Witches Run Amok: The Oral History of Disney's Hocus Pocus

by Shannon Carlin

The oral history of Disney’s Hocus Pocus, one of the most beloved Halloween movies of all time.

In July 1993, Disney’s Hocus Pocus, starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, did not immediately find success, with box office numbers falling far below what was envisioned. Yet somehow the Halloween movie released in the middle of the summer to little fanfare has become an enduring and widely loved classic. Nearly three decades after the film’s initial release, it’s a yearly holiday viewing tradition in households around the world, becoming a not-so-scary rite of passage for kids and their parents, many of whom grew up watching the film about the resurrected witchy trio with their own parents.

Hocus Pocus is a movie that has few if any equals; it manages to span a generational divide, uniting boomers and zoomers in their nostalgic love for the boundary-pushing supernatural comedy that in some ways seemed a little too risqué for the millennial kids it was originally intended for. So how did a movie that didn’t catch an initial spark end up casting such a spell on mainstream culture? Witches Run Amok answers that question and more, using interviews from the cast and creative team behind the heartwarming Halloween staple. The book is a love letter to Hocus Pocus’s millions of devoted fans and a fascinating read for anyone who wants to understand how the Disney movie became a pop culture phenomenon.

Genres: Nonfiction, Halloween, Pop Culture, History, Adult, Film, LGBT

346 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 13, 2024

About the author

Hi, I'm Shannon Carlin.
I'm a pop culture journalist who has written for Time, Vulture, Refinery29, Bustle, Rolling Stone, and PopSugar. I'm also the author of Witches Run Amok: The Oral History of Disney's Hocus Pocus, out Aug. 13, 2024.

Reviews

[Amanda]

I am SO EXCITED to get my hands on this!

[Maja · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up because I want to be nice. A light read to start my favorite season, and reasonably interesting if repetitive.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s no universe in which I do not give this book five stars. To know me is to know how much I have adored this film for many decades. Shannon has done a marvelous job brining together a cohesive oral history with new-to-me information and a well structured approach to the narrative. Looking forward to chatting with her later this month as the book is our October Book of the Mouse Club Podcast selection. Subscribe/Follow wherever you listen to podcasts.

[Troy · Rating 4 out of 5]

super cute and nostalgic! docked a star because it doesn’t answer why “i put a spell on you” isn’t on streaming yet!

[Angie Gazdziak · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're like me and you've made Hocus Pocus part of (or all of) your personality, you'll love this. It's well-written and organized, and it reads quickly. There wasn't a lot about Hocus Pocus that I didn't already know, but there were some surprises for me as well. It's not groundbreaking and doesn't expose any BTS drama, but I wasn't looking for that. It's a love letter to Hocus Pocus. It's a good read for fans or anyone curious about the book, but it's mostly for the fans.

[Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who knows me, knows I adore this film. This was a light, interesting read on how it got to where it is today.

[Gabrielle Garza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slightly repetitive and there were some sections that just did not interest me, BUT, this book captures the magic of this film that so many love. My favorite parts were the ones about filming in Salem! Full of some really neat facts, and maybe some that you didn’t want to know!!

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This... sure was a book, alright.

It's the "oral history" part that really took me out of it by a certain point. I guess I kinda missed that part of the title when I decided to read this book, or maybe I just didn't understand what that meant in regards to its formatting.

Essentially, it's just a bunch of quotes taken from a bunch of interviews (either conducted by the author herself or pulled from existing ones from other publications), grouped together by general theme to create chapters, and thrown together as a book. It gets incredibly repetitive at times, doesn't read very well at others, and often goes off-topic before each chapter ends.

I wanted this to be written more like, well, a proper book. Paint the picture of what the development process was like for the film or what a day on set looked like. Put us in the shoes of the people involved, rather than hearing these stories secondhand. Some of these people just aren't great storytellers. I would even say that rather than publish all these interviews as a book, why not just make a documentary instead? I think that format would have worked a lot better. I literally just rewatched an episode of The Movies That Made Us on Netflix about Nightmare Before Christmas - they should do one about Hocus Pocus! Surely, that's the better way to tell the story of the film, rather than in this book that was far too long and tedious to read than it had any right to be.

I almost would have rather read a book written by any of the individuals involved here - David Kirschner, Neil Cuthbert, Kenny Ortega, Omri Katz, Doug Jones, Thora Birch - on their experience making this film. The multitude of different perspectives and stories here got to be too much at times, and I'm sorry, but I don't really care to hear from the actor who played the bus driver in the film. Why did he need to be included? Why? What benefit did he bring to telling the story of this film?

Sigh. At least, in the process of reading this, I can proudly say I've now watched both the original 1993 film and its 2022 sequel. Now, combining that with whatever the hell I can take away from this book, do I understand why the original film is so popular? No, I don't. It's super duper campy, and I don't think camp is my thing. Nor is Halloween, to be honest. So I guess I'm just not the audience for this kinda film. (I will say, I liked the second film WAY more than the first one. I'm not sure how popular or unpopular that opinion is.)

[Kelly Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book wasn’t ready until after Halloween so I didn’t care anymore. I was gonna skim through but every word hooked me! It had the whole cast interviewed and like 10 BTS stories that were A+

Actually makes the movie better knowing all the kindness and magic going on behind the scenes, they just don’t make em like this anymore. This isn’t some cash grab, def worth the read

#maxwashighforeveryscenelol

[Brittany Shugrue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really brought everything I felt in Halloween as a child to life. Reading it during peak Halloween season was even more magical for me. Hocus Pocus was my first movie as a child and reading about the magic-of-the-making as an adult made everything feel so wholesome and full circle for me. Very well done!

[Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hocus Pocus is my favorite Disney movie so of course I had to read. I really enjoyed this book but I did not like the interview type format. If I listened to this on audio I would have rated it 5 stars. But reading it in that format took a whole star off for me.

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so informative and honestly very entertaining!!! If you love this movie I highly recommend!!!

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting sections for this die-hard Hocus Pocus fan but repetitive in parts. Would have loved if it had included some never before seen photos (or any photos) but a pleasant return

[Emily Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as the October 2024 selection for my podcast, Book of the Mouse Club (a book club podcast dedicated to Disney themed books). You can find the show wherever you get your podcasts. Listen to episode #107.

[Brigitte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was such a delight. I really enjoyed learning about the process of making the movie and how it inexplicably became this cultural phenomenon. I am a huge fan of Hocus Pocus and reading passages by fellow fans was such a joy. They’re right—there’s something special about this Halloween flick. It’s campy, it’s kooky, it’s fun, but it also has a lot of heart and hits you with instant nostalgia once you press play. It’s an entity on its own—the stand out Halloween movie that encapsulates the holiday. It has withstood the test of time and only grown in popularity over the years. Now it has its well-deserved place as the best spooky movie and a cult classic that defines several generations.
I remember being 8 years old and falling in love with the movie—specifically Bette Midler as Winnifred. That was my introduction to a life-long obsession with her immense talent. She often says Winnie was her favorite role because she completely disappears into it. Most of the time, Bette hams it up for the camera and plays a version of herself. (Which I love) Not here. In Hocus Pocus, she gives an incredible performance as a complete character. She’s wicked and driven and funny and a joy to watch. 26 years later and I’m still not tired of this movie. And I’ve seen it probably 1,000 times, no exaggeration. I find something new to enjoy every time and I never can seem to take my eyes off Bette, leading the show and having a marvelous time.
Even if it wasn’t a huge success at the box office, this little Halloween movie sure found it’s fans and it’s devoted following. All the love people have for Hocus Pocus is so deserved. I’m so glad we have it to enjoy every year.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging compendium of quotes from the filmmakers and artists that has been expertly organized by the author to form the entire narrative from preproduction to reception of HOCUS POCUS. Some of the chapters can get a little long in tooth, reiterating the same sentiments and stories over and over again from the same people, but still there's TONS of interesting history here. David Kirschner in particular is inspiring to me, telling us the story of how HOCUS POCUS really started off a a bedtime story he used to tell his daughters and how it escalated into a movie. He had to persevere through so many iterations of his work, and take so many notes from other people. I'm amazed how patient he is with all of it and think he's so deserving of the praise he gets as HOCUS POCUS's creator. Other things that interested me were the thoughts on the film upon its release and how its reappraisal on TV made it into a classic. I remember myself seeing this movie at my beach house when it came into theaters and being enthralled with it then. I never knew it was a flop and can't imagine why it wasn't received well in the first place. I think in the 90s we kind of took these movies for granted.

A really fun read.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so great and so nostalgic! It's funny that I had no idea this was in theaters in 1993 when Jurassic Park came out, because I knew about Jurassic Park as I saw it more than once in theaters! I can't tell you when is the first time that I watched Hocus Pocus, but I legit watch it all the time. Currently, my house, my pillows, carpets, and front porch are decked out in Hocus Pocus schwag! I even have a cat costume with the three Sanderson sisters that my orange boy cat will be wearing on Halloween! I loved this book with the history and I love, love, love the revival and cult fandom now. I loved the book when book two came out. At first with the second movie, I didn't know how I was feeling as it was NOT at all faithful with the book (we had Dani, Max and Allison again in the book!), but when the three older Sanderson sisters came on the screen, holy cow. You would NEVER have guessed these three spectacular actresses hadn't played these parts for 30 years! That made the second movie just wonderful. I loved this book that made me laugh and tear up too. Now, I am going to go watch these amazing movies again!

[Elizabeth Raines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hocus Pocus started as a story that a father would tell his children about a neighborhood cat. It would then go on to be a movie made by Disney. It flopped in theaters, and decades later, it became a cultural phenomenon. I loved getting to see how this movie was made, from things like scouting out scenes in Massachusetts to actually creating Salem in a Hollywood studio. Seeing stunts, talking cats, and flying witches all done in an age when CGI was something brand new is amazing. It’s incredible how a movie that flopped could become something so iconic and how it became a tradition for many families across the world. The only thing that I didn’t like about the book is that some chapters, especially towards the end, dragged. I understand that the author wanted everyone to be heard and to get as much information as possible out there, but I did get bored at times and had to take breaks. However, I love this book and I highly recommend it if you loved the movie Hocus Pocus.

4.5 out of 5.

[Ariel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m glad I read it, I’m glad it exists in the world, but lord did it take me a long time to get through this book! It was a fun read though, and the passion everyone had for the movie is very apparent.

“The idea of something that has been brewing in me since I was big enough to go trick-or-treating, to see that made into a movie and then die, just the anguish and the tears of that, and then all of a sudden, things started to change and then grow into what it's become. It's so overwhelm-ing. I'm very proud of the career that I've had and what I've created, but nothing will ever touch Hocus Pocus. Maybe I should be cooler about this, but I'm not a very cool person. It moves me.”
David Kirschner

[Jesek Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh this is so fun. Iv never read a book in this specific format, with all the various people's quotes making up virtually the whole thing, and very little author intervention beyond organizing them all in a logical way. It was really cool to focus on the exact words of the people we're hearing from, instead of wasting time with a lot of extra connective tissue.

That said, it did get repetitive sometimes, especially once you get past the "making of" sections. I really appreciate that the author seemed to not want to leave anyone out! But sometimes they were all saying the same thing. Let's move on. 😆

If you love this movie, and movie making, and Salem, and Halloween, this is a very worthwhile time.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok so yeh I gave this 4 stars. I mainly did because this, Little Women, and Christmas Vacation tie as my three favorite movies of all time. Nothing can top it since my mother took me to see it in its original theatrical release with her large purse that held a ziplock bag of pre-popped popcorn Orville Redenbacher, and the super saver passes when I was 10. I still remember that glorious July afternoon, and I will never forget it.

So anything that pays tribute to this true gem I cannot shun. Sure a lot of it was repetitive, but I just glossed over it and moved on to the next page.

Still a wonderful tribute.

4/5 stars

[Dawn S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness. Well, I think I'm old enough to finally know the truth. Be warned, if you read this book, you cannot unread it lol But it's so worth it. After having seen the movie (literally) hundreds of times, often on repeat, reading the "behind the scenes" is essentially the missing piece to the puzzle. I cannot wait to go watch this movie again asap, but with a different perspective now knowing the behind the scenes.

Thank you for this incredibly touching book. What a beautiful cast of characters- all of them!!

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really appreciated the LGBTQ+ fandom voices throughout the book. It was also smart to pull quotes from throughout the history of the film rather than everything coming from the past few years. The interstitials to carry the conversation are also great. However, it does read a little bit like fan service rather than an objective look at the film. It’s also a missed opportunity to not have the main trio take part, although you can hardly blame the author! They make the most of what they’re given and very well done at that. Very entertaining read!

[Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I remember going to the theatre to watch this movie in 1993, and I have been a lifelong super fan of the film. I saw the book first at Target and I was very intrigued. I am glad I did not buy this book, because while it's a quick, fun read, it's also very, very badly edited and extremely repetitive. The book feels very slapped together and almost not planned out at all. The book does have some fun insights into the history and behind the scenes making of the film. I want to give it two and a half stars, but here we are.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a light read. Obviously, it is for fans of Hocus Pocus. If you think you will like it, you probably will. I don't think there's anything too earth-shattering in it, and it does get a bit repetitive at times, but it's still nice to read about the memories of the cast and crew (among others). There are some interesting thoughts on its status as a cult classic as well as its place in the queer community. I enjoyed it.

[Jennifer Tyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hocus Pocus is an all time favorite movie of mine. I love how this was written. It definitely gives you a behind the scenes idea about the movie and sequel. I can’t imagine how it flopped when it was released because it has now become this big phenomenon. Hocus Pocus gives me a nostalgic feel that you seem to always try to replicate from childhood (something hard to explain). If you love HOCUS POCUS this book is a must read.

[Andrew Shaffer]

Most interesting sections are on getting the movie greenlit and behind-the-scenes anecdotes from filming in Salem. Several chapters are repetitive, however, and can be boiled down to “Bette Midler (or director, or insert name) was great to work with!” Lack of info on the various novelizations, despite interviews with one of the authors—also little info on Hocus Pocus 2, which was perhaps a late addition to the book.

[Melissa Killian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for fans of the movie Hocus Pocus. This book is full of quotes from lots of people involved in the movie and the more recent aftermath of its exploding fandom. It was interesting to learn where the story originated and how the movie came about. And how it had a resurgence in recent years. This was a perfect read leading up to Halloween and my annual watch of both Hocus Pocus and Hocus Pocus 2.

[Katie Sutton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read! Loved Hocus Pocus when it first came out. Was apparently one of the few that actually saw it in the theaters. I think my friends and I went to it at least three times that summer. Loved hearing the backstory of how it all came to be and that the cast and crew are so appreciative of how much the audience has grown over the years.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything I wanted it to be. So much nostalgia and fun facts. The format of interview blurbs from everyone had some repetiveness on so many opinions on the same topics, but I still loved this and can’t wait to rewatch the film with all of the new knowledge. It completely skipped movie #2 and focuses on the original. I would still enjoy a part two for everything about the second one.