The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007)
A few years ago, I read an article on a movie site that talked about movies that were not slated for release in the future regardless of extremely positive reviews. Since then, all three films have found their way onto the Internet, and one has actually received a home video release. The three films were the horror anthology Trick R Treat, the slasher All The Boys Love Mandy Lane, and the mockumentary The Poughkeepsie Tapes. The former is the one that was eventually released, and I can honestly say that it more then lived up to the hype and was well deserving of all the positive reviews it received. Mandy Lane was actually released theatrically in the United Kingdom, and more then made up it's budget.
However this review is not about either of those films, but instead the last one listed and the one that seems increasingly difficult to find even online. I was able to procure a copy from a streaming site awhile back but had not watched it until tonight. Now I have made it clear in the past that found footage films are not my cup of tea, and while this film is similar in style, it is much more a documentary exploring events then a found footage film with a loose plot. This of course makes my style of reviewing somewhat difficult to pull off, but I'll try my best. These are The Poughkeepsie Tapes.
Summary
The film begins with a reporter outside a house in the city of Poughkeepsie, north of New York, where hundreds of videotapes have been found, each part of the visual record of horrifying murders. Along with them are dozens of bodies buried around the abandoned house, and from here, the 'story' begins. Interviews are shown with various members of law enforcement, from police to Federal agents to profilers to morticians, each exploring the contents of the tapes and the man who made then. We also see some of the scenes of the killer's activities, from his first abduction of a young girl and her murder, to much more thorough and premeditated kills. We learn the killer is quite intelligent, as he seems to de-evolve in some kills, going from more advanced weapons to simpler ones as to keep the police unaware that the various murders are the acts of one man. His acts come to a head when he stalks and abducts teenager Cheryl Dempsey from her home after brutally mutilating and killing her boyfriend. On film we see sexual, physically and psychological abuse of Cheryl, reducing her to little more then his 'slave'. In a further effort to throw off the police, he changes his modus operandi and focuses exclusively on prostitutes, which, one psychologist explains, makes the population at large let their guard down- if the victims are a certain group, those outside the group feel safe. This sets in motion an even greater part of his plan, one that leaves law enforcement stunned and the public even more fearful then they were, and it is all on tape for the world to see.
Thoughts
It is extremely rare for a movie to present something that makes me want to turn it off. I have a very high tolerance for sick and twisted imagery on film and over years of movies like the Saw series and shows like Dexter and Criminal Minds, I like to believe I have a very strong stomach where serial killers and their actions are concerned. If this film is any indication, I have a long ways to go. There were a number of scenes, many involving the killers interactions with Cheryl after her abduction, that I had to mute or fast forward through because I could not watch without feeling ill at ease. This is the kind of mockumentary where after the fact you really need to confirm that it was all fake, because some aspects seemed way too real to have been done by actors.
There is a form of realism here that many of this kind of film seem to lack- when the actors in the law enforcement roles talk, you believe they are real police and Federal agents; when you see the families of the victims in mourning, you believe they truly lost someone. Most importantly, when you see and hear the killer on the tapes, you not only believe he is truly a serial killer keeping a video log of his crimes, but you also try to tell yourself that no one could be this twisted, even though in reality there are plenty of examples of it. To hear of events is one thing, to see such realistic reenactments is a whole other one.
That said, I think this may be the films biggest problem and the reason it has yet to be released- it works too well. I have read in the past how when it was originally released, the film Cannibal Holocaust (which is on my watch list) was so realistic that it was thought a snuff film and the director was jailed until the cast appeared to tell the world it was just a movie. I think this can be seen in a similar vein- I know now that it is just a movie, but the realism may be too much for the general public, and thus it may be difficult to secure a release that would be cost effective- i.e how big is the market that would buy the movie.
Conclusion
Essentially, this movie works as a mockumentary in that you truly do believe it to be a real documentary, but perhaps that is the problem. A little less realism may have secured it a release, but we may never know. I can honestly say that while I was disturbed by the film I appreciated what it was able to accomplish- it disturbed me, and that is rare. I can't say if I would recommend this film to anyone except the hardcore horror fans or those who have an interest in serial killers. Anyone else would likely not enjoy this film in the least, and even those groups may require a harder stomach then I to get through certain scenes. It is a dark, realistic, and disturbing film reel, but if it peaks your interest and you can find a copy, check it out- but don't say I didn't warn you.
2.5 Crates of Murder Memory Movies out of 5
That's all out of me, until next time I'm the Drew, and I need a shower or a Disney movie to make me feel better..
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