New Flix: The Dooms Chapel Horror (2016)

What happens when a Sub-Genre I don't care for meets an Actor I like in a Plot that sounds interesting?  Let's see...

In some fairly-convincing Home Movies, we meet a nice young man who is nice and happy...before he's chopped up by a wheat thresher.

Thanks alot, Industrial Age!

In the Present, the younger Brother (who shot all of that) calls a Documentarian to cover his return home.

Gee, this always works out great!

The return brings up alot of bad memories, but he's determined to do it.

As for the Documentarian, he's determined to get a bad Film, since he came alone.  That means no Sound Guy, no Sound Equipment, no help with the Lighting...

His visit is marked by deaths, including those who were trying to beat him up the night before...

The key to this whole thing: a Cult Leader...played by Bill Oberst Jr.  He's definitely evil!

With our Hero's past coming back to haunt him (and kill the Town), will anyone survive?  To find out, watch the Film.

Considering how it started, I was expecting much worse.  Dooms Chapel has one big thing against it: the Found Footage aspect.  It doesn't add anything.  More often than not, it is ignored or downplayed.  For example, one Scene of our Hero and his Girlfriend having an argument is not enhanced by it being shot 'in secret' by the Documentary Filmmaker.  At other points, I'm not clearing who is even supposed to be shooting it.  I should also note that, yet again, there is no explanation for how this Footage was made available, let alone Edited.  Come on, people!  There is also the usual bits where they mix in outside Cameras- like Deer Cam or Security Cameras- that don't add a whole lot.  They also get a bit into the 'Oh, it just happened off-camera' stuff.  That said, the actual Story is kind of interesting and the Acting really saves the day.  If you can get past the silly conceit they attached here, there's a good Story and performances to see.  Bill Oberst Jr nails his role as the Backwoods Cult Leader/Preacher.  Considering how nice he seems to be in real life, it is amazing how well he does with this material.  The Dooms Chapel Horror is a far better Film than I expected...even if they do rip off that shot from Cannibal Holocaust...

Pretty good stuff if you can get past the pointless Found Footage aspect.  Natural Acting saves it.