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CrimeDocumentaryMysteryHorror

Cropsey

- The Truth is Terrifying.

Realizing 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.

Release Date : 2009-04-25

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Antidote FilmsAfterhours ProductionsGhost RobotOff Hollywood PicturesGravitas Ventures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Joshua Zeman

Character Name : Himself

Original Name : Joshua Zeman

Gender : Male

Barbara Brancaccio

Character Name : Herself

Original Name : Barbara Brancaccio

Gender : Female

Bill Ellis

Character Name : Himself - Professor of Folklore, Penn State

Original Name : Bill Ellis

Gender : Male

Dorothy D'Eletto

Character Name : Herself - Archivist & Researcher

Original Name : Dorothy D'Eletto

Gender : Male

Geraldo Rivera

Character Name : Himself - Reporter (archive footage)

Original Name : Geraldo Rivera

Gender : Male

Karen Schweiger

Character Name : Herself - Jennifer Schweiger's Mother

Original Name : Karen Schweiger

Gender : Male

David Navarro

Character Name : Himself - Former Newscaster

Original Name : David Navarro

Gender : Male

Donna Cutugno

Character Name : Herself - Founder, Friends of Jennifer

Original Name : Donna Cutugno

Gender : Male

Ralph Aquino

Character Name : Himself - Retired Detective, NYPD

Original Name : Ralph Aquino

Gender : Male

Bobby Jensen

Character Name : Himself - Retired Detective, NYPD

Original Name : Bobby Jensen

Gender : Male

Ernie Anastos

Character Name : Himself - Reporter (archive footage)

Original Name : Ernie Anastos

Gender : Male

Andre Rand

Character Name : Himself - Suspect

Original Name : Andre Rand

Gender : Male

Jim Callaghan

Character Name : Himself - Former Editor, Staten Island Eagle

Original Name : Jim Callaghan

Gender : Male

Jim Dolan

Character Name : Himself - Reporter (archive footage)

Original Name : Jim Dolan

Gender : Male

Theresa Doyle

Character Name : Herself - Searcher for Jennifer

Original Name : Theresa Doyle

Gender : Male

Ed Armstrong

Character Name : Himself - Holly Ann Hughes's Brother

Original Name : Ed Armstrong

Gender : Male

Sean Hughes

Character Name : Himself - Holly Ann Hughes's Brother (archive footage)

Original Name : Sean Hughes

Gender : Male

Peter Hughes

Character Name : Himself - Holly Ann Hughes's Father

Original Name : Peter Hughes

Gender : Male

Holly Cederholm

Character Name : Herself - Holly Ann Hughes's Mother

Original Name : Holly Cederholm

Gender : Male

Ken Schweiger

Character Name : Himself - Jennifer Schweiger's Father

Original Name : Ken Schweiger

Gender : Male

John O'Brien

Character Name : Himself - Reporter, Staten Island Advance

Original Name : John O'Brien

Gender : Male

Duane Felton

Character Name : Himself - Defense Attorney for Andre Rand

Original Name : Duane Felton

Gender : Male

Larry Simon

Character Name : Himself - Defense Attorney for Andre Rand

Original Name : Larry Simon

Gender : Male

William L. Murphy

Character Name : Himself - Staten Island District Attorney

Original Name : William L. Murphy

Gender : Male

Trina Cutugno

Character Name : Herself - Donna's Daughter

Original Name : Trina Cutugno

Gender : Male

Devin Cutugno

Character Name : Himself - Donna's Son

Original Name : Devin Cutugno

Gender : Male

Jimmy Rassias

Character Name : Himself - Former Clerk, Port Richmond Deli

Original Name : Jimmy Rassias

Gender : Male

Kristine Gosling

Character Name : Herself - Det. Sgt. Missing Persons Squad, Long Term Cases, NYPD

Original Name : Kristine Gosling

Gender : Male

Luis Rivera

Character Name : Himself - Retired Canine Officer, NYPD

Original Name : Luis Rivera

Gender : Male

Frank Saez

Character Name : Himself - Ret. Det. Missing Persons Squad, Long Term Cases, NYPD

Original Name : Frank Saez

Gender : Male

Jack Whitford

Character Name : Himself - Stapleton Civilian Observation Patrol

Original Name : Jack Whitford

Gender : Male

Thomas Jenkins

Character Name : Himself - Staten Island Resident

Original Name : Thomas Jenkins

Gender : Male

Bob Graham

Character Name : Himself - Acquaintance of Rand

Original Name : Bob Graham

Gender : Male

Frances Auriti

Character Name : Herself - Searcher, Friend of Jennifer

Original Name : Frances Auriti

Gender : Male

Tracy Begley

Character Name : Herself - Searcher, Friend of Jennifer

Original Name : Tracy Begley

Gender : Male

Glenn Chapman

Character Name : Himself - Former Reporter, Staten Island Advance

Original Name : Glenn Chapman

Gender : Male

Leonard D'Alessandro

Character Name : Himself - Retired Detective, NYPD

Original Name : Leonard D'Alessandro

Gender : Male

Martha Hinton

Character Name : Herself - Witness

Original Name : Martha Hinton

Gender : Male

Frank Marchionne

Character Name : Himself - Retired Detective, NYPD

Original Name : Frank Marchionne

Gender : Male

Tanya Goodson

Character Name : Herself - Witness

Original Name : Tanya Goodson

Gender : Male

Rita Dimartino

Character Name : Herself - Aunt of Alice Pereira

Original Name : Rita Dimartino

Gender : Male

Charles G. Muskett Sr.

Character Name : Himself - Former Minister

Original Name : Charles G. Muskett Sr.

Gender : Male

Steve Bogen

Character Name : Himself

Original Name : Steve Bogen

Gender : Male

Patricia Caridad

Character Name : Herself

Original Name : Patricia Caridad

Gender : Male

Robert Caruso

Character Name : Himself

Original Name : Robert Caruso

Gender : Male

Greg Cusick

Character Name : Himself

Original Name : Greg Cusick

Gender : Male

Charlie Cutugno

Character Name : Himself

Original Name : Charlie Cutugno

Gender : Male

Daniel M. Donovan Jr.

Character Name : Himself - District Attorney for Richmond County

Original Name : Daniel M. Donovan Jr.

Gender : Male

Marla Dziergowski

Character Name : Herself

Original Name : Marla Dziergowski

Gender : Male

Robert Foster

Character Name : Himself

Original Name : Robert Foster

Gender : Male

Melissa Grace

Character Name : Herself

Original Name : Melissa Grace

Gender : Male

Judah Lazarus

Character Name : Himself

Original Name : Judah Lazarus

Gender : Male

Bruce Meyersen

Character Name : Himself

Original Name : Bruce Meyersen

Gender : Male

Thomas Micol

Character Name : Himself - Staten Island Resident

Original Name : Thomas Micol

Gender : Male

Carolyn Muskett

Character Name : Herself

Original Name : Carolyn Muskett

Gender : Male

Marie Piazza

Character Name : Herself

Original Name : Marie Piazza

Gender : Male

Lorraine Shanley

Character Name : Herself

Original Name : Lorraine Shanley

Gender : Male

Brett Straniere

Character Name : Himself

Original Name : Brett Straniere

Gender : Male

Reviews

J

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

The Facts or the Folklore? What is a Cropsey? A Cropsey is the name given to a bogeyman used to frighten children by way of safe education (stay away from that place/that man/them woods etc). When Joshua Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio grew up they learnt that their Cropsey was in fact real. Or was he? Andre Rand was a convicted child kidnapper from Staten Island who is strongly suspected to have committed a number of child kidnappings and murders between 1972 and 1987. Most of the missing children were special needs cases, and with Rand having close ties to Willowbrook State School, a sorry place for the mentally ill thats conditions were exposed by Geraldo Rivera’s infamous documentary in 1972, and his known living arrangements out in the Greenbelt Woods around Willowbrook, he seemed the likely culprit for sure. Zeman and Brancaccio do a sterling job of piecing together all available evidence and reports involving Rand, including interviews with family and friends of the missing children and the detectives who worked on the case. They even have epistle contact with Rand as they try to arrange a meeting with their very own bogeyman. The footage and stories involving Willowbrook are skin crawlingly effective, the visits to the ruins of the place equally creepy. We constantly see pictures of the missing children, and that of the only one who was found, murdered, close to one of Rand’s makeshift campsites. These are real horrors in this horror film, and they cut the psyche like a knife. Unfortunately the makers lose a little focus in the final third, as more revelations and accusations enter the debate some of the unease wears off, the doc gets chocked as it were, and some of the harsh realities are replaced by fanciful supposition. Still, in the main this is a tremendous documentary, challenging and unbiased. It could just have been Zeman and Brancaccio walking around interviewing the usual suspects et al, but they go deeper than that to leave a lasting impression on both the mind and the soul. 8.5/10