The Poughkeepsie Tapes

The Poughkeepsie Tapes

Theatrical release poster
Directed by John Erick Dowdle
Produced by Drew Dowdle
Written by John Erick Dowdle
Drew Dowdle
Starring Bobbi Sue Luther
Samantha Robson
Ivar Brogger
Music by Keefus Ciancia[1]
Cinematography Shawn Dufraine
Edited by John Erick Dowdle
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release dates
 April 27, 2007
Running time
 86 minutes
Country United States
Language English

The Poughkeepsie Tapes is a 2007 American documentary-style horror film directed by John Erick Dowdle and starring Bobbi Sue Luther, Samantha Robson and Ivar Brogger. The film has become known for its troubled release history: Despite being completed in 2007, the film's only release to the general public occurred in 2014, seven years later.

Plot

When police raid a house in a city north of New York, they discover a profoundly disturbing record of one man's ugly crimes. Investigators find over 800 videotapes shot by the killer which present a visual record of his murders in all their horrifying details. Both state and federal law enforcement teams sift through the gruesome images, looking for clues of his identity, the identity of his victims, and where he could have gone. Repeated viewings of the materials reveal little beyond the terrible facts of the crimes, and as the authorities comb through the madman's images, they find the tapes have had a disquieting effect on them.

The killer not only captures the murders themselves, but the abductions, tortures and postmortem mutilations of his victims (along with bizarre fetishes involving balloons) all the while never allowing himself to be shown on film unless entirely disguised. Because the killer numbered the video tapes in order, investigators are able to determine that he started with the most vulnerable of victims: an 8 year old named Jennifer Gorman is abducted while playing in her front yard.

After the success of his first abduction and murder, the killer becomes less impulsive in his crimes. Carefully selecting the area in which he will strike next, he convinces a couple, the Andersons, that his car has broken down and they agree to give him a ride to a local gas station for aid. On the way, he clubs the male in the head and subdues the female using a cloth doused in a chemical solution while filming her face in close up. Investigators understand this would have taken considerable practice to achieve. The tape shows that the killer performed a C-section on the female, placing the severed head of her husband inside her womb before sewing her up again to later rouse her from unconsciousness and film her reaction. In the process of investigating the Andersons' disappearance, they come to realise the level of mutilation the killer is capable of, as well as his degree of premeditation. The killer made himself known in the CCTV footage of another gas station some time before the Andersons' abduction and murder, using sign language to give clues where he intends to dispose of one of the bodies.

It is then shown that the killer is stalking his next victim, the teenage Cheryl Dempsey. Taking advantage that she is alone he enters her home, secretly walking through the house. After her boyfriend, Tim Surrey arrives, the murderer places the camera where it cannot be seen and hides in a closet until he is ready to attack. Although he abducts Cheryl, he murders and mutilates Tim, leaving his corpse at the scene. It is only after the discovery of the tapes it becomes clear that this crime scene has been carefully arranged in order to obscure possible psychological profiling. Rather than killing Cheryl, he imprisons her in his basement, abusing her sexually, physically and psychologically as his "slave", a name he beats her into accepting as her new one. Cheryl's mother, Victoria Dempsey, appeals to her kidnapper in a televised statement. He then goes to see her, offering to help in finding Cheryl while filming her response. It dawns on Victoria that she is confronted with the man that has abducted her daughter; he merely chuckles and runs away while she is paralyzed with shock.

Eventually, Cheryl Dempsey is discovered in the killer's empty house. She is rescued but is severely and irreversibly psychologically damaged from her ordeal. She has been mentally abused to such an extent that she harms herself in secret. In an interview, she identifies with her captor and defends him, saying that he loved her and will come back for her. It is revealed that shortly after the interview, she commits suicide.

In one last glimpse of the killer's sadistic nature, after the credits, a clip is shown of the face of one of his bound victims in close up. The killer taunts her by saying that he will make her a deal: he will release her unharmed if she does not blink. After a period of prolonged hyperventilation, the film ends as her eyes close.

Cast

Release

Despite being widely advertised in 2007, the film's theatrical release was pulled, and it was subsequently never released on DVD or Blu-Ray. No official explanation was given for the shelving of the film.[2] In July 2014, the film was given its first official release as a video on demand title available through DirecTV.[3] It was subsequently pulled again less than a month later with Dowdle suggesting that MGM was considering a wider release.[4]

Reception

Critical reception for the film has been mixed to negative. Dread Central gave the film a negative review, awarding it a score of 2 / 5.[5]

The Poughkeepsie Tapes received mixed reviews from the public, with 50% of audience reviews being favorable according to Rotten Tomatoes.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "The Poughkeepsie Tapes casting & crew". Allocine.fr.
  2. ↑ Sangria
  3. ↑ Bloody Disgusting
  4. ↑ Shocktillyoudrop.com
  5. ↑ "Poughkeepsie Tapes, The (2008) - Dread Central". Dread Central.com. Dread Central. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  6. ↑ Rotten Tomatoes
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