It’s up to three high-school students (Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo, Lilia Buckingham) to stop the ravenous witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc before dawn on All Hallow’s Eve.

Directed by Anne Fletcher and produced by Lynn Harris, “Hocus Pocus 2” stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy along with Sam Richardson, Tony Hale and Hannah Waddingham.

It debuts exclusively on Disney+ September 30.
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The live-action, long awaited sequel to the perennial Halloween classic, which brings back the delightfully wicked Sanderson sisters for more comedic mayhem, will debut on Disney+ on September 30.

It’s been 29 years since someone lit the Black Flame Candle and resurrected the 17th-century sisters, and they are looking for revenge. Now it is up to three high-school students to stop the ravenous witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc on Salem before dawn on All Hallow’s Eve.

“Hocus Pocus 2” also stars Sam Richardson (“The Tomorrow War”), Doug Jones (“The Shape of Water”), Hannah Waddingham (“Ted Lasso”), Whitney Peak (“Gossip Girl”), Belissa Escobedo (“American Horror Stories”), Lilia Buckingham (“Dirt”), Froyan Gutierrez (“Teen Wolf”), and Tony Hale (“Veep”).

The film is directed by Anne Fletcher (“Dumplin,’” “The Proposal”) and produced by Lynn Harris (“King Richard,” “The Shallows”), with Ralph Winter (“Hocus Pocus,” “X-Men” franchise), David Kirschner (“Hocus Pocus,” “Chucky”) and Adam Shankman (“Disenchanted,” “Hairspray”) serving as executive producers.
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The film is filled with imaginative moments like Thing (the hand with no body) watching appendage porn on his laptop and the butler Lurch (Conrad Vernon) tickling the ivories and belting out the R.E.M. song Everybody Hurts. One strange part is that most of the tidbits of clever are tailored to an audience a generation (or two) older than the current crop of youngsters.

The story as it is involves the art of being yourself and not following the norm and that message is delivered in a number of somewhat abnormal ways. This involves details like having hidden cameras in people’s bathrooms and cat fishing the townspeople on their social media feeds.

Given the film’s mixed reception, it offered a surprisingly high level of entertainment. It is also consistent in presenting those moments that make you feel clever for knowing the context and reference of its humour. It’s creepy, kooky and clever.
Rob Hudson
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You may think your family is weird but the outlandish, bizarre, and completely iconic Addams Family, will have you thinking again.

Featuring the voices of Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloe Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard, Nick Kroll with Bette Midler and Allison Janney.

The Addams Family is in cinemas on 5 December 2019.
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