journal features

movie review - The House with a Clock in Its Walls

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

Kokubunji, 2021.01.09

This is a spooky family flick about a boy who goes to stay with his uncle, who is something of a witch. The uncle (overplayed, would you believe it, by Jack Black) and his wife stand-in (incredibly, played by Cate Blanchett) show him the ropes of their trade, and of course the boy blows it by resurrecting a powerful warlock. It's entertaining and avoids being predictable.

Recommended. For your "movie night" with the kids.

rand()m quote

If a person has ugly thoughts, it begins to show on the face. And when that person has ugly thoughts every day, every week, every year, the face gets uglier and uglier until you can hardly bear to look at it. A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts it will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.

—Roald Dahl