Cropsey (film)

Cropsey

Theatrical Release Poster
Directed by Joshua Zeman
Barbara Brancaccio
Produced by Joshua Zeman
Barbara Brancaccio
Zachary Mortensen
Written by Joshua Zeman
Music by Alexander Lasarenko
Cinematography Chad Davidson
Edited by Tom Patterson
Production
company
Antidote Films
Afterhours Productions
Ghost Robot
Off Hollywood Pictures (in association)
Distributed by Cinema Purgatorio (theatrical)
Breaking Glass Pictures (2011, DVD)
Release dates
  • June 4, 2009 (2009-06-04)
Running time
84 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Cropsey is a 2009 American documentary film written and directed by Joshua Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio. The film initially begins as an examination of "Cropsey", a boogeyman-like figure from New York urban legend, before segueing into the story of Andre Rand, a convicted child kidnapper from Staten Island.

In 2009, Cropsey premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, where programmer David Kwok stated, “The eeriness of the mystery pulsates through the film as they journey into the underbelly… As more information and clues unravel, Zeman and Brancaccio become more immersed in shocking surprises and revelations. The reality they uncover in this uniquely hair-raising documentary is more terrifying than any urban legend.”[1]

Cropsey origins

The name "Cropsey"[2] has nebulous origins. At the time of the kidnappings depicted in the documentary, Cropsey had come to be New York vernacular for any psychotically violent criminal. One of the detectives interviewed in the film suggests that this generic label was used enough to frighten children that the name came to refer to an idea of a particular individual rather than a simple archetype.

Contact with Andre Rand

When filming began, Zeman and Brancaccio sent Andre Rand a letter. After not receiving a response for approximately a month, they decided to visit him directly at Rikers Island. On the day they were going to Rikers, they received the reply. After a series of letter exchanges, Rand agreed to an interview. However, by the time the filmmakers arrived at the prison, Rand had changed his mind and declined an interview.

Production

Upon shooting their research of the origins of the missing kids’ stories, Zeman and Brancaccio realized that the truth did not dwindle into something concrete; instead, it expanded into something large and convoluted. What began as Jennifer’s missing story became an in depth investigation of five missing children’s stories. The objective was to bring the distinct elements into one overarching narrative: the oral tradition of urban legends; the mystery of the missing children; the courtroom drama; the search for the roots of Staten Island’s obsession with the case, the community’s need for catharsis.

Andre Rand’s court case did not start for four years after his indictment, which was one of the longest pre-trial motions in New York State history. The culmination of the film alludes to indicting Rand, which became controversial.

Reception

Cropsey received an 90% rating from Rotten Tomatoes.[3] Metacritic gave the film a score of 73 which is considered "generally favorable".[4]

Awards

See also

References

External links

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