Python Hyena Cold Creek Manor (2003): Dir: Mike Figgis / Cast: Dennis Quaid, Sharon Stone, Stephen Dorff, Juliette Lewis, Kristen Stewart: One of the worst haunted house movies ever filmed. Dennis Quaid and Sharon Stone play a married couple with two children who are tired of city life and decide to move into an oversize outhouse. They hire the former owner to touch up the place and continually scare the sh*t out of them. His name is Dale Massey and the mood swings unexplainably during the dinner scene. Then snakes infest the house, and Quaid sees Massey's true nature at a bar where he smacks his girlfriend who happens to be the Sheriff's sister. Then a dead horse appears in the pool. Quaid suspects Dale of killing his family, etc. If we waited patiently then perhaps the kitchen sink would have made a cameo. The climax regards one factor falling through a skylight because that was the best dimwitted solution the screenwriter could muster up. Director Mike Figgis previously made Timecode but provides none of that artistic talent here. Quaid is flat and Stone is reduced to cardboard. Stephen Dorff gradually shifts to overacting as he becomes more psychotic. Juliette Lewis plays Dale's airhead girlfriend. Kristen Stewart has an early role as the daughter and this memory is one she will hopefully erase. Pointless bore should be buried under a ton of rock. Score: 0 / 10

Rodrigo Borges I am not used to horror thriller films and only watched it because it was starting on TV the moment I sat on the couch. It is rather good, a good surprise, and I'm used to watch Bergman, Godard, Hitchcock, Kubrick, etc... not that that matters.Everyone seemed to get the idea from the trailer that something supernatural was going to happen, I didn't get that idea.The scenarios and the props were realistic, didn't had bad camera angles, no major or noticeable flaws, one particular shot of a window was actually very good. The dialog wasn't bad. The psychological behaviors, actions and reactions give the proximity of the real emotions one must feel under serious pressure and fear. The personalities of the secondary characters correspond to those of cliché movie personalities, the kind that are really uncommon in real life and very common in other movies, so that's a down point. Another down point is the focus on the dark figure of Dale as soon as he appears, I think it is real, it is there, his psychotic personality is there from the beginning if one is paying attention but it shouldn't have been mystified. That way it would give the thinking viewer the realization that everyone can be a murderer or a crazy person.Some say there is meant to be a connection, a spark so to speak, between Dale and Leah and it is not well portrayed. Wrong! Dave gives her the sweet talk, the concern and the attention, he gives her dirty looks. She on the other way is completely innocent on account to her guilty conscience on saying yes to sleeping with her boss but never actually doing it and realizing she loves her family.It was surprisingly good and it left me tied to my chair. Some said the not having the supernatural haunted house factor took the scary part away. I think the fact that it might actually happen makes it more scary.

jb_campo There was one reviewer who wrote that this was the best thriller of the year on the CD cover. With Quaid and Stone, I said, I'll try it.Terrible mistake. The plot was boring. The acting was terrible. There was zero chemistry between any characters. The family of 4 seemed like 4 people plucked off the streets and thrown together. Dorff as the bad guy was the only plausible actor. The plot was not only boring, but totally predictable. After about 20 minutes, I fast forwarded thru the rest of the movie until the end when it seemed like finally something "thrilling" was happening. Well what do you think? The one character who could be the bad guy, was the bad guy! What a shock? I'm shocked to learn this? I'm shocked I wasted even 45 minutes watching this bomb.Avoid avoid avoid. Stuff like this gives Hollywood a bad name.

moonspinner55 Ridiculous scare flick wastes a decent cast. Dennis Quaid and wife Sharon Stone move their family from New York City to the country, where they hope to refurbish an old farmhouse into a showplace within the next two years; soon, the former resident--just out of prison--shows up and asks to be their caretaker. Sure, why not! Written by Richard Jefferies, "Cold Creek Manor" is never as smart as the audience, which is death for a suspense-drama. Technically over-worked, highly illogical and unpleasant. Mike Figgis directed, perhaps for the thrill of the rural atmosphere and the sound of the cicadas. I don't know what excuse Quaid or Stone had. *1/2 from ****