History YMMV / TheHouseWithAClockInItsWalls

* CompleteMonster: Selenna Izard is a cruel [[WickedWitch undead sorceress]] who conducted black magic rituals with her [[UnholyMatrimony equally nasty]] husband Isaac. The clock they created is a powerful artifact with the power to end the world when it finally strikes. When freed from her tomb, Selenna drives one neighboring couple from their home, repeatedly menaces Lewis, Johnathan and Mrs. Zimmerman, and (probably) murders her human minion Hammerhandle to create a HandOfGlory, all in her quest to use the clock to [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt end the world]] out of (evidently) sheer spite. And most the villains in the later books follow in her footsteps.

* CompleteMonster: [[WickedWitch Selenna Izard]] is a cruel old witch who helped construct the [[ArtifactOfDoom titular clock]] with her late, despised husband Isaac. The clock itself is a powerful artifact with the power to end the world when stopped at a certain time. When freed from her tomb, Selenna pursues the young hero Lewis Barnavelt, murders one of her own men to create a HandOfGlory and attempts to murder Lewis's protectors to get to him for the clock. Selenna then tries to blackmail Lewis into giving up the clock by [[HostageForMacGuffin threatening to torture his uncle and the good witch Florence]], intending on using the clock to [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt end the world]] out of sheer spite.

* HilariousInHindsight: This is the second time Creator/EliRoth worked with a cast and crew member of ''Series/TwinPeaks'' (Roth had hired the show's composer Angelo Badalamenti to co-score the music for his film ''Film/CabinFever'', while for this film he cast the show's star Creator/KyleMacLachlan as the BigBad).

[[AC: The books]]
* SugarWiki/AwesomeArt: The majority of the books were illustrated by noted Goth artist Creator/EdwardGorey. Gorey was so associated with Bellairs that the film adaptation of "House with a Clock in its Walls" featured a closing credits sequence based on his artwork.

[[AC: The film]]

* CompleteMonster: [[WickedWitch Selenna Izard]] is a cruel old witch who helped construct the [[ArtifactOfDoom titular clock]] with her late, despised husband Isaac. The clock itself is a powerful artifact with the power to end the world when stopped at a certain time. When freed from her tomb, Selenna pursues the young hero Lewis Barnavelt, murders one of her own men to create a HandOfGlory and attempts to murder Lewis's protectors to get to him for the clock. Selenna then tries to threaten Lewis into giving up the clock by threatening to torture his uncle and the good witch Florence, intending on using the clock to [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt end the world]] out of sheer spite.

* StrawmanHasAPoint: Tarby suggesting Lewis stop wearing goggles to school. While Tarby is written to be loathsome, and this is framed as not respecting Lewis's individuality, it's genuinely good advice. Lewis is desperate for friendship, and his most of his peers find the goggles off-putting.
* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The film has some incredibly beautiful visuals, such the moving stained glass window and the pool of water with the Moon's reflection in it.

*** Albeit justified in another angle: Jonathan stated that he had no television in the house, when Lewis told him about his favorite television show. How else would Lewis think of using a decoder ring?

* {{AwesomeArt}}: The majority of the books were illustrated by noted Goth artist Creator/EdwardGorey. Gorey was so associated with Bellairs that the film adaptation of "House with a Clock in its Walls" featured a closing credits sequence based on his artwork.

* AwesomeArt: The majority of the books were illustrated by noted Goth artist Creator/EdwardGorey. Gorey was so associated with Bellairs that the film adaptation of "House with a Clock in its Walls" featured a closing credits sequence based on his artwork.

*** Albeit justified in another angle: Jonathan stated that he had no television in the house, when Lewis stated about his favorite television show. How else would Lewis think of using a decoder ring?

*** Albeit justified in another angle: Jonathan stated that he had no television in the house, which Lewis uses to watch the show. How else would Lewis had known about using a decoder off the bat?

** It's worth noting Jonathan and Florence somehow mistook a simple substitution cypher for an actual language. That's difficult to do. Even if you know nothing about cyphers, anything put through a secret decoder ring is going to be ''wfsz pcwjpvtmz opu b mbohvbhf''[[note]]very obviously not a language[[/note]].

** It's worth noting Jonathan and Florence somehow mistook a simple substitution cypher for an actual language. That's difficult to do.

* JustHereForGodzilla: It's quite likely the biggest reason why it came out on top on an [[DumpMonths otherwise typically dreary September weekend]] is because the IMAX release in North America had a 3D-converted music video for Creator/MichaelJackson's "Thriller" attached to it.

* StrawmanHasAPoint: Tarby suggesting Lewis stop wearing goggles to school. While Tarby is written to be loathsome, and this is framed as not respecting Lewis's individuality, it's genuinely good advice. Lewis is desperate for friendship, and his most of his peers find it off-putting.

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: If the trailer is any indication, the film is filled with incredibly beautiful visuals, such the moving stained glass window and the pool of water with the Moon's reflection in it.

** Jonathan keeps his highly dangerous [[TomeOfEldritchLore book of necromancy]] inside a locked, magically warded cabinet - and the key right next to it. It takes a child a matter of seconds to get it open.
** Why do Jonathan and Florence assume [[spoiler:Selena is dead? Because they don't see her when they first enter the house. As it turns out, she was just hiding in the next room.]]

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: If the trailer is any indication, the film is filled with incredibly beautiful visuals, such the moving stained glass window and the pool of water with the Moon's reflection in it.

* RealWomenDontWearDresses: Rose Rita hates her uniform skirt.

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: If the trailer is any indication, the film is filled with incredibly beautiful visuals, such as one of the galaxy that appears when Lewis touches a pool of water with the Moon's reflection in it.

* PlayingAgainstType: While Creator/EliRoth is known as a horror director, this film is more of a gothic-horror family fantasy film, and thus '''''way''''' LighterAndSofter than Roth's [[Film/CabinFever other]] [[Film/{{Hostel}} horror]] [[Film/TheGreenInferno films.]]

* FridgeHorror: In ''The Letter, The Witch and the Ring,'' thinking about all the various ways [[LiteralGenie Asmodai]] could have screwed over Rose Rita if she'd gone through with her wish.

* CompleteMonster: [[WickedWitch Selenna Izard]] is a cruel old witch who helped construct the [[ArtifactOfDoom titular clock]] with her late, despised husband Isaac. The clock itself is a powerful artifact with the power to end the world when stopped at a certain time. When freed from her tomb, Selenna pursues the young hero Lewis Barnavelt, murders one of her own men to create a Hand of Glory and attempts to murder Lewis's protectors to get to him for the clock. Selenna then tries to threaten Lewis into giving up the clock by threatening to torture his uncle and the good witch Florence, intending on using the clock to [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt end the world]] out of sheer spite.