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Is The Terror Real? The Poughkeepsie Tapes Review

I've heard many a different things about this movie. I've heard it was a "masterpiece" and I've heard, excuse my language, it was a "pile of dogshit". However as a fan of ALL types of horror, and I say that knowing that I have seen ALL types of horror; your "real" horror, your everyday "snuff" horror wannabe's, your actual snuff films, yes I have went there, "torture porn", 80s, 70s, 60s horror, etc etc the list goes on; "The Poughkeepe Tapes" was, how do I say this,

Lame.



Now Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 48% rating, I've watched movies with less just because I do not believe in the judgments of many. I enjoy CREATING my own opinion out of what I have seen.

"The Poughkeepe Tapes" is faux mockumentary about a serial killer. Nothing new there. I started watching with open eyes and mind. From the beginning I was very into it. The cinematography was shotty, the

view" from the killer's camera was lude. It was dark and grainy; as i assume it was supposed to as per it was recorded on VHS, however the footage just wasn't REAL VHS quality. I have used a VHS camcorder, the quality seen is not what you get with a real VHS. Sorry guys, that was strike one.

Strike two came in the means of acting. I 100% fully understand this was an indie film. That much is well known. I will not say that ALL the acting was bad. Some of it was actually pretty decent for an indie flick. Some of the FBI and Police acting was horrid; yet i felt that some of that actresses that were victims did the absolute best they could with their direction and showed very well that they have the ability, the magic. Example numero uno, is the actress that played "Cheryl Dempsey" Stacy Chbosky. Now Stacy, in my opinion, I'm sure a lot of people might disagree, held her own in this film. She OWNED her character 100% in my opinion. Her eyes, oh man, her eyes gave the sense of torture. Her portrayal really made me feel her character's fear and dilemma. I have seen this several times over the years whether it be a remake or not, indie or big production it is all about direction and the actor's "want" to delve into the character so seriously that it makes the audience actually feel what is going on.



Now i also think Ben Messmer did a fantastic job playing "Ed" the killer. This guy really had it going on. He was creepy in the "actual" video footage. During the scenes of torture and death he lived the lifestyle. I believed it.

I believed that he was a psycho lunatic. Although you did not see much of his face due to his Venetian Death Mask his voice and deliverance and sold it.

As I come to Strike 3, I am having trouble picking something out that hasn't already been said. I thought the score was very on par with the film. It did not take away from movie, as does many of the movie scores I've seen and heard do.

I can not really complain about anything else. I thought the movie was shot in a fashion that reminded me of the Blair Witch meets lence of the Lambs meets some crappy home video but that is what the crew was going for and ade from the not so real actualization of VHS footage, this film was a decent watch. Percentage rating I would give it a 60%, out of ten I would give it a 6. It wasn't fantastic and it wasn't horrible.

I actually liked the movie quite a bit, though it has been about 2 years nce I've watched it. But I thought the way it was done was good, and I like the story with all the strange mannerisms that the killer had it was different than your run of the mill " I stole a girl and am keeping her in a hole" movie. And as far as the VHS film quality, that didn't really bother me so much/suspenon of disbelief. And I liked the affect the killers torture and influence had on the girl i.e. Stockholm Syndrome kind of. All in all I thought this was a good movie. People are waaaaay too critical these days on movies like this, I mean it's a horror/weird movie just because there's no time and date code at the bottom of the screen and its not grainy doesn't mean its bad/ or shouldn't warrant the response "That's so unbelievable!" I dunno just my opinion

the killer's footage was cool, but the film suffered from some terrible casting choices and acting (ex. the FBI "archivist") and the 2nd grade elementary class room that was supposed to be Quantico. The film was ok, but overall was just hype. I was very disappointed.

Such a horrible little film. No redeeming qualities at all, imo.