Pontypool (2008)

Director:

Bruce McDonald

Writers:

Tony Burgess (novel)
Tony Burgess (written by)

Release Date:

18 September 2009 (Turkey)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Shut Up Or Die

Plot:

A psychological thriller in which a deadly virus infects a small Ontario town. |

Plot Keywords:

Virus | Doctor | Trapped In A Building | Singing | Climbing Through A Window

Awards:

1 win & 9 nominations

Cast

Stephen McHattie	...	Grant Mazzy
Lisa Houle	...	Sydney Briar
Georgina Reilly	...	Laurel-Ann Drummond
Hrant Alianak	...	Dr. Mendez
Rick Roberts	...	Ken Loney (voice)
Daniel Fathers	...	Nigel Healing
Beatriz Yuste	...	Nancy Freethy
Tony Burgess	...	Tony (Lawrence)
Boyd Banks	...	Jay (Osama)
Hannah Fleming	...	Maureen (Farraj)
Rachel Burns	...	Colleen (Daud)
Laura Nordin	...	Spooky Woman
Louis Negin	...	Conversationalist
Diane Gordon	...	Conversationalist
Daniel Park	...	Conversationalist
Yvonne Moore	...	Conversationalist
Raffaele Carniato	...	Conversationalist
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Derek Scott	...	Fish Hut Man (uncredited)

Directed by
Bruce McDonald

Writing credits
Tony Burgess		(novel)
Tony Burgess		(written by)

Produced by
Jeffrey Coghlan	....	producer
Henry Cole	....	executive producer
J. Miles Dale	....	executive producer
Jasper Graham	....	executive producer
Billie Mintz	....	associate producer
John Nadalin	....	line producer
Michale Raske	....	associate producer
Ambrose Roche	....	producer
Isabella Smejda	....	executive producer
Nick Sorbara	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Claude Foisy

Cinematography by
Miroslaw Baszak

Film Editing by
Jeremiah Munce

Production Design by
Lea Carlson

Art Direction by
Andrew Berry

Costume Design by
Sarah Armstrong

Makeup Department
Indiana Allemang	....	key hair stylist
Indiana Allemang	....	key makeup artist
Matthew Dewilde	....	key prosthetic designer and applicator
Davida Gragor	....	assistant hair stylist
Davida Gragor	....	assistant makeup artist
Laura MacCon	....	daily hair stylist
Laura MacCon	....	daily makeup artist
Sheilagh McGrory	....	prosthetic makeup assistant

Production Management
Marc Bachli	....	post-production supervisor
John Nadalin	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Patrick Hepburn	....	trainee assistant director
John Pace	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Chris Gotzamanis	....	graphic designer
Lyle Jobe	....	set dresser
Zack Lovatt	....	graphic designer
Kenny Meinzinger	....	property master
Andrij Molodecky	....	set dresser
Adrienne Trent	....	property master

Sound Department
Steve Copley	....	foley mixer
Stefan Fraticelli	....	foley artist
John Hazen	....	sound mixer
John Hazen	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael LaCroix	....	sound recordist
Ryan Lukasik	....	foley assistant
Steve Munro	....	sound designer
Daryl Purdy	....	boom operator
Jan Rudy	....	sound re-recording mixer
Paul Shikata	....	sound effects editor
John Sievert	....	foley artist
David Drainie Taylor	....	dialogue & adr editor
Randy Wilson	....	foley mixer

Special Effects by
Geoff Hill	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Mathieu Archambault	....	digital compositor
Ioan Balcosi	....	compositor
Sarah Barber	....	visual effects coordinator: Mr. X Inc.
Zac Campbell	....	digital compositor
Kris Carson	....	digital compositor: Mr X
Mike Duffy	....	flame artist: Mr X Inc.
David Fix	....	senior systems administrator: Mr. X Inc
Mike Kwan	....	digital compositor: Mr. X Inc.
Isabelle Langlois	....	visual effects production manager
Mel Martin	....	visual effects coordinator
Claire McLachlan	....	digital compositor: Mr. X Inc
Mila Patriki	....	digital intermediate colourist
Sebastien Proulx	....	compositor
Paul Saint-Hilaire	....	digital compositor: Nuke
Ben Simons	....	visual effects animator
Aaron Weintraub	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Dan Belley	....	stunts
Christopher Cordell	....	stunt coordinator
Vanessa Reid	....	stunt double
Bryan Thomas	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Miroslaw Baszak	....	camera operator
Vinit Borrison	....	director of photography: second unit
Angela Chao	....	assistant camera
Caitlin Cronenberg	....	still photographer
Michael Dawson	....	assistant camera (as Mike Dawson)
Krista Dzialoszynski	....	electrician
Dave Ferguson	....	key grip (as David Ferguson)
Greg Haddow	....	electrician
Jason Hamilton	....	electrician
John Hickey	....	first assistant camera
John Reed Hryszkiewicz	....	camera trainee
Sean Keay	....	electrician
Richard D. Leko	....	lighting technician
Bob Lyte	....	electrician
Mike McDonald	....	chief lighting technician
Bill Melanson Jr.	....	dolly grip (as William Melanson)
Frank Merino	....	electrician
Monty Montgomerie	....	best boy grip
Beth Nobes	....	second assistant camera
Doug Reid	....	best boy electric (as Douglas Reid)
Todd Sands	....	electrician
Julia Seidman	....	camera trainee
Sean Skarupa	....	electrician (as Sean Scarupa)
Nicole Torok	....	second assistant camera
Steve Van Denzen	....	grip
Ioana Vasile	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lori Endes	....	wardrobe assistant
Jeanette Linton	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Peter Armstrong	....	digital intermediate producer
Lee Hughes	....	digital intermediate project manager
Tom Mayclim	....	digital intermediate recordist
Cam McLauchlin	....	assistant digital intermediate editor
Dave Muscat	....	assistant digital intermediate editor
Duff Smith	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Scott Cochran	....	scoring mixer
Jody Colero	....	music supervisor
Hanna Lim	....	composer: additional music
Michael Perlmutter	....	music consultant

Other crew
Joe Alonzi	....	production assistant
Russell Bright	....	production assistant
Greg Holmgren	....	location manager
Matti Huhta	....	script supervisor
Krista Johnston	....	clearances
Olivia Le Bihan	....	production assistant
Richie Mitchell	....	production assistant
Howard Ng	....	production coordinator
Michale Raske	....	production accountant
Sasha Stoltz	....	publicist
Rebecca Swift	....	assistant coordinator

Thanks
Justin Rebelo	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Ponty Up Pictures
• Shadow Shows

Distributors

• IFC Films (2009) (USA) (theatrical)
• Kaleidoscope (2009) (UK) (theatrical)
• Maple Pictures (2009) (Canada) (theatrical)
• A Plus Films (2008) (Turkey) (all media)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2010) (Australia) (DVD)
• Arte (2011) (Germany) (TV)
• EuroVideo (2009) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• EuroVideo (2010) (Germany) (DVD)
• Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment (2010) (UK) (DVD)
• Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment (2010) (UK) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• MPI Home Video (2010) (USA) (DVD)
• Maple Pictures (2009) (Canada) (DVD)
• Opening Distribution (2010) (France) (DVD)
• P.F.A. Films (2008) (Italy) (DVD)
• Paco Pictures (2011) (Italy) (DVD)
• Phoenicia Pictures (2010) (non-USA) (all media) (Middle East)
• Presidio (2010) (Japan) (all media)
• SBP (2010) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Video Film Express (2011) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Mr. X (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Affiliated Equipment  grip and lighting equipment
• Research House Clearance Services, The  clearances (as The Research House)
• Theatre D Digital  post-production facilities
• Trackworks Inc.  adr facility
• Trackworks Inc.  sound editing facility

Also Known As:

Runtime:

93 min | Canada:95 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

Canada

Language:

English | French | Armenian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/Manitoba/Ontario) | Canada:PG (British Columbia) | South Korea:15 | UK:15 | USA:Not Rated | Australia:MA (2009) | Argentina:16 | Netherlands:16 | Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Ponty Up Pictures

Trivia:

One scene features Neal Stephenson's novel 'Snow Crash', a book featuring an ear worm or memetic virus that transfers itself through verbal information.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The "live" video of the BBC's Nigel Healing playing on the computer has a moving progress indicator underneath, indicating that it's pre-recorded video being played and not a live feed.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Grant Mazzy:Mrs. French's cat is missing. The signs are posted all over town. "Have you seen Honey?" We've all seen the posters, but nobody has seen Honey the cat. Nobody. Until last Thursday morning, when Miss Colette Piscine swerved her car to miss Honey the cat as she drove across a bridge...

Movie Connections:

References Outbreak (1995)

Soundtrack:

The Nefud Desert

Zombies+Linguistics=Awesome

I saw this film at the Toronto film festival, and I must say it was superb. It's a zombie flick that isn't a zombie flick--it really breaks out of the genre. At times honestly hilarious and truly suspenseful at others, it was one of my top three films I saw at the festival. The IMDb synopsis doesn't do it justice. The main character loves to throw out references to linguistics and literary critics, and the "transmission" of the virus fits perfectly. Stephen McHattie did a fantastic job, as did Lisa Houle and Georgina Reilly. Even though the "we're stuck in a building surrounded by zombies" is a well-used setup, Pontypool is so different from most zombie movies that it doesn't feel hackneyed. Altogether, it's a totally fresh, exciting movie. If you can get your hands on it, watch it!