Realizing that the urban legend of their youth has actually come true, two filmmakers delve into the mystery surrounding five missing children and the real-life boogeyman linked to their dis... Read allRealizing that the urban legend of their youth has actually come true, two filmmakers delve into the mystery surrounding five missing children and the real-life boogeyman linked to their disappearances.Realizing that the urban legend of their youth has actually come true, two filmmakers delve into the mystery surrounding five missing children and the real-life boogeyman linked to their disappearances.
- Awards
- 1 win & 1 nomination
Photos
- Self - Professor of Folklore, Penn State
- (as Dr. Bill Ellis)
- Self - Reporter
- (archive footage)
- Self - Reporter
- (archive footage)
- Self - Reporter
- (archive footage)
- Self - Holly Ann Hughes's Brother
- (archive footage)
- Directors
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWas awarded Hammer to Nail's Grand Jury Prize for best documentary at 2009's Tribeca Film Festival.
- Quotes
Joshua Zeman: Growing up on Staten Island, Barb and I had often heard the legend of Cropsey. For the kids in our neighborhood, Cropsey was an escaped mental patient who lived in the tunnels beneath the old Willowbrook mental institution, who would come out late at night, snatch children off the streets. Although we didn't know each other as children, Barb and I had both shared versions of the Cropsey legend, as it filtered through our separate neighborhoods, and seeped into our collective fears. Sometimes Cropsey had a hook for a hand, other times he wielded a bloody axe, but it didn't matter, Cropsey *was* out there lurking in the shadows, waiting to get us.
- ConnectionsFeatures Willowbrook: The Last Great Disgrace (1972)
**** (out of 4)
Excellent documentary from filmmakers Joshua Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio, two people who grew up hearing stories of Cropsey, a killer of children living up in Staten Island, New York. Through the documentary we hear how various children were told different stories of who exactly Cropsey was but then we get to a drifter named Andre Rand who many believed killed at least five children in the area. Throughout the documentary we hear about the urban legend that stalked the people of this town and we learn about the little evidence that got Rand convicted and how perhaps the legends are what got him found guilty and not the actual case against him. CROPSEY came to my attention as a horror movie fan because I had heard that both MADMAN and THE BURNING were based around this case. Both of those slashers took a lot of liberties with the actual story and that's what makes this documentary so interesting because it really does seem as if the two filmmakers wanted to get the truth and not just paint a picture of a monster. The directors try to paint an open and honest look at the case and by the time the picture is over you really don't know what to believe in regards to Rand's guilt. There are moments where you feel this guy is a monster and he must have committed the crimes but then a minute later you realize that there's really nothing connecting him to the crimes and there are even more mysterious circumstances around the case. As someone who had never really heard of the cases, I found it really interesting seeing the news clips from back when the crimes were committed as well as hearing from those who actually searched for the children. Out of the five victims only one's body was recovered and how it was uncovered was a little suspicious to say the least. The documentary also gets quite a few interviews with those who were connected to the case, those who searched for the body as well as a possible witness who is the most questionable person in the entire film. CROPSEY is certainly a very entertaining documentary taking a look at the connection between an urban legend and the truth.
- Michael_Elliott
- Apr 10, 2012
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Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $52,476
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $6,306
- Jun 6, 2010
- Gross worldwide
- $52,476
- Runtime1 hour 24 minutes
- Color