The Creeper, the villain in the newly released MGM/UA feature film "Jeepers Creepers," is a lot like George W. Bush: You're not sure how he got there, why no one noticed him before or what his real motivation is, but you know he's pure evil. (Ok, so maybe we knew where George W. was before he became president. However, much of Texas seems like Hell to me, so I contend it's still a valid correlation.)

Even though The Creeper (Jonathan Breck) is obviously evil and drives like people in South Knox County, he has an intriguing quality about him that draws the audience under his spell, just as he seems to draw a young brother and sister into making the worst mistake of their lives. Perhaps it's the wide-brimmed hat and the long, black coat he wears. Or perhaps it's that huge ax he likes to carry around with him. Personally, I think it's the combination of all three. It's a fashion statement that simply yells out, "I'm a badass and I'm from Hell. Try to top that!" Well, no one does in this film.

Siblings Trish (Gina Philips) and Derry (Justin Long) are taking the back roads on their trip home from school when they encounter The Creeper, who tries to run them off the road with his freaky-looking truck. Later, after their encounter with the Ol' Creep, they pass an abandoned church. Guess who they see there, dumping what looks to be a body wrapped in a bloody sheet into a sewage pipe? (No, it's not George W. He was still on vacation.)

Any sane person would continue on to the nearest police station, report their suspicions and their distaste of The Creeper's driving habits and go on home. But noooooo. Derry talks Trish into going back to the church to see if there could be someone in trouble there.

At this point, the audience, or maybe it's only me, is thinking: Hello! Reality calling Derry! Of course there's someone in trouble! It's YOU!

Even Trish brings up the fact that there's a point in every horror film where the soon-to-be victim makes a really stupid mistake that seals his fate. But do movie characters ever listen to the audience, or to me, or to Trish? Of course not, or else there'd be 75 minutes of film time left to kill.

Speaking of killing, writer/director Victor Salva kills off several minor characters in all types of gory ways. This is in contrast to his 1995 film "Nature of the Beast," which is an excellent outing into terror. Salva knows how to spin a psychological thriller filled with intensity that keeps you on the edge of your seat. He sets the mood in "Jeepers" with the same style of terror as he did in "Beast."

However, "Beast's" terror is more cerebral than "Creepers'" sometimes-gory horror. Perhaps that's why "Beast" did less box office biz but is a better film, while "Creepers" is a hit at the box office (for its first week, at least) but less satisfying. I find implied horror much more terrifying than graphic horror. However, there's no accounting for taste. (That rings especially true for The Creeper, whose diet I won't mention other than to say he's obviously on the Dr. Atkins' high-protein, low-carb plan.)

Even with its flaws, "Jeepers" come off as a better example of the horror genre. The film's look is dark and stylish, and the first 45 minutes or so is genuinely creepy, keeping the audience tightly clutching their Goobers - and their boxes of candy, too.

The cast gives great performances: Gina Philips and Justin Long are totally believable as X-Gen siblings who get on each other's nerves. And, after the horror gets going, Long does a great impression of a deer caught in headlights. (Can anyone's eyes really stay that big for more than 5 minutes at a time?)

"Jeepers" also boasts a fine cameo appearance by Eileen Brennen. It's a shame that she's only a cameo, though. Her presence would have added more to the film. As it is, after Brennen leaves the screen, "Jeepers" starts to fall into the trap of traditional horror-storytelling that renders most films in the genre totally predictable and forgettable. But, alas, that's the nature of the beast, I suppose.

Recommended:
Yes