Saturday, November 14, 2009

Ginger Snaps: Monks Hood is the New Heroin.


To be honest I had no idea that Ginger Snaps was about a Werewolf until I actually read the description. Shows how much I pay attention to things. I think I thought it was some awesomely bad 80's horror movie about little girls that snapped people in half or ate old Christmas cookies I don't really know. The point is- this movie rocks.

Ginger and Brigitte may be my long lost obsessed with death and blood sisters. They love taking pictures of themselves dead- in some very very creative ways. They seem to have the special effects genes of Tom Savini,



























and (ps how do you make it look like you are hanging without killing yourself?) and an AMAZING score plays while the photos are shown in what is revealed to be a class project. I fell in love with the movie right then and there. Turns out the Fitzgerald sisters are about 3 years late in getting their monthly gift- that's right THEIR PERIOD, for all you men out there. The night that Ginger gets hers however she is attacked by a werewolf and bitten- and well you know eventually turns into one herself.

The very beginning of this movie is pretty darn priceless. A little boy is playing in his sandbox and unearths a severed dog foot. Turns out the neighborhood werewolf has been eating dogs all over the place. I thought I would be really depressed about all these dogs turning up dead in the movie- but I realized, I only get upset when there is some form of attachment created with the animal in question. I.E. The cat in Drag Me To Hell and obviously the puppy in Single White Female. There is one semi questionable animal death but his little body is never shown- and it's an act that really shows the severity of Ginger's problem.

You know what was also amazing about this film? Like Let the Right One In- there wasn't this glamourous side to being a werewolf. Ginger sprouts gross hair on her body and an even nastier looking tail. She doesn't turn into a fuzzy werewolf whenever she wants and then back into a burly and handsome man so she can kiss Bella.

What is also truly incredible about this movie is how it incorporates the idea of puberty into being a werewolf. Growing up and suddenly getting all these crazy hormones could certainly make you want to eat a dog, beat up ugly bitchy girls and of course sprout unwanted hairs in strange places and possibly grow a tail. Ok so it's a little crazy but not really. To me it was genius and I chuckled every time Ginger acted out (PMS!!)

There is actually a lot of blood- and vomiting of blood at that- actually there seemed to be a lot of just vomiting in general. That scene after Ginger comes back from losing her virginity and she's in the bathroom...holy moses. And the way she is describing how it didn't feel like she thought it would is so perfect because you can't tell if she's talking about knocking boots or eating a living thing for the first time!

While the movie does kind of lose some steam towards the end- I'd say probably around the time Ginger really starts turning into a werewolf- I still ate up the ending like it was nobody's business. This is probably because the bond between the two sisters was so strong and that last scene was one of the most heart breaking I have seen, and I kind of cried a little. Ginger Snaps is a pretty close contender with those foreign horror movies I like so much. Ginger's acting sometime ruins the appeal but B's more than makes up for it. She's a perfect awkward teenager who wants nothing more than to help her sister.

Ginger's werewolf make up was a little weird there in the end and her full transformation at times just reminded me of a really scary polar bear. Also was it necessary for the werewolf/scary polar bear to have a saggy boob?! I don't want to see werewolf boobs thank you. Oh and another question for the GALS out there. Whose first period looks like that? Sorry graphic.

Anyways just watch this- it's pretty amazing save for the sometimes over the top acting and lines from Ginger.

Buy Ginger Snaps from Horror Movie Empire!

15 comments:

Stewie said...

Loved this movie and its sequels. Part two is disturbingly dark (but sadly lacks Ginger) and part three is just fun.

Nerd trivia: Lucy Lawless does the voice on the school loudspeaker announcements.

Unknown said...

Ginger snaps is one of the few standout werewolf movies. Stewie is right-the second one has one of the saddest endings ever and the third is a pretty kickass prequel/period piece of sorts.

B-Movie Becky said...

I really enjoyed the beginning, but like you said, felt the movie lost its steam towards the middle and end. I was expecting a lot more from this movie since it's all the horror fan boys and girls rave about it. It's pretty unique and has a strong voice, but I think it definitely could have showed a bit more werewolf action.

deadlydolls said...

I love me some Ginger Snaps, but it does continue to prove my disappointment with werewolf cinema in general. I've just never found one to actually be scary. GS does a good job of not relying too much on the horror, and being more a movie about puberty and teenage girldom.

I never got around to Part 2 because I'd heard such meh things about it, but 3 is a fun prequel of sorts that really does drive home the sister bond.

Matt said...

I discovered this excellent movie a few years ago after picking it up randomly at Blockbuster. I was surprised how geniune and different it was. You should definitely check out Ginger Snaps 2. The third one (Ginger Snaps Back) was ok but lost some of the magic the first two have.

Andre Dumas said...

Thanks for the sequel recommendations I will definitely be checking those out!

Emily and Becky- So true...I was going back and looking at the pictures of Ginger Wolf and found myself deciding that she was scarier just when she had that gross stubby tail and was licking blood off the floor. I get that she had to follow the full moon cycle- again the period theme! but I would have liked to feel a little more fear.

Oh and I was just thinking about this but does anyone know what happened to the mom? She went in the party and disappeared. I LOVED her character. It's possible my DVD skipped over it during "skipping over damaged area" (My least favorite thing to see in the world) but I don't know... it just seemed so sudden.

Anonymous said...

I do want to see this movie! Thanks for posting the review. From the pics, the werewolf looks pretty big and scary, kinda like Howling werewolves. It's also very neat that they tied the werewolf/full moon/female menses together. I know werewolves are more closely associated with wild, uncontrollable males, which surprises me since the moon has more closely been associated with women. It's nice to see Ginger Snaps took the moon back for us girls!

B-Movie Becky said...

I believe the mom just gets left at the party if my memory serves me correctly.

Andre Dumas said...

Oh boo what a let down! Must have been a shocking sight to see upon arriving back home...

deadlydolls said...

Am I correct in remembering the mom is played by Mimi Rogers? That does earn the film bonus points, since a) she's a great actress, at least in some random films like The Rapture and b) she's the one that introduced Tom Cruise to Scientology and without that, where would all the laughter go?

Andre Dumas said...

Yesss and she was Mrs. Kensington in Austin Powers!

The Vicar of VHS said...

I thought this was one of the better werewolf movies of recent years (faint praise, I know), and enjoyed the slight twists they put on the lore--for instance, the idea that the werewolf transformation here is a one-way street--once you go total wolf, you never come back. I could have done without the sexually-transmitted lycantrhopy, as the whole menstruation/moon cycle thing had already made the connection between the two "curses"--but overall it was a fantastic film more about the sisters' relationship than about "omg the beasties are coming."

Emily Perkins was brilliant in this, trying to decide whether to join her sister or retain her humanity, which thanks to the great character development and the chemistry between them was a real and affecting dilemma. She's even better in part 2. Perkins needs to star in more movies!

Martin said...

Indeed, it was a surprising movie. I remember being a little disappointed when I saw it in theaters. After a few years, I can say that this movie is very entertaining!

Jess said...

I am so glad you reviewed this movie! I just saw it last night and I loved it. When I realized that Bridgette was Beverly from IT I had to watch it. She really does play the perfect awkward teen going through life.
The movie was very entertaining and creepy in all the right ways. I usually don't care for werewolf movies. They just don't give me that scare. But this one dark and very different. I think because Ginger wasn't just someone turning into a werewolf but it is a Teen turning into a woman who is also turning into a werewolf! That whole trying to figure yourself out while the hormones are raging is really relatable for any woman who watches this. And then to face that crap on top of it?? Harsh.
But I really enjoyed this movie a lot. The end was a bit cheesy the wolf didn't look real. All I saw was mechanical rubber. LOL

brian said...

one of the best Canadian horror films, altho dark comedy