As “Cold Creek Manor” begins, the Tilson family is dealing with the hazardous task of raising a family in the heart of New York City.

Cooper and Leah Tilson (Dennis Quaid and Sharon Stone) decide it would be best to move everyone to the country. So they pack up their adolescent daughter and son, and move to an old mansion upstate that has been left derelict by the Massie clan.

The mansion needs a lot of work and by a strange turn of events, the Tilsons hire Dale Massie to help fix up the place. Everything seems to be coming along until snakes start appearing.

Here is an example of a trailer doing a film a great disservice. The preview clips give the impression that the Tilsons are dealing with supernatural powers. There is nothing supernatural about the entities that they have to battle. They know all too well who the enemy is and that is the challenge.

Cold Creek Manor has an interesting plot and some adequate acting, but not enough to make this a great film. Stephen Dorff is creepy as the ex-convict Dale Massie. Kristen Stewart gives a good performance as the teenage Kristen. Newcomer Ryan Wilson also does a fine job as the younger Jesse Tilson.

The best performance – by far – is that of Juliette Lewis as Dale’s love/domination interest, Ruby. She steals every scene she’s in.

The biggest disappointments are Quaid’s and Stone’s performances. Quaid’s Cooper is foolish, wimpy and illogical. Stone seems to merely read the lines with little passion or concern. Both actors are capable of much more.

The film has its merits but with its drawn out staging, mediocre acting and illogical segues, this is certainly one film to wait for on video.