We see an old drawing/picture of a man holding a knife to a child. There, they've purchased a dilapidated estate known as Cold Creek Manor and move in with their teenager daughter, Kristen (KRISTEN STEWART), and her younger brother, Jesse (RYAN WILSON). The screenplay by Richard Jefferies tells the story of a family terrorized by the former owner of the rural estate they bought in foreclosure. All Rights Reserved, Since he began writing for Laughing Place in 2014, Bill has specialized in covering the Rick Riordan literary universe, a retrospective of the Touchstone Pictures movie library, and a variety of other Disney related topics. Written by Richard Jefferies. We see a photo of a teenager giving "the finger.". scuba diving, Touchstone and Beyond: A History of Disneys "Fright Night", Touchstone and Beyond: A History of Disneys "Alive", Universal Studios Florida's Tribute Store Tells Original, Milk Creek Entertainment Inks New Home Entertainment, Touchstone and Beyond: A History of Disneys Cold Creek Manor, New Episodes Every Wednesday House of Mouse Headlines Presented by Laughing Place. Cooper then tries to rescue her (with a rope that she climbs), all while the assailant might be looming nearby. It also helped make this film seem too long, as at least twenty minutes should have been cut in the editing room. He only stops when the sheriff aims her gun at him. This isn't a movie, it's channel surfing". Cold Creek Manor gets a 1 Reel rating. But answer me this. They buy a decaying mansion that was in foreclosure and began to restore it into their dream home. SHARON STONE plays his wife, an executive who wants to get their family out of harm's way when things get too precarious. Cooper and his family sneak onto and then into the estate before they put an offer on it (meaning they're trespassing). The locals act as a kind of Greek chorus, living permanently at the diner and prepared on a moment's notice to issue portentous warnings or gratuitous insults. Extreme His girlfriend, Ruby (JULIETTE LEWIS), tells Cooper to watch his back, but her sister, Sheriff Ferguson (DANA ESKELSON), doesn't initially seem able or willing to help. [3] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "C" on a scale of A+ to F.[4], Stephen Holden of The New York Times observed, "A serious filmmaker like Mike Figgis can be forgiven, I suppose, for slumming, when he's got a cast as stellar as the one that infuses the scream-by-numbers thriller Cold Creek Manor with more psychological credibility than its screenplay merits". As Cooper Tilson attempts to protect his family from Massies psychotic ways, he also starts to piece together the mystery of Cold Creek Manors past well, actually its Dale Massies past, but Dale Massie isnt half as interesting a title as Cold Creek Manor. gtag('js', new Date()); We see various poisonous snakes in various places through the house, including in Leah's bed, in construction plastic along the ceiling, under Jesse's bed and under the fridge where Cooper reaches, unaware what's there. One afternoon after a heated argument with Dale, Cooper finds a dental retainer along with human teeth in the gravel of his driveway, which he compares to old photos and finds it matches that of Dale's daughter. Kill.Switch (2003) Resident Evil 5 (2009) Grand Theft Auto III (2001) Moderate The couple charge at him with a line of rope, knocking him off his feet, then bind him against a roof lantern. They then meet the former owner, Dale Massie (STEPHEN DORFF), who states he just got out of prison and would like to work for them restoring the house back to its once prominent state. Ruby wears a midriff-revealing top. For those concerned with bright flashes of light on the screen, some instances of that occur in several scenes in the film. She uses some profanity and states that she agreed to sleep with her boss to get a promotion (but that never happened). We see bloody water in the swimming pool and then see an underwater shot looking up from the bottom to reveal the silhouetted shape of a dead pony floating on the surface. JULIETTE LEWIS plays his white trash girlfriend who has sex with him, uses strong profanity, is drunk, and briefly smokes. [2] On Metacritic which assigns a weighted mean score the film has a score of 37 out of 100 based on 31 critics, indicating "generally negative reviews". However, dont go out of your way to check in at Cold Creek Manor. Cold Creek Manor is a psychological thriller that came out in 2003. I had hoped this would be a mock up of the documentary Cooper Tilson was working on inside the movie. Also, what was exactly the train of thought for the family to believe the father killed the horse? RYAN WILSON plays her younger brother who somewhat becomes obsessed with a dark poem written by the boy who lived in the house before him. He dumped them down into "The Devil's Throat," which is a well in the woods. Cold Creek Manor. If you were a vicious mad-dog killer and wanted to get rid of the Tilsons and had just pushed Leah down the well, and Cooper was all alone in the woods leaning over the well and trying to pull his wife back to the surface, would you just go ahead and push him in? 1996-2022 Screen It, Inc. Dale says that he hasn't seen his kids since his wife left with them some time ago. It just doesnt make sense. Question: When the girlfriend is at Dale Massey's grave at end of movie, it seems like it showed her angry face and then cut away to the credits. People describe a brutal method of killing sheep by using modified tools to inflict a sharp blow to the base of the skull that penetrates the brain. Were they possibly thinking of doing maybe a revenge sequel? Once they realize that, they have several close calls with those snakes and more, including one that strikes out at Cooper and another that falls on his shoulder. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Several people smoke cigarettes. Quaid plays the part well, and Stephen Dorff is great as the slimy Dale, but Dale Massie is a walking red flag to run away from. Then read OUR TAKE of this film. Cooper drives home while a bit intoxicated shortly after drinking many shots of liquor. A bumper sticker in the sheriffs office reads, Feel safe tonight. . It's the sort of movie that makes dumb guys like me feel smart. It's presumed it was hit by a car, had its head bludgeoned (as happened to Dale's family) or had its throat slit. Its almost like the script purposely makes the audience want to dislike Leah, so they muted Stone from being able to make her presence known in the film. Directed by Mike Figgis. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). It looks like the previous occupants bugged out in a big hurry, too, as they left everything behind, including personal. Thank you for signing up to CinemaBlend. Taking a break from his multiple-perspective digicam experiments, helmer Mike Figgis displays at best a half-hearted interest in delivering the commercial genre goods, while Dennis Quaid and Sharon Stone fish in vain to find any angles to play in their dimension-free characters". We see bloody water in the swimming pool and then see an underwater shot looking up from the bottom to reveal the silhouetted shape of a dead pony floating on the surface. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. Dealing with bullies and/or the psychotic. When Juliet Luis is cleaning the windshield in the beginning of the movie, she moves to the passenger side and wets the window. Extreme Dale comments on Leah saying that he could have "f*cked" her anytime he asked. A few of them might have helped the movie a little more, such as in transitioning two confusing scenes and letting Dennis Quaids character get the upper hand for a moment. The daughter and wife were far too distraught to consider that but the cop should have realized that immediately. I only wish this film had chosen a course similar to The River Wild, the PG-13 white-water rafting thriller that found Meryl Streep and David Strathairn desperately trying to save their family from a vicious Kevin Bacon. He was protrayed by Stephen Dorff, who also portrayed Deacon Frost in Blade . Dale says that he hasn't seen his kids since his wife left with them some time ago. Starring: Dennis Quaid, Christopher Plummer, Sharon Stone, Kristen Stewart, Juliette Lewis, Stephen Dorff, Dana Eskelson, Ryan Wilson. DANA ESKELSON plays Ruby's sister, the local sheriff who drags her feet in taking action against Dale and uses some strong profanity. $29.1 million [1] Cold Creek Manor is a 2003 American thriller film directed by Mike Figgis, and starring Dennis Quaid, Sharon Stone, Stephen Dorff, Juliette Lewis, Kristen Stewart and Christopher Plummer. Synopsis. Bad writing lets the characters make bad decisions, hiring the former house owner (who broke in to have a look around) to fix the pool instead of asking him to leave or calling police, or worse, characters dont pass on what easily seems to be crucial information to other characters. Her husband, Cooper (Dennis Quaid) is a documentary filmmaker who does all the dad-like duties. Remember the abstract passing of time I mentioned before? Dale goes after Cooper and Leah, and Cooper kills Dale by shattering the skylight on the roof of the house and Dale falls to his death. As Cooper sorts through the mess in the house, he comes across many old documents and photographs, and decides to record the history of the building on film. Smoking We are shown a new weapon, so something must happen with that weapon and it does. After a chase, Dale corners Cooper and Leah atop the roof, and openly declares his intent to kill them and dump their bodies down the Devil's Throat like he did to his family. When he is not spending time with his family, Bill can be found at the bottom of a lake . I don't think someone could fly out from NYC and come help him within that timeframe. He dumped them down into "The Devil's Throat," which is a well in the woods. SMOKING Design and text 1996 - 2023 Jon Sandys. A family moves from New York into an old mansion in the countryside, still filled with the previous owner's things. No one in this movie has a shred of common sense. His girlfriend, Ruby (JULIETTE LEWIS), tells Cooper to watch his back, but her sister, Sheriff Ferguson (DANA ESKELSON), doesn't initially seem able or willing to help. Topics ToTalk About He smokes a joint, uses strong profanity, smokes, has sex with Ruby and turns homicidal. Dale smokes a number of times, while Ruby smokes once and various miscellaneous characters smoke in several scenes. In Cold Creek Manor, documentary filmmaker Cooper Tilson (Dennis Quaid) and his corporate-bigwig wife, Leah (Sharon Stone), relocate their family from New York City to a dilapidated country estate previously owned by an ex-con, Dale (Stephen Dorff), with killer obliques.Sound familiar? The two are overheard having raucous sex, a loveless act barely obscured by a set of blinds. Sharon Stone is a great actress and does well with the part of Leah, but she isnt given much to stand out, and ends up playing a stereotypical role that keeps Stone from excelling. The restoration project derails when Dale Massie, played . . Cooper agrees and we then see him and others drinking. Her husband, Cooper Tilson (Dennis Quaid), reminds her to reset the alarm clock to wake him up in time to get the kids to school and go to work. IIRC the family believes it's the father precisely because his headlights/front of the car is smashed. But COLD CREEK MANOR is definitely not a horror film. Moderate Dale then sits next to Cooper and similarly orders several shots of liquor, resulting in Cooper being a bit inebriated. The movie plays like an all-star episode of This Old House for the first hour, a telenovela for the next 30 minutes, then, finally, a hack boogeyman flick in the last reel. Dale, recently released from prison, initially appears to be a good, kind worker. Cold Creek Manor by Buena Vista Home Entertainment by Mike Figgis. Dale has a tattoo on his shoulder. They then try to get away from the intruder through the dark house. The movie received negative reviews from critics. Cooper is convinced that Dale is responsible, acting out of spite. Her husband, Cooper Tilson (Dennis Quaid), reminds her to reset the alarm clock to wake him up in time to get the kids to school and go to work. The rat race in general. Some tense family material and imitative behavior is also present. Dale Massie is a scruffy, yet muscular ex-con who claims he has no hard feelings about losing his house to these city slickers. When the house becomes infested with poisonous snakes, Dale and others come to the rescue (its implied, however, that Dale may have planted the serpents to begin with). He grew up in Cold Creek Manor, with an abusive dad. What I saw from the trailer was not what I got when I saw the movie. Dale puffs away in nearly every scene. PLOT: In the end it is revealed that Dale Massie killed his family and buried them down the "Devil's Throat" and he was coming back to claim his property. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). He talks about the rules of the genre, pacing, music, editing, etc. VIOLENCE That movie isnt perfect by a long shot, but it throttled back where Cold Creek Manor goes overboard. Figgis talking during a scene transition says Lets say this is a month later. Its a hustle-bustle life, the pressures of which reach a crescendo when a near-miss in heavy traffic endangers one of the children. Theres an obscene gesture. Leah tells Cooper that her boss asked her to sleep with him. Blood/Gore We see the image of a somewhat decomposed and mummified face on a video playback. The trailer looked interesting, and I was always game for a Dennis Quaid movie. Various clues, accompanied by portentous music, ominous winds, gathering clouds, etc., lead to the possibility that clues to Dale's crimes can be found at the bottom of an old well, and we are not disappointed in our expectation that Stone will sooner or later find herself at the bottom of that well. Yet in "Cold Creek Manor," a rather plain suspense film, I don't think there is even one thing that happens that I didn't foresee. Dale's father says that Dale is the "corrupt spawn of your whoring mother" and then says that Dale's kids probably weren't even his, that he couldn't even make babies. The key player this time is Ruby (Juliette Lewis), Dale's battered girlfriend, whose sister is Sheriff Annie Ferguson (Dana Eskelson). http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Headscratchers/ColdCreekManor. We see a photo of a boy holding a rifle. Leah tells Cooper that her boss asked her to sleep with him. (R. 119 minutes. Leah shows some cleavage in her swimsuit. The next shot she is talking to Sharon Stone and the windshield is dry. Dale smokes a number of times, while Ruby smokes once and various miscellaneous characters smoke in several scenes. KRISTEN STEWART plays the Tilsons' moody teenage daughter who doesn't like Dale from the get-go. Dale goes after Cooper and Leah, and Cooper kills Dale by shattering the skylight on the roof of the house and Dale falls to his death. A person has blood on their face. At first it seems like everything is good. You can unsubscribe at any time. Quaid starred in a similar film in 2019 called. We see a rear view of Leah in her small panties as she gets out of bed. To recap for people who havent seen Cold Creek Manor: Dennis Quaid and Sharon Stone play Cooper and Leah Tilson, two New York parents who find themselves being swallowed up by the city and decide to take their family to a safer place. He also calls a nurse, "You little bitch.". Cooper Tilson and his family decide to relocate from the big city to a small town away from the hustle and bustle of the metropolis existence. Cooper throws some large roof tiles at the intruder, with one striking him on the head, bloodying him. An intruder breaks through a door to get onto the roof. It eventually earned $21,386,011 in the United States and $7,733,423 in foreign markets, for a total worldwide box office of $29,119,434. Dale Massie is not a villain in this movie, but an enabler, a character who doesn't want to kill but exists only to expedite the plot. The other featurette, The Rules of the Game is where Mike Figgis proves he is completely unable to work in the Thriller genre. He talks about Dales cigarettes, that they had intended him to be European, rolling his own cigarettes, but that preview audiences mistook his hand rolled cigs for joints (as did I) so he clarifies that they are tobacco, just so everybody knows that. He then puts his hands on her butt and then under her short skirt, pulling down her panties in the process. The man's disjointed comments lead Cooper to believe Dale murdered his wife and children who have been missing for several years; Dale claims his wife fled with the children when he was imprisoned. Moving into a new home. What is the Japanese language plot outline for Cold Creek Manor (2003)? Dale then sits next to Cooper and similarly orders several shots of liquor, resulting in Cooper being a bit inebriated. Bonus features include commentary with director Mike Figgis; deleted scenes and an alternate ending; Rules of the Game, in which Figgis discusses the components of a psychological thriller; and Cooper's Documentary, in which he discusses the process of making the film within the film. DENNIS QUAID plays a documentary filmmaker who becomes somewhat obsessed with discovering the secret behind the manor and its former inhabitants. He needs to get the Manor back for his father and his own mental sake, and he will do just about anything to do so. COLD CREEK MANOR is a heart-pounding thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat in tension-filled suspense. Cooper drives home while a bit intoxicated shortly after drinking many shots of liquor. Cooper and his family slowly make their way through the dilapidated house that still has the belongings of the former residents in it (although everything's in disarray). ImitativeBehavior We briefly see Ruby kissing Dale while both lie on a bed, but he then sits up and nothing else happens. QUICK TAKE: A sudden sound might startle some viewers. He uses some profanity. He was trying to get better reception on his walkie talkie to alert the sheriff, and he didn't know the killer was in the area. He only stops when the sheriff aims her gun at him. No, but everybody in the audience does. None of the good deleted scenes are worse then anything else in the movie, but they arent much better either. Cooper drives home while a bit intoxicated shortly after drinking many shots of liquor. We learn that a person killed his family sometime in the past and then see him kill his father. We later see that saying on a sign in a bar. 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