Even if it's much, much shorter, "Come Little Children" is gorgeous.
Thanks to a fan, there's a much longer and just as lovely version out there now. Check it out here.
Thackery's the whole reason why the witches get caught and sentenced in 1600s Salem. On seeing them luring his sister Emily to their cottage, he tells his friend Elijah to get help while he runs to the witches' cottage. Though he fails to save Emily, Elijah does raise an angry mob, led by Thackery's father, that manage to subdue the witches and string them on the gallows.
It's also obvious where Thackery got his courage and mettle from when Mr. Binx interrogates the sisters on the gallows. The man just had to bury his daughter, who was brutally murdered, and fight women that sold their souls to the devil, but he doesn't let his grief get in the way of revenge. He demands where his son is, yells at everyone to not listen to the witches' singing, and gives the order to execute the sisters.
Mr. Binx: Winifred Sanderson... Winifred: Yes? Mr. Binx: I shall ask thee one more time... Winifred: Yes? Mr. Binx: What has thou done with my son, Thackery?! Winifred: Thackery, hmm... Mr. Binx: ANSWER ME!!!
While it may not have been smart, Dani insulting Jay and Ice when they try to extort candy from her, it's pretty cool that she's unimpressed and unafraid of them. Max had wanted to avoid them all together, but when Dani mentions he's with her, with confidence that they won't be able to do anything because of it, he looks like he'd rather be anywhere, but then takes off his sunglasses and joins her. Ultimately he's able to defuse the situation enough that he and Dani leave unscathed (giving the bullies his own bag of candy).
Dani's first face-to-face meeting with the witches. They locate her, and she's already heard of the witches killing children. Instead of running, she attempts to bluff them into thinking that she's a witch who brought them back. Sure, it fails, but it's a great showing for an eight-year-old.
Max's potential for badass action also comes through when the witches threaten Dani. He tells them to get their hands off his little sister. Note he's saying this to women that he just summoned from the dead and who curb-stomp him with magic shortly after. Say what you will about Max's foolishness, but the kid is brave.
Allison and Dani fighting the witches when they first appear and start torturing Max. Allison whacks Mary with her broom and then with a frying pan to the head while Dani swats Sarah and Winifred with her trick-or-treat bag hard enough to knock them down.
Dani: You leave my brother ALONE!
Another moment during the fight. When Winifred grabs Dani, Binx leaps onto Winifred’s shoulder and attacks her, forcing her to let go of Dani. Even before they officially met, Binx was already protecting Dani from the witches.
Max's bluff to get Dani and Allison out of the cottage: "I summon the burning rain of death!"
Sure, it doesn't finish them off, but luring the witches into a giant oven to burn them was a pretty good plan on Allison's part.
Also Allison quickly using the knowledge from the book about salt to protect herself and Max from the witch's assault on their home. It earns some rare Villain Respect from Winifred, who calls her a "Clever white witch" as Allison glares.
Dani: It doesn't matter how young or old you are! You sold your soul! You're the ugliest thing that ever lived, and you know it!
Allison and Max's second bluff to rescue Dani, Binx and all the kids of Salem. Max storms into the cottage before the witches can kill Dani, says, "Prepare to die. AGAIN," and pretends the lights outside are the sun rising. It's actually the car headlights that Allison turned on, and it buys enough time for the kids to make it to the safety of the graveyard.
Max attempting to whack Winifred with a bat. Again, it doesn't work because she catches it, but points for trying.
Winifred's comeback to Billy's "go to hell" insult.
Billy has one when he finally cuts the threads sealing his lips shut and tells off Winifred. After all she had done, she deserved it.
Billy: Wench! Trollop! You buck-toothed, mop riding, firefly from HELL!
How do the Sanderson Sisters kidnap Dani? By blowing up the roof of the house as they fly out of it.
Thackery knocking the potion out of Winifred's hand when she attempts to force Dani to drink it. Unlike the situation he was in hundreds of years ago, he was able to save someone from the Sanderson sisters' clutches.
Max pulling a Take Me Instead by drinking the life-draining potion in order to keep Winifred from force-feeding it to Dani.
Max: Now, you have no choice! You have to take me!
Hocus goes from being laughed at as having no hope of being on the council to actually defeating and killing an evil former council member. Even Terexin has to admit that Hocus has proven himself.
