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 & 11 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

"When I had just finished my first book, The Hellmouths of Bewdley my publisher sent me out to get an author photo for the cover. My wife and I drove out to Bewldey thinking a picture of me standing on a dock on Rice Lake would be perfect...turned out the sun went down and we ended up pulling over to the side of the road and taking a pic in some town along the way. That was Pontypool. I had some pressure on me at the time to write a second book so I said, "I owe Pontypool a book." --Tony Burgess (It didn't hurt that the word "typo" is within the name, either.)

---

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

Followed by Pontypool Changes

---

Soundtracks

The Nefud Desert
Music & Lyrics by Tony Burgess
Performed by Boyd Banks, Tony Burgess, Rachel Burns, Hannah Fleming

User Reviews

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!

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