Who the heck knew Eli Roth directed this? Because I sure didn't!
In a setup not unlike other coming-of-age fantasies, young Lewis Barnavelt is orphaned and sent to live with his eccentric and mysterious uncle Jonathan. He discovers that his uncle is a warlock and that their old, creaking house is riddled with magic secrets. Their neighbor, Florence, is a much more powerful witch, but tragedy has hampered her abilities. When Lewis unwittingly revives the dead on Halloween, the trio must work to stop an undead sorcerer from awakening his Doomsday clock -- built in uncle Jonathan's house!
The House with a Clock in Its Walls is easily my favorite Roth-directed film yet. And I don't mean that pejoratively. His Cabin Fever and Hostel are really interesting and valuable parts of horror cinema history. But nothing he's helmed has so captured my enthusiasm and good humor as this picture. Its infectious sense of fun bleeds into the details of script, performances, and even design. Think Disney's The Haunted Mansion having a baby with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. It's a consummate work of childhood's dark fantasy in the suburban Midwest.
Of course, the "childhood" part contains its pitfalls, some of which damage the full impact of this picture. The '80s movie nostalgia is as full in force as the breakneck seasonal phantasmagoria (as some have called it) Roth is puking out onto the screen. Speaking of which -- the film also pukes. Pumpkin puke and griffon-hedge leaf-mulch-shit litter the film in excess, reminding you at each turn that, no matter the level of magic and fantasy and fun, some people will always enjoy the baser matter. While we might be thankful that Roth doesn't give us the same kinds of bodily fluids we might expect from his gore porn features, he proves himself able to translate the same ideas into a kid's movie.
Well, a "kid movie" that hints at some surprisingly dark moments. I was totally shocked, I admit, by the story's subplot involving the Big Bad Isaac Izard (Kyle MacLachlan). To undo the horrors of WWII, the villain makes a deal with the demon Azazel to create the eponymous clock that will turn back time and eliminate the history of the world. The plan may be silly, but the sudden appearance of the impish demon is a terrifying moment in the film, one that pairs nastily with the abrasive and dark nature of the evil magic we see. Bloodletting and pentagrams and all kinds of crazy stuff in this movie make the religious conservative arguments against the first Harry Potter sound even more laughable than they were.
Rote as it sometimes feels in its coming-of-age and fantasy elements, this movie holds its share of pleasant surprises. Most belong squarely to Cate Blanchett as Florence Zimmerman, the witch from next door, always decked out in fabulous purple stitches and wielding some powerful magic up her sleeves. Her tragic story, slyly referencing the horrors of the Holocaust, combines nicely with her character's foil in Jack Black's uncle Jonathan. The two bicker and insult each other in endlessly delightful banter, and then team up for some star-power badassery I never knew I wanted. Plus, Florence's story is an inspiring look at turning from shame and victimhood to glory and avengership.
And, of course, Roth's able direction makes this spooky and silly mess of a movie a thoroughly entertaining addition to any family-friendly Halloween movie list.
IMDb: The House with a Clock in Its Walls
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