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)
I don't know what it is about the 1970's but people seemed to be incredible slow and somewhat naive. On Staten Island children went missing over a long period of time but nobody seemed that bothers , including the police. Parents still let there kids out and they still went missing . People were odd and especially in America or were they?
The one thing Cropsey shows is that people had a completely different mindset back then and that's the overriding impression this film gives me.
On Staten Island there used to be an horrific mental institute. One of which you only see in horror films. There is original footage of how the kids housed in this hospital were treated and it's very , very disturbing.
The film makers try to get to the bottom of who killed these kids by interviewing family and witnesses but none seem that credible. You start to believe that there has been a miscarriage of justice with Andre Rand but despite the lack of evidence , he and his lawyers do themselves no favours.
Ultimately this is a frustrating film because unlike the Paradise Lost documentaries this answers very little.
- valleyjohn
- Mar 28, 2012
- How long is Cropsey?Powered by Alexa
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