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Released by: Breaking Glass Pictures
Released on: 5/10/2011
Director: Barbara Brancaccio, Joshua Zeman
Cast: n/a
Year: 2009
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The Movie:
Most everyone heard tales when growing up of a boogeyman of some sort, someone who was going to get you if you did such-and-such or went someplace you shouldn't be going. Staten Island, New York is no exception and they even have a name for their specter: Cropsey. Filmmakers Barbara Brancaccio and Joshua Zeman, both Staten Island natives, dissect the legend of Cropsey. First from the memories of locals who were told to watch out for Cropsey, whose description and menace varies from person to person; then they look into the tale of a real life Cropsey, accused child murderer Andre Rand.
During the 1980s a number of children went missing and Rand was the prime suspect, and was eventually arrested and charged with the murders. The film chronicles the man and the heinous crimes he's accused of committing during those years as well as a look at the man in more current times, as the filmmakers had some correspondence with him in the hopes of interviewing the guy.
One focus in the feature concerns where Rand was believed to have lived at the time. Willowbrook, a facility that “housed†adults and children with severe mental disabilities, served as a place of employment for Rand until it was shut down in the late 70s, due in large part to a revealing expose by Geraldo Rivera. These poor people were living in horrid conditions. After the shut down Rand continued to live in the buildings (and the surrounding woods) and that was when the children started to disappear.
The film follows a mostly linear trail through the history of the case using newspaper clippings, news tapes, man-on-the-street interviews and discussions with family members of the murdered children and other people with knowledge of the case. Another thing it does is to revisit some of the dilapidated buildings in the area, at night, providing some creepy moments.
The narrative in the picture flows nicely and they keep things moving along at a great pace, packing the 90 or so minutes with tons of material, morbidly fascinating material, to deliver an excellent documentary about a disturbing criminal case. There certainly are some upsetting images, some that may stick with you for a while, but the filmmakers steer clear of being sensational in their presentation. It's a gripping story wrapped up in a neat little package that warrants repeat viewing. Simply put, Cropsey is an excellent documentary.
Video/Audio/Extras:
The film is presented here with a 16:9 anamorphic widescreen transfer. The program uses a number of different types of media, such as video, 1980s television material, and newspaper clippings so the quality varies. The primary source, the video one, seems a bit dark, with the scenes at night tough to make out. The colors and skin tones look fine, but suffer for sure when the natural lighting is not adequate. Also, there seems to be areas where the footage sort of stutters. Like at running time 19:44 for example. The use of tracking and zooming results in the picture jumping quite noticeably. This doesn't not appear to be consistent with all tracking and zoom sequences, as some look fine.The audio is a 5.1 channel Dolby Digital track. The balance seems proper between the dialogue and subtle music bed. It's a movie with a lot of talking and narration, and doesn;t really benefit from the 5.1 technology. Everything seems clear and easy to understand, and no issues to report like hissing or popping.
One of the extras included is an almost hidden commentary. It's not mentioned on the DVD box, or in the list of extras. You need to go to "Setup" to find it and it's worth listening to for sure. The producer/director team provide a ton more information not learned in the feature and they keep it all going for the whole running time. They also share their experiences with making the documentary. Excellent stuff, and a must for those interested in the subject matter. There are roughly 35 minutes worth of deleted scenes (but sadly no play all option), each with a short text intro and all of them are worth watching. Also included is a theatrical trailer and some teasers. A solid batch of stuff to make the disc content even better.
The Final Word:
Cropsey is a captivating and engrossing story told with expertise by two young documentarians. The video quality might lead to disappointment to some, but the extras more than make up for it. Highly recommended.
(Well, I might still be, but at least I did not imagine this)
That's really kinda shitty for a new transfer. I found it very annoying, once I noticed it. I wonder what went wrong?