Once the air gets crisper, the nights get longer, and the moon gets fuller, it’s time to break out trick, This Halloween Disney classic has been entertaining generations since its premiere in 1993. Of course, if fans don’t have a copy, it will be played repeatedly on TV in October.
Whether fans are watching the film for the hilarious comedy of The Witches, the nostalgic ’90s style, or simply because it’s the perfect blend of humor and horror, there’s always one element that will grab their attention; the fabulous costumes! The Sanderson sisters stole the show in their iconic colorful costumes, which have become a must-have Halloween costume ever since.
Updated October 2, 2021 by Amanda Bruce: Hocus Pocus has been a beloved Halloween movie for decades, and now those who grew up watching it can easily Introduce it to your own kids, thanks to streaming platforms like Disney Plus. For fans of the original who want to know more about the making of the film, or new fans who now consider the 1993 film “retro,” the costumes are a fascination. Some fans prefer to buy replicas of the costumes, while others try to recreate their own; either way, we have to learn more about the reasons why the Sanderson sisters’ costumes made it to the silver screen.
Each outfit reflects a sister’s personality
Mary Vogt, the costume designer behind the Sanderson sisters’ now-iconic costumes, created unique looks for each sister to reflect her personality in the film. Not only that, Vogt also wanted their costumes to look like no “witches” the audience had seen before.
Winifred’s overall look resembles that of a classic “medieval” witch (even though the Salem Witch Trials took place in the late 17th century), and her costume is a dark green that contrasts sharply with her striking red hair . Sarah’s clothes are very flowy and light, mimicking her playful quality, while Mary’s clothes are made from less dramatic homespun fabrics, reflecting her cautious nature.
WINIFRED’s skirt has specific symbols on it
If Halloween costume lovers or Winifred Sanderson cosplayers want to make their own dress instead of buying one, they’ll want to pay special attention to the symbols on her dress. While some don’t mean anything and just contribute to the pattern, others do have some meaning.
When Mary Vogt and charm In 2019, speaking about her film work, she revealed that the symbols on the Winifred fabric had specific inspirations. Some of them are letters of the runic alphabet, others are symbols seen at Stonehenge, and the rest are filled in to create patterns.
Their makeup is intentionally less scary
trick is a light-hearted and humorous horror film perfect for showing to audiences of all ages on Halloween. It has some scares, a lot of laughs, and the character of the witch is charming rather than scary. According to lead makeup artist Tony Gardner, this benevolent ghost theme was also incorporated into their makeup and costumes.
He said Disney executives’ initial makeup tests made the witches look “too scary,” so he was asked to tone down their appearance. So if fans think the Sanderson sisters don’t look much like the disgusting witches from folklore, that’s why. That being said, Kathy Najimy still had a hilarious sneer at Mary Sanderson, and Bette Midler still had her distinctive heart-shaped lips.
Sister gets most of the clothing budget
trick The film cost $28 million to make, which doesn’t seem like much considering the cost of Disney/Marvel movies today. This was a considerable amount of money in 1993, but most of the budget was spent on special effects to make it look like the Sanderson sisters were actually flying over Salem.
Due to costume restrictions, Mary Vogt spent most of her costume budget on the Sanderson sisters. She cuts corners in other ways.At the adult party attended by Max’s parents on Halloween night, all the costumes seen are from other Disney movies, e.g. Treasure Island. Fans can discover several create There are also costumes that cosplayers will appreciate. Mrs. Denison’s costume also looks homemade, as it’s basically made from stuff around the house.
Winifred’s Magic Book is a complex work of art
Undoubtedly one of the best props in the film is Winifred’s book of spells, which looks like a book made of sewn human skin decorated with various snakes. It was given to Winifred by the Devil himself, who, as the audience learns later in the film, is the Sanderson sisters’ “master.”
Fans may see three versions of the book in the movie: one with eyes closed, one with eyes open, and one with eyes manipulated via an off-screen remote. If fans look closely, they’ll see human fingers on the spine and a total of six metal snakes on the front and back.
Clothing must be suitable for flying
The Sanderson sisters hop on magic broomsticks as they head out to cause chaos among the townsfolk of Salem. To create the appearance that they were actually flying, the actresses wore harnesses that suspended them from the ceiling of the set.
The wire rigging was hidden beneath the witch’s heavy cloak.Sarah Jessica Parker felt so comfortable in her poses that between long shots she would hold a book or New York Times Read under her costume while she waits.
Clothes are referred to in different ways
The main colors of the Sanderson sisters’ clothing are green, red and purple. Winifred Sanderson wears a green dress/cloak, Sarah Sanderson wears a purple dress/cloak, and Mary Sanderson wears a red dress/cloak. Colors associated with their costumes appear throughout the film.
When viewers first see Max, he’s wearing a tie-dye shirt with swirls of green, red, and purple. Alison wears a red coat with a distinctly pointed hood, which is one of the reasons fans speculated she might be a witch. trick as well as. The three little girls who absconded with the Sanderson sisters’ broomsticks were, like them, dressed in green, red and purple.
The costumes reference “The Wizard of Oz”
A detail that fans may not have noticed trick Yes it has several references The Wizard of Oz. There are green touches throughout the film, such as green smoke, Winnie’s green dress and striped stockings, and the Wicked Witch of the West theme song playing at various points in the soundtrack.
Sarah Sanderson’s hair famously changed texture and length throughout the film, going from curly to straight, mimicking Judy Garland’s infamous wig change when she played Dorothy. The Wizard of Oz. She also repeats the most common words (i.e. “There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home”).
Three costumes must be made
Because the film has a lot of action shots of witches flying through the air or hovering on the ground, stuntmen were sometimes needed. Therefore, each witch has a costume and a corresponding stuntman.
And then there’s a third miniature set made for her puppets. Puppetry was used in all the long and wide shots that required the witches to be flown over larger areas, such as a panoramic view of the town of Salem. The garments had to match the fabric weight of larger garments and could only be truly manipulated by the wind in miniature.
Clothing design needs to be dynamic
director trick Coming from a choreographic background.Kenny Ortega produced the popular musical before helming this Halloween classic Newsboy This required a lot of choreographed dancing, singing and stunt work. This foundation gave him a different perspective on the Sanderson sisters’ look.
Claiming to be always looking for a “rhythm” in a film, he wanted the Sanderson sisters’ movements to be in sync with each other (which is why they walk differently) and for their costumes to move in time with their erratic movements. That means plenty of dresses in various shades of their signature color—green, red, or purple.
Their brooms reflect their personalities
While the Sanderson sisters use more traditional broomsticks at the beginning of the film, later on, when the trio steals their vehicle on Halloween night, they must find a makeshift broom.
As they each choose a new “broom,” Winifred rides a traditional broom, Sarah rides a mop, and Mary dances with a vacuum cleaner. The way they fly also mimics their personalities. To Winifred she is strong and determined, to Sarah enchanted and carefree, to Mary cautious and clumsy.