Jeepers Creepers is a 2001 horror/monster movie directed by Victor Salva, and starring Justin Long, Gina Philips and Jonathan Breck. It takes its name from the song "Jeepers Creepers", which features in the movie.The movie centers around two siblings, Darius "Darry" and Patricia "Trish" Jenner, as they take the scenic route home from college in Trish's banged-up old car, and their strange and frightening encounter on the lonely highway with what seems to be a crazed, obnoxious driver of an ominous green truck, who attempts to run them off the road. Later, from a distance, they witness the driver of the truck, dumping what appears to be bodies wrapped in bloodstained bags down a pipe, adjacent to an abandoned church. Seeing them, the driver of the truck engages the two in a terrifying road chase, but they manage to escape. Darry, against Trish's wishes, decides to go and investigate the old church in case there may be someone alive, only to make a horrific discovery. Much later, they discover that the driver of the truck is not initially as he seems...The movie was a surprise success, and was nominated for several awards, winning one of them. A 2003 sequel, Jeepers Creepers 2, followed, which wasn't as well received as its predecessor. A third movie, Jeepers Creepers 3: Cathedral (previously thought to be titled The Creeper Walks Among Us) - and possibly a fourth movie - have since been announced by MGM. Interestingly, the script for the third movie apparently sets up a TV series.Unmarked spoilers below (for those of you who still don't know the identity of the truck driver), be warned.
Both films contain examples of
Appendage Assimilation: The Creeper kidnaps people, takes whatever body parts of theirs he wants, and then leaves them to die.
Cruel and Unusual Death: In many cases, the Creeper removes the desired organs/appendages while the unfortunate victim is still alive, then leaves them to die a slow, agonising death.
Evil Is Funny: The Creeper, although relentless and frightening, is also shown to have a twisted sense of humour, such as the scene in the first movie with him suddenly remembering to throw the head into the truck, and a scene in the second movie when he's choosing which of the teens he wants to eat. Then there's his Vanity License Plate...
Expy: The Creeper sometimes looks a bit like Freddy Kruger (mostly because of the deformed body and hat).
The Creeper removes and eats Darry's eyes, in order to gain use of them - while Darry is still alive. The last scene shows a close up of a deceased Darry with his eyes removed, with the Creeper looking through the gouged hole.
In the sequel, The Creeper himself gets a javelin right through the eye, and sticking out the back of his head.
Fate Worse than Death: Well, you'll die eventually, but only after the Creeper is done removing your organs.
Jack Sr. in the second film, after the Creeper is wounded, proceeds to stab it over and over again until it finally stops moving (though only because its time is up).
Mad Artist: The Creeper does some very, um, creative things with his victim's remains. He also has a talent for wood carving, as evidenced by his little self-portrait carved into his work table.
Nice Hat: The Creeper often wears a wide-brimmed hat to help hide his inhuman features.
Nigh Invulnerability: The Creeper practically defines this trope. No matter how much abuse he takes, he always gets back up again to kick some serious ass. Of course, he does get weaker the more damage he takes, but he is still highly dangerous even with a limb missing or part of his head destroyed. Heck, in Jeepers Creepers 2, even after having part of his head utterly destroyed, he's still not dead.
Jezelle: "I think it's eaten too many hearts... for it's own to ever stop."
Off with His Head!: Happens to the cop in the first movie and one poor jock in the second movie.
Oh Crap: Darry and Trish have a great Oh Crap moment when they see the Creeper's face for the first time and realise that he isn't human.
At the beginning of the second movie, Billy gets one when he looks at one of the scarecrow's feet and sees claws...
One-Scene Wonder: The axe the Creeper uses to cut off the cop's head is never seen again for the rest of the film or in the sequel, though it may have possibly been what landed in pieces on Trish's car after Car Fu'ing the Creeper. Also shown in the Creeper's hand on the 3rd film's poster.
Psychic Powers: Jezelle, whose powers are the subject of much skepticism by the other characters (at least initially). Minxie from the second movie also develops them, and is plagued with dreams/visions of Darry telling her about the nature of the Creeper.
The Reveal: That the driver of the truck is actually the Creeper, and is very, very far from a crazed human serial killer, but that he is an ancient demon that feeds on human beings (and then preserves their corpses as a form of art). He grows more and more monstrous as the film goes on, shedding clothes and revealing more of his horrifying anatomy.
Also, when the end of the film reveals which sibling the Creeper wanted all along: Darry (and his eyes).
Running Gag: Darry's jockey shorts, dyed pink in a college prank.
Scary Scarecrows: The Creeper poses himself as the scarecrow in the Cat Lady's yard. Then disguises as one in Jack Sr.'s cornfield in the second film. Which is creepy as hell.
Shout Out: Steven Spielberg's Duel, from the "bumper-cam" shots of the truck riding their tail to the line about the truck being "souped up." The truck is also the same style as the killer truck in Spielberg's film.
Slasher Smile: The Creeper does this quite frequently.
Super Strength: The Creeper is way stronger than something of its build should be. In the second film, it's able to drag a pickup truck while in-flight, having been speared by a (presumably quite heavy) harpoon launcher bolted to the back.
To Serve Man: The Creepers feasts on human beings every 23 years, for 23 days. However, he only eats parts of them that smell good to him (he possesses an incredible sense of smell), or parts of them that will regenerate something of his that he has lost.
The Voiceless: The Creeper (the only noises he makes are primal cries and grunts), although a deleted scene does reveal that he is capable of human speech, and confirms Darry's fear that the Creeper does indeed know his name.
There was also, apparently, a scene planned for the sequel in which the Creeper was to be heard speaking, although that scene was never filmed.
He's also heard whistling the song "Jeepers Creepers" in the first movie.
Wax Museum Morgue: The Creeper's assorted lairs. He decorates them with the preserved corpses of his victims, stitching them together and attaching them to the walls and ceiling.
Blessed with Suck: Jezelle. She makes it clear that she hates having horrific dreams and visions and not knowing why she has the abilities she does. Minxie could also qualify.
Bowdlerise: For some reason, some versions of the film omit Darry's screams from the final scene. They can, however, be heard if the Director's Commentary is on.
Creator Cameo: Victor Salva briefly appears as one of the corpses in the church basement. Later, an old photo of his serves as the album cover for the "Jeepers Creepers" vinyl in Jezelle's house.
Curiosity Killed the Cast: Subverted. Darry would have died even if he hadn't checked out the church basement.
Dies Wide Shut: The man Darry finds in the church basement.
Domestic Abuser: Trish's (only mentioned; never seen) ex-boyfriend is implied to have been one towards her.
Enforced Method Acting: Justin Long and Gina Phillips didn't see the Creeper truck for the first time until they were on-set. In addition, Jonathan Breck made sure he didn't meet either of them until they were all on-set together.
Foot Focus: Trish's bare feet are focused on for a few seconds at the beginning of the first movie, including a shot of her bare soles pressed up against the car windscreen, followed by a shot of her delicately removing her feet from the windscreen.
Foreshadowing: Jezelle, while looking right at Darry:
It eats lungs, so it can breathe. And eyes... so it can see...
The lyrics to the song "Jeepers Creepers" itself foreshadow Darry's fate heavily.
Groin Attack: What the Cat Lady does to Darry. With the butt of her shotgun. Owww.
It Got Worse: Darry and Trish think that being run off the road by a maniac in a truck is bad initially. From that point on, things do indeed get much, much worse for them, and it never really stops.
Jerkass: Trish comes across this way with regards to how she treats Jezelle.
Jump Scare: The first blare of the truck's horn. Also, the scene following Darry's discovery in the church basement - Trish desperately attempts to start her car after she sees what she initially thinks is the Creeper truck returning to the church, only to slump back, relieved, when it turns out to be a different vehicle. Cue Darry suddenly slamming himself against the car window, completely scaring the crap out of Trish (and the audience).
The moment when Darry discovers what he assumes to be a corpse in the basement... then the "corpse" suddenly starts thrashing around.
A Love to Dismember: Subverted. What the Creeper does to the cop's severed head initially looks like this, but it turns out he's dining on the poor guy's tongue.
The scene near the beginning of the first movie, with the truck coming closer and closer...
Later, when Darry and Trish argue about the song on the car radio, while the Creeper standing upright on the roof of the police car is visible behind them through the rear window.
When Darry is in the church basement and bends over to tie his shoe, you can clearly see several of the Creeper's victims' bodies pinned to the walls and ceiling before he notices them. A few seconds earlier, if one looks closely, some bodies can be seen in the darkness before this reveal.
Never Mess with Granny: The aptly-named Cat Lady, to an extent - she may be old and frail, but she certainly isn't afraid of whipping out her shotgun to deal with anyone who trespasses on her property (and those who threaten her "babies").
Nobody Poops: Averted - Darry and Trish stop to pee in a field on the way home, and several male characters from the second movie stop to take a leak when the bus stops due to a puncture for the first time. Interestingly, according to Word Of God, Justin Long (Darry) was actually peeing for real in the former scene, and Salva just decided to Throw It In.
Nothing Is Scarier: Used many times, to great effect. A good example would be the first Meaningful Back Ground Event of the Creeper truck coming up behind Trish's car - it looms up on her and Darry quickly and silently, and there is no music score.
Once is Not Enough: Subverted. While once is not enough (being hit with a car, being stabbed with a harpoon, etc), really, neither is any other amount of times. It will never stay down. Though damaging it enough will slow him down at least.
Ravens and Crows: Lots of crows seem drawn to the Creeper's lair in the church basement, and the other lair he sets up in an abandoned factory.
Red Herring: Some lines in the first film were deliberately intended to imply that Trish is the doomed sibling to throw off the viewers. As it turns out, Darry is the one who dies.
Something That Begins with "Boring": Averted in the sense that the siblings' vanity-plate-decryption highway game actually becomes relevant to the plot when they try it on the Creeper truck.
Soundtrack Dissonance: The titular song, as well as Henry Hall's "Here Comes the Boogeyman" during the credits.
The Stinger: After the credits of the first movie, there is a quick shot of the Creeper truck, horn blasting, driving across the road.
Suddenly Voiced: A deleted scene revealed the Creeper can talk.
Take Me Instead: Trish tearfully begs the Creeper to take her instead of Darry, but, after some consideration, he goes with his original choice.
Trailers Always Spoil: The theatrical trailer completely gives away the fact that the Creeper is... not human. Additionally, the end of the trailer shows a shot of the Creeper about to take off with Darry. It's only show for a split second, but still...
Vanity License Plate: The Creeper's license plate reads BEATNGU. Darry (incorrectly) guesses the meaning as "Beating you" - it's actually"Be Eating You".
Volleying Insults: Trish and Darry occasionally engage in this, playfully.
What a Piece of Junk: The Creeper truck is old, seriously beat-up and crappy-looking (not to mention creepy as hell), but it can effortlessly catch up to Trish's car. It is strongly implied to have a souped-up engine.
What Happened to the Mouse?: It is never made entirely clear if the Cat Lady died as a result of being attacked by the Creeper, or if she survived.
Why Did It Have To Be Rats?: It seems likely that Darry may have a fear of rats, if his reaction to seeing a load of them in the pipe is anything to go by.
Dead Guy Junior: According to the synopsis for the upcoming third film, Trish has a son named after Darry.
Death By Pragmatism: Double Subversion for Scott. He vacillates back and forth on a variety of self-serving plans trying to figure out if it's safer to stay on the bus or make a break for it. Inevitably, the plan he finally decides on benefits everyone but him.
Death By Racism: Scott, although it was only implied that he was racist.
Decoy Protagonist: Jack Sr., who is only in the second film for about twenty minutes and doesn't do much until the ending. His name isn't even mentioned.
Idiot Ball: Held firmly by the students in Jeepers Creepers 2 throughout the entire movie.
Infant Immortality: Averted — The very first thing we see is a young child being snatched away. However, his actual death isn't depicted on-screen.
It's Personal: In the second movie, after having his son, Billy, killed by the Creeper, Jack Sr. is utterly determined to track down and kill the Creeper. His older son, Jack Jr., also wants to avenge the death of his brother.
Let's Split Up, Gang: Done when the protagonists are running away from The Creeper. Subverted when the guy who suggested it is the only one to do it and is promptly caught.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Double Subversion — After much consideration, the students decide to get off the bus and make a run for it. Then they see the Creeper. They all try to get back on the bus, but can't because the one person who stayed on locked them out. So they go with their original plan and run away.
Tempting Fate: Two of the jocks make fun of the Creeper's wings. Guess what happens to them.
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