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Darry (Justine Lone) and his sister Trisha (Gina Phipis) take the more relaxing country roads
on their way to visit their mother when an old covered truck suddenly appears and tries to run them down. Later, they see it again, parked beside a rundown church with someone
taking heavily wrapped packages from it and throwing them down an open pipe. Convinced that something is wrong they stop to investigate. Darry's accidental fall into the open
pipe is the beginning of his and Trisha's confrontation with a sinisterly bizarre and horrifying evil being (Jonathan Breck). The brother and sister desperately attempt to get
the town police and residents to confront and get rid of this dangerous creature. The situation becomes even more stressful when Darry and Trisha believe that it is after the
two of them.
Many of the elements that help to heighten suspense and horror are successfully employed to
scare viewers who like movies to do that. The story begins in full light which turns shadowy when the antagonist enters the scene. The play of half-light and darkness is
present up to the end of the film. What provides the feel of horror for the audience, more than the simple and adept cast of three actors, Long, Philips and Breck, is the
eerie atmosphere. The creepy surroundings is intensified by the music, sounds, sudden dead silence and such visuals as the presence of menacing crows, cats, the many dead
bodies twisted into grotesque shapes, and the sight of the powerful, malignant man-eating killer. Jeepers Creepers is a simple straight narrative well visualized and
easily understood by the viewerss.
The horror movie reminds us of the presence of evil in our midst. It comes in many forms.
Sometimes initially, it is more powerful than the good, as to be able to overcome it. Vigilance, persistence and the power of God are needed to conquer it. The story shows the
slow reaction of the police force to the unusual news about the entity, which the town has been living with for 20 years. The town folk similarly meet Darry and Trisha with
silence and stares. The town is helpless in the face of this powerful dark force in their midst, which it tries to ignore. That is why the half-hearted disorganized attempts
of the police and the non-participation of the folks result in nothing. For evil to triumph, it only takes good people to do nothing.
(Date reviewed: November 9, 2001)
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