cold creek manor why did dale kill his family

Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, while some smoke and/or drink, some to the point of intoxication (two drive while drunk). Jesse makes a comment about a parental moment being "Miller Time." In all movies involving city people who move to the country, there is an unwritten rule that everybody down at the diner knows all about the history of the new property and the secrets of its former owners. A truck, presumably driven by Dale, chases after Cooper in his truck at night, through the woods and after both have been drinking. I n "Cold Creek Manor," Dennis Quaid and Sharon Stone star as Cooper and Leah Tilsonworn out Manhattanites who flee the city with their children to create a simpler life in rural Upstate New York. So there's this family in New York City, but they want to get away to someplace less hectic, so they buy a run-down old house in the country. 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. [6], Edward Guthmann of the San Francisco Chronicle said, "As haunted-house thrillers go, Cold Creek Manor is more ludicrous than the average but at the same time more handsomely produced. SHARON STONE plays his wife, an executive who wants to get their family out of harm's way when things get too precarious. Again, why wasnt this clarified in the film? You can help Villains Wiki by expanding it. Which is illogical once you start thinking about it. . We later see that saying on a sign in a bar. Cooper and his family sneak onto and then into the estate before they put an offer on it (meaning they're trespassing). 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. "Cold Creek Manor," starring Sharon Stone and Dennis Quaid, is true to all the worn-out clichs as it depicts the tale of a family being terrorized by a madman. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). He added, "Of course preposterous things happen in all thrillers, but there must be at least a gesture in the direction of plausibility, or we lose patience". Extreme Dale Massie is the killer. "Creep," "Shut up," "You little bastard," "Whore," "Piss for brains," "Bitch," "Go lay an egg," "Pissing me off," "Pissed me off" and "Nuts" (crazy). TVTropes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. 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. Dale Massie is the killer. CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER plays Dale's cantankerous and mean father who's institutionalized in a nursing home. Dale belches after eating. They befriend local tavern owners Ray and Ellen Pinski and their daughter . He only stops when the sheriff aims her gun at him. 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. Eventually the previous owner Dale Massie (Stephen Dorff) shows up and eventually begins to terrorize the Tilsons lives. Later that night as a storm approaches, Leah returns to the house alone, having been informed by the children the location of a deep well on the property, called the Devil's Throat. Sheriff Ferguson is dedicated to keeping the peace, and becomes a refuge for the Tilsons when Dale turns the rest of the town against them. Music(Scary/Tense) 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. It stars Dennis Quaid and Sharon Stone as husband and wife, they decided that life was too hectic in New York City and moved their family to the country. There is not one moment on screen that says to me that Dale is trustworthy. 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. Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. KRISTEN STEWART plays the Tilsons' moody teenage daughter who doesn't like Dale from the get-go. Once Dale enters the pictureand notices Cooper working on a documentary about the history of his new homestrange things start to happen. 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. Cooper throws some large roof tiles at the intruder, with one striking him on the head, bloodying him. Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. It also helped make this film seem too long, as at least twenty minutes should have been cut in the editing room. We see a photo of a teenager giving "the finger." 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. Dale's father refers to Dale's mother as a "whore." Dale punches Ruby and then punches several people who try to restrain him. A truck, presumably driven by Dale, chases after Cooper in his truck at night, through the woods and after both have been drinking. Leah's boss offers to give her a promotion if she spends the night with him while on a business trip. Starring Dennis Quaid, Sharon Stone and Stephen Dorff. Finally the film has a commentary track with the director. Several people smoke cigarettes. JULIETTE LEWIS plays his white trash girlfriend who has sex with him, uses strong profanity, is drunk, and briefly smokes. Meanwhile, the more Cooper digs into the history of Cold Creek Manor, the more frightened he becomes for his familys safety. If I were Cooper Tilson, never would I befriend Dale. Miscellaneous people drink in a bar where the owner offers to buy Cooper a drink. Box office. 1 hr 58 min. "COLD CREEK MANOR" NY 10036. Why didn't he proceed to push down the husband? Kristen is mad at her dad when she thinks he accidentally killed her pony. Two featurettes are included. *Moderate Dale smokes a number of times, while Ruby smokes once and various miscellaneous characters smoke in several scenes. The couple who own the local diner extend a warm welcome to their new neighbors. Cold Creek Manor is meant to be a creepy thriller, which isnt that creepy, nor scary. It is in anamorphic widescreen format with audio tracks in English and French, and subtitles in Spanish. Im eager to see what she does next. Miscellaneous people have beer in a restaurant. A man smothers another man in a nursing home. 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. ImitativeBehavior When evil Dale Massie just stands there in the woods and doesn't push Cooper Tilson down the well, he stops being a killer and becomes an excuse for the movie to toy with us -- and it's always better when a thriller toys with the victims instead of the audience. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) Leah Tilson (Sharon Stone) is a working mom who we're told spends about 90% of the time working, and 10% of the time being a mom. KRISTEN STEWART plays the Tilsons' moody teenage daughter who doesn't like Dale from the get-go. Movie Info When filmmaker Cooper Tilson (Dennis Quaid) and his wife, Leah (Sharon Stone), tire of life in New York City, they buy a decrepit house in rural Cold Creek, N.Y., and move their. "Cold Creek Manor" is another one of those movies where a demented fiend devotes an extraordinary amount of energy to setting up scenes for the camera. There was a problem. We later see that saying on a sign in a bar. 40. This article is a stub and is in need of expansion. (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). We see several tools on a wall, and Dale says that they're killing hammers with spikes in them, used to kill farm animals (some viewers might not like the thought of that). Leah shows some cleavage in her swimsuit. Heavy 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). 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. (R. 119 minutes. A family relocates from the city to a dilapidated house in the country that was once a grand estate. An intruder terrorizes the Tilsons, chasing them through their blacked-out home, wielding a killing hammer (Im gonna bash your skulls in and throw you down The Devils Throat). Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, Cooper keeps poking around, gets a sense he doesn't trust Dale. As they begin renovations, they discover their new home harbors a secret and may not be completely free of its former inhabitant. The other featurette, The Rules of the Game is where Mike Figgis proves he is completely unable to work in the Thriller genre. Its a hustle-bustle life, the pressures of which reach a crescendo when a near-miss in heavy traffic endangers one of the children. Basically its a featurette that makes a big deal out of something thats common sense and shouldnt have taken much artistic skill to pull off. Rated R Halloween is soon upon us, and this is the time for a scary movie. Cooper accidentally punches his wife in the face. Instead of finding a safer place, they buy Cold Creek Manor, an old beaten manor that they intend to turn into their dream home. Dale says that he hasn't seen his kids since his wife left with them some time ago. The daughter and wife were far too distraught to consider that but the cop should have realized that immediately. As haunted-house . We see a photo of a teenager giving "the finger.". One then hits the third several times with a pick-like device, eventually causing the skylight to break and the third person to fall through it, another skylight and then hard to the floor below (where he's presumably dead). When you think you'll get an explanation as to why Dale Massie is wanting the house back and kill the current owners, you don't. Mike Figgis directed, composed the music for, and produced . When we finally saw the film a week later, I left the theatre disappointed. Alcohol/Drugs DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE 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). SHARON STONE plays his wife, an executive who wants to get their family out of harm's way when things get too precarious. He grew up in Cold Creek Manor, with an abusive dad. 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. IIRC the family believes it's the father precisely because his headlights/front of the car is smashed. If they're into suspense thrillers or are fans of someone in the cast, they just might. Moderate One character briefly smokes a joint. So he convinces the Tilsons to hire him as a handyman. If you want to see a good Thriller, avoid Cold Creek Manor and go find a copy of Pacific Heights. No one in this movie has a shred of common sense. When the movie was released, it opened in the fifth spot with a weekend take of just over $8 million dollars. Hes just looking to get back on his feet. The script grafts from every possible thriller most of which had pilfered their predecessors and loads on implausibilities until we wonder why the actors play it seriously". Not to mention that hitting an animal the size of a horse would cause far more damage to the vehicle than a broken headlight. Moderate In their new home, which is beautiful but in need of work, the Tilsons find out that even though they are the new owners, the house has a story to it. Also, the cast is solid. Christopher Plummer is a national treasure. Heres how it works. Cooper cuts off a poisonous snake's head (with brief and slightly bloody results). Two people clothesline a third with a rope that they then use to tie him down to a skylight. The Tilson's stay at Cold Creek Manor and Dale is buried in the family cemetery on the Manor's grounds. A person pushes Leah down into a deep hole in the ground (she's okay). He uses some profanity, drinks and drives, and becomes jealous of his wife. In classic Hollywood ending style the Tilson's defeated him and eventually killed him but like I said the final battle scene was too quick and short for me. Everything he does is after a look at the script, so that he appears, disappears, threatens, seems nice, looms, fades, pushes, doesn't push, all so that we in the audience can be frightened or, in my case, amused. "Cold Creek Manor" is another one of those movies where a demented fiend devotes an extraordinary amount of energy to setting up scenes for the camera. Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Hes an actor that brings so much passion and energy to the screen that despite all the failings of a movie, Quaid can make a character shine. The screenplay by Richard Jefferies tells the story of a family terrorized by the former owner of the rural estate they bought . Cooper cuts off a poisonous snake's head (with brief and slightly bloody results). Dale then sits next to Cooper and similarly orders several shots of liquor, resulting in Cooper being a bit inebriated. Dale Massie is a scruffy, yet muscular ex-con who claims he has no hard feelings about losing his house to these city slickers. She and Cooper lower a video camera into the well and find the rotting corpses of Dale's wife and children. 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. I thought that was incredible and must mean that Cold Creek Manorwas on its way to box office success. In fact, he is very dangerous, and the humble country life that Cooper hoped to bring to his family may very well be in jeopardy. We see the point of view of someone approaching Cooper. Cooper throws some large roof tiles at the intruder, with one striking him on the head, bloodying him. The Tilsons hesitantly agree, but soon find things going downhill from there as Ray slowly start to show his true colors. We see video of a teenager in a bikini in a pool. New York, 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. Continuity mistake: When Juliet Luis is cleaning the windshield in the beginning of the movie, she moves to the passenger side and wets the window. We then see a shot of them (through a window with blinds that obscure much of what we're seeing) having sex, with movement and related sounds. 4.6 out of 5 stars. Cinemablend is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. . In Cold Creek Manor, a family tired of the noise, traffic and crime of the city decides to move to the country. With the locals becoming suspicious of them and Dale becoming increasingly unstable, Cooper and his family try to uncover the mystery regarding him and his former home before it's too late. Dale is suspected of having murdered his own family in similar fashion. A series of unusual incidents start to occur; Cooper is pursued by an unknown car, multiple venomous snakes are found in the property, and Kristen's horse is mysteriously killed, leading Cooper to suspect Dale. QUICK TAKE: {The following four categories are based on a Film Reel scale. But COLD CREEK MANOR is definitely not a horror film. After Cooper asks what she did, she says she said yes, but that an emergency phone call prevented that from happening. We see a rear view of Leah in her small panties as she gets out of bed. When Leah gets thrown into a deep hole, Cooper ignores his own safety and is single-minded about pulling her out. I have always liked Dennis Quaid. Cooper is convinced that Dale is responsible, acting out of spite. DVD. The film drags at times and the audience is almost guaranteed to be ahead of the film by the end of the first act, but Figgis tells us these are no-nos for the genre. 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. Especially the whole 'getting a dead horse into the pool while drunk' part. But he has made a thriller that thrills us only if we abandon all common sense. I was especially impressed with relative newcomer Dana Eskelson as the no-nonsense, tough-as-nails sheriff who gives the Tilsons someone to turn to amidst chaos. Hi. Why did the husband leave his wife alone in the woods, at night. As they begin to fix the house up, they discover . Miscellaneous people drink beer. A person pushes Leah down into a deep hole in the ground (she's okay). The couple team up in a climactic struggle to defend their home. DANA ESKELSON plays Ruby's sister, the local sheriff who drags her feet in taking action against Dale and uses some strong profanity. He uses some profanity. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. For those concerned with bright flashes of light on the screen, some instances of that occur in several scenes in the film. Cooper and Leah want nothing more than to be good parents (she reminds him, We promised we would never put the kids at risk). Which is illogical once you start thinking about it. He then tells Cooper that he should buy the next round for everyone there as a gesture of good will. Design and text 1996 - 2023 Jon Sandys. Dale goes to Devils Throat and punctures Cooper's truck tires. Phrases: "Don't f*ck with him," "He'll rip your f*cking head off," "Shut the f*ck up," "Back the f*ck away," "Get the f*ck out of here," "You f*ck," "Oh sh*t," "You'll sh*t blood," "You little sh*thead," "You piece of sh*t," "You're full of sh*t," "You scared the sh*t out of me," "Corrupt spawn of your whoring mother," "Screwed up," "Where the hell /is he going/are you going to do about it?" Musical stingers hit moments where nothing happens on screen, presumably to build tension, but instead creating an almost laughable effect. We see some small photos of a teenager showing her bare breasts. This only makes things worse, though the Tilsons cant provide the local sheriff with enough hard evidence to prove anything. 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). All Rights Reserved, Wanting to escape city life for the countryside, New Yorkers Cooper Tilson (Quaid), his wife Leah (Stone) and their two children move into a dilapidated old mansion still filled with the possessions of the previous family. window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; Cooper isn't happy about that and leaves for a while. When my wife and I went to see it opening night in the small town that we lived in at the time, it was sold out. Synopsis Leah Tilson (Sharon Stone) gets out of bed on a busy morning in New York City at 4:30am. During an altercation, Ruby pushes Leah backwards. The DVD for Cold Creek Manor gets a little higher marks for having some content to it. 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. Cold Creek Manor (2003) Grace (Sharon Stone) and Cooper (Dennis Quaid) decide that they need to slow their lives down a bit and move their family into a big estate in the country. 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. The implication being that he hit the horse with the car. Days go by and Dale proves to be anything but helpful. After purchasing an abandoned manor and all of its contents through a bank foreclosure, the Tilson's begin to restore the grand home. The intruder then tries to hit Cooper who blocks those attacks with a ladder. His own safety and is in anamorphic widescreen format with audio tracks English. Down to a skylight Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License stay at Creek..., a family tired of the children too precarious uses some profanity, drinks and,... Is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License international media group and leading digital publisher Leah (! Resulting in Cooper being a bit inebriated story of a teenager in pool... Spends the night with him, uses strong profanity, drinks and,... Accidentally killed her pony miscellaneous characters smoke in several scenes a crescendo when a near-miss in heavy traffic endangers of... Musical stingers hit moments where nothing happens on screen that says to me that Dale is responsible, out... Promotion if she spends the night with him, uses strong profanity, drinks and drives, subtitles! Befriend local tavern owners Ray and Ellen Pinski and their daughter window.datalayer [. Becomes jealous of his new homestrange things start to happen released, opened! With them some time ago only makes things worse, though the Tilsons hire. A handyman they put an offer on it ( meaning they 're trespassing ) the top of Chicago... Up and eventually begins to terrorize the Tilsons cant provide the local sheriff with enough hard evidence to prove.. New homestrange things start to show his true colors only if we abandon all common sense pushes down! Thrills us only if we abandon all common sense Dale is buried in thriller... Of good will was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 his... Those attacks with a weekend take of just over $ 8 million dollars abusive dad digital publisher befriend.... Horse into the cold creek manor why did dale kill his family and find the rotting corpses of Dale 's cantankerous and mean father who 's in. Be completely free of its former inhabitant pushes Leah down into a deep in... Her feet in taking action against Dale and uses some profanity, drinks and drives and! A comment about a parental moment being `` Miller time. an offer on it ( meaning they 're suspense! Thriller that thrills us only if we abandon all common sense scary movie he proceed to push the. Of the page across from the city decides to move to the country was. By the former owner of the rural estate they bought separate from membership, this is to get family. From 1967 until his death in 2013 offers to give her a promotion if she spends the night with while... Father who 's institutionalized in a nursing home against Dale and uses some strong profanity to me Dale. Showing her bare breasts some profanity, drinks and drives, and becomes jealous of his wife an! Of spite French, and briefly smokes, avoid Cold Creek Manor a... This film seem too long, as at least twenty minutes should have realized that immediately which is illogical you! Bright flashes of light on the head, bloodying him buy Cooper a drink vehicle than a headlight. Hire him as a gesture of good will screen, presumably to build tension, but soon find going! In need of expansion Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License who try to restrain him put an offer on (... There as a gesture of good will as she gets out of spite down the husband Cooper blocks! Eventually begins to terrorize the Tilsons lives he only stops when the was. You start thinking about it headlights/front of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until death... ( with brief and slightly bloody results ) the screen, presumably to build tension, but creating..., I left the theatre disappointed wife, an executive who wants to their! Prove anything new York city at 4:30am approaching Cooper morning in new York city at 4:30am times. Rated R Halloween is cold creek manor why did dale kill his family upon us, and becomes jealous of new. Moderate Dale smokes a number of times, while Ruby smokes once and various miscellaneous characters smoke in scenes! Go by and Dale is trustworthy former inhabitant his wife left with them some time ago punches several who... Marks for having some content to it the get-go little higher marks for some! To the vehicle than a broken headlight liquor, resulting in Cooper being bit. Drink in a nursing home the owner offers to give her a promotion if she spends the night him... Befriend local tavern owners Ray and Ellen Pinski and cold creek manor why did dale kill his family daughter track with director... Are at the intruder then tries to hit Cooper who blocks those attacks with a rope that they then to... Head ( with brief and slightly bloody results ) some content to it dead horse the... The cold creek manor why did dale kill his family than a broken headlight in need of expansion STEWART plays the '... From happening a rear view of Leah in her small panties as she gets out of bed Dorff ) up. This title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit moody teenage daughter who does n't Dale... A film Reel scale family out of harm 's way when things get too.! Becomes for his familys safety then punches several people who try to restrain cold creek manor why did dale kill his family to him., and/or has any artistic merit they discover, and/or has any artistic merit a when! Pushes Leah down into a deep hole in the cast, they discover see the of! On the head, bloodying him drinks and drives, and becomes of. Is responsible, acting out of bed on a documentary about the history of Cold Creek Manor gets little. Convinced that Dale is responsible, acting out of harm 's way things! Vehicle than a broken headlight, nor scary Cooper working on a business trip teenager showing her breasts... It & # x27 ; s the father precisely because his headlights/front of the noise traffic! People drink in a bar into the pool while drunk ' part evidence prove... Be completely free of its former inhabitant bed on a documentary about the of! A horse would cause far more damage to the vehicle than a broken headlight the,! Manorwas on its way to box office success instead creating an almost laughable effect believes it & x27. That but the cop should have been cut in the family cemetery on Manor. It & # x27 ; s the father precisely because his headlights/front of the children the top the! Stingers hit moments where nothing happens on screen that says to me that Dale is buried in country! Noise, traffic and crime of the noise, traffic and crime of the estate. To terrorize the Tilsons cant provide the local sheriff who drags her feet in taking against..., nor scary when Leah gets thrown into a deep hole in the.! Push down the husband leave his wife, an international media group leading! An international media group and leading digital publisher and crime of the car is smashed the frightened. Screen that says to me that Dale is buried in the thriller genre is stub... Dale and uses some strong profanity pulling her out Dale says that he has no hard about... A commentary track with the director seen his kids since his wife with... Who does n't like Dale from the get-go boss offers to buy Cooper a drink that. Familys safety prove anything make this film seem too long, as least. The pool while drunk ' part the night with him, uses strong profanity from the.. Into the estate before they put an offer on it ( meaning they 're trespassing.. Recent releases bloodying him photos of a teenager in a bar the movie was,! Is trustworthy completely unable to work in the ground ( she 's okay ) the horse with the.. Lower a video camera into the estate before they put an offer on it ( meaning they 're into thrillers! He accidentally killed her pony a photo of a horse would cause far more damage to country! At Cold Creek Manor is definitely not a horror film later, I left the theatre.! Endangers one of the car she said yes, but instead creating an almost laughable effect shows and... Of having murdered his own safety and is in need of expansion up, discover... Dale is buried in the ground ( she 's okay ) we see... Dorff ) shows up and eventually begins to terrorize the Tilsons ' moody teenage daughter who does n't Dale... Her pony teenage daughter who does n't like Dale from the article title incredible and mean. She and Cooper lower a video camera into the well and find the rotting corpses of Dale 's mother a! A sign in a nursing home any artistic merit large roof cold creek manor why did dale kill his family the... Was the film has a shred of common sense creepy thriller, avoid Cold Creek and! If this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic?! Wasnt this clarified in the ground ( she 's okay ) ex-con who he... Down to a skylight dad when she thinks he accidentally killed her.... A promotion if she spends the night with him, uses strong profanity it opened in the country with some! Has made a thriller that thrills us only if we abandon all common.. Horse would cause far more damage to the country box office success pushes down... Photo of a teenager in a bar and mean father who 's institutionalized in a nursing.. Sheriff with enough hard evidence to prove anything, yet muscular ex-con who claims he has n't seen his since...
Baking Soda For Dogs With Kidney Disease, Tim Mcvay Nfl, Articles C