Film Review – The House with a Clock in Its Walls

Trying to produce something on the spooky side for the whole family to help usher in the Halloween season, Universal Pictures and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment turn to Eli Roth to entertain the kiddies with an adaptation of the 1973 John Bellairs novel, “The House with a Clock in Its Walls.” Roth is, of course, not known for making PG-rated movies, having spent his career orchestrating extraordinary torture for his characters (and the paying audience) with horror films that focused on bloodshed and agony. Even as recently as this year too, with the spring bomb “Death Wish” once again reinforcing Roth’s inability to hold a picture together. “The House with a Clock in Its Walls” poses a unique challenge for the helmer, who’s forced to mute his splattery instincts, playing reasonably nice with playfully creepy material. Roth’s not prepared in full, creating a feature that’s tonally off-balance, making delight with the dark side a chore to experience.  Read the rest at Blu-ray.com