Freddy, Michael and Jason haunt the big screen and may even sneak into a nightmare now and then, but how would you feel if one of these iconic slashers was the real deal? Both Josh Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio got a taste of just that growing up on Staten Island where the legend of a sadistic mental patient on the loose and a murderous urban legend collided.
In their documentary Cropsey, the duo combines the scary story of Cropsey with the reality of Andre Rand, a former employee at the Willowbrook State School who allegedly went on a kidnapping and killing spree targeting young victims. Zeman and Brancaccio intertwine their experience with the Cropsey myth and the actual details of Rand’s crimes, giving a face to the fictitious villain. Sit through one of Freddy, Michael or Jason’s films and the bloodshed is over within a couple of hours; check out Zeman and Brancaccio’s and the horror is still very much alive even after the credits roll.
The filmmaking team may not have aimed to make a scary movie, but not only did they create just that, they delivered one far more effective than those consciously made for the genre. Check out what Zeman and Brancaccio had to say about their personal experience with the legend, what their film offers that the news agencies covering Rand’s cases could not and more in the interview below. Also, click here to take a look at a full list of screening dates so you can catch Cropsey at a theater near you.
Click here to read the interview.