Poughkeepsie Tapes

I watched this movie the other night and I was pleasantly surprised. The acting is was really good from the serial killer it was a very creepy performance. The acting from the rest of the crew was not that good but this movie is definitely worth a watch.

This movie is a found footage mockumentary. So the movie takes off with a bunch of interviews of police and FBI who found hundreds of tapes containing murders and torture.

This movie was actually better then I thought it would be. It was actually really creepy. The bad quality of the camera kind of annoyed me but it was good overall

Based on the trailer for THE POUGHKEEPSIE TAPES I thought I was going to hate this movie – not because it looked disturbing but because it looked really lame. Truth is – it is a little lame, BUT the movie has a lot more creative juice than I was expecting and ultimately I found myself enjoying it. Similar to J.T. Petty's S&MAN or Remy Belvaux & Andre Bonzel's MAN BITES DOG, THE POUGHKEEPSIE TAPES is a pseudo documentary about a serial killer. While S&MAN and MAN BITES DOG are superior films, THE POUGHKEEPSIE TAPES excels due to its strict adherence to/understanding of the documentary format. Personally I didn't find the film as disturbing or horrific as I assume it was trying to be, however it did contain enough well thought out moments to convince me that the writer and director had done their horror homework (in particular a very William Castle "esque" sound bite/moment toward the film's finale). 2 little notes: the first 15 minutes are kind of slow so give the movie time AND I don't see this as a "theater" movie (I saw a DVD screener). THE POUGHKEEPSIE TAPES feels like a small screen movie. Have a few beers and toss it on during a late Saturday night or early Sunday morning.

This horror flick is unique in the way it leaves a lot to the imagination. Most of the acting is poor, but the story of Cheryl Dempsey makes the movie worthwhile. In fact, her story, could have stood on its own. The character is portrayed well, and it is very hard to forget what happens to her and how she is affected. Because of how devastating her story is, and because a lot is left to the imagination as to how her story progressed, the movie is actually worth watching for horror buffs. If they'd left her story out, most of the movie would be a waste of time. Her story also makes the serial killer in the story much more engrossing, since it gives a kind of unusual psychological depth to his character which is often missing in horror.

After having watched THE POUGHKEEPSIE TAPES for so many years online, it's odd to have a "legitimate" release of the film now available. In a way, it's bitter-sweet, since it had enjoyed such a dark, mythic life on the internet. The "tapes" are suitably gritty, grimy, and at times, difficult to watch. From the first abduction / murder (of a child), to the last, the atmosphere is bleak, doom-filled, and insane.

The stalking of Cheryl Dempsey, takes us along like co-conspirators while this madman operates. One scene in particular, wherein the killer creeps up on his victim on all fours like some sort of animal, is truly unforgettable, generating quite an uncomfortable viewing experience! Like something found by accident on the dark net!

Upon first viewing TPT, one is struck by its realism. Its "documentary" style makes it feel all the more like this guy could actually be "out there" somewhere.

Of course, this is also art reflecting reality, since we all know about the state of our world. Hell, in a sense, the killer in TPT does exist / has existed. Any casual viewing of COLD CASE FILES, FORENSIC FILES, etc., bears this out. Having grown up on Gacy, Bundy, Dahmer, et al,, imagine stumbling upon their video collections! TPT delivers that sort of terror, making us very uneasy in the process.

Is it perfect? No, but it is very effective.

LESSONS LEARNED FROM THIS MOVIE: #1- Never leave your children unattended, even in your front yard.

#2- Never let a stranger into your car. Ever!

#3- Do NOT allow your children to sell cookies door-to-door.

#4- Never get too comfortable in your own home. And don't think your boyfriend can help you!

#5- When will we ever learn to NOT accept rides from strangers? Just don't do it, folks!...

Okay so this homemade small market film was written/directed and produced on a shoestring budget, and thus the results were not expected to be of epic proportions as the much bigger budget(s) of either The Silence of the Lambs (1991), and/or Hannibal (2001). Knowing in advance that the Poughkeepsie Tapes was produced and directed by independent film makers I wasn't expecting an Academy Award winning performance in the acting and/or the cinematography, but what I did get was an impressive enough THRILLER genre film which kept my interest sustained throughout.

No doubt there are many areas of improvement that can be recommended for The Poughkeepsie Tapes, but not for the miniscule budget and short timeline (30 days?) that the film makers most likely had to work within. I am taking into consideration what others may have been able to accomplish with the same restrictions that this team had and I must say that I am impressed with their end result.

I make no false claims as it is a grade B level film at best, but having said that I have watched a heck of a lot of films with 100-1,000 times larger budgets and timelines and with major Hollywood stars promoting their less than stellar films that were a lot worse than the Poughkeepsie Tapes.

I have zero affiliation with the film makers so please do not assume I am providing a generous complimentary review as I am no more than an enthusiastic film lover of the Thriller/Serial Killer genre and if you are too than please appreciate this Grade B film for what is their end result on a shoestring budget and a 30 day timeline (I found this tidbit out by watching the writer/director extras included on the Blu Ray release)

A decent 6 out of 10 rating