Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Hocus Pocus arrived from Walt Disney Pictures in 1993, a Halloween comedy that underperformed on release but found its true audience through years of cable replays and home video, eventually becoming a seasonal perennial for the studio. Directed by Kenny Ortega and led by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimo as the Sanderson sisters, the film's cult afterlife has made it a fixture of autumn programming, its imagery now inseparable from the holiday itself.
This cell centers on Billy Butcherson, the resurrected ex-lover of Winifred Sanderson, a role remembered for its ragged charm and unexpected pathos amid the film's broader comedy. As a supporting figure with a devoted following, Billy draws collectors who favor the story's odder corners over its marquee names. A single strip from his scenes captures a piece of that lasting appeal, a modest but meaningful artifact tied to a character whose popularity has only grown alongside the movie's cult standing.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm colour optical release print of Hocus Pocus (1993).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds two frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, cleanly punched with no torn or deformed holes visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along the bottom edge beside the perforations, appearing as a dual bilateral variable-area pattern consistent with a stereo optical release print.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text.
Base & colour
The base shows a slight warm-amber tint along the lower margin; the image area is very dense and dark, consistent with a colour dye image on an orange-base colour negative stock or a very underexposed positive.
Projection history
No visible splice, cue marks, or heavy scratching are apparent; faint longitudinal lines are present in the image area suggesting light projection wear.
Picture
The image appears to be a positive colour print; both frames appear to be consecutive frames from the same shot, consistent with a release print of the film on record.
Era check
The dual bilateral variable-area optical soundtrack, orange-tinted polyester base, and perforation style are all consistent with a 1990s theatrical release print, matching the 1993 production date of the film on record.
Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading in partnership with National Film Vault, and encapsulated for archival preservation.
Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.
CROWN SERIAL 000063372
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
