“Creep” originally came out in 1995, but this is the “director’s extended cut” DVD, so it gets a new review. I must say, though, that I really don’t understand why this film needed a new treatment. I know writer/director Tim Ritter feels as if it’s a cult classic, but it isn’t even really close.
For those of you who don’t know, the story involves a serial killer named Angus (Joel D. Wynkoop); his sister, Kascha (Kathy Willets); and a father/daughter cop team (Tom Karr as David and Patricia Paul as Jackie) who are all caught up in some idiotic stew of revenge and mental illness. The story has a few twists and turns at the end, but no real impact. That’s not the film’s biggest crime, though.
The minimalist plot is full of incest, necrophilia and other unsavory “shock” devices that would only really appeal to a sheltered thirteen-year-old boy who is staying up late for the first time. The gore, as to be expected, is as bad as the acting. And while Willets, who was once known as “America’s favorite nymphomaniac,” receives top billing, she is nothing to write home about. Her obviously fake breasts distract viewers from her inability to deliver a believable line, and it’s obvious that the only reason she’s in this film is because of her name (which meant something in 1995) and the notoriety it would bring.
If “Creep” was the only thing on this DVD, it would get a lesser rating, but the extras, such as the documentary, actually brings things up a notch if only because of the interest factor. It’s fascinating to hear about Ritter’s problems with making his films and the public reaction to them, though he does come across as being a bit stuck on himself. Somehow, though, it all fits.
I’m all for exploitation flicks. They provide an excellent release from the typical Hollywood tedium, and they often show some real imagination. “Creep,” however, has nothing going for it but nudity and cliched dialogue that comes across funnier than it was meant to be. See “Bloodsucking Freaks” to learn how it should be done, and stay away from this mess.
