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Ginger Snaps

2000, Movie, R, 108 mins

Ginger Snaps: Review

GINGER SNAPS
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If you ever wondered why they call it "the curse," this movie will enlighten as it entertains. Given how fresh, intelligent and savvy in its manipulation of werewolf movie conventions this Canadian horror picture is, it's hard to fathom why it had such trouble finding a U.S. distributor. Fifteen-year old Brigitte Fitzgerald (Emily Perkins) and her slightly older sister, Ginger (Katharine Isabelle), are high school outcasts. They affect a flamboyant morbidity calculated to shock teachers and fellow students alike (witness their elaborate class project about suicide), make fun of the girlie-girls in class and dress in dark, shapeless clothing designed to discourage the attentions of boys. They ignore the attempts of their well-meaning mother (Mimi Rogers) to guide them through the rough waters of adolescence, preferring to fantasize about the suicide pact they entered into as children and snicker about local panic over the "Beast of Bailey Downs," a marauding animal that's killed several dogs in their suburban neighborhood. After jealous Trina (Danielle Hampton) roughs up Brigitte during gym class, Ginger vows revenge: They'll kidnap Trina's beloved rottweiler and make her think it's been slaughtered by the beast. But the plan goes awry: Ginger is mauled by something that leaps out of the dark — a large dog, perhaps? — but before it can finish her off, the creature is killed by a serendipitous close encounter with a van. Ginger's injuries heal suspiciously quickly, and she begins to behave strangely. Bridget is concerned, but Ginger puts the blame for all her symptoms on the belated onset of her period. Painful cramps and excessive bleeding? Par for the menstrual course. Strange body hair? Hormonal changes. Raging sex drive? Ginger's becoming a woman. Little tail at base of spine? Okay, that's a tough one. As Ginger's behavior becomes more bizarre and threatening, her sister forges an unlikely alliance with pot-dealer Sam (Kris Lemche), whose van flattened Ginger's attacker; Sam knows a bit about werewolf lore, a little more about herbs, and enough to be sure that whatever he ran down was no dog. Writer-director John Fawcett's sure-handed direction allow leads Isabelle and Perkins to shine as the twisted sisters (Rogers and Lemche contribute fine supporting turns), and his clever script is full of inventions so felicitous that you can only wonder why no one ever thought of them before. leave a comment --Maitland McDonagh
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