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Ginger Snaps [2001]


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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

Written by Karen Walton and directed by John Fawcett, Ginger Snaps combines horror and pubescent angst in a thoughtful portrayal of female teenage development both socially and physically. The Fitzgerald sisters are alienated to the point of discussing honouring the suicide pact they made when they were eight, and producing disturbing mock-up photographs of their violent deaths. Then the slightly older Ginger is bitten by a werewolf and starts developing hair in odd places and feeling more alive than she has ever felt--but it's not entirely clear whether this is sexual maturity or monstrosity creeping up on her until she starts developing canines and a tail. The look and feel of the movie is a cross between Grimms's Fairytales and Neil Jordan's A Company of Wolves, while the influence of Buffy the Vampire Slayer runs through both script and cinematography--which means it occasionally looks like an extended episode of Buffy, minus the Vampire slayer herself. The performances of Emily Perkins as the nervy Goth Brigitte and of Katherine Isabelle as the extrovert charismatic Ginger are more or less faultless; we are taken to the heart of this claustrophobic relationship just as it starts to implode. Mimi Rogers as their ditzy mother and Kris Lemke as the stoner who tries to help Brigitte are almost equally excellent.

On the DVD: The DVD includes as special features some impressive screen tests by Perkins and Isabelle in which we see them evolving their final takes on the characters; we also get a mildly interesting documentary on the construction of the werewolf Ginger becomes and a featurette that has some snappy one-liners from the cast, as well as production notes and cast notes. The Dolby sound catches the nervy grungy world of the film, which is presented in 16:9 ratio.--Rox Kaveney


NOT A BAD WEREWOLF FILM
Review date: 2007-11-03 Rating: 8 out of 10

Sister's Brigitte (Emily Perkins) and Ginger (Katherine Isabelle) are similar, yet different. Ginger is obsessed with death and the afterlife, while Brigitte is a little more out-going. Both are loners in school, which Ginger seems to take in stride, but Brigitte is a little more apprehensive about. They're parents (Mimi Rogers, John Bourgeois) are concerned for their weird behavior, and consider counseling for their daughters. Trying to pull a prank on a troublesome student at school results in Ginger being viciously attacked by a ravenous beast, but almost overnight her wounds have healed. She starts acting weird at school, hanging out with the wrong crowd and getting interested in boys. Brigitte sees this strange behavior as signs that Ginger is turning into a werewolf, a claim Ginger repeatedly denies. The only one at school who believes her is Sam, (Kris Lemche) a biology student that witnessed the first attack on Ginger. Their attempt at helping Ginger only drives her madder and leads her to start killing those that she loves most.

The Good News: The werewolf that appears in the beginning of the movie is pretty creepy, and its appearance is one of the few scares in the movie. It's a classic riff on "An American Werewolf in London," so if you know the scene, I don't need to spoil what happens. The ensuing attack is the real highlight of the movie, as we see a werewolf attack Ginger in a long, drawn-out ordeal that is full of intense scenes of Ginger and Brigitte being pursued by a hairy beast. The attack is very violent, with many scenes of biting and scratching taking place, followed by random scenes indicating that she was trying to fight it off. It's one of the best werewolf attacks ever, and rivals "London," "Dog Soldiers" and "The Howling" for best werewolf attacks. Even the Ginger-wolf is terrifying. The design is a bit more modern, with a large head, lean body that has more wolf-like qualities than most previous werewolf designs. With the amount of blood shed in this movie, just about any gore-hound will be pleased. With the large number of attacks, we get tons of gore involved. There are plenty of scratches oozing blood, several bites, and the most prevalent of them, the dragging of the body away from the initial attack spot to another location to feed. Almost every single rip of skin is treated as though it was opening a Niagara Falls of blood flows; so much is seen in the film. Also what was nice was the fact that they dared to change the way a werewolf could be defeated. It isn't just silver bullets that kills them, there's another way that is used to stop them is quite imaginative and clever.

The Bad News: The main problem I have with this is it's more feminine opening. Guys are the main consumers of horror films, and spending over a half-hour dealing with a woman's "time of the month" is not something that guys will want to see. Had this part been used only in a more feminine kind of movie, then it wouldn't be so bad, but the very hard R that this film may give some guys the impression that this is a mangle-your-body up kind of movie, which it is. Then the movie makes some kind of statement about puberty that throws the tone of the movie back in the other direction. It's not really graphic discussions about it; just the fact that the movie takes that kind of attitude is something that kills the movie. You want it to be the kind of werewolf movie that should be all about the rip and tear, and that is nearly killed when the movie focuses on that subject. It belongs more in a teen drama, not a balls to the wall horror flick.

The Final Verdict: If you can get over the fact that nothing happens for the first part of the movie and centers around a more feminine area, this could be a worthy addition to your collection. There's enough blood for gore-hounds, top-notch effects, and cool characters, so give it a good look. Werewolf fans will also enjoy this one. It isn't a modern day cult film for nothing.


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Reviews


good fun
Review date: 2007-07-28 Rating: 8 out of 10

ok so what goes down?
well the film is about two sisters, who are depressed and are thinking about honouring their suicide pact they made when they were younger until one of them gets bitten by a werewolf and slowly but surely starts to change.
the other one then decides to try and fix the scenario as her sister starts to become more the beast and less her sister.
thats pretty much it. its good fun as it doesnt muck about to much...the scenes all fill a purpose there isnt much filler and the film moves along nicely.
the actin is pretty dammed good,the direction is snappy and the film looks fantastic. the script is very clever in its twisting of the lycan ideas and relating it teenage awakenings.
the girls look good..especially katherine isabelle and the boys similarly look handsome.
every box is ticked to make this film well worth a look!

Not bad at all
Review date: 2007-04-07 Rating: 8 out of 10

This is one of those movies you either hate or you love. Inbetween for me though. I dont love this movie because it mainly consisted of two girls talking and nothing much went on for the biggest part of the film. However, the mysterious thing that occurs makes this a good thriller. Basically about a young woman whom oneday gets bitten by something evil, soon later she begins to turn into a wolf like thing. Quite creepy in parts and a little grose too.

Ginger Snaps - Great
Review date: 2006-07-18 Rating: 8 out of 10

This is undoubtedly one of the best werewolf movies in recent times, and as it says on the tin it is a cult classic. There is enough gore for horror fans and i have to say that the obsession with death/suicide in the film disturbed me, particularly the opening credits. But this is still great stuff - only 4 stars because picture and special features not great

It Bites - In A Good Way!
Review date: 2006-06-09 Rating: 10 out of 10

In the past, it has been my unfortunate experience to find that werewolf films are generally not worth the media that they are published on. However, Ginger Snaps (staring Katharine Isabelle, Emily Perkins, and Mimi Rogers) changes that. Simply put it bites, in a good way. The films tells of two sisters who are best friends but outcasts in their town Bailey Downs. One night, Ginger - one of the sisters - gets bitten by a werewolf and starts a frightening transformation into a powerful, aggressive, and blood trusty creature. Only her sister has a chance to save her, but can she find the cure in time? The story evolves around the two sisters, the bond that they have together and what happens to each of them throughout the film while Ginger is slowly transforming. The bond between the two main characters is well portrayed and thanks to the sound acting, you get the impression that they really have know each other their entire lives and that they have a special bond. Ginger Snaps has plenty of strong and bloody scenes that are very graphic and realistic. The supporting characters are a bit weak but you hardly notice. I had never heard of the film and therefore before I watched it I had no real exceptions of it and I thought I would just be passing my time. Ginger Snaps, really is something that I didn't expect, and it is one of the best horror films I have scene in resent years. There are two squeals to this film, Ginger Snaps Unleashed, and Ginger Snaps Back. I have not yet had the chance to buy or watch either one yet but I will be as soon as I can. Hopefully there will be more horror films produced to this standard in the future, as the entire genre needs a shake up. I strongly recommend it for anybody to wants to watch a scary film with a good plot and acting, and not just a slice and dice massacre.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Emily Perkins
Katharine Isabelle
Kris Lemche
Jesse Moss
Mimi Rogers

Creators:
Emily Perkins (Primary Contributor)
Katharine Isabelle (Primary Contributor)
John Fawcett (Writer)
Alicia Reilly Larson (Producer)
Dan Lyon (Producer)
Karen Lee Hall (Producer)
Noah Segal (Producer)
Steven Hoban (Producer)
Karen Walton (Writer)

Director(s):

Recording label: Mosaic Movies
Manufacturer: Mosaic Movies
EAN: 5016292301249
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL, Widescreen,
Release date: 2002-10-28
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 104 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2000
Language: English (Original Language)

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