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Editor's note: The following is an excerpt of a review that appeared in the Aug. 8 TV Week in connection with the TV airing of "Cropsey":
When a real-life crime story involves the disappearance of developmentally disabled children, possibly at the hands of a drooling, wild-eyed suspect, where, between fact and folklore, can the truth be found?
That's the question at the heart of "Cropsey," a documentary about missing children on Staten Island in the 1970s and '80s.
The movie, which had its television premiere earlier this month on Investigation Discovery, opens at Pittsburgh Filmmakers' Melwood Screening Room on Friday for a five-day run.
Filmmakers Josh Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio frame the story of the accused, Andre Rand, and five missing children in a familiar context: the boogeyman.
"Cropsey" blends traditional documentary interviews and sleuthing with images and scenes more reminiscent of "The Blair Witch Project."
On a couple of occasions, the movie tries too hard to go down an occult path to devil worshippers in Monstertown, but then it pulls back. As Mr. Zeman notes in his narration, "The power of an urban legend is that it doesn't claim to be the truth, but rather it says the truth is a range of possibilities, and it's the audience who must decide. So pick one."
"Cropsey" offers no definitive answers, nor does it push viewers in any one direction. It just lays out the theories and a range of possible explanations.
The film is eerie and thought-provoking, raising worthwhile questions about the pursuit of justice without losing compassion for the victims or their families.
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