Hocus Pocus BOMBED Before Becoming a Halloween Classic | Vinessa Shaw & Omri Katz

Hocus Pocus stars Vinessa Shaw and Omri Katz join Taboo to revisit the scenes, performances and behind-the-scenes stories that turned the film into a Halloween classic. Vinessa and Omri break down the Black Flame Candle, the legendary “yabos” exchange, the Burning Rain of Death and Bette Midler’s unforgettable “I Put a Spell on You” performance. They also reveal how they landed the roles of Allison and Max, revisit a screen test involving a young Leonardo DiCaprio and share what they learned from director Kenny Ortega. Omri opens up about getting high during production—and the day Kenny Ortega confronted him on set—while both actors reflect on working with Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy. They also explain how a movie that initially bombed at the box office became a beloved cult classic because generations of fans refused to let it disappear. Subscribe to Taboo’s Comics and Kicks for more conversations celebrating the movies, characters and stories that shaped pop culture. 00:00 Meet the Guests 01:01 The Halloween Legacy 01:33 Black Flame Candle Debate 02:41 Was Allison Secretly a Witch? 04:16 The Legendary “Yabos” Scene 06:47 From the Bullies to Allison’s Mansion 08:16 Burning Rain of Death 09:27 The Sanderson Sisters on Set 11:35 Auditions and Screen Tests 14:43 “I Put a Spell on You” 17:13 Lessons From Kenny Ortega 20:56 Kenny Ortega Asks “Are You High?” 22:05 Omri’s High-on-Set Confession 23:16 Bette Midler’s Incredible Work Ethic 26:35 Kathy Najimy’s Improv Magic 28:10 Defending Allison and the Spellbook 29:18 From Box-Office Bomb to Halloween Classic 32:07 The D23 Moment That Changed Everything 34:18 Max’s Cemetery Sacrifice 36:21 Halloween Lightning Round 38:33 Fan Quotes and Final Farewell #HocusPocus #VinessaShaw #OmriKatz #Halloween #BetteMidler #KennyOrtega #TaboosComicsAndKicks