CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 21st, 2024, reviewing the new streaming series “Manhunt” – based on the bestseller by James L. Swanson – currently streaming on Apple TV+.
Film Review: ‘The House With a Clock in Its Walls’ is Movie Magic
CHICAGO – “The House With The Clock In Its Walls” is a surprisingly restrained and endearing haunted house pic for kids just getting rid of their training wheels. It’s all a spooky atmosphere with cobwebs galore, creaking doors, a stained glass window which changes on its own, and a library of books which at times resemble the avifauna predators from the Hitchcock classic “The Birds.”
Young orphan Lewis (Owen Vaccaro) is sent to live with his eccentric kimono wearing uncle Jonathan (Jack Black) in small town Michigan after his parents are killed in a car crash. He soon discovers that his uncle is a warlock, albeit a mediocre one. But his next door neighbor, Mrs. Zimmerman (Cate Blanchett), is a much more powerful purple clad witch. Together, they trade insults like Ralph and Alice on”The Honeymooners,” but with knowing glances as they maintain a solid but platonic friendship. Jack Black seems right at home in this frolic full of fantasy, cocking an eyebrow and getting remarkable mileage out of simply uttering the word “creepy.” Ms. Blanchett sports an occasional French accent and wields the most powerful umbrella this side of Mary Poppins.
The Cast of ‘The House With a Clock in Its Walls’
Photo credit: Universal Pictures