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, I think. 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, to be sure. If you’re like me and love this movie, but hate Artisan’s miserable DVD released here in America, have no fear, as TVA International has come to the rescue. This is a Region 1 disc, so it plays in all U.S. players and while it is exclusive to Canada, you can track down a copy on-line without much trouble. So rest assured, this is an excellent release and well worth the extra time & effort, without a doubt.
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?
Ginger Snaps is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is an excellent visual presentation and why Artisan didn’t license this transfer for their disc, I will never understand. I mean, this is simply fantastic, all of the film’s visual quirks have been preserved and look just as intended, no small feat. This movie uses skewed colors, contrast, and filters to conjure up the visuals, so don’t think these issues are flaws, as this is how Ginger Snaps is supposed to look, so no worries. The print looks clean as a whistle, save some for some intentional grain, while the image is much sharper and more refined than the Artisan edition. This transfer alone is reason enough to seek out this disc, let alone the improved audio & wealth of extras.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included Dolby Digital 5.1 track is terrific, with more depth and attention to detail than I had expected. As you can imagine, there is some great potential for atmospheric audio and this track cashes in on that, with some creative use of the surrounds. The more tense scenes utilize some good subtle presence, which adds to the eerie environment and that’s good, since this is supposed to be a horror movie, after all. I like the music score of Ginger Snaps a lot, so I was pleased to hear it in such rich, expansive form here also. No hiccups with the dialogue either, as vocals come through in clean and crisp form throughout. This disc also contains a French 5.1 option, 2.0 surround tracks in English and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
TVA has rolled out the red carpet in terms of extras for this disc, kicking off with two audio commentary tracks. One the first, director John Fawcett supplies all kinds of cool information and is always talkative, but not in a self promotional approach. His comments seem candid and he reveals a lot of little details, some of which enhance future viewings, I think. The second track is with writer Karen Walton, who has some real issues with the horror movie realm, but manages to let loose some great insight into how she wrote & developed Ginger Snaps. You’ll also find about twenty minutes of audition & rehearsal footage, which is very welcome and lets us see how the cast approached their roles, or evolved within them for the picture. A selection of deleted scenes is also on deck, with optional comments from Fawcett & Walton, on separate alternate audio tracks. This disc also includes two brief behind the scenes featurettes, some production design artwork, still photos, information on the cast & crew, television spots, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
