Horror Movies I Own #5: Ginger Snaps
“Out by 16 or dead in the scene, but together forever…”
Ginger Snaps is one of those surprising little horror films that I might have skipped over if several friends hadn’t assured me I’d love it—and I do. How could I not love a story about death-obsessed Goth girls?
The girls, Brigitte and Ginger, hate everything about being a teenager and thus spend long hours planning elaborate ways to die and excel at being total outcasts. On a revenge mission to kidnap their enemy’s dog, Ginger gets attacked by a werewolf and it’s not long before she has to deal with changes of both the regular teenage girl variety and the Lycanthropic kind.
While the actual werewolf F/X border on cheesy/cartoonish, there’s enough blood and splatter throughout to make me happy, and watching Ginger “snap” is a whole lot of fun. Sister Brigitte tries to her best to stop the transformation (and the slaughtering), but can’t manage to rein Ginger in without making a sacrifice of her own.
The script has plenty of clever lines, including one of my favorites; “Just so you know, the words ‘just’ and ‘cramps’, they don’t go together…” which offset the ickier parts nicely (like Ginger trying to saw off her growing tail with a large knife. Ew and ew).
And even though Ginger’s the star of this show, “B” pulls her own weight nicely enough to get a starring row in the sequel: Ginger Snaps II: Unleashed – a much creepier, darker film that I also own and love to death.
Rent them both and have yourselves a werewolf-chick double feature! (but skip the 3rd installment, it’s total Boresville).
