HOCUS POCUS

HOCUS POCUS is a Disney movie replete with witches, zombies, a talking cat, and a cauldron filled with mumbo jumbo. The musty magic of three hundred years ago is mystically designed to enchant the unsuspecting children of modern-day Salem. On Halloween Eve, three curious children make their way into the old boarded-up Sorenson home. At one time, it had been converted into a community museum housing the gory relics of the three infamous Sorenson sisters. The legends say they had been hung for their evil witchcraft and sorcery. The house is now abandoned by Salem’s fearful residents. An iron fence surrounds the grounds, where many believe that hundreds of sacrificed children lie. Max Dennison, a transplanted California teenager, is new to Salem and scoffs at the tales. However, Max soon becomes intrigued with the Salem witches after reading about “A SPELL BOOK given by the Devil himself” that is bound in human skin. Later, Max conjures up the witches by following the book’s instructions.

HOCUS POCUS goes downhill after Max performs the occult ritual to conjure up the witches. Although it has some humorous, redemptive moments, it’s marred by too many scenes with strong occult content. Thus, it contains positive references to witchcraft, casting spells and occult rituals. Some of the memorable songs, “I will put a spell on you,” and “Children, I Smell Children, Come Out My Children Wherever You Are — Why Don’t You Stay for Supper?,” reveal the movie’s objectionable, abhorrent content.

In Deuteronomy 18:10-12, God warns us to have nothing whatsoever to do with witchcraft, consulting dead people, casting spells, or interpreting omens. “Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD [to Yahweh],” Moses says.