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Reviews
Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003)
They're Gonna Need a Bigger Bus
With a substantially bigger budget Victor Salva has seized the opportunity to pay homage to the monster movies of yesteryear in Jeepers Creepers 2. Whilst The Birds and Jaws immediately spring to mind, Salva's first sequel serves up a series of startling FX sequences, suspenseful attacks and delicious protagonists for the Creeper to prey upon on his final night.
Whilst this type of creature feature is engaging throughout, the film, much like its predecessor, will undoubtedly suffer from not sticking within the confines of the serial killer format. That is, it too may draw unfavorable comparisons to the first film's opening; one which arguably promised audiences a different film from the one they ended up with. Those audiences who prefer their contemporary Horror to be grounded in 'reality' with relatively human antagonists will once again be disappointed and will find little to interest them in the follow up or cling on to since the Creeper has been dragged center stage and bears little resemblance to the standard serial killers they had once expected.
However, if you can suspend your disbelief and accept Salva's Creature From the Black Lagoon for what it is - a fantastic sequel in the vein of Cameron's Aliens - a good time is sure to be had by all.
Screen One: Meat (1994)
A marvelously gritty urban drama that outranks much of the traditional British fare.
Charlie's (Johnny Lee Miller) penchant for breaking in, but yet not stealing from places, is rewarded with time inside. Weathering the temptations and taunting of inmates and officers Charlie strives to make good on the outside. A chance encounter with a Kings Cross prostitute Myra (Sarah-Jane Potts) establishes a tender and absorbing romance between the two with some promise of security and salvation, that is, until pimp Charlie decides to call a halt to the proceedings.
Brilliantly shot and acted, the film premiered on British television in 1994 as part of a season of specifically commissioned films. The film's overwhelming sense of loss and struggle draws the viewer into the gritty underworld of vice and drugs often romanticised and glamorised by similar fare. However, Madden does not pull away from the desperation of his characters and nor does he revel in it. At times touching and poignant and others shockingly brutal the film is a highly recommended gem that deserves to be viewed.