Pontypool (2008)

"Pontypool" is a refreshing change of pace among the plethora of zombie / outbreak films out there. Not in a long time has a horror movie fired this viewers' imagination this much, and therein lies the appeal: it really does work like a radio show, where the listener creates the visuals for themselves and the performers have to really sell the material. Tony Burgess' script is intelligent and interesting, offering a different take on just how people can get infected and become violent. It ultimately loses a little of its effectiveness in its third act, when it starts being more conventional. Use of gore is discreet, and the atmosphere is undeniable. With the number of main players in the story kept to a bare minimum, a high degree of intimacy is achieved.

The under-rated veteran character actor Stephen McHattie gets a chance to sink his teeth into a rare, meaty lead role as Grant Mazzy, a sardonic shock jock now working as a morning radio man in the small Ontario town of Pontypool. Together with his fellow employees Sydney (Lisa Houle, who in real life is Mrs. McHattie) and Laurel-Ann (Georgina Reilly), he discovers that things outside are going from bad to worse. People are becoming sick and attacking others, and nobody knows why. Eventually, with the help of a doctor (Hrant Alianak) who provides plenty of exposition, they get to the bottom of things, but it remains to be seen if their newfound knowledge can aid in the restoring of order.

Mostly played straight but not without a sense of humour, this is one of those individualistic little gems that jaded horror fans would do well to check out. It creates some genuine tension, and doesn't treat it as a given that all will end well. The actors work very well together, especially McHattie and Houle, who get a great many scenes with each other towards the end of the film. Slick widescreen photography is an asset, as well as McDonald's no-nonsense direction.

It just goes to show that good ideas and simple, no frills filmmaking can make for good entertainment, and that sometimes less is indeed more.

Eight out of 10.

Fmovies: I thoroughly enjoyed this and was completely taken by surprise. My DVD box has a quote across the top, 'The Best Zombie Film Of The Year' and this is probably both correct and most misleading. As others have mentioned it is best to go into this not expecting rampaging and bloodthirsty zombies, but to allow the very unusual and original film work it's magic. Stephen McHattie is outstanding in the central role and most convincing as he (and we!) struggle too interpret information received. This is far removed from being a 'sit back and wallow' movie and I certainly found myself on the edge of my seat thrilled, perturbed and anxious to work out just what was going on. Highly recommended.

My husband and I watched this last night. Excellent movie. Well done and I imagine the costs of filming were not that great and this should smack some other movie makers as the thing to do. Scary. Suspenseful. Thought provoking. We really enjoyed it and it was not predictable. Be sure to watch past the credits. As usual, another independent film outweighs the crap put out in the mainstream. And, maybe there is also a lesson that good acting can be more important than expensive sets, props and special effects. And, amazingly, no shameless plugs for advertising. No hidden political agendas. There was no needless action or violence. There was no need for gratuitous and pointless sex scenes to keep audience interest.

Pontypool fmovies. I remember purchasing this book back in 2008 because it was a Canadian zombie story that takes place in a little nowhere Ontario town called Pontypool. The back of the book had me laughing and intrigued by the description.

A virus. Flesh eating zombies. A body count in the millions has decimated Ontario's population. What if you woke up and began your morning by devoting the rest of your life to a murderous rampage, a never-ending cannibalistic spree? And what if you were only one of thousands who shared the same compulsion? This novel depicts just such an epidemic. It's the compelling, terrifying story of a devastating virus.

I will not tell you how you catch it so as not to include spoilers, but once it has you, it leads you on a strange journey—into another world where the undead chase you down the streets of the smallest towns and largest cities.

If you are expecting a night of the living dead style film... this is not it. This movie does a fantastic job of drawing you into the world of the characters, their relationships and everything falling apart around them; you are not an outside observer. You are for all intensive purposes just another Pontypool citizen wondering "Wiskey-Tango-Foxtrot".

This movie is a great treat for four reasons 1) The focus on the actors as the actors were perfectly cast. You may recognize an actress from the recent release of Dark Room 2) The choice to follow the "Aliens" model of never placing the source of "fear and unease" front stage. By not letting you in on the whole thing and only providing glimpses, your imagination will take the scenes further than any expensive CGI ever could. 3) The writing and angle of the movie. You feel like you are part of the movie as you only know what the main actors know... nothing more! 4)The intro and the voice of the main actor really pull you in like a warm sedative as you spiral downward into the insanity of your own imagination.

Enjoy... we did!

Pontypool is one of the few horror movie that used a little creativity and proves you don't need a high budget to a make horror film. The story circles around a local radio station and its crew of three people. As the day moves on they slowly start to here reports of violence happening all over the region. This includes riots, people killing each other and intervention from the Canadian Government. Soon they find themselves hiding in the station from the horror out side they are reporting. If that was not bad enough, they can't figure what's going on. Pontypool takes a very different and more effective way at trying to scare its audience. Most western horror these days seem to mainly focus on jump scares or brutal kill scenes alone. Pontypool on the other hand gives a few vague descriptions on what's actually going on out there. For most of the movie you really are just listening to a broadcast and testimonies of eye witness. This leaves the viewer having his own imagination working against him for a big chunk of the film. For me this was the most strongest for the first half of the film when we don't know what's causing the hysteria. I actually only have one real complaint which I felt the ending could have been better. I didn't hate the ending it just feels kind of weak compared to what we see earlier. I would go into more detail but that would results in some spoilers.

Overall it's a fun creepy horror movie that could be enjoyable for Halloween. I give it a few extra points for what they were able to pull off on a low budget and for an interesting experiment in horror.

Thats why I give this radio broadcast from hell an 8 out of 10.

Pontypool was an amazing film for a number of reasons.The story pays a respectful homage to horror greats like Night of the Living Dead and 28 Days later without ever becoming cliché. The approach to the mass "infection" was something that I never saw coming. The acting was excellent and I got the genuine impression I was listening to talk/news radio. The authenticity of the radio broadcast and culminating events were enough to actually draw me into the anxiety that the characters felt,which says a lot considering the 2-dimensional feel of the majority of movies I have seen as of late. I highly recommend this movie to any real sci-fi/horror fan that is fed up with the standard fair.Also, watch the final frames after the credits! Great job. 10/10