GINGER SNAPS 2 has bite. So few sequels live up to the original and this movie does. This movie has it's positives while
the climax may not be what you're hoping for (and yet it fits the logic of the GINGER SNAPS movies while leaving it open for
a possible sequel), but I bet GINGER SNAPS 2 may be more satisfying that other werewolf movie that is being made over at Dimension
(CURSED driected by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson) due to that movie's troubled production history (they shut
down filming to re-write the third act, but CURSED could turn out to be a good werewolf movie or the movie could still
be a disaster).
I do have to say GINGER SNAPS 2 will beat out many Hollywood horror movies because it isn't a retread of the first movie
and it is unpredictable. GINGER SNAPS 2 takes chances as it paves for a continuation of the story and explores some new themes.
The first GINGER SNAPS movie revolves around two sisters, Ginger (Katherine Isabelle) and Brigette (Emily Perkins). GINGER
SNAPS ties in the themes of a teenager within a werewolf movie. Ginger gets biten by a werewolf one night, and she starts
changing into a sexually agressive teenager as her sister tries to keep her out of trouble (and cure her before she fully
changes into a werewolf).
Alas Brigette tasted Ginger's blood in the first movie and GINGER SNAPS 2 picks up where Bridgette is battling her transformation.
She has to take every increasing doses of wolfsbane in shorter intervals to stop her transformation. She finds herself in
a drug rehab facility after she barely escapes froma werewolf who wants to mate with her. Brigette makes friends with a girl
named Ghost at the rehab place which also serves as a place for chronic care patients. For some reason, Ghost's grandmother,
Barbara, is afraid of Ghost since Barbara suffered severe burns. Alice (the head of the rehab place) thinks Brigette needs
to be cured while Tyler (Eric Johnson, one of Alice's workers, is giving drugs to the women (in rehab) in exchange for sexual
favors. The sequel comapes Brigette's addiction to wolfsbane aka monkshood to drug addiction.
Some moments in the drug rehab are funny (I'm glad the GINGER SNAPS movies have a sense of humor).
GINGER SNAPS 2 is a creepy movie with a music score that makes you feel like you're on the edge of your seat. The werewolf
make-up isn't too bad and it is a credit to heightening the mood of the movie that you don't see the werewolf that much and
you do when he is out to do something nasty. The direction of the movie is well handled and the script has some
surprises.
There are some slight problems with the story like I would have liked to have seen (or have it hinted at) where does Bridgette
gets her money to live in a motel at the beginning of the movie.
The DVD has the movie in 16x9 widescreen. The picture quality and sound is good. The flesh tones are
right while the blacks in the dark scenes seem too dark. There are 24 chapters to the movie.
There was a Ginger Snaps 2 trailer included on the Screener, but it isn't on the final DVD. The intially
planned special features for the GINGER SNAPS 2 DVD will include a commentary, deleted scenes, storyboards, Behind-the-Scenes
footage, and a Make-up FX featurette. The DVD that is being released in Canada looks like it will include Deleted Scenes,
Audition tapes, Behind the Scenes Footage, Interviews with Cast & Crew, Original Storyboards, Excerpts from the Original
screenplay, Production Stills, Original Theatrical Trailer, and 2 TV Spots. I will add any info if there are differences between
the Canadian DVD and the DVD that Lions Gate is putting out in the USA.
Now to a review of the US DVD special Features:
The menu design is cool. You have artwork from the Canadaian DVD cover as the background for the main
menu. In the audio set-up menu, you have a picture of Brigette stuck in the stages before her change.
You see Ginger in the image for the Special Features menu.
Special Features included on the test disc are 12 1/2 minutes of deleted scenes (and each deleted scne is framed in a way
to show where each scene would have fitted in the movie). the deleted scenes are mostly cut from Brigette's
time in the Happier Times drug rehab place. Some I can see why they were cut while others I wish they have left
in the movie. The commentary on the deleted scenes point out some scenes were cut for being not needed, others to streamline
the plot, and some were cut for timing reasons.
The deleted scenes are presented in 1.85:1 widescreen. The following scenes were cut from the movie: "Brigette's
Introduction" (cut because the producers teased the director of one shot being too much like a Pat Benatar video), "Ginger
Appears", "The New Girl" (a scene with Ghost that was cut from the movie), "Nice To Meet You, Brigette", "Trapped"
(a scene that star Emily Perkins liked) & "Carnivore", "Rocky Knows Evil" (the commentary refers to it by another name),
"Alice Makes An Offer", and "Plan To Action" (cut due to the feeling the puking has been used in way too many other movies).
Also you get to see pages from Brigette's journal and pages from Ghost's werewolf comic book she was reading durning the
movie. There is a storyboards featurette that comapes the final scene (in Chapter 12 of the DVD) to the storyboards, but
it looks like no Behind The Scenes footage and the Werewolf Make-Up featurette aren't included on the DVD since they weren't
included on the test disc (I will email Lion's Gate to aks if those two things were cut from the DVD). There are three
trailers included on the DVD: House of 1000 Corpses, Serial Killing 101, and Cabin Fever.
Finally, the production commentary (for the movie and deleted scenes) is done by director Brett Sullivan (editor on
the first Ginger Snaps), executive producers John Fawcett (director of the first Ginger Snaps) and Noah Segal, and producer
Laura Devonshire. The production commentary for the movie is very insightful. The director and the
three producers tell some details about the production from stuff on the actors (they dyed Tatiana Maslany's hair three times
to get it the right color), where they filmed the movie (one part in an abandoned part of a hospital and other scenes in a
hospital that hadn't been used for years), production design info, providing more gore in the sequel to cut back some of the
gorey scenes to avoid a rating higher than R, how people reacted to certain scenes in test screenings (they left one line
in because women hated it), and what scenes take place on sets in a studio. It is one of the most informative
production commentaries I have ever heard. Other things said in the commentary include how they say they're all
film geeks and how Ghost was nicknamed Newt for weeks during the development phase (a reference to the movie Aliens).
I loved GINGER SNAPS and GINGER SNAPS 2, but I can't wait for the upcoming prequel- GINGER SNAPS BACK (that takes place
100 years before the first movie). If you're looking for a fresh horror movie that can entertain you instead of leaving you
feel cheated after watching some Hollywood horror movies (not all Hollywood horror movies are bad), you should check out GINGER
SNAPS 2: UNLEASHED.
this review is (c)2-20-2004 and 3-9-2004 David Blackwell and this review can't be reprinted without permission. Send all
comments to lord_pragmagtic@hotmail.com and check for site updates (and additional content) at http://www.livejournal.com/users/enterlinemedia
No werewolves were harmed in the writing of this review.
I have to say it, but DON'T TEMPT ME started out as a movie I thought was going to be a rip-off of other movies that featured
angels. Then it changed and I really started to like DON'T TEMPT ME. This movie is very funny and a delight to watch. DON'T
TEMPT ME revolves around Lola (Victoria Abril), one of the best angels sent from heaven, and Carmen (Penelope Cruz), one of
the worst angels sent from Hell; and they have been sent to battle for the soul of a boxer. It's not easy for Lola to try
and have the boxer be a better person like give up boxing (doctor's orders) and corrupt cops demanding he pay them $25,000
to a crime boss due to the boxer's screw-up with spending money that wasn't his.
There are some stereotypes in this movie like Heaven is in black and white (it's been done before in Wim Wenders two movies-
WINGS OF DESIRE and FAR AWAY, SO CLOSE). Then there is the thing where everyone speaks English in Hell where everywhere else
things are in Spanish (with English subtitles on the DVD). I wonder if the writer of the movie has something against the actor
Jack Davenport since the person who runs Hell is named Jack Davenport. Hmmm.
In Hell, they accept about anyone. Rich men get turned into bums, famous people in nobodies, and gangsters into women.
Heaven and Hell are run like bnusinesses. Jack davenport must be on his guard because the people working under him want to
stage a coup and Heaven is nearly bankrupt as they hope the boxer's soul will save Heaven.
I see the 1.78:1 widescreen on the screener DVD isn't the correct aspect ratio for the movie since the titles at the beginning
do get cut off a little and there's the trailer at the beginning of the DVD that shows teh correct aspect is 2.35:1.
DON'T TEMPT ME isn't a bad movie that luckily doesn't take the easy route with it's characters and the story. It has some
nice humor and some nice character moments.
It is a good foreign film if you're not looking for the same movies over and over.
this review is (c)2-20-2004 David Blackwell and this review can't be reprinted without permission. send all comments to
lord_pragmagtic@hotmail.com and look for site updates (and additional content) at http://www.livejournal.com/users/enterlinemedia
