The Poughkeepsie Tapes
Blu-ray Combo Pack
Director: John Erick Dowdle
Screenwriter: John Erick Dowdle, Drew Dowdle
Cast: Bobbi Sue Luther, Samantha Robson, Ivar Brogger
Distributor: Scream Factory
Rated R | 86 Minutes
Release Date: October 10, 2017

The Poughkeepsie Tapes, a found-footage horror film directed by John Erick Dowdle (Quarantine and As Above, So Below), made its premiere at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. The film was picked up by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and scheduled for a 2008 theatrical release – you may even remember seeing trailers for the movie before Frank Darabont’s The Mist. In spite of the promotional advertising, the docu-thriller was removed from the studio’s release schedule.

For years, the only way to watch Dowdle’s movie was a rough cut available on file-sharing sites. In 2014, however, the movie was given its first official release as a video on demand (VOD) title available through DirecTV. A month later, it was removed from the VOD platform for reasons unknown. As a result, the movie has gained an underground following as being something akin to a snuff film, so violent – so dark and disturbing – that it isn’t suitable for mainstream audiences. Enter Scream Factory, Shout Factory’s sub-division of forgotten horror and science-fiction films, who are giving the film its first proper home video release.