[wpdevart_youtube]oQGA42-U0Ro[/wpdevart_youtube]THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS ***
Dir: Eli Roth (PG, 106 mins)
Eli Roth, the man behind the torture-porn Hostel franchise, gore-fest The Green Inferno and the awful Death Wish remake turns his hand for the first time ever to a family film, though admittedly one with horror tropes. Based on the children’s novel by John Bellairs, this 1950s-set film follows young orphan Lewis Barnaveldt (played by Owen Vaccaro), taken in by his eccentric Uncle Jonathan (the ever-avuncular Jack Black). Turns out his uncle is a warlock, who lives with Cate Blanchett’s bemused Mrs. Zimmerman. The house they live in has a ticking clock within its walls, forever counting down to doomsday. Set in motion by Kyle MacLachlan’s evil wizard Isaac Izard, the trio have to find the clock before it stops and unleashes the apocalypse, learning magick and battling various CGI beasties along the way. Black chews the scenery and Roth proves himself adept at PG-fare with this amiable wizarding funhouse that captures an 80s family film vibe. Opens Sept 21
