Jump to content

Ginger Snaps (film): Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
SporkBot (talk | contribs)
Bots
1,245,156 edits
m Remove template per TFD outcome
 
(399 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|2000 film by John Fawcett}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2015}}
{{Infobox film
{{Infobox film
| name = Ginger Snaps
| name = Ginger Snaps
| image = Thegingersnapsfilmposter.jpg
| image = Thegingersnapsfilmposter.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[John Fawcett (director)|John Fawcett]]
| director = [[John Fawcett (director)|John Fawcett]]
| producer = Karen Lee Hall<br />Steven Hoban
| screenplay = [[Karen Walton]]
| aproducer = Tina Goldlist
| story = {{plainlist|
* Karen Walton
| writer = [[Karen Walton]]<br />[[John Fawcett (director)|John Fawcett]]
* John Fawcett
| starring = [[Emily Perkins]]<br />[[Katharine Isabelle]]<br />[[Kris Lemche]]<br />[[Mimi Rogers]]
}}
| producer = {{plainlist|
* Karen Lee Hall
* [[Steve Hoban]]
}}
| starring = {{plainlist|
* [[Emily Perkins]]
* [[Katharine Isabelle]]
* [[Kris Lemche]]
* [[Mimi Rogers]]
}}
| music = Mike Shields
| music = Mike Shields
| cinematography = Thom Best
| cinematography = Thom Best
| editing = Brett Sullivan
| editing = Brett Sullivan
| studio = Oddbod Productions
| distributor = Motion International
| released = {{film date|2000|9|10|[[2000 Toronto International Film Festival|Tiff]]|2001|5|11}}
| distributor = [[TVA Films|Motion International]]
| released = {{Film date|2000|08|01|Munich Fantasy Filmfest|2001|05|11}}
| runtime = 108 minutes
| runtime = 108 minutes<!--Theatrical runtime: 108:23--><ref>{{cite web | url=https://bbfc.co.uk/releases/ginger-snaps-2001-2 | title=''GINGER SNAPS'' (18) | work=[[British Board of Film Classification]] | date=April 17, 2001 | access-date=June 4, 2015 | archive-date=December 14, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181214081959/https://bbfc.co.uk/releases/ginger-snaps-2001-2 | url-status=live }}</ref>
| country = Canada
| country = Canada
| language = English
| language = English
| budget = $4.5 million<ref name=mathijs>{{cite book|title=John Fawcett's Ginger Snaps|last=Mathijs|first=Ernest|publisher=[[University of Toronto Press]]|year=2013|isbn=9781442615670|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RW-1AAAAQBAJ}}</ref>{{rp|16}}
| budget = [[Canadian dollar|CAN]] $4.8 million
| gross = $572,781<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Ginger-Snaps#tab=summary|title=Ginger Snaps (2001)|publisher=[[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]]|access-date=2016-02-10|archive-date=December 14, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214031700/https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Ginger-Snaps#tab=summary|url-status=live}}</ref>
| Gross = [[Canadian dollar|CAN]] $23,332,093
}}
}}
'''''Ginger Snaps''''' is a 2000 Canadian [[werewolf]] [[Horror film|horror]] film directed by [[John Fawcett (director)|John Fawcett]]. The film focuses on two teenage sisters, Ginger and Brigitte Fitzgerald ([[Katharine Isabelle]] and [[Emily Perkins]]), who have a [[fascination with death]]. The title is a [[pun]] on the cookie [[Gingersnap]]. "Snap" (snapping) also relates to losing one's self-control, or a quick, aggressive bite. During the film's production, the [[Columbine High School massacre]] and the [[W. R. Myers High School shooting]] took place, causing public controversy over the film's horror themes and the funding it received from [[Telefilm Canada|Telefilm]].


'''''Ginger Snaps''''' is a 2000 Canadian [[supernatural horror film]] directed by [[John Fawcett (director)|John Fawcett]] and written by [[Karen Walton]], from a story they jointly developed. The film stars [[Emily Perkins]] and [[Katharine Isabelle]] as [[Brigitte Fitzgerald|Brigitte]] and [[Ginger Fitzgerald]], two morbid teenage sisters whose relationship is tested when Ginger (who has started her period for the first time) is attacked and bitten by an unknown animal, and then later, during the next full moon, slowly starts to transform into a [[werewolf]]. The supporting cast features [[Kris Lemche]], [[Jesse Moss (actor)|Jesse Moss]], [[Danielle Hampton]], John Bourgeois, [[Peter Keleghan]], and [[Mimi Rogers]].
==Plot==
{{Plot|date=April 2009}}
A mother finds her dog's mutilated body strung across the lawn. Meanwhile, a slideshow of Brigitte ([[Emily Perkins]]) and Ginger Fitzgerald ([[Katharine Isabelle]]) creating staged deaths for a school project plays in their classroom. Their teacher and the school's guidance counselor, Mr. Wayne, ([[Peter Keleghan]]) demands to see them after class. Trina Sinclair's ([[Danielle Hampton]]) friend overhears Brigitte describing Trina's character and death, and tells Trina. The sisters notice this, and Ginger tells Brigitte she will "cover her" in the game. However, as Ginger is distracted, Trina pushes Brigitte into the remains of a dog. Together, Brigitte and Ginger decide to kidnap Trina's dog that night.


After premiering at the Munich [[Fantasy Filmfest]] in August 2000 and screening at the [[2000 Toronto International Film Festival]], ''Ginger Snaps'' received a limited theatrical release in May 2001. Despite modest [[box office]] receipts, the film was a critical success. It has since amassed a [[cult following]] and has been reexamined for its [[feminism|feminist]] themes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/37147051 |doi=10.1386/fiin.4.3.68/1 |doi-broken-date=November 1, 2024 |via=[[ResearchGate]]|title=Menstrual Monsters: The reception of the Ginger Snaps cult horror franchise |date=January 2006 |last1=Barker |first1=Martin}}</ref><ref name="Vice">{{cite web |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/y3zxw5/ginger-snaps-was-a-monster-win-for-canadian-cinema |title='Ginger Snaps' Was a Monster Win for Canadian Cinema |last=Blichert |first=Frederick |date=August 5, 2020 |website=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]] |access-date=August 21, 2022 |archive-date=August 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220821055832/https://www.vice.com/en/article/y3zxw5/ginger-snaps-was-a-monster-win-for-canadian-cinema |url-status=live }}</ref> It was followed by a sequel, ''[[Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed]]'', and a prequel, ''[[Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning]]'', which were filmed back-to-back and both released in 2004.
They set out and find the mutilated corpse of another dog. Brigitte notices blood on Ginger, thinking it is from the dog, but it proves to be from Ginger's first period. The Beast of Bailey Downs attacks, and drags her into the woods screaming. Brigitte rescues Ginger. As the sisters flee, they narrowly escape being hit by an approaching van driven by Sam ([[Kris Lemche]]), which hits and kills the Beast. Brigitte finds Ginger's wounds are already healing and begs her to go to a hospital. Ginger refuses, as she does not want their mother ([[Mimi Rogers]]) to find out.


==Plot==
After a few days, Ginger begins to grow hair from her wounds, sprouts a tail and menstruates heavily. Ignoring Brigitte's warnings, she has unprotected sex with Jason, then kills a neighbour's dog.
A rash of dog killings strikes the suburb of Bailey Downs. [[Brigitte Fitzgerald|Brigitte]] and [[Ginger Fitzgerald]] are teenage sisters who harbor a fascination with death. As children, they formed a pact to move out of the suburb or die together by the age of 16. One night, while on their way to kidnap a dog owned by school bully Trina Sinclair, Ginger begins her first [[Menstruation|period]]. The scent of blood results in the girls being attacked by the creature responsible for the maulings. The creature bites Ginger and as the girls flee, the creature is run over by a van belonging to Sam Miller, a local drug dealer. Ginger foregoes going to the hospital because her wound has already healed.


Following the attack, Ginger undergoes transformations that concern Brigitte. She begins behaving aggressively, hair grows from her scars, she sprouts a tail, and menstruates heavily. Ignoring Brigitte's warnings, Ginger has unprotected sex with classmate Jason McCardy. Later, she furiously beats Trina in public and kills a neighbor's dog. Brigitte seeks out Sam to obtain information on what his van struck, and they agree that Ginger was attacked by a [[werewolf]] and is transforming into one. After a silver navel piercing proves ineffective as a remedy, Sam suggests infusing an extract of [[Aconitum|monkshood]], also known as wolfsbane, a [[perennial plant]] often referred to in [[lycanthrope]] folklore.
Frightened by what is happening to Ginger, Brigitte turns to Sam. Agreeing the Beast of Bailey Downs is a [[lycanthropy|lycanthrope]], he suggests a pure silver ring may cure Ginger. Brigitte persuades Ginger to have her [[navel piercing|navel pierced]] using the ring, but it is ineffective.


Trina appears at the Fitzgerald home and accuses Ginger of kidnapping her dog. As Ginger and Trina struggle, Trina dies accidentally when she slips and strikes her head upon the kitchen counter. The sisters hide the body in a freezer. Brigitte accidentally breaks off two of Trina's fingers while removing her body to bury it, and the fingers are misplaced. On [[Halloween]], Brigitte brings monkshood to Sam and he creates an extract of the herb. Brigitte is attacked by an infected Jason, and defends herself by using the monkshood syringe on him. His behavior suddenly changes, proving that the cure works. At school, she discovers Ginger's murder of the counselor and witnesses her killing the janitor. Ginger discloses her intent to target Sam next at the Greenhouse Bash, a Halloween party hosted by him.
On the pretence that Brigitte is the one "changing" instead of Ginger, they visit Sam, who suggests a [[monkshood]] solution for Ginger's illness; and informs them that the monkshood grows everywhere, however it only grows during spring. Ginger angrily tells him that they have no time, and accuses him of just wanting to have sex with Brigitte before storming out.


The girls' mother discovers the fingers and Trina's corpse. She drives Brigitte to the Greenhouse Bash, telling her that she will erase the evidence of Trina's death by burning their house down. Brigitte arrives to find Sam fending off a nearly-turned Ginger. Brigitte wounds Ginger's and her own palm and clasps their hands together, infecting herself with Ginger's blood. She convinces Ginger of her loyalty and willingness to help her. As the sisters leave, Brigitte decides to abandon her mother. As Ginger feels her transformation approaching, Sam knocks her unconscious with a shovel. They take Ginger back home to prepare more of the cure for her.
Later, Trina goes to the Fitzgerald house claiming Ginger kidnapped her dog. As Ginger and Trina fight, Trina slips, hitting her head on the corner of the kitchen counter, and dies. The sisters narrowly avoide their parents seeing them as they put the body in the freezer, explaining the blood to be part of another series of death photos for the school project. Brigitte accidentally breaks off two of Trina's fingers trying to get the corpse from the freezer. As they take Trina's body to bury it, they lose the fingers. Brigitte tells Ginger she can't go out anymore, but Ginger remains defiant.


On the way, Ginger fully transforms into a werewolf and escapes from the van. Sam and Brigitte hide in the pantry as Sam makes the cure. When he goes to find Ginger, she mutilates him. After finding Sam, injured and bloody, Brigitte tries to save him by drinking his blood to calm Ginger, but is unable to go through with it. Ginger senses Brigitte's insincerity and kills Sam. As Ginger chases Brigitte, Brigitte returns to the room where they grew up. Brigitte defends herself while holding the syringe in one hand and a knife in the other. Ginger lunges at Brigitte and into the knife, fatally wounding herself. Brigitte lays her head upon her dying sister's chest and weeps.
On Halloween, Brigitte takes her mother's monkshood, which was purchased from a craft store, and asks Sam to make the cure. Sam asks if it is for Ginger. Brigitte admits the truth, and promises to go to the Greenhouse Bash party.

While trying to track down Ginger, Brigitte is attacked by Jason (whom Ginger infected through unprotected sex) and she defends herself by using the cure on him. She witnesses his immediate change in behavior, which proves the cure's success.

Ginger returns to school looking for Jason. As Brigitte arrives, a message on the PA asks her to go to the Guidance office. She knocks, and is dragged inside by Ginger who has killed the counselor. Brigitte calms Ginger down, and goes to find cleaning supplies, but returns to see the janitor with his throat torn open. He survives, until Brigitte says he should have gotten help, which incites Ginger to disembowel him with her hand.

The mother discovers Trina's corpse, and goes looking for her daughters. While she is looking for them, she sees Brigitte running, and picks her up. As she drives Brigitte to the Greenhouse Bash, she tells her that she will burn the house down by letting it fill up with gas then lighting a match to erase evidence of Trina's death. Brigitte arrives to find Sam rejecting Ginger's advances. As he approaches Ginger, she breaks his arm. In despair, Brigitte infects herself as Sam pleads with her not to. As the sisters leave, Sam knocks Ginger out with a shovel. Brigitte and Sam then take her back to the Fitzgerald house in his van, and prepare more of the cure for Ginger.

Ginger fully transforms into a werewolf on the way home and escapes the van. Aware that she has transformed, Sam and Brigitte hide in the pantry as he makes the cure. When he goes to find Ginger, Ginger-Wolf mutilates Sam. Brigitte picks up the dropped syringe, and follows the blood trail downstairs. She tries to drink Sam's blood in an attempt to calm Ginger-Wolf, but chokes on it. Ginger-Wolf senses Brigitte's insincerity and kills Sam in front of her.

As Ginger-Wolf stalks Brigitte through the basement, Brigitte returns to the room where they grew up. Finding the knife that Ginger had been using to remove her tail, Brigitte holds the cure in one hand and the knife in the other. Ginger-Wolf lunges at Brigitte who accidentally stabs her with the knife. As the movie ends, Brigitte lays her head upon Ginger-Wolf, sobbing, listening until her breathing finally stops, at which point the credits start to roll.


==Cast==
==Cast==
{{Cast list|
[[Image:Katharine Isabelle1.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Katharine Isabelle as Ginger Fitzgerald.]]
* [[Emily Perkins]] as Brigitte Fitzgerald, the main protagonist, who throughout the film tries to cure her sister.
* [[Emily Perkins]] as [[Brigitte Fitzgerald]]
* [[Katharine Isabelle]] as Ginger Fitzgerald, Brigitte's older sister and title character.
* [[Katharine Isabelle]] as [[Ginger Fitzgerald]]
* [[Kris Lemche]] as Sam, a drug dealer who befriends Brigitte. The secondary protagonist
* [[Kris Lemche]] as Sam
* [[Mimi Rogers]] as Pamela Fitzgerald, the sisters' mother.
* [[Mimi Rogers]] as Pamela Fitzgerald
* [[Jesse Moss]] as Jason McCardy, Ginger's boyfriend, who is infected by lycanthropy through having sex with Ginger.
* [[Jesse Moss (actor)|Jesse Moss]] as Jason McCardy
* [[Danielle Hampton]] as Trina Sinclair, an antagonist, a bully of the Fitzgerald sisters.
* [[Danielle Hampton]] as Trina Sinclair
* [[John Bourgeois]] as Henry Fitzgerald, the sisters' father.
* John Bourgeois as Henry Fitzgerald
* [[Peter Keleghan]] as Mr. Wayne, the guidance councilor and victim of Ginger.
* [[Peter Keleghan]] as Mr. Wayne, a teacher and guidance counselor at Bailey Downs High School
* Christopher Redman as Ben
* Christopher Redman as Ben
* Jimmy MacInnis as Tim
* Jimmy MacInnis as Tim
* Lindsay Leese as Nurse Ferry
* Lindsay Leese as Nurse Ferry, the school nurse
* Wendii Fulford as Ms. Sykes
* Wendii Fulford as Ms. Sykes, the Bailey Downs High School gym and field hockey teacher
* Ann Baggley as mother
* [[Lucy Lawless]] voice on school's PA system
* Graeme Robertson and Maxwell Robertson as toddler
*Snoop Lion as Top Dog
* Pak-Kong Ho as janitor
* Bryon Bully as hockey kid
* Steven Taylor as puppy kid
}}

Nick Nolan portrayed both the initial werewolf (nicknamed "the Beast of Bailey Downs" by the town's residents) and the "Gingerwolf", the werewolf which Ginger becomes.<ref>{{Citation|title=Ginger Snaps (2000) - IMDb|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0210070/fullcredits|access-date=2020-07-26|archive-date=January 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125063851/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0210070/fullcredits|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=August 2021}}


==Production==
==Production==
===Development===
Director [[John Fawcett (director)|John Fawcett]] has said: "I knew that I wanted to make a metamorphosis movie and a horror film. I also knew that I wanted to work with girls".<ref name="kit">{{cite press release|publisher=TVA International|date=2000-07-17|url=http://www.ginger-snaps.com/presskit.htm|title=Ginger Snaps: Press Kit|access-date=2006-11-30|archive-date=February 16, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070216084007/http://www.ginger-snaps.com/presskit.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> In January 1995, he talked to screenwriter [[Karen Walton]], who was initially reluctant to write the script due to the horror genre's reputation for weak characters, poor storytelling, and a negative portrayal of women. However, Fawcett convinced Walton the film would re-interpret the genre.<ref name="kit"/> Walton has said, "a lot of werewolf movies seemed very much the same. My favourite was of course ''[[An American Werewolf in London]]'', because it was at least a little punk about it, but it was still two white dudes grappling with the beast inside of them... I love stories that work on a lot of different levels, for a whole bunch of different kinds of people. That it turned out to be OK in the marketplace as just one girl's voice – and a director who really wanted to support that – is remarkable, I think, for the day".<ref name="Vice" />


Fawcett and Walton encountered trouble financing the film. They approached producer [[Steve Hoban]], with whom they had worked before, and he agreed to produce the film. Hoban employed Ken Chubb to edit and polish the story, and after two years they were ready to seek financiers.<ref name="kit"/>
===Pre-production===
In January 1995 John Fawcett "Knew that he wanted to make a metamorphosis movie and a horror film. He also knew that he wanted to work with young girls."<ref name="kit">{{cite press release |publisher=TVA International |date=2000-07-17|url=http://www.ginger-snaps.com/presskit.htm |title=Ginger Snaps: Press Kit|accessdate=2006-11-30}}</ref> He talked to screenwriter [[Karen Walton]], who was initially reluctant to write the script due to the horror genre's reputation for weak characters, poor storytelling, and a negative portrayal of women. However, Fawcett convinced Walton this film would re-interpret the genre.<ref name="kit"/>

The two encountered trouble financing the film. They approached producer Steve Hoban, with whom they had worked before, and he agreed to produce the film. Hoban employed Ken Chubb to edit and polish the story, and after two years they were ready to seek financiers.<ref name="kit"/>


Motion International committed to financing and distributing the film in Canada, and Trimark agreed to be the American distributor and financier.<ref name="kit"/> The film seemed ready to go into production by fall of 1998, however negotiations with Trimark made the producers miss the budgeting deadline for [[Telefilm Canada]], the Canadian federal film funding agency. Rather than go ahead with only 60% of the funding, Hoban decided to wait a year for Telefilm's funding. During this interval Trimark dropped the film. Lions Gate Films took Trimark's place, and Unapix Entertainment agreed to distribute the DVD.<ref name="kit"/> The film's budget was less than $5,000,000 [[Canadian dollar]]s.<ref name="reel">Nusair, David. "[http://www.reelfilm.com/ginger.htm Ginger Snaps (2001)]". ''reelfilm.com''. Retrieved November 19, 2006.</ref>
Motion International committed to co-financing and Canadian distribution, and [[Trimark Pictures]] agreed to be the co-financier, U.S. distributor, and international sales agent.<ref name="kit"/> The film seemed ready to go into production by fall of 1998; however, negotiations with Trimark caused the producers to miss the budgeting deadline for [[Telefilm Canada]], the Canadian federal film funding agency. Rather than go ahead with only 60% of the funding, Hoban decided to wait a year for Telefilm's funding. During this interval, Trimark dropped the film. [[Lionsgate Films]], who Trimark would end up merging with in 2000, took Trimark's place, and Unapix Entertainment agreed to distribute the film on [[DVD]], along with [[Artisan Entertainment]] for the American DVD release.<ref name="kit"/> The film's budget was $4.5 million.<ref name=mathijs/>{{rp|16}}


===Casting===
===Casting===
Actually casting the two leads met with substantial difficulty. Whilst a casting director was easily found for Los Angeles, Canadian casting directors proved to be appalled by the horror, gore, and language. When one finally agreed to pick up the film, the [[Columbine High School massacre|Columbine]] shooting and [[W. R. Myers High School shooting|another]] school shooting in Alberta suddenly thrust the public spotlight on violent teens. The [[Toronto Star]]'s announcement that Telefilm was funding a "teen slasher movie" met with a flurry of debate and outrage in the media, which generated a remarkable amount of (adverse) publicity for such a small, independent film.<ref name="kit"/><ref>{{cite web|first=Charles|last=Taylor|title=Ginger Snaps|work=salon.com|url=http://archive.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2001/10/26/ginger_snaps/index.html|date=October 26, 2001|accessdate=2006-11-30}}</ref>
Casting the two leads met with substantial difficulty. While a casting director was easily found for Los Angeles, Canadian casting directors proved to be appalled by the horror, gore, and language. When one finally agreed to pick up the film, the [[Columbine High School massacre|Columbine shooting]] and another [[W. R. Myers High School shooting|school shooting in Alberta]] suddenly thrust the public spotlight on violent teenagers. The ''[[Toronto Star]]''{{'}}s announcement that Telefilm was funding a "teen slasher movie" met with a flurry of debate and outrage in the media, which generated a significant amount of adverse publicity in proportion to the size of the project.<ref name="kit"/><ref>{{cite web|first=Charles|last=Taylor|title=Ginger Snaps|website=[[Salon.com]]|url=http://archive.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2001/10/26/ginger_snaps/index.html|date=October 26, 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020206041642/https://www.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2001/10/26/ginger_snaps/index.html |archive-date=2002-02-06}}</ref>


Casting took place in Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Emily Perkins and Katharine Isabelle auditioned on the same day at their agency in Vancouver, reading to one another off-camera. When their taped auditions arrived, screenwriter Karen Walton said that they were exactly as she had pictured the characters.<ref name="kit"/>
Casting took place in Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Perkins and Isabelle auditioned on the same day at their agency in Vancouver, reading to one another off-camera. When their taped auditions arrived, screenwriter Karen Walton said that they were exactly as she had pictured the characters.<ref name="kit"/>


Interestingly, both actresses were born in the same hospital, attended the same pre-school, elementary and private schools, and are at the same agency. Perkins was twenty-two at the time and Isabelle four years younger, but it was Perkins who would be cast as the younger sister.
Coincidentally, both actresses were born in the same hospital, attended the same preschool, elementary, and private schools, and are at the same agency. Perkins was twenty-two at the time and Isabelle four years younger, but Perkins was cast as the younger sister.


Thus, after six months of fruitless searching, the two leads were found on the same day. Attention then turned to the next most important characters: the drug dealer and the mother roles. Mimi Rogers readily agreed to play the mother, ''Pamela'', saying that she liked the black humour and comic relief in the role.<ref name="kit"/> Robin Cook, the Canadian casting director, put forward one of her favourites, [[Kris Lemche]], for the role of drug dealer ''Sam''. After seeing Kris's audition, Fawcett hired him.<ref name="kit"/>
Attention then turned to the next most important characters: the drug dealer and the mother roles. Mimi Rogers readily agreed to play the mother, Pamela, saying that she liked the black humour and comic relief in the role.<ref name="kit"/> Robin Cook, the Canadian casting director, put forward one of her favourites, [[Kris Lemche]], for the role of drug dealer Sam. After seeing Kris's audition, Fawcett hired him.<ref name="kit"/>

[[Image:Isabellemakeup.jpeg|thumb|right|Katharine Isabelle having a [[facial prosthetic]] applied.]]
In 2021, Fawcett revealed that [[Scarlett Johansson]] was originally offered the role of Brigitte, but her mother did not want her involved after reading a ''[[National Post]]'' article about a boycott of the film by casting directors in Canada.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hobbs |first=Thomas |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/oct/25/werewolf-thelma-and-louise-how-we-made-cult-horror-ginger-snaps-scarlet-johansson-boycott |title=A werewolf Thelma and Louise: how we made cult horror film Ginger Snaps |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=October 25, 2021 |access-date=November 25, 2022 |archive-date=November 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221126013123/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/oct/25/werewolf-thelma-and-louise-how-we-made-cult-horror-ginger-snaps-scarlet-johansson-boycott |url-status=live }}</ref>


===Shooting===
===Shooting===
[[Image:Isabellemakeup.jpeg|thumb|right|Katharine Isabelle having a [[facial prosthetic]] applied.]]
The film was shot between October 25, 1999 and December 6, 1999, lasting six weeks and two days. Three of Toronto's suburbs, Etobicoke, Brampton (Kris Lemche's home town), and Scarborough served as the suburb of Bailey Downs.<ref name=kit/> Shooting outside during Toronto's winter for sixteen hours a day, six days a week meant that sicknesses would make their rounds through the cast and crew every few weeks.<ref name=kit/><ref name=kat/>
[[Principal photography]] took place between October 25 and December 6, 1999, lasting a little over six weeks. Three of Toronto's suburbs, Etobicoke, Brampton (Kris Lemche's hometown), and Scarborough served as the suburb of Bailey Downs.<ref name=kit/> Shooting outside during Toronto's winter for sixteen hours a day, six days a week meant that sicknesses would make their rounds through the cast and crew every few weeks.<ref name=kit/><ref name=kat/>


On the first day of principal photography in the suburbs, all the stills photographs for the title sequence were created. The bloody, staged deaths drew a crowd and Fawcett worried about upsetting the neighbours.<ref name=kit/> The girls were covered in fake blood for the shots and, at the time, a homeowner's basement served as their changing room. Each time they needed to change, someone had to distract the homeowner's four-year-old child.<ref name="kat">Allan, Keri. "[http://www.ginger-snaps.com/interview_katharine_isabelle.htm Katharine Isabelle]" (2001). ''sci-fi-online.com''. Retrieved November 19, 2006.</ref>
On the first day of shooting in the suburbs, all the still photographs for the title sequence were created. The bloody, staged deaths drew a crowd and Fawcett worried about upsetting the neighbours.<ref name=kit/> The girls were covered in fake blood for the shots, and at the time, a homeowner's basement served as their changing room. Each time they needed to change, someone had to distract the homeowner's four-year-old child.<ref name="kat">Allan, Keri. "[http://www.ginger-snaps.com/interview_katharine_isabelle.htm Katharine Isabelle] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190107104425/http://www.ginger-snaps.com/interview_katharine_isabelle.htm |date=January 7, 2019 }}" (2001). ''sci-fi-online.com''. Retrieved November 19, 2006.</ref>


The schedule was quickly so off kilter that cast and crew were turning up to shoot day scenes at 11:00 p.m., and shooting for a day scene in the greenhouse began at midnight. The [[Director of Photography]] solved the problem by using [[Diffusion filter|diffusion gel]] and four eighteen kilowatt lamps which generated enough light to be seen a mile high in the sky.<ref name=kit/>
Long shooting days pushed the earliest possible start later each day until the scenes written for day were being shot after late into the night. Director of photography Thom Best solved the problem by using [[Diffusion filter|diffusion gel]] and four eighteen kilowatt lamps which generated enough light to be seen a mile high in the sky.<ref name=kit/>


The special effects proved to be a major hardship as Fawcett eschewed [[Special effects#CGI and SFX|CGI]] effects, and preferred to use more traditional means of prosthetics and make-up. Consequently Isabelle had to spend up to seven hours in the makeup chair to create Ginger's transformation and a further two hours to remove them.<ref name=kat/> Often covered in sticky fake blood that required [[Borax]] and household [[detergent]] to remove, she further endured wearing contacts that hindered her vision and teeth that meant she couldn't speak without a [[lisp]]. The most aggravating thing was the full [[facial prosthetic]] which gave her a permanently runny nose that she had to stop up with Q-tips.<ref name="kit"/>
The special effects proved to be a major hardship, as Fawcett eschewed [[Special effects#CGI and SFX|CGI]] effects and preferred to use more traditional means of prosthetics and make-up. Consequently, Isabelle had to spend up to seven hours in the makeup chair to create Ginger's metamorphosis and a further two hours to remove them.<ref name=kat/> Often covered in sticky fake blood that required [[Borax]] and household detergent to remove, she further endured wearing contacts that hindered her vision and teeth that meant she could not speak without a lisp. The most aggravating thing was the full [[facial prosthetic]] which gave her a permanently runny nose that she had to stop with [[cotton swab]]s.<ref name="kit"/>


===Post-production===
===Post-production===
Beginning in December 1999, Brett Sullivan, the editor, worked with John Fawcett for eight weeks to create the final cut of the film.<ref name="kit"/> Despite the short time for editing the film was nominated for a [[Genie Award|Genie]] in editing.<ref name="genie">{{cite web |url= http://www.academy.ca/hist/history.cfm?stitle=Ginger+Snaps&awyear=0&winonly=0&awards=0&rtype=2&curstep=4&submit.x=52&submit.y=11|title= Canadian Awards History Search|accessdate=2006-12-11 |format= |work= }}</ref> Sound designer David McCallum of Tattersall Despite a similarly tight schedule in the sound department, the film would also be nominated for a Genie in sound editing.<ref name="genie"/>
Beginning in December 1999, Brett Sullivan worked with Fawcett for eight weeks to create the final cut of the film.<ref name="kit"/> Despite the short time for editing, the film was nominated for a [[Genie Award|Genie]] in editing.<ref name="genie">{{cite web |url=http://www.academy.ca/hist/history.cfm?stitle=Ginger+Snaps&awyear=0&winonly=0&awards=0&rtype=2&curstep=4&submit.x=52&submit.y=11 |title=Canadian Awards History Search |access-date=2006-12-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322093553/http://www.academy.ca/hist/history.cfm?stitle=Ginger+Snaps&awyear=0&winonly=0&awards=0&rtype=2&curstep=4&submit.x=52&submit.y=11 |archive-date=March 22, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Despite a similarly tight schedule in the sound department, the film would also be nominated for a Genie in sound editing.<ref name="genie"/>

==Critical reception==
''Ginger Snaps'' was well received by critics, and compared favourably with auteur [[David Cronenberg]]'s work.<ref>Kehr, David (2001). "[http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/26/movies/26GING.html She Was a Teenage Werewolf]". ''[[New York Times]]''. Retrieved November 18, 2006.</ref><ref>Lim, David. "[http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0143/lim2.php Vicious Cycles Ginger Snaps; A Chronicle of Corpses; Kill by Inches]" (2001). ''[[Village Voice]]''. Retrieved November 18, 2006.</ref> Critics also praised the lead actresses performances and the film's use of [[lycanthropy]] as a metaphor for puberty. ''Ginger Snaps'' won the Special Jury Citation award at the [[Toronto International Film Festival]].

The film was "seemingly left for dead" upon its 2000 premier at the Toronto Film Festival but is now considered a [[cult film]].<ref>[http://www.avclub.com/articles/ginger-snaps,34710/ The A.V. Club - "The New Cult Canon - Ginger Snaps"]</ref> The film was well received by critics, boasting an 87% freshness rating on [[Rotten Tomatoes#Description|Tomatometer]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ginger_snaps |title= Rotten Tomatoes |accessdate=2007-10-03 |format= |work= }}</ref> Critics' praise was centred on the quality of acting by the two leads, the horrific transformation reminiscent of [[David Cronenberg|Cronenberg]], the use of lycanthropy as a metaphor for puberty, and the dark humour.<ref>"[http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/2070 Blood Sisters]"(2000). ''[[Sight and Sound]]''. Retrieved November 28, 2006.</ref><ref>Waldron-Mangani, Ian. "[http://www.ukcritic.com/gingersnaps.html Ginger Snaps]" (2001). ''ukcritic.com''. Retrieved November 19, 2006.</ref><ref>Axmaker, Sean. "[http://www.seattlepi.com/movies/91660_ginger18q.shtml 'Ginger Snaps' is a teen werewolf film with real bite]". ''[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]]''. Retrieved November 19, 2006.</ref><ref>Gonzalez, Ed. "[http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/film_review.asp?ID=176 Ginger Snaps]" (2000). ''[[Slant Magazine]]''. Retrieved November 19, 2006.</ref>

Critics who panned the film thought the puberty metaphor too obvious, the characters too over the top (especially the mother), and the dark humour and horror elements unbalanced.<ref name="reel"/><ref>Chambers, Bill. "[http://filmfreakcentral.net/dvdreviews/gingersnaps.htm Ginger Snaps]" (2001). ''filmfreakcentral.net''. Retrieved November 19, 2006.</ref> However, they did credit it as a worthy attempt and often gave it half marks on their star scales.

The film grossed [[Canadian Dollar|C$]]425,753 domestically, making it the fifth highest-grossing Canadian film between December 2000 and November 2001.<ref>Bracken, Laura. "[http://www.playbackmag.com/articles/magazine/20030203/psc.html Monsters make move on Edmonton]" (2003). ''Playback Magazine''. Retrieved November 19, 2006.</ref> Owing to a cult following, it has achieved significant video and DVD sales. These earnings, combined with moderate theatrical success abroad, led to the production of two further films.

Because the film links lycanthropy to menstruation and features two sisters, ''Ginger Snaps'' lends itself to a feminist critique. "By simultaneously depicting female bonds as important and fraught with difficulties, ''Ginger Snaps'' portrays the double-binds teenage girls face." and "Ginger is an embodiment of these impossible binaries: she is at once sexually attractive and monstrous, 'natural' and 'supernatural,' human and animal, 'feminine' and transgressive, a sister and a rival."<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.thirdspace.ca/articles/3_2_nielsen.htm|title= "Something's Wrong, Like More Than You Being Female": Transgressive Sexuality and Discourses of Reproduction in Ginger Snaps|accessdate=2006-12-15 |last= Nielsen| first= Bianca| date= |year= 2004|month= March| work= |publisher= Thirdspace|quote= }}</ref>

===Nominations and awards===
The International Horror Guild named ''Ginger Snaps'' the best film of 2001.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.ihgonline.org/prevrec.html#2001|title= International Horror Guild|accessdate=2006-12-11 }}</ref> Málaga International Week of Fantastic Cinema awarded it best film, best special effects, and best actress [[Emily Perkins]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.fantastico.uma.es/premios/premios2001.html|title= Semana Internacional de Cine Fantàstico de Málaga|accessdate=2006-12-11 |work= |language = Spanish |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070109081741/http://www.fantastico.uma.es/premios/premios2001.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2007-01-09}}</ref> The Toronto International Film Festival gave it a Special Jury Citation.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.filmreferencelibrary.ca/index.asp?layid=44&csid1=372&navid=46|title= The Film Reference Library|accessdate=2006-12-11 |format= |work= }}</ref> ''Ginger Snaps'' won the first Saturn Award for best DVD release of 2002 from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html#dvdrelease|title= Saturn Award Winners|accessdate=2006-12-11 |format= |work= }}</ref> Karen Walton won a [[Canadian Comedy Awards|Canadian Comedy award]] for Pretty Funny Writing.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.imdb.com/Sections/Awards/Canadian_Comedy_Awards/2002|title= IMDB list of Canadian Comedy Awards|accessdate=2006-12-29 |format= |work= }} IMDB is used because the official site repeats the television winners as the film winners.</ref>

''Ginger Snaps'' was nominated for [[Genie Award|Genie awards]] in cinematography, editing, and sound editing.<ref name="genie"/>


==Soundtrack==
==Soundtrack==
The soundtrack was released on [[Roadrunner Records]].
The soundtrack was released on [[Roadrunner Records]].
{{track listing
{{tracklist
| headline = Track listing
| headline = Track listing
| extra_column = Artist
| extra_column = Artist
| extra_credits = yes
| title1 = Inside You
| title1 = Inside You
| note1 =
| note1 =
Line 131: Line 124:
| title4 = The Silent Acquiescence of Millions
| title4 = The Silent Acquiescence of Millions
| note4 =
| note4 =
| extra4 = [[Sinch]]
| extra4 = [[Sinch (band)|Sinch]]
| length4 = 8:44
| length4 = 8:44
| title5 = Temple from the Within
| title5 = Temple from the Within
Line 139: Line 132:
| title6 = First Commandment
| title6 = First Commandment
| note6 =
| note6 =
| extra6 = [[Soulfly]] (feat. [[Chino Moreno]])
| extra6 = [[Soulfly]] featuring [[Chino Moreno]]
| length6 = 4:29
| length6 = 4:29
| title7 = Cloning Technology
| title7 = Cloning Technology
Line 173: Line 166:
| extra14 = [[Cradle of Filth]]
| extra14 = [[Cradle of Filth]]
| length14 = 6:24
| length14 = 6:24
}}
{{track listing
| headline = Uncredited track listing
| extra_column = Artist
| title15 = Ginger Snaps - Opening
| note15 =
| extra15 = Michael Shields
| length15 = 2:10
| title16 = Ginger Snaps Theme Song (no sound effects)
| note16 =
| extra16 = Michael Shields
| length16 = 3:00
}}
}}


==TV series==
==Release==
''Ginger Snaps'' premiered at the Munich Fantasy Filmfest in August 2000. The following month, it played at the [[2000 Toronto International Film Festival|Toronto International Film Festival]], where it briefly received media attention following the positive word-of-mouth it had built up from Munich. Although called one of the stand-outs of the Toronto festival, attention died off and the film followed an unfocused release strategy, playing at various film festivals and building up more word-of-mouth.<ref name=mathijs/>{{rp|86–87}} ''Ginger Snaps'' was released to Canadian cinemas in May 2001. It grossed [[Canadian dollar|CAD $]]425,753 domestically, making it the fifth highest-grossing Canadian film between December 2000 and November 2001.<ref>Bracken, Laura. "[http://www.playbackmag.com/articles/magazine/20030203/psc.html Monsters make move on Edmonton] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927001706/http://www.playbackmag.com/articles/magazine/20030203/psc.html |date=September 27, 2007 }}" (2003). ''Playback Magazine''. Retrieved November 19, 2006.</ref> Owing to a cult following, it has achieved significant video and DVD sales. These earnings, combined with moderate theatrical success abroad, led to the production of two further films.
{{Refimprove section|date=May 2010}}{{update|type=section|date=May 2010}}
[[Grant Harvey]], a producer on both the second and third films, thought a TV series would probably be the best way to extend the franchise, citing the idea of tracing a character "from story to story, setting to setting, telling stories about werewolves," inspired by [[Brendan Fletcher]] having appeared in both the sequel and prequel (as different characters). But such decisions rest with [[Steve Hoban]], senior producer of the trilogy, who made it clear there were no plans for any more ''Ginger Snaps'' films, pointing to the failure of the sequels to secure theatrical releases as the reason. Though he gave some hope to fans, stating that were there enough interest in the sequels, and the DVDs did well enough, there "was a good chance of some kind of Ginger Snaps project in the future". He went on to say that, whether it be in film or TV series form, he favoured taking it forward with the character Ghost (portrayed by [[Tatiana Maslany]]) from ''[[Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed|Ginger Snaps II: Unleashed]]''.<ref>Grove, David. "[http://creature-corner.com/?type=articles&id=34 Ginger Snaps - The Series]" (2004). ''creaturecorner.com''. Retrieved November 18, 2006.</ref>


==Follow-ups==
==Reception==
The film has a 90% approval rating on [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], based on 61 reviews; the average rating is 7.3/10. The site's consensus reads: "The strong female cast and biting satire of teenage life makes ''Ginger Snaps'' far more memorable than your average werewolf movie – or [[teen flick]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ginger_snaps |title=Ginger Snaps (2001) |access-date=September 28, 2024 |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |archive-date=May 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190522215436/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ginger_snaps/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Critics' praise was centered on the quality of acting by the two leads, the horrific metamorphosis reminiscent of [[David Cronenberg|Cronenberg]],<ref>Kehr, David (2001). "[https://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/26/movies/26GING.html She Was a Teenage Werewolf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306091406/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/26/movies/26GING.html |date=March 6, 2016 }}". ''[[New York Times]]''. Retrieved November 18, 2006.</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Dennis Lim |title=Vicious Cycles Ginger Snaps; A Chronicle of Corpses; Kill by Inches |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0143/lim2.php |publisher=[[Village Voice]] |date=2001-10-24 |access-date=2006-11-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041214050425/https://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0143/lim2.php |archive-date=2004-12-14}}</ref> the use of [[Werewolf|lycanthropy]] as a metaphor for puberty, and the dark humour.<ref>"[http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/2070 Blood Sisters] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060310033039/http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/2070/ |date=March 10, 2006}}"(2000). ''[[Sight and Sound]]''. Retrieved November 28, 2006.</ref><ref>Waldron-Mangani, Ian. "[http://www.ukcritic.com/gingersnaps.html Ginger Snaps] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070614171700/http://www.ukcritic.com/gingersnaps.html |date=June 14, 2007}}" (2001). ''ukcritic.com''. Retrieved November 19, 2006.</ref><ref>Axmaker, Sean. "[http://www.seattlepi.com/movies/91660_ginger18q.shtml 'Ginger Snaps' is a teen werewolf film with real bite]". ''[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]]''. Retrieved November 19, 2006.</ref><ref>Gonzalez, Ed. "[https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/film_review.asp?ID=176 Ginger Snaps] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070107064509/http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/film_review.asp?ID=176 |date=January 7, 2007}}" (2000). ''[[Slant Magazine]]''. Retrieved November 19, 2006.</ref> Scott Tobias of ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' wrote that the film was "seemingly left for dead" after playing at the [[2000 Toronto International Film Festival]] but is now considered a [[cult film]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/ginger-snaps-1798218130 |title=The A.V. Club - "The New Cult Canon - Ginger Snaps" |website=[[The A.V. Club]] |date=October 29, 2009 |access-date=February 18, 2020 |archive-date=October 13, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013044410/http://www.avclub.com/articles/ginger-snaps,34710/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It is ranked 78 on ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out London]]'''s list of 100 best horror films, Tom Huddleston calling it "the best teenage werewolf movie, period".<ref>{{cite web |title=The 100 best horror films |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/film/best-horror-films |website=www.timeout.com |access-date=23 November 2018 |archive-date=January 20, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120015803/http://www.timeout.com/london/film/best-horror-films |url-status=live }}</ref>
Based on successful DVD sales, both a sequel, ''[[Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed|Ginger Snaps II: Unleashed]]'', and a prequel, ''[[Ginger Snaps Back|Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning]]'', were filmed back-to-back in 2003. Even though ''Ginger Snaps II: Unleashed'' had a limited, yet wider, release than the original, it failed dismally at the box office. Consequently ''[[Ginger Snaps Back|Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning]]'' went [[direct-to-video]].


Critics who panned the film thought the puberty metaphor was too obvious, the characters too over-the-top (especially the mother), and the dark humour and horror elements unbalanced.<ref name="reel">Nusair, David. "[http://www.reelfilm.com/ginger.htm Ginger Snaps (2001)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061021221934/http://www.reelfilm.com/ginger.htm |date=October 21, 2006 }}". ''reelfilm.com''. Retrieved November 19, 2006.</ref><ref>Chambers, Bill. "[http://filmfreakcentral.net/dvdreviews/gingersnaps.htm Ginger Snaps] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061013121325/http://www.filmfreakcentral.net/dvdreviews/gingersnaps.htm |date=October 13, 2006}}" (2001). ''filmfreakcentral.net''. Retrieved November 19, 2006.</ref>
==References==
{{reflist|2}}


Because the film links lycanthropy to menstruation and features two sisters, ''Ginger Snaps'' lends itself to a feminist critique. Feminist scholar Bianca Nielsen wrote: "By simultaneously depicting female bonds as important and fraught with difficulties, ''Ginger Snaps'' portrays the double-binds teenage girls face. Ginger is an embodiment of these impossible binaries: she is at once sexually attractive and monstrous, 'natural' and 'supernatural', human and animal, 'feminine' and transgressive, a sister and a rival".<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.thirdspace.ca/articles/3_2_nielsen.htm|title= "Something's Wrong, Like More Than You Being Female": Transgressive Sexuality and Discourses of Reproduction in Ginger Snaps|access-date= 2006-12-15|last= Nielsen|first= Bianca|date= March 2004|publisher= Thirdspace|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060821111909/http://www.thirdspace.ca/articles/3_2_nielsen.htm|archive-date= August 21, 2006|df= mdy-all}}</ref>
==External links==
* [http://www.gingersnapsthemovie.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.gingersnaps-themovie.co.uk/ Official UK website]
* [http://www.ginger-snaps.com/ Ginger Snaps - the movie]
* {{IMDb title|0210070|Ginger Snaps}}
* {{Amg movie|227026|Ginger Snaps}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|ginger_snaps|Ginger Snaps}}
* {{mojo title|gingersnaps|Ginger Snaps}}


===Accolades===
{{Ginger Snaps}}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|-
! scope="col"| Award
! scope="col"| Ceremony{{efn|Each date is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.}}
! scope="col"| Category
! scope="col"| Recipient(s)
! scope="col"| Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Ref heading}}
|-
| [[Toronto International Film Festival]]
| [[2000 Toronto International Film Festival|September 17, 2000]]
| [[Toronto International Film Festival Award for Best Canadian Film|Best Canadian Film - Special Jury Citation]]
| ''Ginger Snaps''
|{{Won}}
|<ref name="FRL">{{cite web|url=http://www.filmreferencelibrary.ca/index.asp?layid=44&csid1=372&navid=46 |title=The Film Reference Library |access-date=2006-12-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926230135/http://www.filmreferencelibrary.ca/index.asp?layid=44&csid1=372&navid=46 |archive-date=September 26, 2007 |df=mdy}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="3" | [[Málaga International Week of Fantastic Cinema]]
| rowspan="3" | February 28, 2001
| Best Feature Film
| ''Ginger Snaps'' ([[John Fawcett (director)|John Fawcett]], director)
| {{Won}}
| rowspan="3" | <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fantastico.uma.es/premios/premios2001.html |title=Semana Internacional de Cine Fantàstico de Málaga |access-date=2006-12-11 |language = es |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070109081741/http://www.fantastico.uma.es/premios/premios2001.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=2007-01-09}}</ref><ref name="FRL"/>
|-
| Best Special Effects
| ''Ginger Snaps''
| {{Won}}
|-
| Best Actress
| [[Emily Perkins]]
| {{Won}}
|-
| [[Toronto Film Critics Association Awards]]
| [[Toronto Film Critics Association Awards 2001|December 20, 2001]]
| [[Rogers Best Canadian Film Award|Best Canadian Film]]
| ''Ginger Snaps'' ([[John Fawcett (director)|John Fawcett]], director)
|{{Nom}}
|<ref>{{cite web |title=Past Award Winners - 2001 |date=May 29, 2014 |url=https://torontofilmcritics.com/past-award-winners/ |publisher=[[Toronto Film Critics Association]] |access-date=June 12, 2020 |language=en-CA |archive-date=December 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181223152030/https://torontofilmcritics.com/past-award-winners/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="TFCA Awards 2001">{{cite web|url=http://torontofilmcritics.com/blog/2001/12/21/tfca-awards-2001/|title=TFCA Awards 2001|publisher=torontofilmcritics.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100413150741/http://torontofilmcritics.com/blog/2001/12/21/tfca-awards-2001/|archive-date=2010-04-13}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[Vancouver Film Critics Circle]]
| rowspan="2" | [[Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards 2002|January 31, 2002]]
| [[Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Canadian Film|Best Canadian Film]]
| ''Ginger Snaps''
|{{Nom}}
| rowspan="2" |<ref>{{cite news |last1=Schaefer |first1=Glen |title=Memento tops with local critics |id={{ProQuest|269312708}} |work=[[The Province]] |date=January 31, 2002 |location=Vancouver, B.C. |page=C2}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Monk |first1=Katherine |title=Much more to the year in film than Harry Potter and hobbits |id={{ProQuest|242515494}} |work=[[The Vancouver Sun]] |date=January 31, 2002 |location=Vancouver, B.C. |page=C27}}</ref>
|-
| [[Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress in a Canadian Film|Best Actress in a Canadian Film]]
| [[Katharine Isabelle]]
|{{Nom}}
|-
| rowspan="3" | [[Genie Awards]]
| rowspan="3" | [[22nd Genie Awards|February 7, 2002]]
| [[Canadian Screen Award for Best Cinematography|Achievement in Cinematography]]
| Thom Best
| {{Nom}}
| rowspan="3" |<ref name="genie"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Ginger Snaps |url=https://acctmembership.secure.force.com/database/Media?id=a0k0H00000flka1QAA |publisher=[[Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television]] |access-date=June 12, 2020}}</ref>
|-
| [[Canadian Screen Award for Best Editing|Achievement in Editing]]
| Brett C. Sullivan
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[Canadian Screen Award for Best Sound Editing|Achievement in Sound Editing]]
| [[David McCallum (sound editor)|David McCallum]], Donna Powell, Fred Brennan,<br/>Garrett Kerr, [[Jane Tattersall]], Mishann Lau, Rob Warchol
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[Canadian Comedy Awards]]
| April 4, 2002
| Best Writing - Film (Pretty Funny Writing)
| [[Karen Walton]]
| {{Won}}
|<ref>{{cite press release|title=And the 2002 Canadian Comedy awards go to... |url=https://www.bce.ca/news-and-media/releases/show/and-the-2002-canadian-comedy-awards-go-to |publisher=[[BCE Inc.]] |agency=Keating Media Relations |date=April 4, 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701182503/http://bce.ca/news-and-media/releases/show/and-the-2002-canadian-comedy-awards-go-to |archive-date=July 1, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Nominations & Awards Archives {{!}} Canadian Comedy Awards |url=https://www.canadiancomedyawards.org/archives.php?year=2002 |publisher=[[Canadian Comedy Awards]] |access-date=June 12, 2020 |archive-date=August 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180802150250/https://www.canadiancomedyawards.org/archives.php?year=2002 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
| [[International Horror Guild Award]]
| April 13, 2002
| Best Film
| ''Ginger Snaps''
| {{Won}}
|<ref>{{cite web |title=IHG Award Recipients "2001" |url=http://horroraward.org/prevrec.html#2001 |website=[[International Horror Guild]] |access-date=June 12, 2020 |archive-date=August 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815084030/http://horroraward.org/prevrec.html#2001 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
| [[Saturn Award]]
| [[28th Saturn Awards|June 10, 2002]]
| [[Saturn Award for Best DVD or Blu-ray Release|Best DVD Release]] (inaugural)
| ''Ginger Snaps''
| {{Won}}
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html#dvdrelease |title=Saturn Award Winners |access-date=2006-12-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070103172623/http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html |archive-date=January 3, 2007 |df=mdy}}</ref><ref name="FRL"/>
|-
| rowspan="4" | [[Fangoria Chainsaw Awards]]
| rowspan="4" | [[Fangoria Chainsaw Awards#2002|2002]]
| Best Limited-Release Film/Direct-to-Video Film
| ''Ginger Snaps''
| {{Won}}
| rowspan="4" |<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Gingold|first=Michael|author-link=Michael Gingold |title=The 11th Annual Fangoria Chainsaw Awards Winners! |journal=[[Fangoria]] |date=July 2002 |issue=214 |page=11 |url=https://archive.org/details/Fangoria_214_2002_halloween_resurrection_c2c_hqs_badcover |access-date=June 9, 2020 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>
|-
| Best Screenplay
| [[Karen Walton]]
| {{Won}}
|-
| [[Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| [[Emily Perkins]]
| {{Nom}}
|-
| Best Supporting Actress
| [[Mimi Rogers]]
| {{Nom}}
|}


==Franchise and influence==
<!-- FAIR USE of Thegingersnapsfilmposter.jpg: see image description page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Thegingersnapsfilmposter.jpg for rationale -->
Based on successful DVD sales, both a sequel, ''[[Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed]]'', and a [[prequel]], ''[[Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning]]'', were [[Back to back film production|filmed back-to-back]] in 2003.<ref name=mathijs/>{{rp|116}} Even though ''Ginger Snaps 2'' had a wider release than the original, it underperformed at the box office. Consequently, ''Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning'' went [[direct-to-video]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/news/1514/ginger-snaps-back-coming-straight-to-video/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006181141/https://bloody-disgusting.com/news/1514/ginger-snaps-back-coming-straight-to-video/|title='Ginger Snaps Back' Coming Straight to Video?|author=<!-- Staff -->|work=[[Bloody Disgusting]]|date=2004-03-15|archive-date=2014-10-06|access-date=2016-02-10}}</ref> In October 2020, a television series was announced to be in development.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/tv/3638751/ginger-snaps-franchise-finds-new-life-television-series/|title="Ginger Snaps" Franchise Finds New Life as a Television Series!|author=John Squires|work=Bloody Disgusting|date=October 27, 2020|access-date=October 30, 2020|archive-date=October 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029230842/https://bloody-disgusting.com/tv/3638751/ginger-snaps-franchise-finds-new-life-television-series/|url-status=live}}</ref>
<!-- FAIR USE of Katharine_Isabelle1.jpg: see image description page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Katharine_Isabelle1.jpg for rationale -->
<!-- FAIR USE of Isabellemakeup.jpeg: see image description page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Isabellemakeup.jpeg for rationale -->


The 2009 film ''[[Jennifer's Body]]'' draws frequent comparisons to ''Ginger Snaps''. Their plots, and the relationship between the two main female characters, are strikingly similar in many ways. Despite this, ''Jennifer's Body'' writer [[Diablo Cody]] and director [[Karyn Kusama]] have controversially not referenced it as an influence.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://screenrant.com/jennifers-body-ginger-snaps-movie-comparisons-explained/ | title=Jennifer's Body: Every Similarity to 2000's Ginger Snaps | website=[[Screen Rant]] | date=April 23, 2020 }}</ref>
<!-- Please do not remove the 3 primary film categories - Year, Country, Language -->


The music video for [[Sabrina Carpenter]]'s "[[Taste (Sabrina Carpenter song)|Taste]]" features a visual reference to the scene where a character is impaled by a white picket fence.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/gallery/all-the-film-references-in-sabrina-carpenters-taste-music-video/sabrina-carpenter-death-becomes-her/|title=All the Film References in Sabrina Carpenter's 'Taste' Music Video|date=August 24, 2024|first=Natalie|last=Oganesyan|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|access-date=August 24, 2024}}</ref>
<!-- end of primary film categories -->

==See also==
*[[List of cult films]]

== Explanatory notes ==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [http://gingersnapsthemovie.com.pub/ Official website (cached)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200720234635/http://gingersnapsthemovie.com.pub/ |date=July 20, 2020 }}
* [http://gingersnaps-themovie.com.pub/ Official UK website]
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{Mojo title}}
* {{Metacritic film}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}

{{Ginger Snaps}}
{{John Fawcett}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Ginger Snaps (Film)}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ginger Snaps (Film)}}
[[Category:2000 films]]
[[Category:2000 films]]
[[Category:2000 horror films]]
[[Category:2000 horror films]]
[[Category:Canadian films]]
[[Category:2000s Canadian films]]
[[Category:English-language films]]
[[Category:2000s coming-of-age films]]
[[Category:2000s English-language films]]
[[Category:2000s female buddy films]]
[[Category:2000s high school films]]
[[Category:2000s supernatural horror films]]
[[Category:2000s teen horror films]]
[[Category:Artisan Entertainment films]]
[[Category:Artisan Entertainment films]]
[[Category:Canadian horror films]]
[[Category:Canadian body horror films]]
[[Category:Monster movies]]
[[Category:Canadian coming-of-age films]]
[[Category:2000s teen films]]
[[Category:Canadian high school films]]
[[Category:2000s comedy horror films]]
[[Category:Canadian supernatural horror films]]
[[Category:Werewolves in film]]
[[Category:Canadian werewolf films]]
[[Category:Canadian teen films]]
[[Category:Copperheart Entertainment films]]
[[Category:English-language Canadian films]]
[[Category:Films about puberty]]
[[Category:Films about sisters]]
[[Category:Films directed by John Fawcett]]
[[Category:Films set in Canada]]
[[Category:Films shot in Toronto]]
[[Category:Ginger Snaps films]]
[[Category:Goth subculture]]
[[Category:Halloween horror films]]
[[Category:Films about dogs]]
[[Category:English-language horror films]]
[[Category:English-language buddy films]]
[[Category:Saturn Award–winning films]]
[[Category:Films produced by Steve Hoban]]

Latest revision as of 22:14, 21 December 2024

Ginger Snaps
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohn Fawcett
Screenplay byKaren Walton
Story by
  • Karen Walton
  • John Fawcett
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyThom Best
Edited byBrett Sullivan
Music byMike Shields
Production
company
Oddbod Productions
Distributed byMotion International
Release dates
  • August 1, 2000 (2000-08-01) (Munich Fantasy Filmfest)
  • May 11, 2001 (2001-05-11)
Running time
108 minutes[1]
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish
Budget$4.5 million[2]: 16 
Box office$572,781[3]

Ginger Snaps is a 2000 Canadian supernatural horror film directed by John Fawcett and written by Karen Walton, from a story they jointly developed. The film stars Emily Perkins and Katharine Isabelle as Brigitte and Ginger Fitzgerald, two morbid teenage sisters whose relationship is tested when Ginger (who has started her period for the first time) is attacked and bitten by an unknown animal, and then later, during the next full moon, slowly starts to transform into a werewolf. The supporting cast features Kris Lemche, Jesse Moss, Danielle Hampton, John Bourgeois, Peter Keleghan, and Mimi Rogers.

After premiering at the Munich Fantasy Filmfest in August 2000 and screening at the 2000 Toronto International Film Festival, Ginger Snaps received a limited theatrical release in May 2001. Despite modest box office receipts, the film was a critical success. It has since amassed a cult following and has been reexamined for its feminist themes.[4][5] It was followed by a sequel, Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed, and a prequel, Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning, which were filmed back-to-back and both released in 2004.

Plot

[edit]

A rash of dog killings strikes the suburb of Bailey Downs. Brigitte and Ginger Fitzgerald are teenage sisters who harbor a fascination with death. As children, they formed a pact to move out of the suburb or die together by the age of 16. One night, while on their way to kidnap a dog owned by school bully Trina Sinclair, Ginger begins her first period. The scent of blood results in the girls being attacked by the creature responsible for the maulings. The creature bites Ginger and as the girls flee, the creature is run over by a van belonging to Sam Miller, a local drug dealer. Ginger foregoes going to the hospital because her wound has already healed.

Following the attack, Ginger undergoes transformations that concern Brigitte. She begins behaving aggressively, hair grows from her scars, she sprouts a tail, and menstruates heavily. Ignoring Brigitte's warnings, Ginger has unprotected sex with classmate Jason McCardy. Later, she furiously beats Trina in public and kills a neighbor's dog. Brigitte seeks out Sam to obtain information on what his van struck, and they agree that Ginger was attacked by a werewolf and is transforming into one. After a silver navel piercing proves ineffective as a remedy, Sam suggests infusing an extract of monkshood, also known as wolfsbane, a perennial plant often referred to in lycanthrope folklore.

Trina appears at the Fitzgerald home and accuses Ginger of kidnapping her dog. As Ginger and Trina struggle, Trina dies accidentally when she slips and strikes her head upon the kitchen counter. The sisters hide the body in a freezer. Brigitte accidentally breaks off two of Trina's fingers while removing her body to bury it, and the fingers are misplaced. On Halloween, Brigitte brings monkshood to Sam and he creates an extract of the herb. Brigitte is attacked by an infected Jason, and defends herself by using the monkshood syringe on him. His behavior suddenly changes, proving that the cure works. At school, she discovers Ginger's murder of the counselor and witnesses her killing the janitor. Ginger discloses her intent to target Sam next at the Greenhouse Bash, a Halloween party hosted by him.

The girls' mother discovers the fingers and Trina's corpse. She drives Brigitte to the Greenhouse Bash, telling her that she will erase the evidence of Trina's death by burning their house down. Brigitte arrives to find Sam fending off a nearly-turned Ginger. Brigitte wounds Ginger's and her own palm and clasps their hands together, infecting herself with Ginger's blood. She convinces Ginger of her loyalty and willingness to help her. As the sisters leave, Brigitte decides to abandon her mother. As Ginger feels her transformation approaching, Sam knocks her unconscious with a shovel. They take Ginger back home to prepare more of the cure for her.

On the way, Ginger fully transforms into a werewolf and escapes from the van. Sam and Brigitte hide in the pantry as Sam makes the cure. When he goes to find Ginger, she mutilates him. After finding Sam, injured and bloody, Brigitte tries to save him by drinking his blood to calm Ginger, but is unable to go through with it. Ginger senses Brigitte's insincerity and kills Sam. As Ginger chases Brigitte, Brigitte returns to the room where they grew up. Brigitte defends herself while holding the syringe in one hand and a knife in the other. Ginger lunges at Brigitte and into the knife, fatally wounding herself. Brigitte lays her head upon her dying sister's chest and weeps.

Cast

[edit]
  • Emily Perkins as Brigitte Fitzgerald
  • Katharine Isabelle as Ginger Fitzgerald
  • Kris Lemche as Sam
  • Mimi Rogers as Pamela Fitzgerald
  • Jesse Moss as Jason McCardy
  • Danielle Hampton as Trina Sinclair
  • John Bourgeois as Henry Fitzgerald
  • Peter Keleghan as Mr. Wayne, a teacher and guidance counselor at Bailey Downs High School
  • Christopher Redman as Ben
  • Jimmy MacInnis as Tim
  • Lindsay Leese as Nurse Ferry, the school nurse
  • Wendii Fulford as Ms. Sykes, the Bailey Downs High School gym and field hockey teacher
  • Ann Baggley as mother
  • Graeme Robertson and Maxwell Robertson as toddler
  • Pak-Kong Ho as janitor
  • Bryon Bully as hockey kid
  • Steven Taylor as puppy kid

Nick Nolan portrayed both the initial werewolf (nicknamed "the Beast of Bailey Downs" by the town's residents) and the "Gingerwolf", the werewolf which Ginger becomes.[6][better source needed]

Production

[edit]

Development

[edit]

Director John Fawcett has said: "I knew that I wanted to make a metamorphosis movie and a horror film. I also knew that I wanted to work with girls".[7] In January 1995, he talked to screenwriter Karen Walton, who was initially reluctant to write the script due to the horror genre's reputation for weak characters, poor storytelling, and a negative portrayal of women. However, Fawcett convinced Walton the film would re-interpret the genre.[7] Walton has said, "a lot of werewolf movies seemed very much the same. My favourite was of course An American Werewolf in London, because it was at least a little punk about it, but it was still two white dudes grappling with the beast inside of them... I love stories that work on a lot of different levels, for a whole bunch of different kinds of people. That it turned out to be OK in the marketplace as just one girl's voice – and a director who really wanted to support that – is remarkable, I think, for the day".[5]

Fawcett and Walton encountered trouble financing the film. They approached producer Steve Hoban, with whom they had worked before, and he agreed to produce the film. Hoban employed Ken Chubb to edit and polish the story, and after two years they were ready to seek financiers.[7]

Motion International committed to co-financing and Canadian distribution, and Trimark Pictures agreed to be the co-financier, U.S. distributor, and international sales agent.[7] The film seemed ready to go into production by fall of 1998; however, negotiations with Trimark caused the producers to miss the budgeting deadline for Telefilm Canada, the Canadian federal film funding agency. Rather than go ahead with only 60% of the funding, Hoban decided to wait a year for Telefilm's funding. During this interval, Trimark dropped the film. Lionsgate Films, who Trimark would end up merging with in 2000, took Trimark's place, and Unapix Entertainment agreed to distribute the film on DVD, along with Artisan Entertainment for the American DVD release.[7] The film's budget was $4.5 million.[2]: 16 

Casting

[edit]

Casting the two leads met with substantial difficulty. While a casting director was easily found for Los Angeles, Canadian casting directors proved to be appalled by the horror, gore, and language. When one finally agreed to pick up the film, the Columbine shooting and another school shooting in Alberta suddenly thrust the public spotlight on violent teenagers. The Toronto Star's announcement that Telefilm was funding a "teen slasher movie" met with a flurry of debate and outrage in the media, which generated a significant amount of adverse publicity in proportion to the size of the project.[7][8]

Casting took place in Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Perkins and Isabelle auditioned on the same day at their agency in Vancouver, reading to one another off-camera. When their taped auditions arrived, screenwriter Karen Walton said that they were exactly as she had pictured the characters.[7]

Coincidentally, both actresses were born in the same hospital, attended the same preschool, elementary, and private schools, and are at the same agency. Perkins was twenty-two at the time and Isabelle four years younger, but Perkins was cast as the younger sister.

Attention then turned to the next most important characters: the drug dealer and the mother roles. Mimi Rogers readily agreed to play the mother, Pamela, saying that she liked the black humour and comic relief in the role.[7] Robin Cook, the Canadian casting director, put forward one of her favourites, Kris Lemche, for the role of drug dealer Sam. After seeing Kris's audition, Fawcett hired him.[7]

In 2021, Fawcett revealed that Scarlett Johansson was originally offered the role of Brigitte, but her mother did not want her involved after reading a National Post article about a boycott of the film by casting directors in Canada.[9]

Shooting

[edit]
Katharine Isabelle having a facial prosthetic applied.

Principal photography took place between October 25 and December 6, 1999, lasting a little over six weeks. Three of Toronto's suburbs, Etobicoke, Brampton (Kris Lemche's hometown), and Scarborough served as the suburb of Bailey Downs.[7] Shooting outside during Toronto's winter for sixteen hours a day, six days a week meant that sicknesses would make their rounds through the cast and crew every few weeks.[7][10]

On the first day of shooting in the suburbs, all the still photographs for the title sequence were created. The bloody, staged deaths drew a crowd and Fawcett worried about upsetting the neighbours.[7] The girls were covered in fake blood for the shots, and at the time, a homeowner's basement served as their changing room. Each time they needed to change, someone had to distract the homeowner's four-year-old child.[10]

Long shooting days pushed the earliest possible start later each day until the scenes written for day were being shot after late into the night. Director of photography Thom Best solved the problem by using diffusion gel and four eighteen kilowatt lamps which generated enough light to be seen a mile high in the sky.[7]

The special effects proved to be a major hardship, as Fawcett eschewed CGI effects and preferred to use more traditional means of prosthetics and make-up. Consequently, Isabelle had to spend up to seven hours in the makeup chair to create Ginger's metamorphosis and a further two hours to remove them.[10] Often covered in sticky fake blood that required Borax and household detergent to remove, she further endured wearing contacts that hindered her vision and teeth that meant she could not speak without a lisp. The most aggravating thing was the full facial prosthetic which gave her a permanently runny nose that she had to stop with cotton swabs.[7]

Post-production

[edit]

Beginning in December 1999, Brett Sullivan worked with Fawcett for eight weeks to create the final cut of the film.[7] Despite the short time for editing, the film was nominated for a Genie in editing.[11] Despite a similarly tight schedule in the sound department, the film would also be nominated for a Genie in sound editing.[11]

Soundtrack

[edit]

The soundtrack was released on Roadrunner Records.

Track listing
No.TitleArtistLength
1."Inside You"Godhead3:31
2."Pipe Dream"Project 864:35
3."Siberian Kiss"Glassjaw3:50
4."The Silent Acquiescence of Millions"Sinch8:44
5."Temple from the Within"Killswitch Engage3:45
6."First Commandment"Soulfly featuring Chino Moreno4:29
7."Cloning Technology"Fear Factory5:52
8."A Night Like This"Professional Murder Music3:28
9."Desire to Fire"Machine Head4:49
10."Burial for the Living"Hatebreed1:40
11."Pin Cushion"Saliva4:49
12."Of One Blood"Shadows Fall4:45
13."Action Radius"Junkie XL3:53
14."Her Ghost in the Fog"Cradle of Filth6:24
Uncredited track listing
No.TitleArtistLength
15."Ginger Snaps - Opening"Michael Shields2:10
16."Ginger Snaps Theme Song (no sound effects)"Michael Shields3:00

Release

[edit]

Ginger Snaps premiered at the Munich Fantasy Filmfest in August 2000. The following month, it played at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it briefly received media attention following the positive word-of-mouth it had built up from Munich. Although called one of the stand-outs of the Toronto festival, attention died off and the film followed an unfocused release strategy, playing at various film festivals and building up more word-of-mouth.[2]: 86–87  Ginger Snaps was released to Canadian cinemas in May 2001. It grossed CAD $425,753 domestically, making it the fifth highest-grossing Canadian film between December 2000 and November 2001.[12] Owing to a cult following, it has achieved significant video and DVD sales. These earnings, combined with moderate theatrical success abroad, led to the production of two further films.

Reception

[edit]

The film has a 90% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 61 reviews; the average rating is 7.3/10. The site's consensus reads: "The strong female cast and biting satire of teenage life makes Ginger Snaps far more memorable than your average werewolf movie – or teen flick".[13] Critics' praise was centered on the quality of acting by the two leads, the horrific metamorphosis reminiscent of Cronenberg,[14][15] the use of lycanthropy as a metaphor for puberty, and the dark humour.[16][17][18][19] Scott Tobias of The A.V. Club wrote that the film was "seemingly left for dead" after playing at the 2000 Toronto International Film Festival but is now considered a cult film.[20] It is ranked 78 on Time Out London's list of 100 best horror films, Tom Huddleston calling it "the best teenage werewolf movie, period".[21]

Critics who panned the film thought the puberty metaphor was too obvious, the characters too over-the-top (especially the mother), and the dark humour and horror elements unbalanced.[22][23]

Because the film links lycanthropy to menstruation and features two sisters, Ginger Snaps lends itself to a feminist critique. Feminist scholar Bianca Nielsen wrote: "By simultaneously depicting female bonds as important and fraught with difficulties, Ginger Snaps portrays the double-binds teenage girls face. Ginger is an embodiment of these impossible binaries: she is at once sexually attractive and monstrous, 'natural' and 'supernatural', human and animal, 'feminine' and transgressive, a sister and a rival".[24]

Accolades

[edit]
Award Ceremony[a] Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Toronto International Film Festival September 17, 2000 Best Canadian Film - Special Jury Citation Ginger Snaps Won [25]
Málaga International Week of Fantastic Cinema February 28, 2001 Best Feature Film Ginger Snaps (John Fawcett, director) Won [26][25]
Best Special Effects Ginger Snaps Won
Best Actress Emily Perkins Won
Toronto Film Critics Association Awards December 20, 2001 Best Canadian Film Ginger Snaps (John Fawcett, director) Nominated [27][28]
Vancouver Film Critics Circle January 31, 2002 Best Canadian Film Ginger Snaps Nominated [29][30]
Best Actress in a Canadian Film Katharine Isabelle Nominated
Genie Awards February 7, 2002 Achievement in Cinematography Thom Best Nominated [11][31]
Achievement in Editing Brett C. Sullivan Nominated
Achievement in Sound Editing David McCallum, Donna Powell, Fred Brennan,
Garrett Kerr, Jane Tattersall, Mishann Lau, Rob Warchol 		Nominated
Canadian Comedy Awards April 4, 2002 Best Writing - Film (Pretty Funny Writing) Karen Walton Won [32][33]
International Horror Guild Award April 13, 2002 Best Film Ginger Snaps Won [34]
Saturn Award June 10, 2002 Best DVD Release (inaugural) Ginger Snaps Won [35][25]
Fangoria Chainsaw Awards 2002 Best Limited-Release Film/Direct-to-Video Film Ginger Snaps Won [36]
Best Screenplay Karen Walton Won
Best Actress Emily Perkins Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Mimi Rogers Nominated

Franchise and influence

[edit]

Based on successful DVD sales, both a sequel, Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed, and a prequel, Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning, were filmed back-to-back in 2003.[2]: 116  Even though Ginger Snaps 2 had a wider release than the original, it underperformed at the box office. Consequently, Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning went direct-to-video.[37] In October 2020, a television series was announced to be in development.[38]

The 2009 film Jennifer's Body draws frequent comparisons to Ginger Snaps. Their plots, and the relationship between the two main female characters, are strikingly similar in many ways. Despite this, Jennifer's Body writer Diablo Cody and director Karyn Kusama have controversially not referenced it as an influence.[39]

The music video for Sabrina Carpenter's "Taste" features a visual reference to the scene where a character is impaled by a white picket fence.[40]

See also

[edit]

Explanatory notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Each date is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "GINGER SNAPS (18)". British Board of Film Classification. April 17, 2001. Archived from the original on December 14, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d Mathijs, Ernest (2013). John Fawcett's Ginger Snaps. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 9781442615670.
  3. ^ "Ginger Snaps (2001)". The Numbers. Archived from the original on December 14, 2014. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  4. ^ Barker, Martin (January 2006). "Menstrual Monsters: The reception of the Ginger Snaps cult horror franchise". doi:10.1386/fiin.4.3.68/1 (inactive November 1, 2024) – via ResearchGate.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link)
  5. ^ a b Blichert, Frederick (August 5, 2020). "'Ginger Snaps' Was a Monster Win for Canadian Cinema". Vice. Archived from the original on August 21, 2022. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  6. ^ Ginger Snaps (2000) - IMDb, archived from the original on January 25, 2021, retrieved July 26, 2020
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Ginger Snaps: Press Kit" (Press release). TVA International. July 17, 2000. Archived from the original on February 16, 2007. Retrieved November 30, 2006.
  8. ^ Taylor, Charles (October 26, 2001). "Ginger Snaps". Salon.com. Archived from the original on February 6, 2002.
  9. ^ Hobbs, Thomas (October 25, 2021). "A werewolf Thelma and Louise: how we made cult horror film Ginger Snaps". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 26, 2022. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  10. ^ a b c Allan, Keri. "Katharine Isabelle Archived January 7, 2019, at the Wayback Machine" (2001). sci-fi-online.com. Retrieved November 19, 2006.
  11. ^ a b c "Canadian Awards History Search". Archived from the original on March 22, 2012. Retrieved December 11, 2006.
  12. ^ Bracken, Laura. "Monsters make move on Edmonton Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine" (2003). Playback Magazine. Retrieved November 19, 2006.
  13. ^ "Ginger Snaps (2001)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on May 22, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  14. ^ Kehr, David (2001). "She Was a Teenage Werewolf Archived March 6, 2016, at the Wayback Machine". New York Times. Retrieved November 18, 2006.
  15. ^ Dennis Lim (October 24, 2001). "Vicious Cycles Ginger Snaps; A Chronicle of Corpses; Kill by Inches". Village Voice. Archived from the original on December 14, 2004. Retrieved November 18, 2006.
  16. ^ "Blood Sisters Archived March 10, 2006, at the Wayback Machine"(2000). Sight and Sound. Retrieved November 28, 2006.
  17. ^ Waldron-Mangani, Ian. "Ginger Snaps Archived June 14, 2007, at the Wayback Machine" (2001). ukcritic.com. Retrieved November 19, 2006.
  18. ^ Axmaker, Sean. "'Ginger Snaps' is a teen werewolf film with real bite". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved November 19, 2006.
  19. ^ Gonzalez, Ed. "Ginger Snaps Archived January 7, 2007, at the Wayback Machine" (2000). Slant Magazine. Retrieved November 19, 2006.
  20. ^ "The A.V. Club - "The New Cult Canon - Ginger Snaps"". The A.V. Club. October 29, 2009. Archived from the original on October 13, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  21. ^ "The 100 best horror films". www.timeout.com. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
  22. ^ Nusair, David. "Ginger Snaps (2001) Archived October 21, 2006, at the Wayback Machine". reelfilm.com. Retrieved November 19, 2006.
  23. ^ Chambers, Bill. "Ginger Snaps Archived October 13, 2006, at the Wayback Machine" (2001). filmfreakcentral.net. Retrieved November 19, 2006.
  24. ^ Nielsen, Bianca (March 2004). ""Something's Wrong, Like More Than You Being Female": Transgressive Sexuality and Discourses of Reproduction in Ginger Snaps". Thirdspace. Archived from the original on August 21, 2006. Retrieved December 15, 2006.
  25. ^ a b c "The Film Reference Library". Archived from the original on September 26, 2007. Retrieved 2006-12-11.
  26. ^ "Semana Internacional de Cine Fantàstico de Málaga" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on January 9, 2007. Retrieved December 11, 2006.
  27. ^ "Past Award Winners - 2001". Toronto Film Critics Association. May 29, 2014. Archived from the original on December 23, 2018. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  28. ^ "TFCA Awards 2001". torontofilmcritics.com. Archived from the original on April 13, 2010.
  29. ^ Schaefer, Glen (January 31, 2002). "Memento tops with local critics". The Province. Vancouver, B.C. p. C2. ProQuest 269312708.
  30. ^ Monk, Katherine (January 31, 2002). "Much more to the year in film than Harry Potter and hobbits". The Vancouver Sun. Vancouver, B.C. p. C27. ProQuest 242515494.
  31. ^ "Ginger Snaps". Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  32. ^ "And the 2002 Canadian Comedy awards go to..." (Press release). BCE Inc. Keating Media Relations. April 4, 2002. Archived from the original on July 1, 2016.
  33. ^ "Nominations & Awards Archives | Canadian Comedy Awards". Canadian Comedy Awards. Archived from the original on August 2, 2018. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  34. ^ "IHG Award Recipients "2001"". International Horror Guild. Archived from the original on August 15, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  35. ^ "Saturn Award Winners". Archived from the original on January 3, 2007. Retrieved 2006-12-11.
  36. ^ Gingold, Michael (July 2002). "The 11th Annual Fangoria Chainsaw Awards Winners!". Fangoria. No. 214. p. 11. Retrieved June 9, 2020 – via Internet Archive.
  37. ^ "'Ginger Snaps Back' Coming Straight to Video?". Bloody Disgusting. March 15, 2004. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  38. ^ John Squires (October 27, 2020). ""Ginger Snaps" Franchise Finds New Life as a Television Series!". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  39. ^ "Jennifer's Body: Every Similarity to 2000's Ginger Snaps". Screen Rant. April 23, 2020.
  40. ^ Oganesyan, Natalie (August 24, 2024). "All the Film References in Sabrina Carpenter's 'Taste' Music Video". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Ginger_Snaps_(film)&oldid=1264409245"