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.

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Plot Keywords:

talk radio | post punk | broadcasting | virus | epidemic | 

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Taglines:

Words lose their meaning when you repeat them.

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Genres:

Fantasy | Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English French Armenian

Release Date:

18 September 2009 (Turkey)

Also Known As:

Fear of the Living Dead - Radio Zombie

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bruce McDonald, the director of the film, has said that the victims of the virus are called "conversationalists," as opposed to "zombies". In describing the stages of the virus, McDonald said: "There are three stages to this virus. The first stage is you might begin to repeat a word. Something gets stuck. And usually it's words that are terms of endearment, like sweetheart or honey. The second stage is your language becomes scrambled and you can't express yourself properly. The third stage is that you become so distraught at your condition that the only way out of the situation you feel, as an infected person, is to try and chew your way through the mouth of another person".

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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 ...

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Crazy Credits

There's a scene after the end credits.

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Connections

Referenced in FutuReale: Pontypool (2008)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

Refreshing to see unpredictable movie

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.