Hocus Pocus (1993 film) Hocus Pocus (1993 film) Hocus Pocus is a 1993 American comedy horror fantasy film directed by Kenny Ortega, starring Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker; written by Neil Cuthbert and Mick Garris, and based on a story by Garris and David Kirschner. It follows a villainous trio of witches, who are inadvertently resurrected by a teenage boy in Salem, Massachusetts. Although it was not a critical or commercial success when it was first released, "Hocus Pocus" has become a cult film, largely from annual airings on the Disney Channel and Freeform (formerly ABC Family). On October 31, 1693
Jessica Lange for her performance in the film. In 1998, she starred opposite Elisabeth Shue in a film adaptation of Balzac's "Cousin Bette", for which she received strong reviews. That same year, Lange also starred opposite Gwyneth Paltrow in the somewhat cult classic, "Hush", which generally received negative reviews. Roger Ebert, however, praised Lange's performance, commenting, "The film's most intriguing element is the performance by Jessica Lange, who by not going over the top provides Martha with a little pathos to leaven the psychopathology." Lange received strong reviews for her performance in "Titus", Julie Taymor's 1999 adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Titus Andronicus",