This past Tuesday night, I was given the opportunity to attend a ‘one night only’ event. The world premiere engagement of Jeepers Creepers 3. This also happened to be the first time I had ever received a press pass for such a release. Needless to say, I was pretty stoked. Walking into the jam packed theater, there was an instant humming buzz of excitement throughout coming from the audience. It felt like the kind of excitement that had been brewing with anticipation for over 14 years, since the last time ‘The Creeper’ had ravaged the big screen. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited boils and ghouls.
*Disclaimer Time* as most of you diehards in the horror community already know, this film has been marred with controversy. So, in order to try and stay true to the ‘horror fan’ in us all, I have decided to strip away all my personal biases and prior knowledge of these events and give an objective review. A review of a horror film, as a member of the horror media.
SPOILER-FREE SYNOPSIS
Taking place right after the events of the original Jeepers Creepers, Sheriff Tashtego (Stan Shaw, The Monster Squad) is hot on the trail of the mysterious murderer known only as ‘The Creeper’. Together with the help of Sergeant Tubbs (Brandon Smith, From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series), they gather a task force to hunt and kill the monster. Their only problem? This is the creepers’ last day of feeding before it goes back into hiding for another 23 years. Can they stop it in time?
JC3 was written and directed by franchise creator Victor Salva. His work behind the camera alongside cinematographer Don E. FauntLeRoy was stylish and extremely well done. They captured pure terror at moments, using slow-motion camera work to build the action and suspense. The special and visual effects team led by Mark Hava, made the creeper look more horrifying than ever. Equipping him with an updated, unstoppable truck and a whole arsenal of new toys to kill with. Most of these would-be victims I had never seen in anything prior but the acting was decent enough for this type of film. Reprising his role as the creeper is Jonathan Breck. He as always, was excellent. But the standout performance was given by Meg Foster (They Live, The Lords of Salem), as the distraught and aging grandmother who lost her son to the monster 23 years previously. It was her best performance in years!
14 years is a really long time to sit around and tweak a story idea. From overthinking everything, to adding or subtracting something here and there. I kind of got the feeling while watching, that there were so many ideas brought about, that they had to cut stuff out or didn’t explain other things completely. I would’ve loved it had they delved into the mythos of the creeper. When they barely touched on it.
While I feel this was a decent addition to the Jeepers Creepers franchise, I left the crowded theater wanting more. A lot of the kills were done off camera, so the gorehound in me felt a little cheated. I also felt like I was missing something. In a way boils and ghouls, I felt a little down after waiting such a long length of time. It is quite possible that it was the length of time that raised my expectations so high, that nothing would have met them. But there still is hope, apparently there is a 4th installment creeping on the horizon for the controversial franchise. Will Salva helm the director chair again? Only time will tell. But hopefully all my questions will be answered and all my expectations met.
IMDb: 6.1/10
ZombiSurvivor: 6.2/10
Don’t take my word for it kiddies! There’s a lot to enjoy here.
As an added bonus, here’s the little jingle we all know and love!!!
Thanks for reading and remember…
STAY SCARED!
-ZS
