Bette Midler Rewatches ‘Hocus Pocus’ and Reflects on Its Cult Status

Hocus Pocus is still casting a spell on Bette Midler, even though the actress just watched the 1993 cult classic for the first time in 20 years.

The 72-year-old actress, who appeared as Winifred Sanderson alongside Sarah Jessica Parker’s Sarah Sanderson and Kathy Najimy’s Mary Sanderson, revealed to PEOPLE during her annual New York Restoration Project’s Hulaween party on Monday that despite the film being on an endless run during Halloween season, she doesn’t watch it very much.

“I do not watch it regularly. In fact, I had not seen it in at least 20 years,” she told the outlet. “I watched it the other night, the night before the anniversary, because I said, ‘You know what, I better look at this again.’ So I watched it, and I loved it! I loved it!”

“I thought it was so funny!” Midler added. “The first time I watched it I was only watching myself. But this time I saw everybody. And I tell ya, those girls in the back — they were going full blast! They were giving me a run for my money. The kids were great, everybody was great!”

Midler, who is not onboard with the upcoming Disney Channel remake, recently made an appearance at Freeform’s 25th anniversary special for the film, Hocus Pocus 25th Anniversary Halloween Bash. Held at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, the 90-minute special brought together all of the Sanderson sisters as well as Omri Katz (Max), Thora Birch (Dani), Doug Jones (Billy Butcherson), Vinessa Shaw (Allison), Larry Bagby (Ice), and Tobias Jelenik (Jay).

“I guess what I remember most is how awful we were as characters,” Parker said of the dark storyline, in which the Sanderson sisters, resurrected after a virgin lit the Black Flame Candle, attempt to steal the “life force” from children.

“I was surprised that the goal was to get a child and basically destroy them, but because it was done in a really heightened, ridiculous way, it was a lot of fun,” she said.

Hocus Pocus 25th Anniversary Halloween Bash, hosted by Vanessa Hudgens and Jordan Fisher and originally airing on Saturday, Oct. 20, featured a handful of musical guests as well as a Hocus Pocus-themed costume party judged by Sharon Osbourne and Kelly Osbourne.

For those like Midler who haven’t watched the film in years, or those just wanting one last watch before Halloween is over, Freeform will be airing an all-day marathon of Hocus Pocus on Halloween.