House of Magic

3D maestro Ben Stassen (NYICFF 2011’s Sammy’s Adventures) returns with a rollercoaster-ride of a film filled with jack-in- the-box surprises, inventive robotic contraptions, and plenty of swooping and swooshing z-axis movement to keep you gripping your seat. Seeking shelter from the storm, abandoned orange tabby Thunder sneaks into a mysterious mansion owned by retired magician Lawrence, formerly known as “The Illustrious Lorenzo.” The eccentric Lawrence shares his fairy-tale world with his pets as well as a dazzling array of automatons and gizmos of his own invention. He welcomes Thunder into this odd-ball family, but Jack, the curmudgeonly old jack-rabbit, and his fiercely loyal sidekick mouse, Maggie, are determined to kick him out. Meanwhile, bigger trouble is brewing when Lawrence ends up in the hospital and his greedy nephew decides to follow through on plans to sell the house and get rid of the animals. Using their combined ingenuity — and Thunder as a secret weapon — they craft a strategy to ward off potential buyers by turning the house into a haunted mansion.