Hocus Pocus : TV showings just butcher this classic

TV showings just butcher this classic

I remember when I was a child and my friends and I used to share this tape of the movie before we bought our own videos. It was this taped version from TV, and we used to pass it between us whenever we wanted to watch it.

However, this showing on TV completely took out the sisters being hanged!!

I know in the Alternative Versions section on IMDb there are different variations of cuts made from the movie when shown on TV - like scenes of Billy's head or fingers being detached, the shot of the sisters' feet being removed etc - but I haven't seen the hanging scene being completely cut mentioned in the section.

For years, I never knew that scene existed until I had my own videotape or I saw a version on TV which was fully intact. In the tape we shared, the townspeople arrived at the cottage and banged on the door, then of course Sarah says what they were doing and Winnie chokes her. That's where the tape version ends! We hear Winnie's scream as she chokes Sarah, then it jumps to the shot of Miss Olin's witch hat and her telling the story to Max's class!

The hanging scene is where we are told how the witches can come back to life and how it has to be a virgin. Without it, you're left confused about the significance of the black flame candle and why they keep bringing up that Max is a virgin! I guess as a child I didn't really think about that and just accepted that the witches were back as you could hardly have the movie without them.

However, a cut like that would definitely confuse viewers today.

Re: TV showings just butcher this classic

LOL Does it ever. Anytime it's on abc I pop in the dvd instead. They edit the most inoffensive parts. It's ridiculous.

Re: TV showings just butcher this classic

This is why you get things on DVD. No commercials or cuts.

-Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, but Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad

Re: TV showings just butcher this classic

Exactly, but this was when we were children and just shared a tape before we had the sense to buy our own video. Plus it was before DVDs were released.

"You better call my agent" "You don't have an agent..." "Then call my cable man!" - Bewitched (2005)

Re: TV showings just butcher this classic

I'm watching on freeform (the new name for ABC family) right now, and the entire hanging scene, feet dangling and all, was in it.

Re: TV showings just butcher this classic

I was watching it in the UK last night on Film 4. The cuts were sisters screaming as they burned and feet dangling. The version I was talking about in my OP was a taped TV version I watched when I was a child.

"You better call my agent" "You don't have an agent..." "Then call my cable man!" - Bewitched (2005)

Re: TV showings just butcher this classic

Not on ABC Family or whatever it's called now. Both the feet dangling and the Billy scenes are in it. Not sure what channel you saw it on.

Even though I don't get how removing those scenes would butcher the movie.

Re: TV showings just butcher this classic

As I said in my original post, the version I was talking about where the hanging scene is completely cut out was in a TV version from when I was a child in the late 90s early 2000s. They kept all of the Billy scenes and everything else was intact, save for the whole hanging scene. Removing it does affect the movie, as you don't know how the witches will come back or understand why they keep bringing up that Max is a virgin. Plus, it makes the movie a lot more creepy and darker than the usual Disney Halloween movies:)

I was watching it in the UK on Film4 last night.

They cut the feet dangling and then when they burn the sisters in the kiln. You see the flames and Winnie go "Hot hot!" , then it jumps quickly to the green smoke coming out of the chimney, but no screaming. That cut doesn't bother me too much since you can see why they cut out their screaming as they burn (partly because it was being shown around 8), but the way they cut it the jump to the green smoke was so awkward and made it obvious that something was cut. As someone who loves the movie and has watched it countless times, obviously I'm a little biased and would notice the awkward cut a bit quicker than someone seeing it for the first time.

"You better call my agent" "You don't have an agent..." "Then call my cable man!" - Bewitched (2005)

Re: TV showings just butcher this classic

I was the same as you. Recorded the film on ITV when I was a kid and the hanging scene was completely cut, making it difficult to work out exactly how the sisters came back.

It wasn't until years later that I got the DVD and finally saw the film intact.

Re: TV showings just butcher this classic

They show it now, but they did cut it before
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