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Title: Jeepers Creepers 2: Special Edition
Region:
One
Stars: Ray Wise, Jonathan Breck,
Garikayi Mutambirwa, Eric Nenninger, Nicki Aycox, Travis Schiffner, Lena
Cardwell, Billy Aaron Brown, Marieh Delfino, Thom Cossom, Jr. and Tom Tarantini
Writer: Victor Salva
Director: Victor Salva
Feature length: 1 hour and 44
minutes
Extras: Deleted Scenes and
Moments, Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Victor Salva and Cast, Audio
Commentary With Jonathan Breck (The Creeper), Brad Parker (Production
Illustrator), and Special Effects/Makeup Artist Brian Penikas, “A Day In
Hell” Behind The Scenes Documentary, Multi-Part “Making Of “Documentary,
Storyboard Renditions Of Unfilmed Scenes, Photo Galleries, Original Theatrical
Trailer and Bonus DVD Trailers
Languages: English Dolby Digital
5.1 Surround Sound and French and Spanish Language Dolby Surround Sound
Subtitles: English Captions and
Closed Captions and French and Spanish Language Subtitles
Packaging: Keep Case
Chapter Stops: 32
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
and Dolby Surround Sound
Year of Theatrical Release: 2003/DVD
Release: 2003
Theatrical Distributor: United
Artists
Home Video Distributor:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R
Reviewer: Mark A. Rivera
The Creeper (Jonathan Breck) is
still at large and hungry. Not long after the events of the first film, the
Creeper is now openly attacking just about anyone within it’s sniffing range
and feeding upon them on it’s last day before it must go into hibernation for
another 23 years. After taking a young boy away from his farmer father and
brother in broad daylight, the Creeper stalks a school bus filled with teenagers
as if it were a lunch box. Returning from a big game, no one aboard the bus
takes the radio reports regarding events from the first film seriously until the
Creeper disables the bus by using sharp throwing implements at the tires made
from the bones, skin, and even tooth fillings of previous victims and then it
quickly dispatches with all the adults aboard the bus so that it can intensify
the remaining teenagers’ fears. From this point on the teenagers are tormented
by the creature and made to turn on each other as the Creeper takes and ingests
select victims. Finally the farmer from the opening of the film, (Ray Wise)
doing his “Captain Ahab” impression, arrives to exact his revenge upon the
Creeper.
“Jeepers Creepers 2” is more
of a thriller than a horror film. From the film’s opening minutes through to
it’s creepy conclusion, Writer and Director Victor Salva exposes his movie
monster in full daylight and allows the audience to gaze upon his creature in
full glory as it flies backlit by the moonlight and the stars. Like many
sequels, “Jeepers Creepers 2” does not match up to the first film and is
sorely missing elements that made the first film a sleeper hit of 2001.
Characters and locations that were originally to return from the first film are
completely dropped in favor of a different story focusing on the exploits of the
Creeper on one last binge before it must lie dormant again for nearly a quarter
of a century.
The characters are nothing more
than faces for the viewer to recognize when they get taken, but they are so
thinly delineated that one cares little for them and at times it is too easy to
mix up which ones have been dispatched and who is still alive. I doubt anyone
will remember any of the character names shortly after the film is over. I
couldn’t remember who’s who while I was watching the film. With the
exception of Jonathan Breck reprising his role as the Creeper, the only other
Actor from the first film who returned for the sequel is Justin Long as the
ghost of “Derry,” who along with this film’s first victim tries to warn
one of the characters of their impending doom through visions. The ironic
symmetry that made the film’s climax memorable is all but gone here too. You
don’t even get to hear the “Jeepers Creepers” song again aside from a
subtle note in the score at the closing scene of the film and even there it is
easy to miss it. I didn’t notice the tune until watching the DVD a second time
while listening to the Director and
Cast commentary track.
So “Jeepers Creepers 2” just
doesn’t hold up, but as far as mediocre sequels go, I suppose it would be
worth at least a rental for chilly winter night. MGM’s DVD edition presents
“Jeepers Creepers 2” in an anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) aspect ratio that
preserves the manner in which the film was exhibited theatrically as close as
possible for home video users. The transfer is actually quite good with solid
blacks and sun baked day scenes that help to create the atmosphere of being in
the middle of the heartland of America while still being far away from any sign
of hope or deliverance from the Creeper. The English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
Soundtrack greatly increases the effect with full use of the six channels to
create a three-dimensional home theater listening experience. A French and a
Spanish Language Dolby Surround Soundtrack are encoded onto the dual layered DVD
too along with English Captions and Closed Captions for the hearing impaired and
French and Spanish Language Subtitles.
Writer and Director Victor Salva
and most off his teenage cast participate in conversational feature length audio
commentary track that is not exactly screen specific or even educational, but is
lighthearted and to some extent fun to listen to if only because the cast seemed
to have a great time making it. Salva does note a few inspirations for certain
scenes in the film and even notes that the DVD contains a few digital
enhancements that were unfinished for the film’s theatrical release. In
particular the star fields that silhouette the Creeper in certain scenes and
make the bus and its inhabitants appear more isolated. The man behind the
Creeper mask, Jonathan Breck, participates in a more serious and definitely more
screen specific audio commentary with Special Effects and Makeup Artist Brian
Penikas and Production Illustrator Brad Parker. Interesting to note is the
differing back-stories given to the Creeper by Breck and Salva.
Breck sees the Creeper as a being from another dimension able to alter
the laws of physics that govern our universe wherever it goes while all Salva
will only say is that the Creeper is not a demon, but rather was once a human
being that was cursed to become what he is in the films.
Extra value features include the
multipart documentary “The Making Of Jeepers Creepers 2” (40:03), which can
be viewed as one large piece or as separate featurettes that are labeled as
“Lights, Camera, Creeper” (14:07), “Creeper Creation” (11:18),
“Creeper Composer” (9:15) and a look at the effects compositing in
“Digital Effects By The Orphanage” (4:06). A less polished behind-the-scenes
documentary entitled “A Day In Hell” (26:42) is also provided. Next is a
reel of deleted scenes (15:51) and two storyboarded sequences that were never
filmed entitled “The Creeper’s Lair” (4:08) and “Ventriloquist
Creeper” (1:27), which is somewhat reminiscent of a gory gag used in the cult
feature “Killer Clowns From Outer Space.” I think it was a good idea to cut
the ventriloquist scene, but I think a look at the Creeper’s new lair might
have added some needed spooky fun to the film.
There is a slideshow style
production photo gallery (7:00) as well as a more traditional photo gallery
where one uses the arrow keys on their remote to step through that details the
creation of the motion menus used for the DVD following the disc’s production
credits. The original theatrical trailer (2:18) and bonus DVD trailers for
“Jeepers Creepers” (: 57), “Shredder” (1:34), “Bullet Proof Monk”
(1:53), “Out Of Time” (1:45), “Jeremiah: The Complete First Season On DVD”
(1:09) and an “MGM Means Great Movies” promo wrap up the extra features on
the DVD.
The menus feature animated
transitions and scenes filmed especially for the DVD with choices like “Body
Parts,” “Scream” and “Main Course” substituting for the typical
“Play Movie” “Scene Selection” and “Sound Options” labels and all of
the interactive menus are easy to navigate.
“Jeepers Creepers 2: Special
Edition” is available on DVD-Video now at retailers on and offline from
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment.
© Copyright 2003 By Mark A.
Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
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