"I had a lot of problems with horror films, in general," Karen Walton confesses on the writer's commentary track on the Special Edition DVD of the Canadian cult film favorite.
She especially objects to the way in which female characters have been depicted as a rule in the genre.
In her words, there is " lots of screaming and bouncing ... violence for the sake of violence."
So why did Walton spend four years writing and polishing a screenplay for a horror film to razor sharp perfection?
Well, because director John Fawcett challenged her to rewrite the rules.
The result, to quote salon.com film critic Charles Taylor, is "the smartest and funniest scary movie in quite awhile ... and a true feminist horror film."
A Wolf in She's Clothing
Gothy, antisocial and obsessed with macabre imagery, twisted sisters Ginger (Katherine Isabelle) and Bridget (Emily Perkins) are toughing out their teens in high school hell in darkest Canadian suburbia.
Harassed by the popular girls and hustled by the jocks, the pair huddle together for protection.
All that changes one night when Ginger is bitten by a savage wolf-like creature.
Once quiet and shy, she becomes assertive, self confident and sexually provocative.
Ginger's attitude isn't the only thing that is changing.
What's up with the silver hairs on her Lady Schick?
That is what Bridget is beginning to wonder.
Isn't it a pity, Walton murmurs on the commentary track , that Ginger has to go through all this to finally feel good about herself.
Isabelle and Perkins are Bloody Good Together
"It's really important to go with emotional honesty," Walton stresses. And she gets it from her two stars.
Both Isabelle and Perkins know and understand their characters on some intimate and intuitive level and reach deep inside themselves to come up with intense, unsettling and oddly poignant feelings and emotions.
The premise itself may be "out there" but the performances ring true and it is this reality that grounds the story and makes the fantastical elements believable.
Yes, Ginger's slow and terrifying transformation into a werewolf is meant as a metaphor for the emotional upheaval, confusion and terror of female adolescence with all its attendant physical and psychological changes.
However, the real focus of the film is on the bond between the two girls. It is intriguing to watch the shifting dynamics of the relationship as Ginger slowly loses control of her mind and body and her timid younger sister is forced to step up and take charge.
Film Has Moments of Dark Humor
Mimi Rogers plays the girls' clueless suburban mom to poker-faced perfection.
Walton's dialogue crackles with sharp sardonic wit (most of which we can't print in this review.)
Fawcett makes clever use of visual cues as a wry counterpoint to the action unfolding on the screen.
It's a Wrap!
Operating on a lo-fi budget, the resourceful director relies on cagey camerawork, artful editing and atmospheric lighting rather than an arsenal of special effects to create tension and drama.
He also has a keen sense of pacing and an eye for little details.
"No one ever thinks chicks do (stuff) like this," Ginger snarls in one of the film's key scenes.
Well, not until this film came along anyway.
Note: The Special Edition DVD has two commentary tracks. Fawcett's track is full of breezy chatter about the performers and shooting details. However, it is Walton's track that may prove to be the most eloquent. Thoughtful and analytical, it is recommended listening for any budding scriptwriter looking for tips on story structure and characterization. The extras also include behind-the-scenes footage of Isabelle and Perkins auditioning for and rehearsing their roles.
Parental Warning: this film contains frequent profanity, bloody violence and disturbing imagery
Richard Goertz - Richard Goertz has a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in English and History acquired light years ago (when his hair was longer) and have ...
