![]() That was a serious disappointment in a bygone era when theaters screened movies for months. That original release earned $39.5 million, an $11.5 million return. Its Rotten Tomatoes score among top critics registers in at 38%: “Harmlessly hokey yet never much more than mediocre, ‘Hocus Pocus’ is a muddled family-friendly effort that fails to live up to the talents of its impressive cast.” Walt Disney Pictures put “ Hocus Pocus” out to an underwhelming reception - both critically and financially. To 1993 movie critics, “Hocus Pocus” was a cinematic mystery. It would take time before this little gem found its tribe and earned cult-classic status. He passes the Old Town House and Bus Stop sign before cycling down State Street.Ī Google Map pinpointing “Hocus Pocus” filming locations in Salem and Marblehead with a little context provided for each: Earning cult-classic status He first passes the former town common abutting Abbot Hall notice the fence of cement and metal bars. Max pedals through the town’s streets on his way home. The Marblehead and Salem scenes capture two New England coastal communities in all their autumn glory. There was a layered quality to ‘Hocus Pocus’ that I continue to strive for in my work.” From carved pumpkins, to scarecrows, witches, ghosts, you name it,” Sandell told Set Design. “We vowed we wouldn’t use any store-bought Halloween decorations. The movie is an amalgamation of scenes shot in Burbank, California studio, Salem and Marblehead. “If memory serves, we shot about a month on location, in Salem and Marblehead, Massachusetts, after prepping for months there,” the “Hocus Pocus” production designer, William Sandell, told Set Design in 2018.ĭisney budgeted $2 million for the film’s set design. The principal cast arrived on the North Shore in the fall of 1992 to shoot roughly a half-dozen scenes in Salem and Marblehead. It’s up to Max, his sister, Dani, and his love interest, Allison Watts, as well as an immortal black cat - Thackery Binx - to put an end to the witches’ reign of terror. An stay-up-all-night romp plays out to make right Max’s misdeeds. Over 300 years later, skeptic and virgin Max Dennison, the new kid in town lights the Black Flame Candle, resurrecting the sibling witches on Halloween night. Other outdoor scenes were filmed at Salem Common.The Sanderson sisters’ cottage, in modern day Salem, Massachusetts, has been turned into a witchcraft museum. This scene wasn’t filmed in Salem, but in nearby Marblehead, at Old Burial Hill, which is one of New England’s oldest graveyards. One of the most recognizable is when Max is accosted by teen bullies Ice and Jay while in the cemetery. Hocus Pocus used real locations to film scenes of Max, Dani, and and Allison out and about in modern-day Salem. The three-acre museum includes examples of colonial architecture-including dugouts, wigwams, and thatched roof cottages-and has a gardens and a blacksmith shop used to give visitors a peek into early 17-century colonial life in the region. Pioneer Village was built in the 1930s, and is the country’s oldest living history museum. The film used Pioneer Village to tap into the historical setting. While most of Hocus Pocus is set in the 90s, the film opens in 17th century Salem, showing what Thackery Binx was up to before he got cursed to live as an immortal cat. Because of this horrific historic event, much of Salem’s colonial history has been preserved and/or recreated (to varying degrees of historic accuracy), which means there are some real-life locations used during Hocus Pocus filming that you can still visit today… Thackery Binx’s Colonial Past ![]() Which most of the movie was filmed in sunny Burbank, California, the Kenny Ortega-helmed production made pretty good use of the time spent in Salem and Marblehead, filming daytime scenes in the historic New England town known for the 17th century witch trials, during which hundreds of people were executed on the suspicion of witchcraft. Out of Hocus Pocus‘ four-month shoot, only two weeks were spent filming in Massachusetts with the cast’s principal actors. Does Hocus Pocus get MA right? Which Hocus Pocus Scenes Were Actually Filmed in Salem? But what about beloved Halloween classic Hocus Pocus? The 1993 film follows young Max Dennision, who has just moved to Salem, Massachusetts from his home in L.A. As someone who has lived most of their life in New England, I’ve seen many a film that “takes place” in the region, but that gets some basic stuff hilariously wrong due to the limitations of filming location (I’m looking at you, Gilmore Girls). Anyone who lives not in Los Angeles, New York City, or Vancouver is probably familiar with the uncanny experience of watching an American TV show or movie ostensibly set in your home state or city, but filmed somewhere that is quite obviously not your home state or city. ![]()
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