Review of Cold Creek Manor (2003) by Talon B — 19 Jul 2008

Following the setup of a haunted house movie--sans the ghosts and paranormal activity of any kind--Dennis Quaid and Sharon Stone get pulled into Gothic thriller that has a supporting cast prepped for a real nail-biter that never fully materializes.

There's a fair amount of creepiness in the first reel but most of the film is smarmy Stephen Dorff lurking around and pulling childlike pranks on the family who bought his foreclosed family mansion.

There's a weak murder mystery that's handled more like a subplot and several anticipated twists that don't surprise, brining an A-list cast down to a mediocre level of by-the-numbers stalker stuff.

Fortunately, for the film's sake, the actors keep the performances above average. It's just too bad the waters run so lukewarm down at Cold Creek Manor.