Cropsey is a Great Documentary About a Local Crime Drama on Stanton Island
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While Cropsey unfolds, unfortunately, the dramatic crowning event meant to pull it all together never happens. Fail.
Written by The Horror Czar, Don Sumner
June 21, 2011
Movie Trailer
Image Gallery
Release: April 25, 2009 (Tribeca Film Festival)
Directed by: Barbara Brancaccio and Joshua Zeman
Written by: Joshua Zeman
Growning up in Stanton Island New York the filmmakers remember an urban legend of a monster, or perhaps just a garden-variety psychopath. The name of this legend came to be known as "Cropsey", and this monster would snatch little children, causing them to disappear forever, and parents used the legend to keep children coming home immediately upon illumination of the streetlight. Turns out the basis for this legend is an actual suspected bad guy named Andre Rand who was at the center of the investigations of child disappearances across a couple of decades. Cropsey follows the legend, the disappearances of children and the coming together of the community to find evidence of the guilt of Andre Rand and put him behind bars forever.
This documentary is very good from a “60 minutes” point of view, going through the legend and then mapping to historical events that spawned it and the particulars of Andre Rand and his massive manipulation of individuals, groups and an entire community. Cropsey builds up very well through great interviews and research, culminating in direct communication with Rand himself via letters sent from prison.
As the communication with Rand continues it gets more and more in-depth, and creepier and creepier, and finally Rand agrees to a direct meeting with the filmmakers. This is the moment that the entire documentary was leading up to, and finally it’s going to happen. Or… not.
The biggest letdown in Cropsey is that the dramatic climax of a personal interview with Andre Rand does not happen. Rand agrees, yet refuses to see the filmmakers when the appointed time comes. He was playing them the whole time, and it turns out he has pulled this trick on others over the years. Unfortunately, without this crown jewel there are not any great conclusions or fantastic revelations in this documentary. Without something dramatic the whole thing resembles a news special more than a powerful documentary.
Cropsey
is a great concept that builds very well to the
final revelations – that never really come. The end is more like “and
so, there you have it” rather than having real power. I imagine the
filmmakers were extremely disappointed that the whole thing didn’t work
out differently, but at that point so much work had been put into the
presentation that it had to be edited and put together anyway. Maybe
people won’t care that the big finish fizzled… but I did.
Unfortunately, even after all of the time, effort and thought that went
into this presentation, Cropsey ultimately fails.
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