PopHorror Let's Get Scared
It’s that time of the month again. The time where women have to deal with bloody messes, mood swings, and the occasional massacre. At least that’s what sisters, Ginger and Brigitte Fitzgerald, have to deal with in the very underrated cult classic, Ginger Snaps!
Ginger Snaps is one of the best Werewolf films of the 2000s. It beautifully mixes morbid humor, impressive special effects, and a fantastic story of struggle, self-discovery, and murder.
(Synopsis provided by IMDb.com):
Two death-obsessed sisters, (Katharine Isabelle, Emily Perkins) outcasts in their suburban neighborhood, must deal with the tragic consequences when one of them is bitten by a deadly Werewolf.
Katharine Isabelle and Emily Perkins were both exactly alike yet polar opposites. While searching for the perfect actresses for the roles of Ginger and Brigitte, it took producers six months. Coincidentally, Katharine Isabelle and Emily Perkins both auditioned on the same day and successfully landed both roles. Writer, Karen Walton was actually the one who singled out their auditioned tapes, stating that their performances were the exact way she envisioned the characters. It was an excellent choice, as Katharine and Emily worked so well together, they were very believable as sisters!
When it came to Werewolf transformation, Ginger Snaps stood out from the rest by having Ginger transform slowly throughout the month, instead of becoming a werewolf in just one night, then be completely normal the next day. For this to work, director John Fawcett refused to have CGI effects in the film and stuck solely to practical effects. For the film, Katharine Isabelle’s monster makeup took three hours to apply and an additional 45 minutes to remove after shooting. All that time and dedication was worth it to create a memorable monster out of Katharine Isabelle’s character.
One of my personal favorite scenes in the movie is the beginning credits, that shows photographs of the characters’ fake suicides. Those shots were in fact taken at someone’s actual home. Someone had to distract the homeowner’s four-year-old child whenever the lead actresses, who were covered in fake blood, would have to go inside to change. The whole scene was just cinematic gold, that paired beautifully with the movie’s main theme music.
Even though Ginger Snaps has finally reached “cult classic” status, it’s still very underrated, even in the horror community. If you haven’t seen this film, it’s definitely a must-watch if you love morbid humor, good practical effects, and just a bloody good time!
