The House With a Clock in Its Walls hits Blu-ray

Jack Black plays Uncle Jonathan, a warlock desperate to prevent the return of a dark force, in "The House With A Clock in Its Walls," the spine-tingling, magical adventure of a boy who goes to live with his eccentric uncle in a creaky old house with a mysterious tick-tocking heart. Based on the first volume in the beloved children's series of books, the film is directed by master frightener Eli Roth. Photo Credit: Quantrell Colbert/Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment.

Starring Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, and Owen Vaccaro, Eli Roth’s The House With a Clock in Its Walls is now available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD.

I missed this film when it played in theaters mostly because of the Jewish holiday marathon combined with film festival coverage.  While Nathan Barr’s score compliments the film, that’s one of the few positives I have to say about it.  This is the first film to use the FOX Wurlitzer Organ in some 25 years.  It’s a bold choice–don’t get me wrong–but it’s not quite enough to save a film that falls flat elsewhere.

Synopsis:
In the tradition of Amblin classics where fantastical events occur in the most unexpected places, Jack Black and two-time Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett star in The House with a Clock in Its Walls, from Amblin Entertainment.  The magical adventure tells the spine-tingling tale of 10-year-old Lewis (Owen Vaccaro) who goes to live with his uncle in a creaky old house with a mysterious tick-tocking heart.  But his new town’s sleepy façade jolts to life with a secret world of warlocks and witches when Lewis accidentally awakens the dead.

BONUS FEATURES EXCLUSIVE TO BLU-RAY, DVD & DIGITAL:

  • Warlocks and Witches – Go behind the scenes with the enchanting cast of The House with a Clock in Its Walls
    • Finding Lewis – A look at the casting of Owen Vaccaro
    • Jack’s Magical Journey – A look at the unique dynamism and magic that Jack Black brings to the character of Jonathan Barnavelt
    • The Great Cate – The cast discuss Cate Blanchett’s wonderful performance as Florence Zimmerman
    • The Terrifying Isaac Izard – Watch Kyle MacLachlan’s creepy evolution from living icon to undead-warlock
  • Movie Magic
    • The Ultimate Haunted House – Join filmmakers for a guided tour through the incredible house at the center of the film
    • Automatons Attack – A behind-the-scenes look at the mechanical horrors involved in this chilling sequence
    • Pumpkin Puke – Behind the scenes with the cast and an army of spooky, snarling, vomiting pumpkins
    • Moving Pieces – Filmmakers and cast discuss the amazing clock room set
    • Baby Jack – A behind-the-scenes look at the creepy Baby Jack sequence
  • Tick Tock: Bringing the Book to Life – Filmmakers discuss how they adapted the book for the big screen
  • Eli Roth: Director’s Journals – Director Eli Roth takes viewers behind the scenes
    • Candler Mansion
    • Newnan, GA
    • The Chair
    • Comrade Ivan
    • New Zebedee Elementary
    • Wrap Day
  • Owen Goes Behind the Scenes – Armed with his own camera, Owen guides viewers on his own journey behind-the-scenes of the movie
    • Around the Set
    • Behind the Camera
    • The Big Interview
    • Downtime on Set
  • Theme Song Challenge – Eli Roth and the cast are challenged to come up with a theme song for the film
  • Do You Know Jack Black? – The cast compete with each other to see who knows Jack Black the best
  • Abracadabra! – Eli Roth performs a magic trick for Owen Vaccaro
  • Jack Black’s Greatest Fear – Eli Roth and Owen Vaccaro play a prank on Jack Black
  • The Mighty Wurlitzer – Composer Nathan Barr discusses how he created the film’s unique and distinct score

BONUS FEATURES ON 4K ULTRA HD, BLU-RAY, DVD & DIGITAL:

  • Alternate Opening and Ending with Commentary by Director Eli Roth and Actor Jack Black available
  • Deleted Scenes with Commentary by Director Eli Roth and Actor Jack Black available
    • More Books, Please
    • A Horrible Practical Joke
    • Tarby Ditches Lewis
    • Eat Up
    • Play for Him
    • Get Out of the Way
    • Time Is of the Essence
    • The Clock That Never Breaks
    • 12 Minutes to Go
  • Gag Reel
  • Feature Commentary with Director Eli Roth and Actor Jack Black

DIRECTOR:  Eli Roth
SCREENWRITER:  Eric Kripke
CAST:  Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Owen Vaccaro, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Sunny Suljic, and Kyle MacLachlan

Universal Pictures opened The House With a Clock in Its Walls in theaters on September 21, 2018. The film is now available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital.

Danielle Solzman

Danielle Solzman is native of Louisville, KY, and holds a BA in Public Relations from Northern Kentucky University and a MA in Media Communications from Webster University. She roots for her beloved Kentucky Wildcats, St. Louis Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and Boston Celtics. Living less than a mile away from Wrigley Field in Chicago, she is an active reader (sports/entertainment/history/biographies/select fiction) and involved with the Chicago improv scene. She also sees many movies and reviews them. She has previously written for Redbird Rants, Wildcat Blue Nation, and Hidden Remote/Flicksided. From April 2016 through May 2017, her film reviews can be found on Creators.