THE CREEPER (1978)

[The Burgomaster]

This movie is included in the recently released DRIVE-IN MOVIE CLASSICS 50 MOVIE PACK.

This movie was released under at least 2 different titles:  THE CREEPER and RITUALS.  I believe that somewhere along the line it was also released as SEE NO EVIL (or something like that . . . not to be confused with the Mia Farrow movie of the same name or the George Kennedy movie DELIVER US FROM EVIL).

The movie involves a group of doctors (including Hal Holbrook) on a camping trip.  After about one day in the wilderness, someone steals their boots.  Only one guy was smart enough to bring an extra pair of shoes, so he decides to hike through the forest to get help.

Much of the movie involves the doctors having stupid "philosophical" discussions while they wonder who the hell stole their boots . . . and why.  Eventually, they get attacked by bees, one guy steps in a bear trap, one guy gets his head cut off and stuck on the end of a pole, etc.  But whatever is lurking in the forest stays well-hidden.

The major problem with this movie (and there are several problems, but this is the MAJOR one) is that the movie never decides whether it wants to be an adventure movie, a horror movie or a drama.  It ends up being an unsatisfying combination of all 3.  Sort of like a mixture of DELIVERANCE, FRIDAY THE 13TH and a male bonding film.

The most irritating scene occurs near the end.  It involves Holbrook and one of his doctor buddies shouting back and forth at each other through the forest.  The sound of their voices and the fact that they are both screaming at each other at the same time is like listening to someone scrape their fingernails on a chalk board.

This movie rambles on for abouit 90 minutes, but never seems to get anywhere.  I suggest that you stay far away from it.

[Menard]

Thank you for reminding me of this film.

It has been years since I have seen it, and yes, it was at the drive-in.

I did not have the negative reaction which Burgo had. THE CREEPER certainly has its less than great parts which fall along the lines of ' well, we just couldn't think of anything better, so we improvised'.

I still enjoyed the film, even though the last 10 minutes or so was a bit of a head scratcher. You would hope they would explain some things, as they led up to the conclusion suggesting that something else was happening, and, instead, it just turns out to be a standard slasher plot, and not very conclusive at that (although, this film did preceed most of the glut of slasher films as it was a 1978 film).

Of course, what works most for me now is that any film which takes a group of doctors and offs them one-by-one, and in painful methods, is a winner in my book.

[onionhead]

Ah, Mr Menard, I am in your boat here.  I remember seeing this often on HBO in its infancy, and scratch my head I did at the final scene.  I recall really liking this thing, however, this Canadian Deliverance knock-off-kinda that is part slasher, part survivalist film.  It is edgy, desperate, creepy.  I'm wondering if it has been released on DVD by itself.

[plan9superfan]

Jeepers creepers, where you'd get those peepers, creeper? Where you'd get those eyes?...

[LH-C]

Which cut of the movie is it? I've heard that the cut that's available in the States is something like 10 to 15 minutes shorter than the Canadian/European cut!

[The Burgomaster]

It runs about 90 minutes.  I'm not sure if this is the full-length version, but I don't think I could have remained interested for another 10 or 15 minutes anyway.

[LH-C]

I've read (but I don't actually know for myself if it's true or not) that the full version is a million times better than the edited.

[The Burgomaster]

LH-C:

I find it hard to believe that an extra 10 - 15 minutes could make this movie a million times better.  (Unless they inserted 10 - 15 minutes from CITIZEN KANE or CASABLANCA).

[The Burgomaster]

LH-C:

By the way, please don't confuse this movie with Dario Argento's CREEPERS, a movie that runs less than 90 minutes.  There is a longer version (it runs about 2 hours, I think) of Argento's CREEPERS that goes by the title PHENOMENA.  I have both versions on DVD and there is a HUGE difference between the two cuts of the film.  The longer version is a million times better than the edited version.

CREEPERS and PHENOMENA are in no way related to THE CREEPER, which is the subject of this thread.

[LH-C]

Burgo - I know that you weren't talking about 'Phenomena'. I have that movie on DVD. I really was refering to 'Rituals', which I really have read there is a longer version of that is superior to the edited version that's available here in the States.