It’s difficult to say exactly what made the original Hocus Pocus so brilliant.
The allure of Halloween, angsty teenagers, Bette Midler’s outrageously entertaining performance, catchy musical numbers, quirky, dark humour, the brilliant costumes and set designs. Or maybe it was just the magic.
Whether it was these flamboyant elements coming together or something else entirely, you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone who didn’t love Hocus Pocus.
The 1993 original was by no means a box-office success but became a much-loved Halloween cult classic with a fan base that has diligently kept the characters alive through cosplay and October 31 viewing parties.
And since we live in the age of sequels, remakes and reboots, it’s no surprise that after much pleading from fans, the Sanderson sisters have returned to haunt audiences 29 years after they first bewitched our screens.
Hocus Pocus 2 features the return of the insanely talented Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, whose effortless, electrifying chemistry is unchanged and just as contagious nearly three decades on.
From the moment Winnie (Midler), Sarah (Parker) and Mary (Najimy) appear, we are entertained by their antics and unrepentant efforts to achieve their ultimate desires — immortality and eternal youth, through devouring little children.
They horrify the residents of Salem, cast spells, fly about on broomsticks and robot vacuum cleaners, break into dance and song and speak in a mock-Victorian dialogue. There is no doubt that the sisters make Hocus Pocus 2 an absolute delight to watch.
The movie opens with the origin story of the sisters in the 17th century as children, revealing how they discovered their powers. Flash forward to present-day Salem where three teenagers — Becca (Whitney Peak) Izzy (Belissa Escobedo) and Cassie (Lilia Buckingham) — once best friends interested in witchcraft but now awkwardly navigating through their changing friendships, accidentally resurrect the Sanderson sisters when they light the famed black-flame candle on Halloween.
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What ensues is an adventurous and hilarious sequence of events in which the two covens fight through magic, music and Halloween mayhem.
But while wholesome and entertaining, Hocus Pocus 2 lacks the effortless, hard-to-describe magic of its predecessor.
The diverse cast of teenagers perform brilliantly, but their characters' personal stories are either lacking or left unaddressed.
The dark humour that made the original so engaging has been severely watered down, probably to better serve a more sensitive and cautious audience.
The “magic” also feels a bit flimsy. The original movie had clearer magical rules and limitations while in Hocus Pocus 2 magic doesn’t serve the plot of the story, but is used as a way for characters to get in and out of particular situations. Not a great storytelling technique.
The film reveals the origins of the Sanderson sisters and also concludes their story in a way that warms us to them. This point felt disingenuous to the authenticity of the characters.
Audiences love the Sanderson sisters for their unashamed, haphazard evilness. Why humanise them?
While the film references the original in a number of clever ways, this doesn’t mean those who didn't watch it can't see the sequel, which is probably the point.
Obvious hints were made that the mantle of magic at Salem is being passed down to a younger generation, implying there may be more movies to come. Which poses the question: does everything have to be turned into a franchise?
It would be unfair to say that Hocus Pocus 2’s shortcomings make it a bad film or that its main selling point is the fanfare around the original. Despite its marginal issues, the film is a great watch for fans of the original or a whole new generation ready to be bewitched by the Sanderson sisters.
Hocus Pocus 2 is now streaming on Disney+
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
Key findings
- Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
- Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase.
- People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”.
- Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better.
- But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
THE SPECS
Engine: six-litre W12 twin-turbo
Transmission: eight-speed dual clutch auto
Power: 626bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh940,160 (plus VAT)
On sale: Q1 2020
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Mubalada World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule
Thursday December 27
Men's quarter-finals
Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm
Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm
Women's exhibition
Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm
Friday December 28
5th place play-off 3pm
Men's semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm
Saturday December 29
3rd place play-off 5pm
Men's final 7pm
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
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