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abboudeus
Reviews
The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007)
Sit through the mediocre execution for a chilling story.
The Poughkeepsie Tapes is more creepy and disturbing than it is actually horrifying. What the film lacks in gore and blood it makes up with its main character's perversion and lunacy; a point worth appreciating.
Although documentary-style fiction films are nothing new, especially in the horror genre, this film manages to pull off some genuinely unnerving moments that linger. The story and the main character are intriguing enough without all the blood and guts. Mr. Dowdle managed to create a truly disturbed murderer whose effect on the viewer is intensified by subtly keeping his identity hidden and his fate unknown; think Blair Witch but with a depraved criminal instead. As the facts and stories accumulate fear of the stone-cold killer intensifies as we get to know him through the victims he filmed, becoming more and more deranged with each crime. This is one of the few films that grip you because of the unsettling mystery not horrific imagery.
That being said, the overall quality of the film is questionable. The camera technique and movement are quite amateur which is made more unappealing by the intended tape damage throughout most of the film. Yet this little turn-off is easily adjustable once you get to grips with the murderer's journey. There are some missing facts intended to make the mystery deeper which can be seen as plot holes but in such a film, less is more.
In short, if you can get past the seemingly low-budget execution you will be rewarded with a new perspective of the limits of derision.
Embargo (2010)
Un-magical Realism
As a great fan of Jose Saramago's magical realism I was expecting much more from this film. I haven't had the chance to read Embargo due to its elusiveness but it would be interesting to see how the story varies between both mediums.
The notion of the story sounds interesting but the breakdown was not so inviting to give it my full attention. Magical realism loses its touch here as the catalyst proves to be more weak and highly improbable than magical. Moreover, what makes it unbearable is the character's approach to his dilemma in how he fails to explain himself and his mishap while expecting others to simply understand or just cut him some slack.
The implausibility of the twist mixed with the incoherent and unfinished dialogues lend a burdensome feeling to the movie, making it more unappealing to watch as the dialogues continue to make no sense and the character carries on making more of a fool of himself than justifying his situation.
An interesting story line weakly followed through yet worth checking out.