National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Hocus Pocus was released by Walt Disney Pictures in July 1993, directed by Kenny Ortega. Though it performed modestly at the box office during its theatrical run, the film found a devoted second life through cable television and home video, becoming a genuine seasonal touchstone for an entire generation of viewers. Its blend of comedy, mild horror, and practical effects work represents a particular strand of early-1990s family filmmaking that has only grown more appreciated with time.

This cell captures the Sanderson Sisters and Billy amid the atmospheric crowd of the Halloween party sequence, the dramatic low-key lighting throwing the figures into sharp relief against the darkened interior. The composition places all three sisters within the frame alongside Billy, offering a rare multi-character grouping from one of the film's most visually distinctive set pieces.