As I’ve said many times, I don’t care for found footage movies but The Poughkeepsie Tapes, while hardly great, has some genuinely creepy and disturbing scenes… in between some laughable ones.
The Poughkeepsie Tapes
(2008)
Genre(s): Horror
Shout Factory | R – 86 min. – $29.99 | October 10, 2017
Date Published: 10/10/2017 | Author: The Movieman
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THE MOVIE — 3.0/5 |
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Plot Synopsis: Throughout the 1990s, a serial killer terrorized upstate New York. After a decade-long crime spree conducted largely under the radar of law enforcement, the killer left behind the most disturbing collection of evidence homicide detectives had even seen: hundreds of homemade videotapes that chronicled the stalking, abduction, murder and disposal of his victims. The Poughkeepsie Tapes examines these horrific tapes at length: what they reveal about the killer, why they were made and how FBI profilers have used them to better understand violent, psychopathic behavior. Quick Hit Review: As you may, or may not, know, I really don’t like found footage movies and this is the latest horror film to go down that route, with the fake documentary thrown in for extra measure. And although the characters are thin, even by this style’s standards, the direction is fairly well done as there are some truly disturbing scenes. This film was initially supposed to be released back in 2007 before MGM pulled it from the schedule, got a digital release in 2008 and, from what I can tell, never got a proper home video release until now. Is it worth the wait? Not really, but The Poughkeepsie Tapes isn’t a half bad little flick. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 2.25/5 |
| There are a series of interviews with writer/director John Erick Dowdle, Producer Drew Doedle and Actress Stacy Chbosky as well as the Theatrical Trailer. |
VIDEO – 3.25/5 |
| The video is a bit tough to judge given this is found footage of recordings from the mid-90s, so a good portion of the movie is scrambled, out of focus at times, colors all over the place, etc. When we get to the “documentary” portions, detail is a tad better but not much while colors are more natural looking. |
AUDIO – 3.5/5 |
| The DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 track isn’t amazing but serviceable since the bulk of the film is dialogue driven with only some minor bouts of ambient noises comprising of the front and rear channels. |
OVERALL – 3.25/5 |
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Overall, as I’ve said many times, I don’t care for found footage movies but The Poughkeepsie Tapes, while hardly great, has some genuinely creepy and disturbing scenes… in between some laughable ones. The Blu-ray release is basic with so-so video/audio transfers and an okay selection of bonus material. |