The Most Shocking Found Footage Horror Movie Ever Is Now on Prime Video
On this day in horror history, The Poughkeepsie Tapes premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. The found footage chiller is directed by John Erick Dowdle and considered by some fans to be one of most shocking and disturbing horror films of its era.
Structured as a mockumentary, the movie follows law enforcement officials in Poughkeepsie, New York, after they discover of a large collection of videotapes in a local residence said to document the crimes of a serial killer named Edward Carver over an extended period of time. The film combines staged interview segments with “recovered” footage to create a procedural format that reads as surprisingly real.
The cast of The Poughkeepsie Tapes includes Stacy Chbosky, Ben Messmer, Samantha Robson, and Ivar Brogger and was shot on digital video to match the aesthetic of home-recorded material.
Following its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, the film was acquired for distribution by MGM. While the studio promoted the movie and had a theatrical release planned for 2008, it was ultimately pulled from the release schedule. No official public explanation was widely confirmed at the time for the decision, and it remained unreleased for nearly a decade.
During that period, The Poughkeepsie Tapes developed something of a reputation within the horror community due to its shelving and reports of an especially nightmarish scene involving a home surgery. It circulated among fans by way of bootlegs and online forum discussion, which helped build a sense of infamy.
Unfortunately the film did not receive an official unveiling until 2017, when Scream Factory issued a physical release. This marked the first time the film was broadly accessible through a major distributor. It later became available through streaming platforms, further increasing its infamy. As of today you can stream The Poughkeepsie Tapes on Prime Video.
One of the film’s most fascinating elements is all the lore surrounding a mask worn in several sequences. The design stands out, with its uncanny appearance and strange, feminine features. But there’s a reason you might find it a tad familiar looking.
The mask has been linked by collectors to Don Post Studios, named after its owner, who was one of the better known Halloween mask reproducers in the United States. The company became famous for producing licensed masks for major horror properties, including early officially licensed Halloween masks, as well as a wide range of original designs.
Within collector circles, the specific mask used in The Poughkeepsie Tapes is widely believed to originate from a 2003 Don Post Studios design. It’s commonly referred to as the “She-Mask,” a fan-given name based on its perceived resemblance to a female variation of a Michael Myers-style concept.
There is no widely documented confirmation from the filmmakers or Don Post Studios publicly verifying the exact origin of the mask or its intended design concept. Most available information comes from collector research, visual comparison, and secondary sources rather than official documentation.
Will you be braving The Poughkeepsie Tapes on Prime Video in honor of its anniversary? Viewer beware, you’re in for some trauma.
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