Cast: Gina Philips, Justin Long, Patricia Belcher
Director: Victor Salva
Producers: Tom Luse, Barry Opper
Screenplay: Victor Salva
Cinematography: Don E. FauntLeRoy
Music: Bennett Salvay
U.S. Distributor: United Artists
At first blush, Jeepers Creepers might seem like just the latest in a long line of '90s and '00s slasher flicks. Indeed, it has a lot of the stock elements - a high body count, a serial killer wielding some extremely sharp cutlery, cars that won't start, and characters who do the kinds of stupid things that only horror movie protagonists would attempt. (In Scream-like fashion, the screenplay mentions this.) Nevertheless, Victor Salva's Jeepers Creepers is a cut above the norm, 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 defect becomes apparent during its second half (although the movie ends with a bang, not the expected whimper). The first forty-five minutes, while not flawless, are driven by filmmaking virtuosity. The movie's pace is as relentless and implacable as its villain. And, for as long as that villain remains a somewhat shadowy and ambiguous figure, Jeepers Creepers succeeds. However, when Salva's script begins to reveal the whys and hows of the stalker's origin, things start to unravel.
The story opens with a taut and suspenseful first 30 minutes, where the chills are enhanced by the non-standard camerawork of Don FauntLeRoy and the discordant score of Bennett Salvay. Two college kids, Trish (Gina Philips) and Dary (Justin Long) are driving home together on a break when they are nearly run off the road by an decrepit 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 drain pipe. He sees Trish and Dary's car pass by, hops in his truck, and sets off in pursuit. Later, after barely surviving their second encounter with him, curiosity draws them back to the drain pipe, where they discover an unspeakable horror.
Salva (Powder), directing from his own screenplay, develops Jeepers Creepers in such a way that it offers plenty of shock scares as well as a gradually building sense of menace. Unfortunately, he is unable to keep the film on this high plateau for its entire running length. As he introduces additional characters, including a psychic (Patricia Belcher) who explains the truck driver's motivations, the level of tension diminishes. Even under the full spell of a "willing suspension of disbelief", we realize that things are getting a little too silly. Nevertheless, Jeepers Creepers eventually rallies for an unexpected finale that will probably unsettle a significant portion of the audience.
The movie stars two largely unknown 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 believable. 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 slasher film. Also atypical for such a genre entry is the degree of restraint shown where gore is concerned. There is some, but the movie does not swim in blood. Salva is more interested in keeping us on the edge of our seats.
Jeepers Creepers could warrant a sequel, but, unless it performs better than expected at the box office, this will probably be a one-shot deal. That's a good thing, because it's unlikely that a second installment would have the impact of the first. For horror and suspense fans, Jeepers Creepers is a good choice for a night out. It delivers, and, with such a silly title, that's far more than one could reasonably have expected from this motion picture.
© 2001 James Berardinelli