The witch is a longstanding media archetype, one featured frequently in 20th century Disney films. In this video, I look at the delightfully evil Sanderson Sisters from the 1993 Disney film, Hocus Pocus (dir. Kenny Ortega), connecting the sisters to other Disney villains, the history of the witch, and what it means for women to defy cultural expectations and choose to live together.
Join the IU Cinema on Halloween evening at 7 p.m. for a double-feature screening of The Mummy and The Wolf Man, two Universal monster classics.
Laura Ivins loves stop motion, home movies, imperfect films, nature hikes, and Stephen Crane’s poetry. She has a PhD from Indiana University and an MFA from Boston University. In addition to watching and writing about movies, sometimes she also makes them.