Max Dennison, Dani Dennison, Allison Watts, and Thackery Binx made a triumphant return to Salem last weekend, but it wasn’t the Sanderson Sisters who brought them together in the historic Massachusetts town this time. Actors Omri Katz, Thora Birch, Vinessa Shaw, and Jason Marsden commemorated the Hocus Pocus 30th anniversary with an celebration dubbed It’s Just a Buncha Halloween.
“It exceeded my expectations!” exclaimed Marsden of the festivities, which consisted of a costume party, a meet and greet, and a tour of the filming locations. “Not to present false modesty, I understand how popular this project is, but I never expected the amount of people to flock to the party and to wait out in the rain for hours on end just to say hello to us. What made it all worthwhile was the energy by the local Salemites. It really, really enhanced the experience for us.”
“I had the best time,” added Shaw. “I haven’t been here for 31 years. The 30th anniversary presented the perfect opportunity to celebrate how much we enjoyed this film and celebrate the fans as well. We were crazy in some ways to come right in the middle of October, but we were welcomed by everyone. We’re completely indebted to the kindness of the locals using their expertise and their services to help make this special not only for us but for all the fans.”
It’s Just a Buncha Halloween — so named as a nod to a classic line from the movie while avoiding the title due to the SAG-AFTRA strike — was organized by the cast members along with a small army of local supporters, including The Horror Squad Podcast, Salem’s Black Hat Society, and Creative Collective, among others.
“To be able to help bring the cast back to Salem after 30 years is a really surreal experience, and being able to do it using all local Salem businesses to help out makes it even better,” said The Horror Squad co-host Joe Manganaro, a Salem resident.
Friday night’s costume party was held at Bit Bar, a restaurant/bar adorned with classic arcade games and pinball machines. Attendees — many dressed to the nines as their favorite Hocus Pocus characters — were treated to a photo op with the actors, a delectable spread of food, complimentary game tokens, themed raffles, and a gift bag that included a souvenir cup.
The centerpiece of the evening was a drag and burlesque show hosted by local favorite Miz Diamond Wigfall in costume as Winifred Sanderson. She entertained the audience with a rousing rendition of “I Put a Spell on You” along with choice cuts from Panic at the Disco, Evanescence, and Paramore. Her performance was followed by horror-inspired burlesque dancers dressed (albeit briefly) as Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, and the devil.
“I grew up in Salem, so being able to celebrate the legacy of Hocus Pocus with the cast was a dream come true,” said Wigfall. “They made sure the local Salem drag scene was at the forefront, which is something so special. Anyone can come to Salem and profit; it takes people with a genuine love for their fans and the local community to give back in the way they did.”
Raffle prizes included a variety of Hocus Pocus Pop figures and Loungefly bags donated by Funko in addition to goodies from local artists and businesses. The grand prize was a Hocus Pocus LEGO set signed by the cast and its designer, Amber Veyt, who flew in from Belgium to attend.
“I never imagined that making a LEGO set of something that I love would get me this much in return: an invitation to Salem together with my sister, meeting the most kind, caring and wonderful Hocus Pocus cast, meeting fans and lovely people in general, signing sets, getting to help out behind the scenes.” commented Veyt. “The way the cast involved me in the whole event is something I will never forget! I will treasure this weekend forever.”
Robby Syruws and Dan Serino, who sported custom blazers based on Dani’s witch costume and the spell book, were the lucky winners. “We had the best time,” Syruws beamed. “The cast members were incredible to meet, and we feel so fortunate to not only have met them but to have won the autographed LEGO set. Beyond that, we absolutely loved meeting so many of the kind locals who really make the Halloween experience in Salem like no other.”
Although the weather ran amok on Saturday, nothing could put a damper on the meet and greet at Salem Common. Originally scheduled to run from noon to 7pm, the cast stayed nearly two hours later to accommodate everyone. Fans of all ages traveled from far and wide, some waiting upwards of four hours in the rain to meet the cast of the beloved movie.
“The rain and the massive line couldn’t stop us from having a little Halloween fun!” said Katie Lajoie, who came from Boston with her sister, Courtney, who traveled from Oregon. Donned in SpongeBob and Patrick costumes, she assured that their three and a half hour wait was well worth it. “The cast was friendly, and the nostalgia surrounding the film is so significant for us. I’m hoping they do the event next year!”
As unfortunate as the weather conditions and the lengthy queue may have been, no one left without a smile. The warm, welcoming actors took their time with each and every person who waited to meet them. Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo and members of the Salem Fire Department even stopped by to show their support.
“It was a pleasure to welcome members of the original Hocus Pocus cast back to Salem for the 30th anniversary of the movie!” said Pangallo. “Hocus Pocus has had such a significant impact on our city and draws thousands of visitors each year to our community. We had a great time hosting Vinessa, Jason, Thora, and Omri for this return visit to the Witch City!”
On Sunday morning, the cast members embarked on a private tour of the Hocus Pocus filming locations hosted by Salem tour guides Jeffrey Lilley and Sarah Black. “People seek out these locations,” Black explained. “Sometimes it’s the pinnacle of their trip to see them.” Perhaps nothing conveys the significance of Hocus Pocus in Salem better than the local legend of a fan whose ashes were scattered on the grounds of Max and Dani’s house from the movie.
The cast members were able to speak with the homeowners of that iconic location, Dorothy and Jean Beauregard, who lived there during production and have witnessed the film’s meteoric rise in popularity firsthand via tourists outside their property. They started noticing visitors about 15 years after the film’s release, circa 2008, and traffic has consistently increased each year since.
The tour also stopped at Pioneer Village, which was used as Salem Village in 1693 for the opening sequence; the Ropes Mansion, which served as Allison’s house; Phillips Elementary School, which the kids attended; Old Town Hall, where the Halloween party was held; and Salem Common, where Katz and Shaw briefly reenacted the scene in which Allison returns Max’s phone number. Remarkably, the stars remained undetected by a nearby Hocus Pocus fan tour.
“It was a fleeting moment in our lives, only a few months did we shoot this movie, but it meant so much to us then and it means so much to people as well as ourselves now. It’s like a mutual feeling that we all share,” said Shaw, who revealed that she had never seen the outside of her character’s house in person before, as the interiors were shot on a soundstage. “Seeing those locations just put the icing on the cake of our whole weekend.”
The cast members capped off the trip with a surprise visit to the North Shore Alliance for GLBTQ+ Youth (NAGLY), a local non-profit that educates and empowers queer youth. They crashed a Halloween party to meet the folks, tour the facility, and donate the money raised by Friday night’s raffles, which was individually matched by all four actors for a total of over $3,000.
“NAGLY provides a support system and a home for LGBTQ youth,” Katz explained. “We live in a — pardon my French — fucked up world, and I think kids are typically very innocent. They don’t deserve to be treated in the manners that they sometimes are. We were happy to do anything that we could do to help. As a group, we felt like that was a good cause.”
Hocus Pocus may have failed to put a spell on viewers upon its theatrical release in 1993, but its ardent fanbase has grown exponentially in the three decades since. Annual television airings helped to turn the Disney flop into a bona fide Halloween phenomenon, not to mention a perennial merchandising juggernaut.
“I don’t think any one of us ever thought that 30 years later this movie would just constantly grow, obviously thanks to the fans,” said Katz. “It just kind of came and went in the theaters, and here we are 30 years in a town that’s basically dedicated to it. It’s kind of a trip. It’s brought back a lot of great memories. I’m glad this friendship and this bond is stronger than ever.”
“At first it was an embarrassment,” Shaw confessed. “People were like, ‘Oh, sorry about that. That really bombed and it got bad reviews.’ That was the feeling behind it. But basically the millennials who watched it as children were growing up and started showing it to their nieces and nephews and children, and it just snowballed. It surpassed our ideas of what it should have been. We were all heartbroken that it didn’t do well. We all felt the magic on the set.”
Katz attributes the film’s resonance to the relatable dynamics among the protagonists. “The film itself was entertaining, but from what I gather I think the relationships between the characters is what resonates with people. I get a lot of people telling me how much this film helped them through dark times or brought their connections closer to siblings.”
With SAG-AFTRA strike ongoing, the actors have stayed busy with non-struck projects, fan conventions, and life outside the film industry. Birch fulfilled a longtime goal of directing with last year’s Lifetime movie The Gabby Petito Story, which she also executive produced and starred in, and is next set to helm an adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s 2004 novel Mr. Paradise.
Shaw recently worked on a “labor of love” titled The Wilderness, a coming-of-age story that will hit the festival circuit next year. “It’s directed by my friend’s son, who’s a budding filmmaker. I’ve known him since he was 5 years old, and it’s an autobiographical story about his life.” She serves as the mother to the lead character, played by Wednesday‘s Hunter Doohan.
Marsden has a voice role in Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, which streams on SCREAMBOX next month. “I do the voice of a box demon. I’m super proud to be part of that, because I was a fan of Andrew Bowser, AKA Onyx. I actually gave money to the Kickstarter, not just ’cause I wanted to be in it! I’m a big supporter of him as an artist. The movie is very much like stuff I used to watch as a kid, like Elvira: Mistress of the Dark and Fright Night. I’m proud to be a part of that.”
Katz works in the cannabis industry with his brand The Mary Danksters. They’ve been working toward building a facility, but its taken nearly three years due to bureaucracy coupled with the competitive market in California. “I have nothing but absolute confidence in me and my team. We have been doing this for a long time,” he noted. Once the California operation is up and running, he hopes to expand — perhaps even to Salem.
Although they were not involved in Hocus Pocus 2, the actors are open to the possibility of returning for a future installment if the opportunity presents itself. “Just to be with everyone again would be incredible,” said Shaw. “Even if it were just a crazy cameo, like a janitor sweeping up, I don’t care. Just give the fans what they want. They’ve been wanting to see us return in some form or fashion.”
The cast members are already discussing expanding It’s Just a Buncha Halloween into an annual tradition. “It went fantastically because we had support from locals who love the film and love the city,” enthused Marsden. “We made it clear we wanted to use local talent and businesses, and celebrate what’s here. We intend to do it again. We intend to invite other actors and celebrate bigger and better next year.”
“When we first started talking about doing this, the main motivation was to give back to the fans and thank them for the film’s growth over the last 30 years,” said Katz. “At the end of the day, we had fun, I believe the attendees had fun, and I hope it created a lot of good memories for everybody.”
Based on the bewitching reaction from fans, it’s safe to say they succeeded.
