October 2022 | Page 85

Hartley recalls . “ All the extras , they were in Pilgrim clothes and they were trekking back and forth and they got covered in mud . All up their skirts and soaked into the wool . It was a sight to see .”

PHOTOGRAPHY ( TOP ): WOLF MATTHEWSON ; ( INSET ): COURTESY OF KATHY HARTLEY .
But in the end , all of that time and prep equated to very little filming or screen time . They began rolling in the film trailers , production staff , and actors on Oct . 28 and only two nights of filming were on the schedule . The scenes make up just a few minutes of the film ’ s opening and flash back to when the sisters were young girls .
The crew ended up coming back again later to take some more footage , but this time the village was spruced up to appear like the present day . A “ Welcome to Salem Historic District ” sign was placed out front and fictional historical placards by the houses denoted which shipbuilder or other important figure used to live there .
“ Though they only filmed a few days , I think it had the biggest impact here out of any of the locations around the state . We lived with Salem Village from August when they started construction to December when they left . The magic of Hollywood was here , and then it magically all disappeared ,” Hartley says .
AN AUTHENTIC SETTING “ Not only is Chase Farm on one of the oldest roads in the country that dates back to 1683 — so when the Salem witch trials were happening , Great Road and the Arnold House down the street were here — but they didn ’ t have to use props for the surroundings ,” Hartley says . “ Things happened naturally . A hawk literally flew over while they were filming . And they built the village right by the sycamore tree , so when it lost its leaves , it looked nice and creepy .”
The New England weather also lent a hand in the atmosphere . The rain rolled in right as the cameras started rolling .
“ I think it added to the scene . You know , because it ’ s supposed to be in the olden days and it wouldn ’ t be the same with a bright sunny day . It was dark and it was dismal and it was wet and it was muddy ,”
BEWITCHED AND BEDAZZLED
HARTLEY AND FRIENDS will keep the tricks coming with BeWitched and BeDazzled : A Magical Fall Festival at Chase Farm . On Saturday , Oct . 1 , Chase Farm is inviting the public to celebrate all things Hocus Pocus in the very spot where the sequel was filmed . Attendees can expect magical vendors like wand makers , goods from local artisans , costume contests , photo-ops , hayrides , psychic readings , food trucks , historical presentations , live music and entertainment ( ever wanted to learn a witch dance ? Now ’ s your chance !), a special screening of the original film and more . Tickets can be purchased online prior to the event , and proceeds will benefit the preservation efforts of the Friends of Hearthside at the Great Road Heritage Campus .
“ This will always be the place where Hocus Pocus 2 was filmed . I ’ m hoping this can turn into a fun family fall tradition for years to come ,” Hartley says .
Read more at rimonthly . com / bewitched-andbedazzled-at-chase-farm .
RUMORS AMOK , AMOK , AMOK When a notice went out alerting town officials that a controlled fire would occur on premises , whispers started floating around town ( and eventually through the state , thanks to social media ) that the entire village was being burnt to the ground . But the optics , Hartley says , were totally blown out of proportion . As it turns out , just one corner of the reverend ’ s house catches after a spell goes awry in the film . And though about ten firefighters and two fire trucks from the local station were on scene for hours to ensure everyone ’ s safety , nothing truly burned that night .
The crew had to do several takes that night , but luckily between the structure ’ s flame-retardant exterior and some movie magic involving a gas grill , they successfully captured a burning building on film .
CULT CLASSICS EQUAL CULT FOLLOWINGS It may just all be a bunch of hocus pocus , but the film ’ s fans don ’ t see it that way . Hartley often met people who came from all over just to visit the set .
“ Once , this woman showed up and she was like , ‘ Oh , can ’ t I get closer ?’ She had driven in from Chicago ,” Hartley says .
People weren ’ t always as polite . Hartley says another woman actually pretended to be her , claiming she had grown up in the property ’ s farmhouse . Others took even more drastic measures .
“ The security team had ATVs because they had eighty-five acres they had to control . At one in the morning they would catch people in the trees or crawling through the grass trying to get to the village . People were flying drones overhead and down into the village to take pictures . The security team was there until December because they needed to protect the public from possible injury as the set was being taken down and prevent theft of any building materials that may have been taken as souvenirs . They said of all the jobs they worked , they ’ d never seen anything like it .”
And the craze doesn ’ t seem to be dying down .
“ Just last week a car pulled in with Massachusetts plates : ‘ Can you tell us how to get to the location where Hocus Pocus was filmed ?’” she says . “ All these months later , people are still taking the drive and there ’ s nothing left to see ! People just want to see where the set was .”
RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l OCTOBER 2022 83