Hocus
Pocus 2 is filming in my home state of Rhode Island.
For
many, this is incredible news. Hocus Pocus is a beloved
movie. Cult status.
Full
admission. I’ve never seen Hocus Pocus. And I honestly
have no defense for that.
Wife
loves the movie. Bette Midler is great. Kathy Najimy is awesome.
So, it has a few boxes checked off to earn my interest right out
of the gate.
But
for some reason… every Halloween, the season arrives and I see
references to the movie… I think to myself that I really should
make some time to watch it… and so far, every Halloween, I don’t.
Hoping
to change that this year.
Holiday
movies. The ones we’ve watched. The ones we haven’t. Despite so
many channels, and so many opportunities, the reality is a few
people still haven’t turned in for even a minute of the annual
all-day A Christmas Story marathon.
Make
a list of the movies you’ve always thought about watching. Holiday
classics that you’ve somehow avoided. And the truth is, you have
avoided them. We could be thinking about VHS tapes, theaters,
cable channel traditions and streaming options. If you really
wanted to see the movie, I think in most cases the opportunity
has been there. You didn’t just miss it without a chance to find
it. (And since we’ve wandered onto this trail, I also wonder if
there are films that you can’t enjoy a holiday without.)
Terry
and I pretty much don’t let any Christmas pass without visiting
Ralphie and the gang by watching A Christmas Story. I
had seen the original version of The Santa Clause, but
not the two that followed, so last year we ran through the entire
trilogy. A few years ago, I finally watched It’s A Wonderful
Life. So, we have our traditions, and I’m caught up on most
of the things I’ve missed.
One
I don’t believe I’ve ever seen is the original Miracle on
34th Street. And while I won’t pretend to have seen every
holiday movie ever released, if we can create a double-feature
with Miracle on 34th Street and Hocus Pocus,
I think I might have all of the classics that come to mind covered.
How’d
did you do? Are you good on your Whoville fix? When was the last
time you saw Elf or Scrooged? And what are the
ones you’ve never seen?
I
can think of films that occupy specific places and moments. Go
to a certain house and you are virtually guaranteed to find it
on the television. I know of quotes that become text messages,
with no other context included, and yet the sender and recipient
are immediately laughing and reconnected. (And I have been responsible
to turning the channel to TBS and hitting send on the message
plenty of times.)
Mom
used to have a holiday party every year. The tradition faded a
bit when the kids moved out of state. We always had some familiarity
or routine involved in when family and friends would make an appearance
around our home on any holiday. Like many of you, there were times
for dressing up in costume and heading out to collect candy, watching
a parade and football, wondering if there would be snow on the
ground and trying to stay awake until midnight. I can recall barbecues
for national holidays and gatherings for state and local events.
And
maybe the word tradition is the best part of the thought. In many
cases, the quality of the movie isn’t the important thing. I might
love it, and you may not. But I have my traditions and you have
yours. There’s a comfort in that. There’s a happy, friendly, love
and peace to those around you in that.
I
can already tell you I’ll be watching A Christmas Story
in a few weeks. From beginning to end at least once, and in snippets
here and there several times. I’d like to think I’ll see Hocus
Pocus, and maybe even Miracle on 34th Street. But
on those I make no promises.
And
I hope that as fall arrives, and Halloween moves to Thanksgiving
and along the run of major holidays to the New Year, the most
important thing I can wish you is happy traditions. May all things
you find joy and comfort with be yours.
Now,
if you don’t mind, I need to bake some gingerbread.