"I had a lot of problems with horror films in general, especially the portrayal of women" Karen Walton confesses on the Writer's Commentary track, " ... lots of screaming and bouncing ... violence for the sake of violence .... I really hated the genre."
So why did she spend four years writing and polishing her script to razor sharp perfection? Simple. Director John Fawcett offered her a chance to rewrite the rules.
Gothy, antisocial and obsessed with images of death, twisted sisters Ginger (Katherine Isabelle) and Bridget (Emily Perkins) are toughing out their teens in high school hell in deepest darkest Canadian suburbia. Harassed by the popular girls and hustled by the jocks, the pair huddles together for protection. All that changes when Ginger is bitten one night by a savage wolf like creature. Once shy and quiet, she becomes assertive, self-confident and sexually provocative. Her body is going through changes as well. I mean, what's up with those silver hairs on her Lady Schick? Bridget begins to suspect her sister has been infected by the bite and may be turning into a monster. "Thank you for taking my nightmare so seriously, " Ginger scowls. Her tone is sarcastic. Yet it is precisely the film's serious treatment of her predicament that sets it apart from all those self- referential satires that followed in the wake of Wes Craven's Scream trilogy. Ginger's slow and terrifying transformation into a werewolf is meant to be a metaphor for the emotional upheaval, confusion and terror of adolescence with all its attendant physical and psychological changes.
"It's really important to go for emotional honesty, " Walton stresses. She gets it from Isabelle and Perkins. These two talented and intuitive young performers know and understand their characters intimately and are able to reach deep inside and come up with intense, unsettling, often poignant feelings and emotions. The premise may be "out there" but the portrayals ring true and it is that reality which grounds the story and makes the fantastical elements believable. The focus of the film is on the bond between the two girls and it is intriguing to watch the shifting dynamics in the relationship as Ginger begins to lose control of her mind and body. To save her sister's life, timid Bridget must finally take charge of her own.
Although the subject matter is treated seriously, the film is laced with deliciously dark humor. The dialogue crackles with sharp, sardonic wit, Mimi Rogers plays the girls' clueless suburban mom to poker-faced perfection and director Fawcett has a clever way of using visual cues as a wry counterpoint to action unfolding on screen.
Operating on a lo-fi budget, the director relies on sly camera-work, atmospheric lighting and canny editing rather than an arsenal of special effects to create tension and drama. He has a keen eye for little details and a shrewd sense of pacing. Check out the deleted scenes (15 in all) to fully appreciate his discipline as a film-maker.
There are two commentary tracks, Fawcett's is full of breezy chatter about the actors and shooting details but it is Walton's track that I found intriguing. Thoughtful and analytical, it is recommended listening for any budding screenwriter looking for tips on story structure and characterization. The extras include behind the scenes footage of Isabelle and Perkins auditioning and rehearsing their roles.
So why did she spend four years writing and polishing her script to razor sharp perfection? Simple. Director John Fawcett offered her a chance to rewrite the rules.
Gothy, antisocial and obsessed with images of death, twisted sisters Ginger (Katherine Isabelle) and Bridget (Emily Perkins) are toughing out their teens in high school hell in deepest darkest Canadian suburbia. Harassed by the popular girls and hustled by the jocks, the pair huddles together for protection. All that changes when Ginger is bitten one night by a savage wolf like creature. Once shy and quiet, she becomes assertive, self-confident and sexually provocative. Her body is going through changes as well. I mean, what's up with those silver hairs on her Lady Schick? Bridget begins to suspect her sister has been infected by the bite and may be turning into a monster. "Thank you for taking my nightmare so seriously, " Ginger scowls. Her tone is sarcastic. Yet it is precisely the film's serious treatment of her predicament that sets it apart from all those self- referential satires that followed in the wake of Wes Craven's Scream trilogy. Ginger's slow and terrifying transformation into a werewolf is meant to be a metaphor for the emotional upheaval, confusion and terror of adolescence with all its attendant physical and psychological changes.
"It's really important to go for emotional honesty, " Walton stresses. She gets it from Isabelle and Perkins. These two talented and intuitive young performers know and understand their characters intimately and are able to reach deep inside and come up with intense, unsettling, often poignant feelings and emotions. The premise may be "out there" but the portrayals ring true and it is that reality which grounds the story and makes the fantastical elements believable. The focus of the film is on the bond between the two girls and it is intriguing to watch the shifting dynamics in the relationship as Ginger begins to lose control of her mind and body. To save her sister's life, timid Bridget must finally take charge of her own.
Although the subject matter is treated seriously, the film is laced with deliciously dark humor. The dialogue crackles with sharp, sardonic wit, Mimi Rogers plays the girls' clueless suburban mom to poker-faced perfection and director Fawcett has a clever way of using visual cues as a wry counterpoint to action unfolding on screen.
Operating on a lo-fi budget, the director relies on sly camera-work, atmospheric lighting and canny editing rather than an arsenal of special effects to create tension and drama. He has a keen eye for little details and a shrewd sense of pacing. Check out the deleted scenes (15 in all) to fully appreciate his discipline as a film-maker.
There are two commentary tracks, Fawcett's is full of breezy chatter about the actors and shooting details but it is Walton's track that I found intriguing. Thoughtful and analytical, it is recommended listening for any budding screenwriter looking for tips on story structure and characterization. The extras include behind the scenes footage of Isabelle and Perkins auditioning and rehearsing their roles.