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The Poughkeepsie Tapes

1. Upstate Ny Serial Killers

'The Poughkeepsie Tapes' is a found footage horror movie about a fictional serial killer from Upstate New York.

(Amazon)

Horror movie fans can finally see 'The Poughkeepsie Tapes' soon, 10 years after it was mysteriously pulled from release.

The found footage film is shot in the style of a documentary, purporting to be put together from the private video collection of an Upstate New York serial killer who filmed more than 800 murders. Interviews from criminal experts, testimony from the only victim recovered alive, and even clips from local TV stations lead many to believe it's a real story, along with the chilling plot description:

'In 2001, police in Poughkeepsie, New York, made a shocking discovery -- 10 bodies buried in the backyard of a residential house. Astonishingly, that was only the beginning. Inside the home, police uncovered over 800 neatly organized videotapes detailing the exploits of one man's decade-long crime spree. The most disturbing part of the find was that the killer had filmed all of the footage himself -- from his first moments stalking his victims to their last seconds alive.'

Aug 12, 2017 - Robert ultimately confessed to the four murders in vivid detail. Twin Serial Killers Elmira Ny. But police suspected there were many more. Elmira; Western NY › ‹ Back To Main. Where are New York's most notorious prisoners? Posted July 26. The at-large serial killer sent the city into panic.

According to Slash Film, 'The Poughkeepsie Tapes' quietly premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2007, but didn't stir buzz until it screened at a 24-hour movie marathon later that year. The film actually angered viewers with clips of sadistic violence and graphic torture, acted out by the murderer, James Foley, also known as 'the Water Street Butcher.'

However, Foley isn't real. None of the film is.

According to The Marist College Circle, some students at the Poughkeepsie school were convinced of the mockumentary's authenticity, but all of it was filmed in California by writer-director John Erick Dowdle. Dowdle has since made a name for himself with scary movies like 'Quarantine,' 'Devil' and 'Rec.'

'The Poughkeepsie Tapes' still claims to be real, though, convincing audiences that the gruesome 'found footage' is used by FBI profilers to study psychopathic behavior. The marketing strategy, relying on unknown actors and mystery, is similar to 'The Blair Witch Project' in the '90s and the more recent 'Paranormal Activity' franchise.

Upstate Ny Serial Killers

The mystery only grew when the planned 2008 release of 'The Poughkeepsie Tapes' was canceled, and has mainly only been available to watch as bootlegs since. Poughkeepsie radio station WRRV-FM reports the film was briefly available on demand in 2014, then pulled -- again for unknown reasons.

According to the Marist College student newspaper, 'The Poughkeepsie Tapes' may still be based on actual events. A killer named Kendall Francois killed eight to 10 prostitutes in Poughkeepsie between 1996 and 1998, but did not videotape the murders. He was caught when a woman escaped abduction and alerted police, who then found bodies in his home.

The Circle reports Dowdle claimed he had never heard of Francois, but he may have been inspired by other serial killers. Charles Ng and Leonard Lake, for example, are believed to have raped and murdered as many as 25 women in a Northern California cabin and filmed some of the victims.

'The Poughkeepsie Tapes' will be released on DVD and Blu-ray for the first time by the Scream Factory on Oct. 10, just in time for Halloween.

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