Plot: What’s it about?
Ginger (Katharine Isabelle) and Brigitte (Emily Perkins) are sisters who are very close, as well as very weird at times. The girls remain on the outskirts of society and have an obsession with darker things, especially death and the macabre. As they stage elaborate death scenes and fantasize about how they’ll pass on, they take photos of themselves as corpses, in all manner of blood soaked final resting places. The other kids at school think they’re too weird and reject them, but it doesn’t bother them much, since they’ll always have each other. In addition to their school issues, they also have problems at home and of course, the usual troubles that go along with being a teenage girl, all million and a half of them. But when a trip into the woods turns into terror, their lives are changed forever. It seems some kind of animal attacked Ginger and left behind some mean marks, which she hides from her mother (Mimi Rogers). Ginger also begins to undergo some other changes, such as her animalistic side coming out, sometimes in awkward moments. Can Brigitte manage to help Ginger figure out a cure for whatever this is, or is she doomed to fulfill some unknown fate?
This is easily one of the best horror movies of the past decade and perhaps one of the finest werewolf pictures ever. It has all the elements we horror fans have been wanting, without the overly hip, self referential nonsense that plagues post-Scream American horror cinema. Ginger Snaps has a cool premise, some snappy visuals, memorable dialogue, great performances, and even some great moments of gore, all tied together very well by director John Fawcett. Yes, it has some flaws, but it never lets them lessen the flow of the movie, so you’re never distracted in the least here. This is just a good, straight horror picture that covers all the bases, some of the best movie fun I’ve had in a while.
Although she doesn’t have the title role in this film, I think that Emily Perkins carries this film at times and really gives a dynamite performance. She has a very odd role to work with here, one that a lot of performers would take over the top, but Perkins walks that fine line to sheer perfection. This character simply wouldn’t work if it were played any other way, as Perkins is serious, but plays off the character’s quirks, so it seems very natural. This kind of role is often tackled with some self referential style, but that would have killed the character’s impact here, so I am glad Perkins made the right choices. You can also see Perkins in Stephen King’s It, Small Sacrifices, Woman on the Ledge, and In Cold Blood. The cast also includes Katharine Isabelle (Disturbing Behavior, Bones), Kris Lemche (Children of Fortune, Teen Knight), Jesse Moss (Sole Survivor), and Mimi Rogers (The Rapture, Gung Ho).
Video: How does it look?
This is the first foray into the 4K realm for this one. I was pretty content with the previously-released Blu-ray that came out in the mid 00’s, but if they can sell it to us once – they can do it again (and will). Presented in a 1.85:1 HEVC 4K image, it does give a bit better grading to the already dark film. Dolby Vision does pay off here, especially in the myriad of darker scenes. Everything seems to have more of a smoothness to it, fine detail has been improved and colors seem to have a bit more “pop” to them. Contrast and black levels seem a bit more solid as well, giving way for a nice-looking 4K image for this cult classic.
Audio: How does it sound?
Also an upgrade, the old Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack has been replaced by a new Dolby TrueHD track that takes things up a notch (or two). I noticed more depth to some of the action sequences, the vocals come through crisp and clear and the atmospheric audio really seems to resonate. Granted surrounds aren’t quite as active as I’d have liked, but the overall feel of the mix left a good impression on me. I hate to say that this pales in comparison to some of the Blu-ray’s out there, but the simple fact is that it does – but when compared to its predecessor, it’s a nice step forward.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This 4K edition seems to import the same set of supplements that was present on the previously-released Blu-ray.
- Audio Commentary – These are the same two tracks that appeared on the special edition DVD some time ago, but they’re still both worth a listen. The first is with Director John Fawcett and is fairly straight-forward as he dissects the film and gives us some technical information about the shoot. The second is from writer Karen Walton (together, with Fawcett, the creative duo behind Orphan Black) as hers is more of a character-driven track that details some of the intricacies in the story. Both are worth a listen if you’ve not checked them out on the original DVD.
- Ginger Snaps: Blood, Teeth, and Fur – The first of two new featurettes, this runs over an hour and features tons of insight into the making and production of the film. Essentially everything you’d want or need to know is housed in this new feature, a welcome addition to an already great disc.
- Growing Pains: Puberty in Horror Films – As the title of the feature suggests, the concept of female puberty in horror films is discussed along with the principal members of the cast. It’s a very engaging and, dare I say, intriguing, look at this genre of film.
- Deleted Scenes– From the previous DVD are nearly 25 minutes of deleted scenes with optional commentary by Fawcett and Walton.
- Featurette -Another “vintage” featurette (that sounds odd to say about a film that came out in 2000) from the original special edition DVD that’s more of an EPK with some behind the scenes footage, etc.
- Cast Auditions & Rehearsals – Running nearly 20 minutes, this features some rough footage of the main members of the cast as they rehearse their lines and prepare for their roles.
- Creation of the Beast – This is a fun behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the werewolf utilizing practical effects.
- Being John Fawcett- Some pre-production shenanigans with the director, nothing too important here.
- Production Design Artwork – More of a graphic design lesson in some of the various logos that appears in things throughout the film.
- Theatrical Trailers
- TV Spots
The Bottom Line
If you’ve made it this far down in the review (or you’re one of those that skips all the A/V stuff) then you’ll likely know if this is for you or not. For me, I think seeing it once a decade is more than enough. But this film does have a cult following, to be sure. The uptick in audio and video quality might be enough for some to take the plunge.
