Hocus Pocus : Why is this a cult classic?

I don't get the hype surrounding this movie. To me, it is one of those typical fun 90's movies you would watch growing up. Like Home Alone. I don't get why it has its own specific fanbase.

Well, Home Alone is also sort of a cult classic. They're considered cult classics among people who grew up watching these movies so they have a certain place in many people's memories.

Home Alone is about as far from a cult classic as you can get. Cult classics are movies that didn't perform too well in theaters but find a following when he released on video/DVD. Home Alone was a monster hit making almost $300 million in the US alone.

Which would be the equivalent of $550 million today!

Hocus Pocus is cult classic because it was not a popular film with mainstream audiences and critics. It was a box office flop, but has gained it's fan base and success over the many years since its release for being both a good and bad film. It has a great atmosphere which is why it's a Halloween favorite and it's very quotable. Home Alone on the other hand, is the highest grossing comedy of all time. Definitely not a cult film or typical.


Hail to the king, baby.

I am 30, and currently watching Hocus Pocus.

Personally, I absolutely adored the movie as a young girl. I watched it frequently in the fall, and sporadically throughout the rest of the year.

As years went by, and I grew up to eventually have a family of my own, my love of Hocus Pocus has stayed strong. I enjoy every moment of the film just as much, if not more, as an adult.

It has stood the test of time as an enjoyable film, and it sparks nostalgic warm fuzzies.

I love watching my son (7) while we watch the movie. He loves it every bit as much as I do.

It's one of the few films that perfectly captures the mood and atmosphere of Halloween. I'm not sure why the studio decided to release it in the US in the summertime, no wonder it flopped at the box office. It has built up a large following thanks to television and VHS/DVD sales. Everyone I know enjoys it.

You keep on reminding me of a darkness only I can see

Is this really considered a cult film now? I know when it first came out it was met with mixed response and flopped at the box office (likely for being a Halloween movie released at the start of summer.)
However I hear people all over talk about this movie all the time and loving to watch it. I think it has too wide of a fan base anymore to be considered a cult film.

Size of fan base has no bearing on whether it's a cult film or not.....

I think it's the definitive Halloween family movie- like A Christmas Story is for Christmas.

Because it's awesome.

Horror_Metal

It's just one of those things people who are my age (I'm pushing 30) grew up with, and still have a fondness for. It has held up pretty well over time to be honest. Not to mention the fanbase is growing due to this being aired over October. Critical reception doesn't matter as much as the passage of time.

Agreed. ABC Family (er...Freeform, sorry) shows it as part of their 13 Days of Halloween lineup, and has for at least the past few years. It's just THE Halloween movie, especially for people like myself who A: like it for the nostalgia B: Watch it as part of a Halloween tradition; and/or C: Prefer more lighthearted seasonal fare like this, as opposed to actual horror movies.

I've watched Hocus Pocus every year since I was 13. No regrets, and no plans to stop anytime soon!

Also, fun fact: Bette Midler has stated numerous times since making the movie that her role as Winnie Sanderson was one of her personal favorites over the span of her career so far. She even recreated Winnie's costume this year for Halloween :)

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It's just one of those things people who are my age (I'm pushing 30) grew up with

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I'm 41 and love this movie. I was 17 when it came out. My sisters & I loved. We had seen commercials for it and already had a VHS tape ready to record it. We watched it almost every day after it came out. Such a fun movie. We still love it and so our kids. Some of our kids are teenagers and still watch it. One of my nieces who is 17 told her mom not to watch it until they could all watch it together. It's a family tradition in our whole family.

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

Two words: Bette Midler. Take her out of the movie and it has the shelf life of many forgotten holiday-themed movies of the time. She's incredibly fun to watch in this.

"He makes me laugh, he'a always humping and pointing at Reese Witherspoon." - rebschucks

It's a juvenile film that builds itself around some annoying kids (the little blonde girl is especially irritating), and the ONLY good thing is Bette Midler. Otherwise, it looks like a Disney channel movie.

The jokes are very good for kids and adults. A child dies within ten minutes and even has freaky imagery