Hocus Pocus (1993 film) impressive cast." "The Miami Herald" called it "a pretty lackluster affair", adding this comment: "Despite the triple-threat actress combo, "Hocus Pocus" won't be the "Sister Act" of 1993. There are a lot of gotta-sees this summer, and this isn't one of them." "The New York Times" Janet Maslin wrote that the film "has flashes of visual stylishness but virtually no grip on its story". Ty Burr of "Entertainment Weekly" gave the film a C-, calling it "acceptable scary-silly kid fodder that adults will find only mildly insulting. Unless they're Bette Midler fans. In which case it's depressing as hell"; and
Bette (TV series) and "Family Law" (a cross promotion by CBS), and starred in a TV Halloween special with Dolly Parton (who appeared as herself and was said to be longtime friend of the Bette character; Parton and Midler are friends in real life). Other stories were out of the spotlight and closer to home; in one, Bette volunteered at Rose's school with surprising results, and in another, flashbacks were shown depicting the first time Bette met Connie, Roy, and Oscar (in that order), along with one featuring the birth of Rose. Many of Midler's celebrity friends appeared as themselves during the show's