Here's an example of Don't Let This Happen to You for Directors: hire competent actors, scout out a great location, spend a hefty budget on productions values, and then set about filming one of the most mediocre "horror" scripts ever written. I mean seriously man, did you even see Jeffries' resume of flotsam before you signed on for this? It reads like a homage to underachievement. At least, that's consistent with the plot for this film: A family moves away from the big city to a house in the countryside, bought at a fantastic bargain price. At first the mansion-like building seems like a dream come true, and they set out to restore it. But as each of them explores the house's obscure history, disturbing family secrets of the original owners are revealed, and the father begins to suspect that something sinister happened at Cold Creek Manor. Suspense starts to build as strange incidents happen with increasing frequency, and then... not much. The answer to the mystery turns out to be the most conspicuous and easily-guessed villain, whom we met and instantly suspected quite early in the film. Thank you, Captain Obvious Scriptwriter! Cold Creek Manor could be called Gothic "horror" in a sense -- the desolate landscapes, dilapidated old building, hidden secrets, and creepy atmosphere are all staples of Gothic-style horror. However, there is also supposed to be an element of supernatural in Gothic stories, which Cold Creek Manor lacks. It hints and teases us aplenty, but never delivers on phantoms or magical evil; and when there is opportunity for an intense climax of horror, it's as if the director shrinks back from the threshold. The end result is a letdown.
I can't fault the actors, for the most part, who do their job well enough. It's just that they're given some horrible dialog, and look at what they have to work with. Dennis Quaid (our main protagonist, unfortunately)is either playing a stupid, wimpy character quite brilliantly, or he's managed to bungle a decently relatable character into something annoying. Sharon stone is alright as the wife who catches on too late to the danger they're all facing. Kristen Stewart interprets the role of the daughter as her usual hostile, sullen, emo persona-- gee, what a surprise.
Tweaked a bit, daring a bit more, and perhaps rewritten, this story had so much potential to be good! Oh well, we'll never know...
I can't fault the actors, for the most part, who do their job well enough. It's just that they're given some horrible dialog, and look at what they have to work with. Dennis Quaid (our main protagonist, unfortunately)is either playing a stupid, wimpy character quite brilliantly, or he's managed to bungle a decently relatable character into something annoying. Sharon stone is alright as the wife who catches on too late to the danger they're all facing. Kristen Stewart interprets the role of the daughter as her usual hostile, sullen, emo persona-- gee, what a surprise.
Tweaked a bit, daring a bit more, and perhaps rewritten, this story had so much potential to be good! Oh well, we'll never know...