Werewolves » Ginger Snaps

Jacob Black’s Competition for Coolest Werewolf

annimi — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 04:54:00 +0000

Jacob Black is the hottest werewolf according to almost every American female between the ages of 10 and 16, so, we were SO surprised when we stumbled across this article, in the San Francisco Chronicle, claiming there were werewolves cooler than Jacob Black! What is this madness!? And one of them is -barely contained snicker here- Scott Howard, –played by Michael J. Fox. Okay, all right, there are probably many movie werewolves who are cooler than Jacob Black, but Teen Wolf isn’t one of them. And he’s no where near as hot. If MJF took his shirt off and offered to let me use it, I’d probably just die of hypothermia in the road. Not to say he isn’t a great guy; he’s just not a very attractive, or cool guy.

But, the writer was spot on with a few other werewolves:

“Daniel “Oz” Osbourne (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”)

Oz fights to suppress his werewolf nature, but he’s definitely not above eating baddies when necessary. He’s also the master of understated cool. [Plus, it's frigging Seth Green! Duh!]

Ginger Fitzgerald (“Ginger Snaps”)

Where are all the lady werewolves at? Ginger’s change coincides with puberty, bringing new meaning to “hair where there was no hair before.”

Will Randall (“Wolf”)

Like Lucian, Will is made infinitely more interesting by the actor who portrays him. In this case, it’s Jack Nicholson, who’s been cool way longer than Jacob Black’s been alive.

Laurie (“Trick ‘r Treat”)

Alas, this gives away one of the film’s most fun twists, so stop reading now if you haven’t seen “Trick ‘r Treat.” Spoiler alert: Anna Paquin’s Laurie makes a shocking transition from shy virgin to bloodthirsty werewolf.”

Laurie from Trick ‘r Treat is definitely the coolest werewolf I’ve seen in forever; and her sexy friends are pretty hot too. Alcide Herveaux was actually on this list, but I don’t think he’s really proven himself so far as ‘cooler than Jacob Black’. But when he does, I’ll certainly add him to the list. Until then, let’s keep this fair!

Cinematical Says Werewolves are a ‘Hard Sell’

annimi — Mon, 24 May 2010 08:50:34 +0000

Which I think is bullshit, –werewolves might be portrayed mainly as males, but movies like Ginger Snaps, and even the Company of Wolves, make it glaringly obvious that girls can don the fur and fang role just as effortlessly as the males can; if not moreso. Haven’t we all thought, at one point or another, about the viciousness of the woman, when it comes to certain subjects, like jealousy, of course, but also, the genetically ingrained desire to protect her children? And that’s not their only reason why they’re skeptical about the werewolves comeback in popular culture:

“It’s a Furry Boys Club – Everyone likes a little gender diversity in their movie monsters, and with very few exceptions, movie werewolves tend to be of the male persuasion. Some critics have even theorized that there is a practical reason for this; mainly, how do you handle the physical realities of a wolf-woman without making audiences uncomfortable — or to put it bluntly: how do you stop audiences from being weirded out by a werewolf with boobs? But, I’m not sure that logic is sound, are you?

Transforming isn’t Much Fun – There might be some minor variances in the ‘transformation’ of a vamp from a seemingly normal (if overly pale) individual to a bloodthirsty fiend, but for the most part, what you see is what you are going to get. Which is unfortunately not the case with our lycanthropically-inclined friends; for the wolves, it’s all about goo, pain, and hair sprouting in strange places (which is probably why it made such a great metaphor in Ginger Snaps).

A Curse vs. A Life Choice – I think sometimes we like to live vicariously through our movie monsters, and while most vampires are that way by choice, the traditional werewolf narrative has the condition thrust upon an unwilling victim. Being at the mercy of the moon messes with our fantasies of power, strength, and the general awesomeness that goes hand in hand with our monsters. So I guess a cursed existence might look pretty good to someone who likes to suffer, but for the rest of us, the life of a wolf-man seems like one big downer.”

The reasons listed are flawed in various places; take the last one. Anyone who’s read any werewolf romance can easily get behind the theory that being wild, connecting with nature, and giving in to primal urges, far outranks the ability to look great in PVC, and burn to a crisp in daylight. As for the second reason, –transformations are painful, but worth it. Plus, that practically says it right there: how often do you see a pussified werewolf? Werewolves are strong, dominant guys who can handle the transformation into a predator. Vampire guys on the other hand, are often pussies, brooding emo boys, and such. And I don’t really need to say anything about the sexist views of the first one, do I? Plenty of guys love to see hot werewolf chicks, –and plenty of girls love to see a werewolf woman who kicks ass.

Five Sexy She-Wolves

Chris — Sun, 23 May 2010 14:32:13 +0000

Every so often I see or hear complaints that there aren’t enough she-wolves out there in werewolf land so today I am bringing you, dear reader, a list of 5 sexy she-wolves.

Ginger Fitzgerald from Ginger Snaps. Ginger is a death obsessed teen who is bitten by a werewolf while dog-napping a classmates dog in order to convince her it was killed by the ‘Beast of Bailey Downs’. After being bitten by the creature Ginger goes from dog-napping dogs to murdering people and is only stopped when her sister Brigitte accidentally stabs her. Ginger is played by Katharine Isabelle.

Ellie Myers from Cursed. When Ellie and her brother hit an animal on the highway causing them to swerve into another car the two are attacked by the beast while trying to save the other driver. Strange changes begin to happen with the two including becoming stronger and more athletic. The two begin to develop a great deal of self confidence as well. Ellie has no idea what’s going on but her brother Jimmy has an idea. According to Jimmy, the animal they hit was a werewolf and since they were attacked by it they are becoming werewolves as well. Ellie doesn’t buy it until things start happening that she can’t ignore and she and Jimmy realize they have to kill the werewolf that bit them before they become full werewolves as well. Ellie is played by Christina Ricci.

Vivian Gandillon from Blood and Chocolate. Vivian is a member of the werewolf pack known as the loup-garou. Born in Bucharest, Vivian and her family moved to America when she was still young. At nine years old her family were slaughtered by hunters leaving Vivian as the sole survivor. Vivian was sent back to live with her aunt Astrid and her aunt’s mate, the pack leader Gabriel. Once Vivian turns 19 Gabriel decides he wants to make her his new mate but Vivian has already fallen in love with Aiden, a young American graphic novelist. Now Vivian has a choice to make. Does she follow the laws of her clan or does she follow what she feels in her heart? Vivian is played by Agnes Bruckner.

Megan from Dog Soldiers. After a platoon of army soldiers are attacked by wild animals it’s Megan that comes to their rescue. Megan takes the soldiers to an empty house claiming it’s the only safe place for hundreds of miles. Megan informs the soldiers that she is a zoologist who had come to the highlands researching the rumors of werewolves living in the area. What Megan fails to mention is that at some point she had been bitten and was a werewolf herself. When she finally does reveal she’s a werewolf she also reveals that she had led the soldiers into a trap and that the house they were holed up in actually belonged to the werewolves. What a bitch! Megan is played by Emma Cleasby.

Laurie from Trick ‘r Treat. Laurie is a sweet, innocent 22 year old virgin. Her friends like to tease her about it but her supportive sister is determined that Halloween is going to be ‘the night’. After picking out their Halloween costumes for the big party they’ve come to town for, the girls offer to help Laurie find a fella but she’s determined to do it on her own. After separating from her sister and their friends Laurie is attacked by what appears to be a vampire, oh noes! Later that night Laurie shows up at the girls’ bonfire, vampire in tow. Turns out the guy isn’t a vampire at all, just your every day, run of the mill, serial killing school principal. Unlucky for the fake vampire Laurie is a real werewolf and she’s still a virgin because she hasn’t made her first kill and fully transformed yet. Guess who’s the lucky guy she’s picked to share her special night with… Yeah, I bet he wasn’t expecting it either. Laurie is played by Anna Paquin.

So there you have it my fur loving friends, 5 sexy she-wolves for your, um… viewing pleasure. Enjoy.

-Chris

Werewolf Chicks: Not as Hot as You Think

annimi — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 22:22:09 +0000

There are a ton of women and feminists out there, who keep complaining, that there aren’t enough hot werewolf chicks. Well, what about the Ginger Snaps Trilogy? And frankly, there are a few reasons, why werewolf-ism, is really kind of male exclusive in terms of ‘hotness’. In the words of a delusional friend of mine, “this is a wolf-man’s world.” Here are a few reasons why werewolf girls, just aren’t as sexy:

1. Saggy werewolf boobs, –there are six of them, and face it, canine boobs have never been attractive to anyone other than the most dedicated bestiality devotee.

2. Females of the canine species are more aggressive than males, –and aren’t bitchy, nagging, cranky women bad enough as it is? Do we really need to give them fangs and claws?

3. Hairy women. Do I need to say more? That might be the thing in New Zealand, but in most popular cultures, we prefer women without beards and back hair.

4. A dog with fleas is one thing. A chick with fleas, is another, entirely different, gross, weird, unhygienic thing.

5. No offense girls, but you already have one monthly curse. It’s just not right to add another bloody, violent time of the month.

And those are just a few of the reasons! Not that we’re trying to be sexist here, –but maybe the whole werewolf thing should be left up to the men. Hairy, flea-bitten, cranky men aren’t exactly oddities. On the other hand, if you want to find hairy, flea-bitten, cranky women who eat live animals and attack tourists, you have to go all the way to Oceania.

Werewolf Movies: Presto Chango! You’re a Werewolf!

annimi — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 22:36:37 +0000

When selecting the best transformation scenes in werewolf movies, one has to keep in mind, –what’s considered the ‘best werewolf transformation scene’ is relative to the viewer. Nonetheless, io9 put together a pretty sweet video of all the best werewolf transformation scenes in cinema. The idea is to guess all the movies from the video, –to the tune of Werewolves of London, by Warren Zevon. There are a ton of werewolf movies out there, and some scenes were definitely skipped in the making of the video, so I was thinking of making my own, –to a more contemporary soundtrack.

The video might be hard ..for anyone who isn’t a huge werewolf fan! This is the list I came up with after watching the io9 video, –if any of my answers are wrong, let me know!

1. Big Bad Wolf

2. Howling III: The Marsupials

3. Underworld III: Rise of the Lycans

4. Twilight: New Moon

5. Ginger Snaps

6. The Wolfman (1941)

7. Wolf

8. Howling IV: The Original Nightmare

9. American Werewolf in London

10. Thriller

11. The Howling

12. Werewolf of London

13. American Werewolf in Paris

14. The Mark of the Wolfman

15. Howling III: The Marsupials (appears twice in the video)

16. Teen Wolf

Wow, so I guess someone on io9 is a huge fan of what, in my opinion is probably the stupidest sequel in the entire ‘The Howling’ franchise. Were-kangaroos popping up all over Australia, omg, –nooooooo! Sorry, but yeah, kinda dumb. And I agree with plenty of the readers, there weer a lot of missing scenes in there, –especially the really horrifyingly gross one from The Company of Wolves. Or the sexy werewolf girls from Trick R Treat?

Our Ten Most Awesome Werewolf Movies

annimi — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:02:46 +0000

There are ton of lists floating around out there of “best werewolf movies“, –well, this is ours. They aren’t arranged in any particular order, but you’ll probably pick up from my less than modest commentary which ones are the best of the best. If you haven’t seen them all, then get your Netflix account ready, and start queueing!

The Company of Wolves – This is the all time best werewolf movie ever; you get a lot of old European werewolf lore, here, plus some gruesome transformations, and the added bonus of some psychological sexual theme. Definitely a must-see for any fan of werewolves or Little Red Riding Hood revamp stories.
Ginger Snaps – Also a huge favorite, Ginger Snaps is another girly werewolf movie –but that doesn’t mean the effects are spare. The werewolves in this film are as mean as they are gruesome. If you can’t handle gore, back away slowly.
Wolf – Definitely not full of gore, but overflowing with great acting. Jack Nicholson is the best werewolf character you’ll see for a long time; his unique facial features make the transformation easy to miss if you so much as blink. James Spader makes an unlikely werewolf, but not an unlikely deviant. The two oddball actors slug it out in an epic finale not to be missed.
American Werewolf in Paris – This one comes before its original because it’s just plain old more entertaining, –there’s more humor, better effects, and did I mention that it’s hilarious?
American Werewolf in London – A classic, to be found on all the top ten werewolf film lists, –I don’t know why, but I’m sure there’s a cult following out there ready to beat me with a cane if I say anything bad about it. That’s why it’s here, –so followers of An American Werewolf in London won’t hunt me down with torches and pitchforks.
The Wolf Man – Lon Chaney Jr. is the Wolf Man, Larry Talbot, –and that’s why we can’t ever leave him off the top ten lists. This film started it all, and will forever have left its claw marks in the Werewolf Movie Hall of Fame.
Underworld Trilogy – It’s not all about the vampires, people. Werewolves obviously kick some major ass in these films, so if you’re a vampire fan who thinks werewolves don’t stand a chance, then you seriously need to watch this trilogy of films. Werewolves are obviously awesome.
Cursed – This film marked the end of the long running Scream franchise, –thank god Wes Craven finally ducked out of slasher films. Cursed is awesome, with great effects and much hilarity, plus, plenty of scary scenes that make you jump out of your chair, and run for the Puppy Chow.
Silver Bullet - It comes in this far down in the list for a reason, –Stephen King is unparalleled in his ability to cause fear. However, when it comes to the people making films out of his novels, well, they leave a lot to be desired. Namely, talent, cinematography, sets that don’t look made from cardboard, and so on. Still, Silver Bullet is regarded as a classic, and we love it all the same.
Dog Soldiers – One of the movies I wish now I’d put at the top of list; there’s an ungodly amount of gore, a bit of werewolf mythos from the UK, but the only thing is, the monsters look like modern dance students with husky dog masks on.

Jack and Diane: S’Ellen Out

annimi — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:10:50 +0000

If you didn’t like Ellen Page in Hard Candy, and don’t understand how a 15-year-old can accept pregnancy like a vicodin cocktail in Juno, then maybe you were counting on something to look forward to in her next role, Jack and Diane: Please don’t. Hard Candy was a highly thought-provoking film that made people wonder what their kids were really up to, and just how mature a kid can be at that age. Juno was a great film but really pushed the limits of just how accepting a kid can be.

The odds that Jack and Diane would push the same controversial buttons on society, while still appealing to the liberal teen community are more than playable; it’s practically a fixed horse race. However, according to superstar Ellen Page, the role was far too controversial to involve herself in, and she didn’t want to risk her career by getting involved in an experimental indie film. So …killing a pedophile and getting pregnant by the dorky track kid… those things weren’t controversial and experimental? Page dropped out for this, and the inevitable funding issues that come with indie film-making. The word, my dears, is “sell-out.” Start your career with indie movies, then bow out and go for the safer roles? What’s that in the distance? A large and resounding “BOO!” While Page schedules her first boob job, and blonde bleach-job, her part is going to most likely, a better actress… like Alison Pill, who is prettier anyway!

Andrew from Werewolf-News put the perfect words to it:

“…She’s clawed her way out of obscurity by starring in such gems as Trailer Park Boys, Hard Candy and X-Men: The Last Stand. Most recently she became an icon for teen pregnancy in Juno. We certainly wouldn’t want to tarnish her career with anything as tacky as controversy, would we?”

Surely not. The film follows two young lesbians in New York City; when the tough Jack meets the sensitive softy Diane, there’s lots of making out and romantic promise, but Diane discovers that her newly awakened sexual desires are turning her into a werewolf. The plot’s metaphor for werewolves and sexual maturity is even more confusing than the one in Ginger Snaps, –but it still sounds like fun. The movie’s back on track; the director, Bradley Gray explains Diane’s transformation thus:

“When Diane first discovers love she is desperate to find out if her feelings are being returned. Only, she can’t find the words to explain how she feels. Her head gets fuzzy, she gets scared, she panics, and she transforms into a horrifically [sic] violent creature. This creature, though grotesque, becomes Diane’s way of saying, “I love you so much I want to eat you and put you inside me forever.””

Gross. The werewolf will be modeled after a skinned polar bear, so.. double gross! Wanna go even grosser? The film is supposed to include animated bits, –CGI is my guess, –of Diane’s figurative insides, described as “a world of blood, hair and teeth.” That’s disgusting. I can’t wait!

So the important things to know are, despite the film’s two-year set-back in the fall of ’07, the film is back, and has resumed film with Alison Pill as Diane, and Olivia Thirlby as Jack. Excited? We knew you would be! Check out the film’s website for updates.

The Best Werewolf Movie I’ve Seen In Years…. Is 5 Minutes Long

annimi — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:42:25 +0000

There’s a perverted werewolf, a pig with a penchant for torture porn parody, and a cat-girl furry thing who uses her many charms to seduce her naughty friends in this amalgamation of deliriously strange movie madness. I haven’t been this wrapped up in a werewolf movie since I saw Ginger Snaps for the first time. Yeah… I’m pathetic. What’s a girl to do? The short, gory clay-mation film was produced, directed, written, all that stuff, by Takena Nagao. Takena is currently celebrating the screening of another short film, Chainsaw Maid, at the 2009 Annecy International Animation Film Festival. The name of the werewolf movie we’re all raving about, is actually ‘PUSSYCAT’, and was brought to our attention by our friends over at Werewolf-News.com. Where would we be without people who have the time to make stop motion clay-mation gore movies? Well, we sure would be missing out on all the wonders of the beginnings of a striptease from a horny cat-girl.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Ginger Snaps Trilogy

annimi — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:50:37 +0000

I love this trilogy; deeply, and anyone who doesn’t can just leave the room now. From the haunting orchestral soundtracks, to the gruesome effects, I’m in love. There’s a lot of talk about how the original film was a metaphor for the horrors of female puberty, –trust me, guys, female adolescence has never before been so aptly captured. If you’re a guy looking for an inside look into the female cycle of growth, screw Health & Reproduction 101, pick up Ginger Snaps. And watch out for girls with long nails, sharp teeth and tails strapped to their legs with electrical tape.

Prequel
Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning – This film’s partner, Ginger Snaps: Unleashed, did so badly at the box office, that the prequel went straight to stores. Who cares? The movie was awesome; actually, these movies are arranged, not only in their correct chronological film sequence, but also according to my favorites. In this film, Ginger and Bridget are wandering women in the forests of colonial North America. They have a mysterious, unrevealed history, and wander into a nearly deserted fort, governed by a man with his own dirty little secret, hidden somewhere in the fort, just waiting for one of the sisters to unlock the door.

Feature
Ginger Snaps – Two sisters, Ginger and Bridget, outcasts among the sheep of their high school, delight in their reject status, except for one thing; the imminent approach of menstruation! Well, that and the crazy Beast of Bailey Downs that attacks the suburban pets, rips them to shreds, and lives out there, somewhere in the woods. Ginger comes down with the Curse, and soon after, she’s attacked by the monster that terrorizes their neighborhood. Only time will tell if Bridget, and the local drug dealer, can save Ginger. In the meantime, sit back and count the grisly casualties.

Sequel

Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed – My least favorite of the films, but still highly entertaining. Ginger’s sister Bridget is on the run, and when she’s tossed into a mental hospital, she’s deprived of the drug that manages to hold off the Change. She partners up with a little girl with a troubled past, and the two fight to escape both Bridget’s transformation, and the monster chasing Bridget for a chance to mate. Bridget has to endure her sister’s goading her from beyond the grave, the torments of the hospital, and the knowledge that her little friend might not be what she seems.

The Top Three Grossest Werewolves In Cinema

annimi — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:21:27 +0000

There are probably several raunchy werewolf scenes in movies, but here are the grossest that I can remember, –others are probably worse, and if you want to contribute your “grossest werewolf” experience, feel free to add it in the comments. I’ll look back in a week, and if you’ve got any good ones, I’ll watch the movie too, and compare our gross-out notes!

1. The Company of Wolves – Stephen Rea plays the “young groom” whose eyebrows met, –remember, in one of the stories Granny (Angela Lansbury) tells, a young bride (Kathryn Pogson) marries a stranger, a “traveling man”, whose eyebrows meet. He ran off, and returns years later to find her married with more children and a new husband. Enraged, he transforms into a werewolf, –and good god almighty, it takes forever, and it’s just so disgusting. I acutally, physically, gagged at one point. He rips his own face off, and underneath is muscle, no skin, and before he can change fully into a wolf, the woman’s husband storms in and chops off his head.

2. Wolf, 1994 – Actually, it’s not a particular scene; I love James Spader, really. He’s sexy, and weird, and is always cast as an abnormal fetish-loving nerdy, cute, pyschopath type character. But in this movie, he’s just an absolutely skeezy prick. He plays Stewart Swinton, –the bad guy, the ass-kisser, the big company loser, and Jack Nicholson’s character, Will Randall, puts him in his place. But, still I got the feeling on several occasions during the film, that he was going to hump Laura Alden (Michelle Pfeifer) on the leg, or something, and just.. ew.

3. Ginger Snaps Back – Geoffrey (Stevie Mitchell) in this movie, is something horrifying to behold; yes, he is a little kid, and yes, he probably doesn’t know any better, but he scared the shit out of me. And it wasn’t just the sneaking around in the dark, –his face was all mutilated and messed up from transforming slowly, rather than all at once, and only sometimes, like in other werewolf movies. In these, you transform over a period of weeks or days, and then you’re screwed. Probably my favorites among all werewolf movies, would be the Ginger Snaps trilogy. Geoffrey is gross, but he’s still a little kid, so he comes in third.