A tall dark figure in a torn duster wearing a slouch wide brimmed fedora and driving a rusted meat wagon, what could be more sinister in a modest budgeted horror flick? Maybe a creature that resembled some sort of Lovecraftian gargoyle with a battle axe? Jeepers Creepers gets an A for being atmospheric and inventive.

Even the direction is slickly done especially during the chase scenes at the beginning of the movie. The acting by newcomers Gina Philips and Justin Long captures the chemistry between brother and sister and there is no doubt Gina Philips will have a long career in acting. She simply steals the show with her savvy attitude and commitment to her brother.

Victor Salva pulled off a nice piece of film with a very modest budget. The car scenes are so well done, for me they were the best part of the movie. Pulling from inspirations taken from Stephen Spielberg's Duel, he pieces together a great opening sequence. You just have to love the Meat Wagon, it is an onimous looking set of wheels.

So is there anything bad to say about this movie? Yes, and it is what lowers it from being an exceptional flick to a standard monster chase victim story. The plot is something we have all seen before. Granted he tried to give us a novel ending, also setting up a sequel, but it is predictable. Its saving grace is the unanswered questions, like the creatures origins and just what its role in the scheme of things are.

In spite of its flaws, Jeepers Creepers is worth the price. The second side has many extra features about how the movie was filmed as well as what went into the sound score, which I highly recommend viewing before watching the film a second time. One extremely nice feature, which I wish was included on all DVD's is that the menu has either full or wide screen viewing selections. Both on one side.