National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Hocus Pocus was released by Walt Disney Pictures in July 1993, directed by Kenny Ortega and written by Mick Garris and Neil Cuthbert. Though it performed modestly in its original theatrical run, the film found a devoted second life through home video and seasonal television broadcasts, becoming a genuine cultural touchstone of 1990s Halloween programming. Shot on location in Salem, Massachusetts, it remains a notable example of Disney's live-action family filmmaking from that decade.

This cell captures Dani Dennison in a continuous sequence, her signature red-brimmed witch hat framing her face as her hand rises near her chin across three closely related frames. Thora Birch brings quiet expressiveness to the moment, with subtle shifts in hand position and a slightly parted mouth suggesting a scene of heightened attention or reaction. The dim interior lighting gives the frames an atmospheric, storybook quality.