimy as Mary Sanderson, Bette Midler as Winifred ‘Winnie’ Sanderson and Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson in the Kenny Ortega movie Hocus Pocus).

A trio of witches named Winnie, Sarah and Mary Sanderson lived in Salem, aiming for restored youth one Halloween‘s day in the last 17th century. Portrayed by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, respectively, Winnie, Sarah and Mary brought Emily Binx to the woods to conjure a spell that restores their youth while taking the young girl’s life. Emily’s brother Thackery confronts the sisters, unsuccessfully, and is condemned by the sisters to live forever as a black cat, riddled with the guilt of not saving Emily.

(From left, Amanda Shepherd as Emily Binx and Sean Murray as Thackery Binx in the Kenny Ortega movie Hocus Pocus).

Sean Murray and Amanda Shepherd portrayed Thackery and Emily Binx, respectively. Jason Marsden would voice Thackery as a cat, which brings us into the future to gain its fullest expression within Hocus Pocus. The sisters, with their youth, would not survive Halloween night 1693 since Elijah, friend of Thackery, alerted the townspeople of Salem that the sisters were responsible for Emily’s death. Three hangings and the casting of a resurrection spell were set into motion that night. Steve Voboril portrayed Elijah.

(From left, Thora Birch as Danielle ‘Dani’ Dennison, Omri Katz as Maximilian ‘Max’ Dennison and Vinessa Shaw as Allison Watts in the Kenny Ortega movie Hocus Pocus).

As a black cat for 300-years, Thackery Binx aimed to keep the sisters from their resurrection by protecting the cottage where his sister died. New to Salem after having moving there from out-of-state with Jenny and Dave Dennison, their parents, Max Dennison agrees to take his younger sister Dani Dennison trick-or-treating. Having met-up with Max’s romantic love interest, Allison Watts, Max, Allison and Dani end up at the cottage of the Sanderson sisters on the full moon Halloween night of October 31, 1993. Thackery summons the sisters back to life by satisfying an obscure set of conditions that satisfy the spell from three centuries earlier. Stephanie Faracy, Charles Rocket, Omri Katz, Thora Birch and Vinessa Shaw portrayed Jenny, Dave, Max, Dani and Allison, respectively.

(From left, Stephanie Faracy as Jennifer ‘Jenny’ Dennison, Doug Jones as William ‘Billy’ Butcherson and Charles Rocket as David ‘Dave’ Dennison in the Kenny Ortega movie Hocus Pocus. Karyn Malchus portrayed the headless William ‘Billy’ Butcherson).

Realizing the stakes in play better than most, Thackery Binx convinces Max to take the Sanderson’s book of spells as he, Max, left the Sanderson cottage. The party heads to a cemetery for protection from the sisters, for hallowed grounds like those of a cemetery offer diminish the opportunity for present day mischief. The witches eventually come to the cemetery to provoke conflict, waking Winnie’s former love interest, Billy Butcherson as portrayed by Doug Jones, from the dead to pursue the kids. A charming and humorous remainder of the story follows from here, with cameo appearances from Garry Marshall and Penny Marshall to boot.

(From left, Penny Marshall as Medusa Lady and Garry Marshall as Master Devil in the Kenny Ortega movie Hocus Pocus).

Lynn of Matt Lynn Digital has found endless joy in watching Hocus Pocus on the cable reruns of the movie that partly account for the cult following acquired following the initial theatre run. My enjoyment of the film Hocus Pocus as directed and written by Kenny Ortega helps me rate the movie at 3.75-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Saturday, October 21, 2023

Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon and Ginnifer Goodwin in the James Mangold movie ‘Walk the Line’

Biopic movies have had a place in cinema since I began taking movies serious enough to rank movies. Country musician Johnny Cash received such treatment based in part on his autobiographies Man in Black: His Own Story in His Own Words of 1975 and Cash: The Autobiography, with Patrick Carr, of 1997 plus. Walk the Line (2005) received that plus deeper treatment with additional screenwriting from Gill Dennis and director James Mangold. Friend of the Matt Lynn Digital blog Cobra listed Walk the Line at #16 on his listing of top 20 movies as recently as 2018.

(From left, Reese Witherspoon as June Carter and Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash in the James Mangold movie Walk the Line).

The movie itself begins with scenes of family life for the Johnny Cash from 1944 in Dyess, Arkansas. We meet Johnny Cash‘s mother Carrie, his abusive father Ray, and his brother Jack. Robert Patrick, Shelby Lynne, Lucas Till and Ridge Canipe portrayed Ray, Carrie, Jack and Johnny at this point of the movie, with tragedy befalling Jack and Ray severely resenting Johnny for it. Joaquin Phoenix would go on to portray Johnny Cash as an adult.

(Ginnifer Goodwin as Vivian Cash in the James Mangold movie Walk the Line).

It’s 1950 when Johnny Cash joins the U.S. Air Force. Cash takes a liking to writing songs while stationed in West Germany, developing Folsom Prison Blues before returning to the United States when discharged in 1954. Cash would marry his first wife, Vivian Cash as portrayed by Ginnifer Goodwin, before the couple moved to Memphis, Tennessee. Vivian inspired Cash‘s first hit song I Walk the Line.

(From left, Larry Bagby as Marshall Grant, Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash and Dan John Miller as Luther Perkins in the Larry Mangold movie Walk the Line).

The absence of success as a door-to-door salesman as a means of supporting his family, in part, led Cash to seek an audition with a small band for Sam Phillips, the owner of Sun Records. While Cash, Luther Perkins and Marshall Grant first aimed to play gospel music, it was Folsom Prison Blues that won the trio a contract and financial success. Among others, the three would begin touring with Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley and Carl Perkins, as portrayed respectively by Waylon Payne, Tyler Hilton and John Holiday. Dallas Roberts portrayed Sam Phillips.

(From left, Robert Patrick as Ray Cash and Shelby Lynne as Carrie Cash in the Larry Mangold movie Walk the Line).

The touring introduces Johnny Cash to June Carter, as portrayed by Reese Witherspoon. The influence Carter has on Johnny Cash is a source of friction for Vivian Cash. Feelings of love develop between the pair, though attempts from Johnny to initiate a romantic relationship with June are initially rebuffed. A large portion of the film is dedicated to this dynamic, the children between the separate marriages for the pair, and the familial drama that remains between Ray and Johnny Cash. The eventual intimacy, drug and alcohol overuse by Johnny, an eventful Thanksgiving on that path, and a dynamic journey to ultimately get there provides depth to the personal story that is told by Walk the Line.

(From left, director James Mangold, actor Joaquin Phoenix and actress Reese Witherspoon in the James Mangold movie Walk the Line).

Walk the Line is well crafted entertainment with a strong underlying narrative. The drama is true to the music style of June Carter and Johnny Cash, with feelings of love and social norms of the larger society factoring into the tale. Learning more about the music and the biography of the early part of Cash’s family and career was worthy of my time, too. I rate Walk the Line as directed by James Mangold at 4.0-stars on a scale of one-to-five.

Matt – Wednesday, September 20, 2023