Great Film overall

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

'Arbor Demon' (aka 'Enclosure') drew me into seeing it, with a cool poster/cover, an intriguing and quite creative premise and as someone with a general appreciation for horror. That it was low-budget, which from frequent personal experience is rarely a good sign due to that there are so many poor ones out there, made me though apprehensive. It is sadly however yet another film seen recently, hence some reiteration because the exact same strengths and flaws are here present in those films, that to me was very weak, its worst elements being pretty awful, with a lot more wrong than right. 'Arbor Demon' is not great, or good, has a fair share of problems (fairly big ones too) and doesn't do enough with its potential, which was hardly small. There are however a few decent, even good, qualities in 'Arbor Demon'.Lets start with the positives. The scenery is atmospheric, likewise with the decent way it's shot. The music is suitably spooky and quirky and doesn't distract at all from the atmosphere, while not exactly enhancing it. Found too that 'Arbor Demon' started off fairly promisingly with a few effectively spooky moments.However, the story does feel over-stretched and some of it feels vague, under-explained in the last third where the film especially became duller, more predictable, more senseless and less scary it got. Too many characters are too sketchy and with nowhere near enough to make one want to endear to them. Their irritating and illogical decision making and behaviours insult the intelligence. Making the film feel bland and forgettable with not enough heart put into it. The acting is also terrible, Jake Busey in particular was just bizarre. The effects are ropy at best.Dialogue can be stilted and rambling while the pace is uneven, dragging in a lot of the second half and never is it exciting. Found too many the supposedly shocking moments not surprising or scary and the supposedly creepy atmosphere dreary, due to the excessive obviousness and the lack of tension and suspense. A lot of the film completely fails to make sense, both in underdeveloped plot elements and often nonsensical and confusing character motivations. The villains are poorly used and pose very little threat. The last third badly sags in momentum and the atmosphere completely falls flat, though the end does convey the message better than expected.In conclusion, very weak but not unwatchable. 3/10 Bethany Cox

If you go down to the woods today you will find - an angry bear? a Sasquatch? something even worse? A night-time massacre to start with.This ultra-low budget slightly off-beat horror film lacks nothing in the originality department, but best give it a miss if you prefer happy endings. Mr and Mrs Not-So-Newly-Weds decide to go on a camping trip before he goes on the road for six months with his gee-tar. When they get there, strange things happen. That night a group of rednecks start making a big noise with their guns, then an even bigger noise with their screams. Something has attacked them, something that is incredibly strong and is as happy in the trees as on the ground.Our hero and his missus save one of the guys, who has a severely injured leg. This turns out to be a case of no good deed goes unpunished, but at least he tells them what is going on. Out there are creatures or at least entities from before the White Man came who are intent on doing something to pregnant women in connection with an ancient ritual. Guess who is pregnant and hasn't told her husband?You need know no more at this point, but expect the unexpected.

PROS: One of the coolest parts of this movie was the original idea. The whole premise of the movie was very new and very exciting. It sort of took on a completely different vibe than most other movies. The thing that really propelled the movie was the way that the story stayed creative from beginning to end. Although the ending wasn't perfect, it also was very conclusive to the message and the overall meaning of the film.CONS: The biggest issues weren't necessarily bad, but rather that they are very average when above average is needed. For example, the acting fell flat in many categories. The main couple in the film did a great job at showing romantic chemistry, but not chemistry with combined fear. That factor would've been the make it or brake it portion of the film, and it was the brake it portion. A lot falls on the acting, when acting isn't good you have a hard time following along with the build up in tension or the resolution. These factors all combined lead to an average attempt at a creative script.www.chorror.com

Arbor Demon (2016)It's not often the case that I am presented with a title to review that I know very little about in advance, especially in this age of media saturation, but with Arbor Demon I knew zilch. However, as I fancied a change from the wodge of zombie flicks I had been inflicted with of late, I took comfort in the presence of the word 'demon' in the title and stuck it on. Initially Arbor Demon played like yet ANOTHER in the other currently over-saturated sub-genre of found-footage but fortunately it was not to be, and whilst far from perfect Arbor Demon made for a refreshing change and was all the welcome for simply offering something different and being confident enough to successfully pull it off.Young couple Dana and Charles (Fiona Dourif and Kevin Ryan) go camping at his insistence that doing so would afford them the opportunity reconnect with each other. You wouldn't guess that any reconnecting was necessary from the set-up but apparently it is (I suppose there wouldn't be a camping trip otherwise and a rather short empty movie being the result). Dana is pregnant and keeping the news a secret from Charles, the reason? Charles has told her that they aren't the sort of couple that have children. As the film opened with a heavily pregnant woman being pursued through woodland, before something unseen closed in on her, it would appear that something similar may happen for Dana later in the woods, given that she too is expecting.After a bunch of rowdy bikers/hunters are wiped out by something unseen Dana and Charles find themselves trapped within the tight confines of their tent. They are soon joined by a wounded man Sean (Jake Busey), the only survivor of the bloody attack. During their conversation with the rather obnoxious Sean, our young couple learn more about what maybe lurking outside the flimsy trappings of their tent and fortunately for us it's as much a surprise for us as it is for the characters making Arbor Demon a superior creature feature.For a genre critic, who sometimes feels that he has seen it all before, Arbor Demon (originally entitled as Enclosure) made for a welcome relief from the norm. It reminded a little of 1990's The Guardian, not tonally or quality-wise fortunately, but more in the respect that it's a horror story tying into nature. Director Patrick Rea, along with co-writer Michelle Davidson, prove rather heavy-handed with the exposition and early nods as to what may come, but otherwise both have succeeded in delivering something unique in a marketplace afraid to deliver outside of the established comfort zone.