Review: The Ginger Snaps Trilogy
I’d only ever watched the original Ginger Snaps movie back on its release over 20 years ago, so it was great to hear that the ever reliable Second Sight Films were releasing a limited edition Blu-ray box set of the full trilogy.
Katharine Isabelle (Ginger) and Emily Perkins (Brigette) are sisters, with movies 1&2 set in present day and working as 1 consecutive narrative, while #3 jumps back in time to the 19th century, and while still keeping the characters as sisters, is a standalone story.
The original Ginger Snaps has always been one of my favourite werewolf movies and is often overlooked due to the “big hitters” of An American Werewolf in London, The Howling, The Wolfman, etc, mostly due to its slow build up and focus on the human side of being a werewolf rather than showcasing savage kills…though there are a few of those too.
On the night of her first period Ginger is attacked and bitten by a werewolf, her transformation slowly becoming apparent in both her physical appearance and her self confidence and sassiness…much to the chagrin of her sister Brigette who tries to help her and stop the transformation as Ginger goes from being an outcast at school to one of the top dogs (no pun intended).
Though Ginger is the centre of the narrative in the first movie, the focus switches more to Brigette in both of the others, with the sequel seeing her haunted by visions of her sister while also being hunted by a werewolf while she’s locked up in a rehabilitation centre for drug addicts due to her Monkshood addiction that is (barely) keeping her own werewolf transformation at bay.
The final movie in the trilogy was the weakest for me, with the sisters trapped in a 19th century traders fort that becomes under siege by werewolf…sounds like a retro version of Aliens, but is in fact more of a talk piece…with the talking not being particularly exciting.
What is exciting however is the usual attention to detail put into this set by Second Sight Films, with a slew of special features for each movie that are both very informative and entertaining.
Throw in a 112 book, 5 collectors art cards, a rigid slipcase with new artwork by Michael Dunbabin, and you have yet another box set that you should add to your collection A.S.A.P.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Ginger Snaps
- New audio commentary by Mary Beth McAndrews and Terry Mesnard
- Audio commentary with Director John Fawcett
- Audio commentary with Writer Karen Walton
- Canadian Uncanny: Stacey Abbott on Ginger Snaps
- A Blood Red Moon: a new interview with Director John Fawcett
- What Are You Wereing?: a new interview with Producer Steve Hoban
- The Art of Horror: a new interview with Storyboard Artist Vincenzo Natali
- Ginger Snaps: Blood, Teeth and Fur
- Growing Pains: Puberty in Horror Films
- The Making of Ginger Snaps
- Cast Auditions and Rehearsals
- Deleted Scenes
- Deleted Scenes with Director’s and Writer’s commentaries
- Production Design Work
- Creation of the Beast
- Trailers and TV Spots
Ginger Snaps: Unleashed
- Audio commentary with Director Brett Sullivan
- Girl, Interrupted: a new interview with Director Brett Sullivan
- The Bloody Lunar Cycle: a new interview with Writer Megan Martin
- Behind the Scenes
- Deleted Scenes
- Deleted Scenes with Director’s commentary
- Audition Tapes
- Storyboards
Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning
- Audio commentary with Director Grant Harvey
- Snap!: a new interview with Director Grant Harvey
- Girls on Film: an interview with Producer Paula Devonshire
- The Making of Ginger Snaps Back
- Deleted Scenes
- Deleted Scenes with Director’s commentary
- Grant Harvey’s Video Diaries
Limited Edition Contents
- Rigid slipcase with new artwork by Michael Dunbabin
- 112-page book with new essays by Meredith Borders, Kat Hughes, Mikel J Koven, Dr Rachel Knightley, Jolene Richardson, Zoë Rose Smith and Caelum Vatnsdal
- 5 collectors’ art cards
Review by Dave from discs kindly supplied by Second Sight Films via Aim Publicity.