Post by Jac0bite on Mar 1, 2005 20:02:02 GMT -5
I'm pretty hard on new horror films, as I find most of them are just gore and cheap shocks without any real substance...no intelligent story, no great performances, no atmosphere, etc. Ginger Snaps, however, is one of my all-time favoite horror films, despite its newness. This Canadian film, not incredibly "known" in the USA, is intelligent and fun. It's scary, it's funny (VERY dark humor) and it presents a different, thought-provoking perspective on werewolves.
I said "different" rather than "new" because while few (if any) werewolf movies have used the premise before, the idea of lycanthropy as a metaphor for the female menstrual cycle is nothing new; it's as old as the legend itself. The moon, blood, extremes in moods/personalities, the "curse"...
The basic story is of two sisters, Bridgit and Ginger, who are loners...they're sort of goth-looking and keep to themselves...they have morbid interests and are looked at as freaks by their schoolmates. When Ginger is attacked by a werewolf just after starting her first period, the changes she goes through make for a frightening, humorous and thoughtful story. Bridgit tries to help Ginger hide her affliction (duct tapes her tail to her thigh, for example.) and also looks for a cure to help her sister before she completes her transformation. The best line in the movie: when Bridgit pierces Ginger's bellybuton with a silver ring and asks "How do you feel?" Ginger answers, "Wicked."
The acting is great, by mostly unknowns. Catherine Isabelle, who plays Ginger, has gone on to appear in other films but was an unknown at the time of this filming. Mimi Rogers is the only "known" actor in the film, and she almost steals the show as the girls' clueless mother. I have yet to find anyone who doesn't like this film, even people who normally don't care for horror movies.
I said "different" rather than "new" because while few (if any) werewolf movies have used the premise before, the idea of lycanthropy as a metaphor for the female menstrual cycle is nothing new; it's as old as the legend itself. The moon, blood, extremes in moods/personalities, the "curse"...
The basic story is of two sisters, Bridgit and Ginger, who are loners...they're sort of goth-looking and keep to themselves...they have morbid interests and are looked at as freaks by their schoolmates. When Ginger is attacked by a werewolf just after starting her first period, the changes she goes through make for a frightening, humorous and thoughtful story. Bridgit tries to help Ginger hide her affliction (duct tapes her tail to her thigh, for example.) and also looks for a cure to help her sister before she completes her transformation. The best line in the movie: when Bridgit pierces Ginger's bellybuton with a silver ring and asks "How do you feel?" Ginger answers, "Wicked."
The acting is great, by mostly unknowns. Catherine Isabelle, who plays Ginger, has gone on to appear in other films but was an unknown at the time of this filming. Mimi Rogers is the only "known" actor in the film, and she almost steals the show as the girls' clueless mother. I have yet to find anyone who doesn't like this film, even people who normally don't care for horror movies.