Post by The Curmudgeon on Sept 26, 2013 23:27:43 GMT 2
I recently found this list of the ten best "Found Footage" films, and while there's nothing you wouldn't expect to see (Blair Witch, Paranormal etc etc), one notable entry had me stumped. I'd never even heard of it before.
THE POUGHKEEPSIE TAPES
Produced at around the same time as Paranormal Activity, The Poughkeepsie Tapes didn't meet with anything close to the ecstatic reception that Peli's film received. The film is extremely hard to find on DVD, and was, at one point, only available on YouTube, before it was taken down for copyright violation. Nevertheless, it's a real gem.
The titular VHS tapes are discovered in an abandoned house, formerly the home of the infamous Water Street Butcher, who is still at large. The tapes hold hundreds of hours of footage, shot by the killer, and showing the horrible treatment his victims endured. The film takes the form of a documentary, with talking heads interviews with FBI agents, cops and psychologists who are trying to catch the Butcher.
I eventually had to turn on the lights just to finish watching The Poughkeepsie Tapes, and I can safely say it's one of the scariest films I've ever seen. Even in the knowledge that it's not based on real events, it's relentlessly frightening. The jump-scares arrive pretty constantly, due to the blaring white noise between shaky VHS clips, but these are only to keep the audience looking lively.
The true horror value of the film is in the character and the scenario that the film creates, which is equally fascinating and disgusting. It's spine-chilling stuff that's worth a look if you can seek it out. MGM hold the rights to the film, which has yet to see a wide theatrical release, so hopefully it will get more of a chance now that the studio has shaken off its recent financial problems.
It's also disappointing that director John Erick Dowdle hasn't gone onto better things. Instead, he directed M Night Shyamalan's Devil, as well as Quarantine, the uninspired English language remake of REC.
Here's the trailer:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGA2cIovENM
So I'm intrigued. Anyone seen this?
THE POUGHKEEPSIE TAPES
Produced at around the same time as Paranormal Activity, The Poughkeepsie Tapes didn't meet with anything close to the ecstatic reception that Peli's film received. The film is extremely hard to find on DVD, and was, at one point, only available on YouTube, before it was taken down for copyright violation. Nevertheless, it's a real gem.
The titular VHS tapes are discovered in an abandoned house, formerly the home of the infamous Water Street Butcher, who is still at large. The tapes hold hundreds of hours of footage, shot by the killer, and showing the horrible treatment his victims endured. The film takes the form of a documentary, with talking heads interviews with FBI agents, cops and psychologists who are trying to catch the Butcher.
I eventually had to turn on the lights just to finish watching The Poughkeepsie Tapes, and I can safely say it's one of the scariest films I've ever seen. Even in the knowledge that it's not based on real events, it's relentlessly frightening. The jump-scares arrive pretty constantly, due to the blaring white noise between shaky VHS clips, but these are only to keep the audience looking lively.
The true horror value of the film is in the character and the scenario that the film creates, which is equally fascinating and disgusting. It's spine-chilling stuff that's worth a look if you can seek it out. MGM hold the rights to the film, which has yet to see a wide theatrical release, so hopefully it will get more of a chance now that the studio has shaken off its recent financial problems.
It's also disappointing that director John Erick Dowdle hasn't gone onto better things. Instead, he directed M Night Shyamalan's Devil, as well as Quarantine, the uninspired English language remake of REC.
Here's the trailer:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGA2cIovENM
So I'm intrigued. Anyone seen this?
