Witches in Britches

Episode 1.6: Hocus Pocus

Listen Later

Happy harvest moon! In this episode, we dance all night to the classic Halloween flick Hocus Pocus (1993).

https://witchesinbritches.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/06-episode-six_-hocus-pocus1.m4a

Our theme song is “Moon and Spruce” by Sarah Littledrum.

Here’s a listening guide for the episode. (For a description of our segments, go here.)

Introduction (0:00 – 3:10)

Which Craft? (3:15 – 15:06)

  • Our nostalgia for the 1990s
  • Characteristics of 90s movies: likable anti-heroes, high-stakes comedy, frame story
  • CGI and practical effects
  • Faux 17th-century accents, time travel, and funny anachronisms
  • Comedic subversion of horror tropes
  • Parallels to other stories/ films

    • “Are You a Good Witch or a Bad Witch?” (15:13 – 29:20)

    • Lots of awesome, dynamic female characters and only one (or two?) male protagonists
    • Max’s non-toxic performance of masculinity (especially after the girls teach him to be better)
    • Sibling relationship as the main focus; trio of heroes working as a team
    • Max’s transitions as a character
    • Portrayals of sexuality: Max as virgin/ ingénue, girls are more knowledgeable/ comfortable in their bodies, Sarah’s relationship with her sexuality
    • Portrayal of the children’s parents

      • “Bald Heads and Queer Noses” (29:25 – 48:30)

      • The witches’ bodies as the source for the film’s plot/ conflict and their feelings about their physical appearance
      • Significance of Billy the Zombie (man silenced by a woman, no blame assigned to Sarah for Billy’s infidelity)
      • Male characters lose their clothes (or they get torn) while the girls’ clothing remains intact and functional
      • Bodies as text: the spell book made from human skin (with an eye, possibly sentient);  marking your identity on your body or through your clothing
      • Mary’s sense of smell

        • Related Links

        “What if We Cultivated Our Ugliness? or: The Monstrous Beauty of Medusa”

        “‘Toddler Grandma Style,’ The Fashion Approach That Will Set You Free”

        “Round About the Cauldron Go” (48:35 – 1:14:42)

        • Importance of the New England setting (maple leaves and fall)
        • Origins of Halloween and the intersection with Salem and colonialism
        • Binx the cat
        • The witches’ relationship with nature (plus speculation about the witches’ origins, their mother, and their relationship to immortal figures like Hecate and the devil)
        • Discussion of symbols and how the meaning of signs is dependent on context
        • The film’s portrayal of the afterlife and the soul
        • The witches’ psychosomatic pain
        • Clash of belief systems: science and technology  vs. magic and nature
        • Max’s witchcraft and Alison’s witchcraft
        • The preservation of the Sanderson house as a museum

          • Related Links

          History of Halloween

          Final Spells ( 1:14:46 – 1:20:00)

          • The title of the film
          • The witches’ adaptability
            • ...more
            View all episodesView all episodes
            Download on the App Store
            Witches in BritchesBy Katie Robison
            • 5
            • 5
            • 5
            • 5
            • 5

            5

            8 ratings