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12 Crazy, Interesting Facts About Hocus Pocus You Never Knew
Thursday, October 2, 2014 by Jessica Booth
I love Halloween, so I obviously also love watching Halloween movies. There are so many great options out there, but one of my absolute favorites is Hocus Pocus. I watch this movie every single year and never get bored of it. Everything about it is absolute perfection, and no, that’s not an exaggeration. Hocus Pocus is magical, spooky, hilarious, and genuine. It never fails to make me smile, and it basically embodies everything I love about Halloween.
If you thought you knew everything about the movie, think again. There are a bunch of really interesting facts about Hocus Pocus that I bet you didn’t know ”“ and if you did, fine, you’re a superfan and I bow down to you. Let’s all get in the Halloween spirit together by checking out these 12 crazy, interesting facts about Hocus Pocus”¦ and then watching it, obviously.
The Movie Didn’t Perform Well At First
Even though it was a Halloween movie, Hocus Pocus was released in July 1993 instead of the fall. This is probably why it didn’t do very well at first – who wants to get into the Halloween spirit in the middle of the summertime?
The Moths Were Real!
Remember when Billy Butcherson’s mouth was finally opened up and a bunch of moths came flying out? Yeah, well apparently that wasn’t CGI… those were real moths. GROSS.
There Are A Bunch of Historical Inaccuracies
Although Hocus Pocus is a great Halloween movie, it’s not very historically accurate. When we see the Sanderson sisters getting hanged, the executioner is wearing a leather outfit with metal spikes – this is too modern for that time period in Salem. At one point, the Sanderson sisters make a reference about cooking with margarine. If they indeed died in 1693, they wouldn’t know what margarine is – it wasn’t invented until the 1800s. The movie also says that the Sanderson sisters were hanged in Salem on October 31, 1693. In reality, the Salem Witch Trials ended in 1692.
Binx Dies On His Sister’s Grave
Remember at the end of the movie, when Binx dies? When Dani is crying over his body, he’s actually lying on his sister Emily’s grave. BRB crying.
There Are References To The Wizard Of Oz
The movie references The Wizard Of Oz a few times throughout. For one thing, Sarah Sanderson’s hair is constantly changing from curly to straight – in The Wizard Of Oz, Dorothy’s hair changes lengths throughout the movie. Also, during the final fight scene in the cemetery, the background music imitates the Wicked Witch theme music from The Wizard Of Oz.
Leonardo DiCaprio Was Almost The Star
Producers originally wanted the role of Max Dennison to be played by Leonardo Dicaprio. Unfortunately, he had to turn it down for What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. As much as I wish Leo was in this movie, who knows what his career would be like if he hadn’t made the switch?
Max Was Almost Played By Someone Else (Again)
After Leonardo DiCaprio turned down the role, Omri Katz auditioned. He was rejected at first because he was sick during his audition. But he obviously did the right thing at a callback, because he got the role.
They May Have Used The Same Set From National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
At the end of the movie, when Max, Dani and Allison are celebrating outside, you can see that the house directly behind them is the same house used in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
There’s Another Set Of Sanderson Sisters…
Remember that trick-or-treating scene when three little girls steal the Sanderson Sister’s brooms from in front of the house? Look closely, and you’ll see that those little girls are actually dressed like the sisters. So meta.
Rosei O’Donnell Was Almost A Sanderson Sister
Producers originally offered Rosie O’Donnell the role of Mary Sanderson. Rosie says she turned it down because she didn’t want to be a “scary witch.” She really dropped the ball there! But it’s fine, because the casting was on point here.
Sarah Jessica Parker Has A Family Witch History
We all know that Sarah Jessica Parker plays one of the Sanderson sisters in this movie – she’s a witch who was executed in the Salem Witch Trials in the late 1600s. As it turns out, Sarah actually has a history there in real life too! When she was researching her family history for the show Who Do You Think You Are? in 2004, she discovered that her 10th great-grandmother (Esther Elwell) was arrested in Salem in the late 1600’s for committing acts of witchcraft (and also choking neighbor to death, no big deal). Esther wasn’t executed, but it’s still crazy that Sarah had a “witch” in her family. She has said that “it changed everything about who I thought I was.”
Satan and His Wife Are Actually Brother and Sister
Remember the dude dressed as Satan in the movie, and his annoyed wife? Yeah, well their relationship in the movie was kind of creepy, because in real life, they’re brother and sister. Weird.
