Where'd you get those peepers? (Jeepers Creepers (DVD))

Member Name: abbas_ali

Product:	Jeepers Creepers (DVD)
Date:	04/10/03 (253 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: scary and exciting at times

Disadvantages: doesnt take itself seriously at times

At first blush, Jeepers Creepers might seem like just the latest in a long line of teenage murderer flicks.

True, it has a lot of the stock elements - a high body count, a serial killer wielding some really sharp knives, cars that won't start, and characters who do the kinds of stupid things that only horror movie heroes would attempt.

Nevertheless, Victor Salva's Jeepers Creepers is a cut above the average and, while it isn't quite solid enough to attain the status of a modern-day horror classic, the movie has some things going for it.

Jeepers Creepers' most obvious flaw becomes obvious during its second half. The first forty-five minutes, while not perfect, are driven by filmmaking intelligence.

The movie's pace is as persistent and merciless as its baddie. And, for as long as that villain remains a somewhat indistinct and vague figure, Jeepers Creepers succeeds. However, when Salva's script begins to reveal the whys and how?s of the stalker's origin, things start to come undone.

The story opens with a firm and enthralling first 30 minutes, where the chills are superior by the exceptional camerawork of Don FauntLeRoy and the conflicting score of Bennett Salvay.

Two college students, Trish (Gina Philips) and Dary (Justin Long) are driving home together on a break when they are nearly run off the road by an old pickup truck. Farther down the long, lonely stretch of highway, they pass an old church. The truck is parked there and the driver, dressed in an oversized coat and floppy hat, appears to be dumping two bodies into a drainpipe. He sees Trish and Dary's car pass by, gets in his truck, and sets off in chase of them.

Later, after only just surviving their second encounter with him, curiosity draws them back to the drainpipe, where they discover a disgusting horror.

Salva, directing from his own script, develops Jeepers Creepers in such a way that it off
ers plenty of shock scares as well as a slowly building sense of nuisance. Sadly, he is unable to keep the film on this high plateau for its entire running length. As he introduces supplementary characters, including a psychic (Patricia Belcher) who explains the truck driver's motivations, the level of anxiety diminishes.

Even under the full spell of a "willing suspension of disbelief", we realize that things are getting a little too stupid. Nevertheless, Jeepers Creepers eventually rallies for an unanticipated climax that will probably upset a significant percentage of people.

The movie stars two largely unfamiliar faces. Gina Philips has done a fair amount of TV work, but very little in motion pictures. Justin Long is a regular on "Ed". While neither is going to receive an Oscar nomination for their work here, they are effective, and the friendly banter of the brother/sister relationship is credible. In fact, the strength of the character building in early scenes is one aspect that allows the movie to work. We find ourselves caring about these characters, which is highly unusual for a horror film.

Also characteristic for such a genre entry is the degree of self-control shown where blood and violence is concerned. There is some, but the movie does not go over-board in it. Salva is more concerned in keeping us on the edge of our seats.

Compared with my opinion before watching jeepers Creepers and after watching is significantly different. Before I had simply seen the title and because it?s so stupid this made me laugh for a while. But then, once I had seen the ending which I did not expect at all, has made me take the film seriously and I can honestly say I am somewhat looking forward to seeing Jeepers Creepers 2, as Jeepers Creepers 1 does show small signs of blossoming into a modern horror classic.

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