Critically-Acclaimed Horror Documentary ‘Cropsey’ Coming May

Breaking Glass Pictures has announced the May 10 DVD release of Joshua Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio’s documentary “Cropsey,” which tells the real-life horror story of convicted child murderer Andre Rand. The critically-acclaimed film, which has played at major film festivals and is in the midst of a nationwide screening tour, will be released under Breaking Glass’ Vicious Circle Films label.

Growing up on Staten Island, filmmakers Joshua Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio had often heard the legend of Cropsey. For the kids in their neighborhood, Cropsey was the escaped mental patient who lived in the old, abandoned Willowbrook Mental Institution and would come out at night to snatch children off the streets. Later, as teenagers, the filmmakers assumed Cropsey was just an urban legend: a cautionary tale used to keep them out of those abandoned buildings. That all changed in the summer of 1987 when 12-year-old Jennifer Schweiger disappeared from their community.

Now as adults Joshua and Barbara have returned to Staten Island to create “Cropsey,” a feature documentary that delves into the mystery behind Jennifer and four additional missing children. The film also investigates Andre Rand, the real-life boogeyman linked to their disappearances. Embarking on a mysterious journey into the underbelly of their forgotten borough, these filmmakers uncover a reality that is more terrifying than any urban legend.

Special features for the “Cropsey” DVD will include 10 deleted scenes — which include an explanation of the origins of the Cropsey legend, mistakes made during the investigation of Rand, and chilling additional scenes of the filmmakers searching the Willowbrook grounds for evidence — and press clippings.