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 an enduring second life through home video and cable television, becoming a genuine seasonal touchstone for an entire generation. Its blend of comedy, light horror, and practical effects work reflects the particular sensibility Disney brought to family genre filmmaking in the early 1990s, and its cultural footprint has only grown in the decades since.

This cell, titled The Sanderson Sisters, captures three consecutive frames from a single interior shot set during a party or gathering. Winifred Sanderson is visible in the upper portion of the frame, her red hair immediately recognizable, while Allison appears center frame. The slight positional variation across the three frames preserves a genuine moment of motion from the original 35mm photography, offering a rare sequential window into the film's practical staging.