Pontypool (2008)

A radio host interprets the possible outbreak of a deadly virus which infects the small Ontario town he is stationed in.

Director:

Bruce McDonald

Writers:

Tony Burgess, Tony Burgess (novel)

Stars:

Stephen McHattie, Lisa Houle, Georgina Reilly

1 win & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

A radio host interprets the possible outbreak of a deadly virus which infects the small Ontario town he is stationed in.

---

Plot Keywords:

talk radio | ontario canada | survival | post punk | broadcasting | 

---

Taglines:

Words lose their meaning when you repeat them.

---

Genres:

Fantasy | Horror | Thriller

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

The second and third films in the series were actually conceived before the first one.

---

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. Well this bridge, now slightly damaged, is a bit of a local treasure and even has its own fancy name; Pont de Flaque. Now Collette, that sounds like Culotte. That's Panty in French. And Piscine means ...

---

Crazy Credits

There's a scene after the end credits.

---

Connections

Referenced in Birth of the Living Dead (2013)

---

Soundtracks

O Canada
(uncredited)
Music by Calixa Lavallée
French lyrics by Adolphe-Basile Routhier
English lyrics by Robert Stanley Weir

User Reviews

This film needs the right audience.

Indeed, Pontypool is one of those movies that will appeal to a certain number of people, but it's just not for everyone. However, it does feature some refreshingly new twists and turns to the classical zombie-infestation-overflows-a-village horror story. These new twists and differences are beautifully explained during the movie, and won't leave you with any questions at the end, something that doesn't happen often enough in this genre.

The acting by Stephen McHattie and Lisa Houle is decent enough, especially for a horror movie. Especially the first part of the movie, where the tension is built up, relies for the most part on their acting and they pull it off nicely. The camera-work is good but nothing special, the setting is dark but what can you expect from this genre of film!

All in all, I believe Pontypool stands out of the bulk of today's horror movies. It won't make it to be an all time classic of the genre, but it's a nice movie to watch (atleast for once), especially if you like a somewhat mysterious atmosphere and less blood and gore than is usual for a zombie movie. If you, on top of that, try to really comprehend the new twists and turns and the explanation for the zombie infestation and use your imagination, this film will leave you wondering and ensure you'll have had a good time.

*First review ever*

Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English French Armenian

Release Date:

18 September 2009 (Turkey)

Also Known As:

Pontypool

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$1,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,541, 31 May 2009

Gross USA:

$3,865

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$32,118

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ponty Up Pictures, Shadow Shows

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min 95 min

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1