Jeepers Creepers - Il canto del diavolo 2

Sequel to the terrific 2001 horror film is a wildly fun ride, even if it doesn't quite live up to the chilling original.

On the final evening of his annual feeding, the Creeper terrorizes a bus load of students, while a local farmer is looking for some revenge.

While it may lack some of the unique elements of the original film (like the Creeper's truck, the title song, etc.) this sequel is still a highly-energized and occasionally spooky thriller. There's plenty of action, impressive makeup FX, moments of gruesome humor, and tightening suspense to drive it. Once again Salva delivers good directorial touches and an entertaining story.

The cast, headed by veteran actor Ray Wise, is good. Especially good are the relatively unknown young stars Nenninger, Aycox, Schiffner, Brown, Hammond, and Delfino. Breck returns as the Creeper and is creepier than ever.

While Jeepers Creepers 2 is never as scary as its predecessor it is a very entertaining sequel.

*** out of ****

Decent follow-up to Jeepers Creepers takes place just days after the original. The story focuses on a group of athletic high school kids (a varsity team along with their coaches and cheerleaders), who are on their way home when they get stranded in parts unknown after their bus abruptly breaks down. They soon come to the terrifying realization that it wasn't an accident, and that they're now all being hunted by a meticulous monster who's in the midst of a timely feeding frenzy. At times exciting, with more than enough violence and effective scares make this good fun if you're willing to pardon all of the annoyingly one-note characters and banal dialogue. **½

Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003)

I went to see this movie, expecting a bit less than the first movie, but it ended up to be a bit MORE than the first. Jeepers Creepers 2 starts off with a kid in a cornfield, wiring up scarecrows for his father's farm. I won't tell what happens, but it then cuts to a school bus full of basketball players and cheerleaders, who are on their way home from a championship game. Then, they're tire blows out from a sharp metal object thrown by an unseen presence. They decide to try driving for a bit longer, still with 5 running wheels, and then another blows out, again by a sharp metal object thrown at the bus. Then the body count starts. This attempt to create a sequel succeeded, and the very ending of the film, I won't say what it is, was a neat idea. This movie had less gore, but more action and fun than the one before it. I give it an 8/10.

Honestly, with the onslaught of low budget horror flicks in the past few years - yes, even the good ones - rewatching JEEPERS CREEPERS 2 was a breath of fresh air. Simply put, they don't make 'em like they used to anymore. A mid-range budget ($19 million!) creature feature with fantastic practical effects, great lighting, above average cinematography, and it doesn't even take place in a house! You can feel a grand scale to this film, something that's uncommon in many modern horror movies these days.

It's also one of those rare action/horror pics that's equal parts exciting and scary. Obvious thought was put into the way the film's made and some of its more ingenious set pieces - like the Creeper's wing separating the bus in half - so yeah, I pretty much think JEEPERS CREEPERS 2 is incredibly fun and underrated as hell. And yes, it's superior to the first film in almost every way.

I recently re-watched the first Jeepers Creepers and I don't really get why so many people seem to hate it. Sure, it had quite a disappointing climax and Victor Salva is an infamous figure in Hollywood but his visions did lead to one of the best horror films in the post-Scream era. And the same goes for part two! If you leave logic behind, this is quite an intense and well-elaborated scary movie. Opposite to most directors nowadays, Salva perfectly knows how to create suspenseful situations and emotional devastation. The Creeper (portrayed once again by Jonathan Breck) is a far-fetched new horror icon but it does bring terror in the most isolated outlands of America. This sequel takes place a few days after the original (of which the happenings can be heard on radio-broadcasts all the time) and features a bus full of high school jocks and cheerleaders terrorized by the Creeper. Judging by their fear's smell, he picks out victims to devour and to re-furnish his rotting corpse.

Victor Salva makes great use of the 'surprise element'. All the characters in Jeepers Creepers are equally meaningless so you never really know who will get killed next. Even the most popular jock, the most innocent child or the cutest girl can die at any time and this results in an exiting drop-out race of which you don't want to miss a second. The film is not as gore as you might think and the stress is more laid on tension. Salva and his crew use the remote location to the fullest and the film contains eerie shots of wide cornfields and roads with no chance for shelter. The cast of young and inexperienced kids do a fairly good job. The only familiar face in Jeepers Creepers 2 is Ray Wise (from the cult series 'Twin Peaks'). This film will never be a classic but at least its entertaining horror without much pretension.