GINGER SNAPS A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 2001 Steve Rhodes RATING (0 TO ****): ***
"You don't have anything I haven't seen before," says Mimi Rogers, as the canonical mother who hasn't got a clue, to her teenage daughter, Ginger (Katharine Isabelle). Ginger is in the bathtub cleaning up, something that she's been having to do frequently of late. Actually, Ginger has a lot of things that her mom has never seen before on a girl, from thick animal hair to a growing tail.
John Fawcett's GINGER SNAPS, a horror movie that's a blend of monster movie and teen slasher flick, wastes no time in getting to the blood and gore. In its opening sequence, a toddler starts playing with the bloody remains of his dog. The shrieking mother picks up the boy and runs screaming into the street. She's ignored since the recent rash of dog maulings has left the town anesthetized to the sight of dog corpses. According to the television, it seems that there's some kind of wild animal on the loose.
We cut to our two protagonists, close sisters Brigitte (Emily Perkins) and Ginger. They get their kicks by filming themselves in various death poses. Rebels who want nothing to do with their classmates or anyone else, they have personalities both fascinating and repulsive. In the movie's subtext is a female empowerment theme. The wickedly effective performances by the two leads turn what would otherwise be a forgettable, low-budget movie into an intriguing little tale of the macabre.
After Brigitte, slightly the older of the two sisters, is bitten one night, she turns into the town slut. Or does she? One thing is certain, she won't tolerate the missionary position. And she practices very unsafe sex.
The story moves with precision until the last act, which is bloated and too traditionally over the top like a standard low-grade slasher film. Most of the movie, however, is quite original and worth recommending to fans of the werewolf genre. Those prone to nightmares will need to pass.
GINGER SNAPS runs 1:44. It is not rated but would be R for strong violence, sexual situations, drug usage and language. It would be acceptable for older teenagers.
The film is playing in very limited release now in the United States. In the Silicon Valley, it is showing at the Camera Cinemas.
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