A Surprising Horror Treat

My man Dustin Chang director of the indie, Obviously Subtle, is one of the single most prolific cinema-philes I know. This guy knows and has turned me on to really great obscure little movies from all over the planet that I would've never discovered were it not for his recommendation and eagle eye for cool, weird, cult and overlooked movies. He recently loaned me this DVD title that I want to share with all my horror peeps out there.

I love horror movies, but good and original horror movies are few and far between, so I'm really happy to pass on this title, which I found to be both. It's called Ginger Snaps and it's a Canadian movie by director John Fawcett made in 2000. And like some other titles I've gotten from Dustin over the years, it was a pleasant little surprise that I can't believe I never heard about before.

I thought it was pretty original in that it's about werewolves and creepy teenage girls and has a great dark sense of humor. (If you want my Hollywood comparative description, it's Heavenly Creatures meets American Werewolf In London with a dash of Mean Girls thrown in.) I thought the characters and story were surprisingly three-dimensional and more complex than I ever expected for a horror movie, least of all one with a predominantly teenage cast.

Put it in your Netflix cue, zap some popcorn, turn out the lights and enjoy this delicious little Canadian horror treat called Ginger Snaps. (And if you like it, the sequel- Ginger Snaps II, which I also just watched, is a completely different movie and plot line, but also original, creepy and darkly humorous, albeit not quite as good as part 1.)

Ginger Snaps Trailer




Ginger Snaps II Trailer