This is a bit of an odd story. For years The Poughkeepsie Tapes, a 2007 mockumentary horror film directed by John Erick Dowdle (Quarantine, Devil, and the upcoming As Above, So Below), has been sitting on the shelf unreleased. Though it never officially came out (outside of a few film festivals), the film has had pirated copies circling conventions and illegal copies have found their way online, giving the film a small cult following. As reported by Bloody Disgusting last week, the film suddenly appeared out of nowhere on VOD for DirecTV subscribers. It was finally available for horror nuts to watch without breaking the law.
Now in a strange turn of events, it seems that the film is no longer available to rent in any capacity. Ryan Turek of Shock Till You Drop ran into Dowdle and his brother/producing partner Drew Dowdle at Comic-Con and Drew told him that the studio decided to pull the film in order to give it a large multi-platform release later this year. There are no further details on the exact time and place of the film’s release, but it sounds like the world may finally see The Poughkeepsie Tapes sometime this fall.
The Poughkeepsie Tapes follows the investigation of a kidnapper and serial killer after hundreds of VHS tapes are discovered in an abandoned home in Poughkeepsie, New York. The film is a very creepy, tight, atmospheric horror film that fans should definitely seek out upon the film’s official release. Check out the seven year old trailer for the film below.
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