Dreadfully Boring

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

"Arbor Demon" weaves a tale of disappearances, secrets, legends, and "there's-something-in-them-thar-woods" horror. A husband and his wife, who is harboring a deep secret, go on a camping trip to celebrate their anniversary. During their journey through the woods, it would seem something is following them. During their first night, they hear some ominous noises...as well as shots fire. They think nothing of it, and it is on their second night the horror really begins. It would appear the rabble-rousers have move dangerously close to their campsite and are firing major sized weapons in their direction. It is also while spying on their "neighbors," the couple witness the total destruction of the other campsite.It was then the movie just about lost me...due to stupidity. Had the director been smart, he should have left this story to the couple; what exactly was going on and what was the wife's big secret she was willing to take to the grave with her. Instead, they had to cock it all up with a backstory involving one of the rowdy rebels (played by Jake Busey). The movie is rated "R" for minimal violence and language. 50/50 call on this one. It's not the worst picture you'll ever see, but it could have bee so much better.

A boring creature feature film with an equally boring ending. The film tries to do too much with a simple concept, it seems really over-produced to me. Most scenes are not scary at all, and the creatures I thought, looked pretty silly. I'd compare this to an old school SCI FI channel film that you'd watch in the middle of a weekday. Really not worth watching in my opinion. About 30 minutes in I was ready to call it quits and rate it in IMDb, but decided I should give it a try if I'm going to write a review about it- maybe it has an amazing, redeeming ending- nope, it didn't. At the end I was even a little confused about the intentions of the bad guys. Were they really religious or something? Are they feminists? What exactly was their motivation to stalk these woods?? There was the guy's name who made the film all over the place too which seems annoying and like he is deliberately trying to shove his name down your face: Patrick Rea: Arbor Demon! Arbor Demon BY Patrick Rea! A Patrick Rea Film: Arbor Demon! I mean, I don't know who this guy even is and he pastes his name everywhere possible. The only good thing about this movie is that I know who made it so I can avoid his crap in the future!

I'm on a horror podcast, so I've seen it all. I was so pleased that this wasn't the run-of-the-mill that I was expecting—it's a tension- filled, well-paced, scary little ride. Yes, it's a creature movie, but the characters are well-developed (and the acting, for a change, is really GOOD), so we care about them; there are also a few stories going on at the same time, and all of them work well together so that the film's final moments are tied up perfectly (but NOT predictably). What's really impressive is the film's ability to scare due to less is more: we don't see a whole lot until we need to at the end (fans who were terrified by the old stuff like LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK will definitely appreciate this approach). The set-up is tight so that we are plunged into the situation in short order—yet story and development do not get short shrift. If you love creature movies but you're looking for something a little bit different, definitely check this out.

I really enjoyed this wonderful character piece that is light on the gore but heavy on the atmosphere and character development. It takes a while for the threat to show up but it is ever present and the suspense is there. When it is finally revealed I was blown away by what I was presented with. The design is absolutely fantastic!! I'm being purposefully vague as I want you to experience it for yourself.The performances all around are great especially by Fiona Dourif and I never thought I would ever take a performance by Jake Busey seriously but you know what director Patrick Rea pulls it off. The score is another highlight as it really builds the tension and is moving in all the right places. A high recommend!