A few notes on Jeepers Creepers - The movie.
Director / writer: Victor Salva (Rites of Passage, Power, Nature of
the Beast, Clown house)
Producer: Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope studio
Starring: Gina Philips (Nailed, Telling You, Bella Mafia),
Justin Long (Happy Campers, Galaxy Quest), Patricia Belcher (Lawnmower
man 2, Eye for an Eye, Species, Clear and Present Danger, Flatliners)
and Eileen Brennan ( too many to mention, but nothing really famous)
Production year: 2001
There was a Jeepers Creepers movie in 1939 as well, but that has no connection
with this one.
Some sort or review
Jeepers Creepers - what kind of a title is that? Well, you probably will have
heard the song… Jeepers Creepers, Where'd you get those peepers? Jeepers
Creepers, where'd you get those eyes? The title and the lyrics of the
song are a dead giveaway to what the movie will be about, and that's where the
movie's first problem enters the picture. The song just isn't scary!
The movie itself, however, is. I'm not generally the kind of person who likes
scary movies. (well Scary Movie was fun, but that's an entirely different
story) This one was something else though.
Jeepers Creepers starts off when two college students, Darius (Justin Long)
and his sister Trish (Gina Philips) leave college to go home - they drive on
a desolate highway, and are attacked by a truck. Next, they see a guy dropping
some sheets down a pipe. Roped sheets. Blood-stained, roped sheets. Of course,
they decide to go back and have a look. (bad move.. Bad bad move)
Ever read something by Stephen King? You know.. Passages that make you wish
that you could read faster, so it would just be over faster? Well.. That's what
Jeepers Creepers is all about.. It will not go faster, and you are just caught
in your terror.
From here, it all just gets scarier and scarier.. Until a certain point
just about half through the movie.. If you really want the best experience
of this movie, leave after about an hour, when a police car is attacked. Just
pick up your stuff, and try to crawl your way home without being scared. Why?
Because the last part of the movie (excuse my French) sucks ass. From the
mentioned point, it changes from being a scary movie (and a damn good one) to
being a half-assed attempt at being some sort of a monster movie.
But I know you noders.. You will not leave half way through a movie.. You will
stay and watch the whole thing. And be disappointed. Don't tell me I didn't
warn you.
In any case.. The verdict:
1st half of the movie: 5 / 6
2nd half of the move: 1 / 6
Overall verdict: 2.5 / 6