6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A young orphan named Lewis Barnavelt aids his magical uncle in locating a clock with the power to bring about the end of the world.
Starring: Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Owen Vaccaro, Kyle MacLachlan, Renee Elise GoldsberryFantasy | 100% |
Family | 96% |
Comedy | 46% |
Horror | Insignificant |
Mystery | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: DTS-HD HR 7.1
French: DTS-HD HR 7.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
With The House with a Clock in Its Walls, gore maestro Eli Roth (The Green Inferno, Cabin Fever) has left his comfort zone to expand his horizons into more family friendly filmmaking territory, shaping a tale made not of viscera and violence but rather witchcraft and wizardry with a metaphorical stab at exploring the human heart. The film follows the experiences of a young, recently orphaned boy who comes to live with his peculiar warlock uncle who himself lives in a supposedly haunted house. The film is based on the book of the same name by John Bellairs, a 1973 novel and one in a series featuring young protagonist Lewis Barnavelt, played by Owen Vaccaro (the Daddy's Home films) in this 2018 film adaptation.
Eli Roth and Cinematographer Rogier Stoffers, who collaborated with Roth on the recent Death Wish remake, shot The House with a Clock in Its Walls digitally. The period setting and the density within the house might have been more organically at home on film, but the digital source carries the picture well enough, visually, and translates very well to Blu-ray. Beyond some low-light noise, particularly in those warmer interiors, the picture excels, boasting precision detail on the more densely constructed period attire, which reveals some pleasant tactile intricacies. Odds and ends around the home, whether warmer wooden accents, furnishings, nicknacks, or close-ups of magic textbooks, enjoy the fruits of top-line clarity and sharpness. Character details are a strength, with facial textures and hairs appearing nicely complex. Nighttime exteriors hold fairly firm in terms of black levels; there's a little wavering here and there, with blacks appearing slightly raised at times, but general depth is quite good. Skin tones are reflective of various environments, whether in the warm home interiors or the more evenly lit school interiors and exteriors. Beyond noise, there's only a hint of source/encode flaws: minuscule banding (most prominently accompanying the title card) and really nothing else. This is a very good Blu-ray presentation from Universal; the companion UHD, of course, improves on the picture in terms of both clarity and color.
Sound design is critical to this movie's structure, cadence, and presentation. The Dolby Atmos soundtrack delivers it with care, attention to detail, and no shortage of big and immersive moments, yielding a very balanced track that is big on activity but capable of nuance as well. The opening moments are somewhat reminiscent of the open to Back to the Future, with ticking clock sounds encircling the listener, here mobile sounds rather than static sounds that are accompanied by a modest overhead component. The music to follow delivers the Harry Potter-influenced notes with wonderful immersion and attention to instrumental detail. The low end supports both music and effects. It's not overly pronounced, but it is noticeable, more of a complimentary delivery that adds weight but not usually excess. The track features several good "Atmos" moments, such as a school announcement declaring the winner of the fourth-grade election in chapter nine, a cacophony of noise making toys all doing their thing at one time in chapter 12, and a barrage of batty books beating poor Lewis in a key scene in the second half. The first features one of the best discrete overhead moments in the film, the second a rousing din with various pinpoint discrete effects standing out, and the third one of the more purely active, swirling sound moments in the movie. The track further handles the general atmosphere very well, particularly with regard to all those clocks, and perfectly draws the listener into the film's world. Dialogue is clear and well prioritized. Positioning is firm in the front-center.
The House with a Clock in Its Walls contains a number of supplemental features, including deleted scenes, an alternate opening and ending,
featurettes, and a commentary track. A DVD copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase. This release ships
with an embossed slipcover.
Eli Roth crafts an enjoyable film with The House with a Clock in Its Walls. It can't quite find the heart it so desperately wants to uncover, though the film does balance narrative with visual effects in satisfying structural execution. Performances are strong, unsurprising with heavyweights like Black and Blanchett in lead roles, and young Owen Vaccaro capably carries the film as the protagonist. Universal's Blu-ray delivers rock-solid 1080p video, a terrific Atmos soundtrack, and a healthy assortment of bonus content. Recommended.
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Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang
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w/ Extended on the BD
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Grinchmas Edition
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