I ... don't get it.

Dude, this is the first movie in a long time that I have no idea what is going on. It's just such a sloppy film.

I don't get why this move gets a 7.2 on imdb (in July 2016).

To each their own. I thought this was rather bad.

All your questions are valid. This was a confusing, poorly written attempt to lift an idea from the classic 80's horror "Pumpkinhead".

Here are my thoughts in spoiler mode in case anyone cares about spoilers with this film:

It made zero sense to me that Kyle would be blamed for his brothers death for doing nothing. I mean he didn't push him into the shredder (I believe that is what it was) or play a practical joke that went terribly wrong; so the entire town, including his dad, placing blame on him was simply not believable. It was just a plot device, albeit a lousy one, to set up the tension, give the evil a reason for being, and the film a reason for being!

Mandy's involvement came into question several times; first when she had the scene with the cameraman\documentary maker sounding as if she had been a "plant" in Kyle's life to gain his trust and "soften" him up to go back home so that said cameraman could make his film. But then it seemed she was tight with his parents; like she knew them from before as well! Then I thought maybe she was in with the Dooms Chapel folks! So I could not figure what exactly she was up to when I thought she was simply a supportive girlfriend with past issues of her own. And why on earth was she out with the posse, unarmed, knowing some sort of creature was killing people??

And the list. Seems the creature was killing a whole lot more than people on the list a 12 year old made! And why a six year old girl? What could she have had to do with it all when she wasn't even born yet (that must have been the body we saw early on near the bridge - I am assuming as we were not told who was dead).

The only saving grace in this mess was Bill Oberst Jr who played Jordan. He is one of those actors seemingly relegated to B grade or D grade horror films and yet always gives his all and makes those films worth watching. He made this worth sitting through for me.

I read these very limited, negative reviews after watching The Dooms Chapel Horror myself, twice and have finally decided to weigh in. 

To begin, the negativity laced in these reviews from proposed film lovers confuses me to the point of frustration. Each review presented as an angry millennial rant, or, easier explained, as someone who clearly just didn?t get it. I hate to say it, but these scathing reviews just seem ?young and dumb.? Although very well written with clean syntax and an intelligent use of words, each rant lacked substance with little to zero evidence of any real knowledge regarding the Indie Film Industry. The few authors of the negative reviews come off pretentious and with a superior tone, as if any of them might have an ounce of experience in this industry. However; just ones inability to "get it" does not qualify someone to be a self-declared authority on defining whom and what is considered "poorly written or sloppy".

I cannot stand when a person takes something that is clearly positive, and spins it into something negative. And that is exactly what these few individuals have done in their reviews.

So let's get into it. Having absolutely; nothing, zero, nada to do with the writing, direction, production etc of this film, first off, chill with the *beep* dramatics. I find it extremely hard to believe that you found all the acting "painfully bad".... I will not completely didagree that the male actors were far superior than that of the females, however the writing, direction, and overall production were a pleasant surprise for anyone with a true love for the history and passion of an Indie Film and their makers, especially those that are still considerably in their infancy as both cast and crew of this film are.

In these nasty reviews, the authors pretty much attack the creativity and talent throughout the film and pretty much write as though they have first-hand experience with the process. Which clearly, they do not, otherwise they would have used personal experiences to build strength behind their claims (which would have positively supported their post). As a critic and horror fan myself, I was extremely pleased that this film did not hold my hand throughout and left some parts vague. It's audience participation, not spelled out. And I can only hope that others never rely on negative hearsay, in an obvious effort to attack someone?s creative integrity to judge a film for themselves. 

What really peeves me is how the negativity from these reviewers make all the exposure and high ratings (7.5) seem like a bad thing. Are you *beep* kidding me? This is so damn awesome for a locally filmed and produced production that has over 2,000 fans on their Facebook page to have been distributed WORLD WIDE ON VOD and DVD!! Do you know how many Indie writers, directors and producers would have loved this opportunity? It?s beyond me how anyone who supports the arts can see see this as something negative. These artists are getting experience and loving their craft. I dont understand the judgment and complete lack of respect.

The gain here is for the artists that were a part of the entire campaign, whether they performed on screen or behind it. Can you imagine how many possibilities might open now for just one of these individuals?? The possibilities are endless, and are most definitely a positive thing, so please don?t go making this into something negative.

I am not here to criticize other reviewers. This is an opportunity to discuss and reflect on what?s truly important. I wrote this to perhaps enlighten the negative authors/reviewers and their supporters, and to drop some knowledge on something they have yet to fully understand due to lack of experience or immaturity pertaining to the startups strife and lessons of entering into this field.

The score for this film in my opinion was positively perfect for setting up the very creepy feeling that grows throughout. 

I truly can understand the overall criticism of not getting it, but what you're missing is it appears to have been intentional, they attempted something different. I think for too long, found footage has been considered "a single camera medium". If you were filming Blair Witch but all 3 hikers had their own camera and we were watching the film from all 3 angles, it would STILL BE considered found footage. 

Overall, this film is not deserving of such harsh negativity. Each person should watch it for themselves and judge accordingly. But in the end, as a true "horror fan", *beep* support the industry and all the attempts. Do your research behind a film and don't just sit behind a keyboard being a giant turd.