Jeepers Creepers (2001)

   
Written & Directed by: Victor Salva

Starring:


Gina Phillips ....
Trish
Justin Long .... Darry
Jonathan Breck .... The Creeper/Bald Cop
Patricia Belcher .... Jezelle Gay Hartman

Special Appearances:


Eileen Brennan .... Cat Lady
Brandon Smith .... Sgt. David Tubbs

Release Dates: München Fantasy Filmfest: July 21, 2001;Theatrical: August 31, 2001; Sitges Film Festival: October 12, 2001 (Spain); Bergen International Film Festival: October 20, 2001; Tokyo International Film Festival: October 21, 2001

*Photo's courtesy at www.outnow.ch

 

 

 

Rating:

 

 

Two bickering young siblings named Trish (Gina Phillips) and Darry (Justin Long) return home from a college break on a long road in a countryland down in Arizona.
They encounter an agressive driver in an old fashioned jeep as it speeds past them. Later on they encounter the driver dumping a body into a pipe an abandoned church basement and then the driver pushes them off the road. They then drive back up the road and go to the abandoned church and see if the victim is alive or not but he is barely alive and then dies when Darry discovers him. He spots other dead bodies too at the church while his sister keeps an eye out for the jeep.
They try to go to a cafe and call the police but the local pay hpone rings and Darry answers it. A lady warns them on the other end by a psychic named Jazelle Gay Hartman (Patricia Belcher) about the killer named the Creeper (Jonathan Breck) as she says she is dreaming what is going to happen to them and to run when they hear the song "Jeepers Creepers" playing on the radio or anywhere else.
While the police and the siblings try to go to the church the police are told that the church is on fire and then the Creeper lands on the police car and kills the police.
Trish and Darry discovers what the creeper is as he's not at all human as it eats human lungs so it can see and be a part of the corpse.
Then the Creeper constantly chases them down wherever they go but Jazelle tries to save them from it's evil clutches.

 

Nice beginning spotting two twin siblings Trish and Darry cruising on a road in an open field as their disucssions looked good and nautral as well as Darry speeding up to a mobile driving which looked adventureous as well as later on when they're continuing their discussions a big rusty old truck creeps up more and more towards them as this looked effective and grabbed your attention plus it was suspenseful when it honks at them and looking like this vehuicle might cause them damage with the two siblings freaking out when this happens. Certainly a nice start to a horror story.
Perfect moment when they drive by an abandoned church and spot the truck with the driver dumping something into some sort of a pipe as well as this person finding out he was spotted which gives you the chills and then later on the truck trying to crash them off the road as this keeps you glued watching to find out on what's going to happen next.
A perfect argumentive scene with Darry insisting to find out what was dumped figuring it was a body and seeing if someone was still alive and Trish refusing and to contact the police instead as this was a perfect peer pressuring moment on one of them being too scared to do this and giving you the chills that if they go there could be causght red handed by that maniac driver.
Great exciting moments when Darry tries to look through the pipe and calling to someone and hears something back which was also dark and suspenseful especially when he tries to search for that voice since this works in well for a horror flick. A nice shot on him falling and landing on his back as it makes you gasp and wonder if he is okay or not.
Perfect dark shot on a body in a bag as well as a nice juimping moment on the hand grabbing at Darry's leg as well as an exciting moment on him trying to rip open the bag to see on what happened to this person. It for sure leabves a great mysterious feel to everything. Plus good moments on Darry wandering the area and spotting corpses placed in grissly pieces of art. Alot of this alsmot resembled from scene's of Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.
Nice moment with the two siblings trying to go to a diner to get help and suddenly a payphone rings with one of them answering it and a lady telling them about the Creeper and knowing who they are as well as a good shot on the room of the lady but not revealing herself when putting on a Jeepers Creepers record warning them about the song and to run. This for sure adds a great weirdness to everything as well as leaving things perfectly mysterious. Definetely gives an eerie feeling to everything.
Nice setting with both of them heading towards that church again wioth a police car behing them and then showing the Creeper on top of the police car roof. Plus great suspenseful shots on what this Creeper does to the police driving the vehicle as well as a background advertisement pic on the side of the road which adds humor as to what this thing does to feast on.
One of the best moments is when the two of them try to get help at a dark old house as well as the Cat Lady asking what they want with a nice dark shot on this figure as well as a bunch of cats surrounding the area. Plus a great freaky shot on what looks like a scarecrow and the cat lady points a shotgun at it. Really spooky stuff and a must for horror fans to not miss this scene.
Dynamic moment when Trish tries to run this thing over going back and fourth with nice close up shots on this.
Effective and powerful discussions when we spot our mysterious caller which happens to be Jezelle Gay Hartman talking to the siblings at the police headquarters as things were well put into the story which is also well remembered to anyone who saw the flick. Plus some great action sequences when the terrors happen there with the creeper as well as this thing grabbing a hold of Darry and Trish tries to convince it to take her as things draw in well wondering if Darry will be rescued or not.
Bottom line is that it's a great spooky and weird film that works on it's own. When you first watch the film you wonder who this killer is riding that old truck and then it gets creepier when the killer isn't human. Plus there's strange goings on in a small town too. But through the whole film you wonder what is the point to all of this until you see the sequel as it explains why.
This one could be easily credited as a cult classic.

The acting is nicely performed as Gina Phillips (Trish) really showed a great sharpness to her role as well as having a good convincing intelligent and mature behavior. Plus does well by being straight forward on stuff along with showing some good aggressions whenever she needed to behave this way. Also shows some great adrenaline when she panicks or gets anxious. Was powerful within her speaking near the end of her performance by being convincing. All in all was probably the best out of the whole cast.
Justin Long (Darry) does a good job with his bubbly and hyperactive attitude as well as coming across as convincingly sacrastic. He really brings his energy to the extreme when necessary. Also does well by being alert on stuff while searching for something. Does this very naturally. Plus was good by getting anxious or nervous when he senses a terror about to happen. He was a passable character actor.
Patricia Belcher (Jezelle Gay Hartman) didn't have a huge part in the film but yet viewers will fondly remember her for her paranoid actions as well as her warnings on what's going to happen as she really brings a nice intenisty to her part. Plus shows a good timid attitude in certain parts too. Also shows a good and caring behavior too. She was a ball of adrenaline.
Eileen Brennan (Cat Lady
) had the most effective cameo in the story and does it with terrific horror style. She for sure comes across as an eccentric and strange one with her gravelly speaking and not being at all in a good state of mind as she seemed almost intimidating. Also does well shouting out to someone while pointing her shotgun and really getting into this. Two thumbs up for her.

A body is sewed up.
A decapitated head of a cop lands on a road after being chopped off by the Creeper.
A prisoner in a jail cell is being eaten up by the Creeper.
The Creeper's hand tears through a police officer's chest.
The ending is a spoiler so you'll have to see for yourself what happens to Darry.

I loved Bennet Salvay's music in this film with the sharp classical composing in it which is very in your face sounding especially the fast paced sounds with the violin music and other orchestral playing for when the old truck is terrorising the car on the road which grabs your attention. Plus there's some great low sounds and rusty noises too for the still and dark situations when you get a feeling that thing is watching and silently prowling. We have the odd banging noises too which works like a charm

We also have a soundtrack by many artists from the good ole days like "Hush Hush Here Comes the Bogeyman" by Henry Hall and his Orchestra
"Peek A Boo" by Echo 3
"Where I'm Not" by Greg Hawks and the Tremblers
"If Only You Were Mine"
by The Two Dollar Pistols with Tift Merritt
And of course "Jeepers Creepers" by Paul Whiteman and his Swing Wing

Trish: The point of having a cell phone is that it works when you need it!

Darry: [about his cellphone] Don't worry I have a power cord for that.
Trish: Yeah, and I have a cigarette lighter, THAT DOESN'T WORK!

Trish: [after being attacked] What the hell was that guy's problem?
Darry: My guess? INBREEDING!

Darry: We have to get out of here.
Trish: No, let's stay and feed the birds.

[after running over the Creeper]
Darry: Is he dead?
Trish: They never are.

Trish: You know the part in horror movies when somebody does something really stupid, and everybody hates him for it? This is it.

[Trish and Darry pull up at the Cat Lady's house]
Darry: Come on, Trish, look at this place. Let's just keep going. I mean it, come on.
Trish: You don't wanna get help?
Darry: Help from who?
Trish: Let's just use the phone.
Darry: And call who?
Trish: I don't know.
Darry: And tell them what?
Trish: I don't know!
Darry: "Hey, bum-fuck police, I'm being chased by a guy who likes to pull tongues out of severed heads with his teeth. Is there a special extension for that?"

The Cat Lady: That's not my scarecrow.

The Cat Lady: You got ten seconds to get your ass out of my yard, and don't think I'm gonna tell ya twice!
Trish: Get the hell away from him.
Darry: What are you doing, Trish?
Trish: Get the hell away from him!

The Cat Lady: What the hell did you bring into my house?

Trish: Christ, do you think they even have a phone?
Darry: I'm guessing no phones and a lot of guns.

Jezelle Gay Hartman: [to Trish and Darry] You've got something it likes... one of you.