Pontypool (limited)
| release date | May 29 2009 |
| studio | IFC Films |
| director | Bruce McDonald |
| writer | Tony Burgess |
| starring | Stephen McHattie, Lisa Houle, Georgina Reilly, Hrant Alianak, Rick Roberts |
| site | pontypoolmovie.com |
| trailer 1 | Trailer #1 |
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18 Comments
Pretty good movie, but needed a little more explanation on what is going on. Though the film does want it to be not understandable, the ending could have been done differently in order to give it more of a hint on what happened. Overall, worth watching.
What a great movie! I read good things about it so decided to give it a shot. Glad I did. This is one tight, suspenseful, intelligent movie. It definitely has that low budget-indie feel to it but you quickly forgive that because you immediately get sucked into the story. Written by Tony Burgess (as a trilogy) this can be labeled a “metaphysical” horror flick (I put Carpenter’s Prince of Darkness in this category as well). DJ Grant Mazzy, played by the always great McHattie, goes to work one morning thinking it’s just another cold, dark day in the small town of Pontypool, Ontario. Director McDonald takes his time setting up the characters (there’s really only 3 main ones here) as we see Mazzy, his producer, & the radio technician going through their daily routine of weather reports, school closings, & boring news items. But then a report comes in over the police scanner that a large mob has assembled outside a local doctor’s office. The reports are vague & unconfirmed but slowly the mob becomes violent & everyone starts attacking & killing every & anyone. This is so tense because we’re confined to the radio station & DJ booth just like our 3 characters are. We learn about & uncover the story just as they do. We don’t know anymore about what’s happening & we feel that tension & fear of the unknown. McDonald does a fantastic job of giving us just enough info to move the story along but holds back so we stay in the dark. This is where the suspense is built. It seems that a very odd virus has broken out; one that has infected certain words (only in the English language). Once infected you become very violent & are compelled to spread the virus to others. Understanding the infected words is what makes the virus replicate. So the (possible) cure? We need to stop understanding the meanings of words. Yes it’s a wild premise, but it’s beautifully executed through excellent performances & great direction. Don’t miss this one. Just make sure you don’t “understand” it too much.
I personally loved it! It’s one you’ll talk about with your friends for hours, try to figure out what was going on. It’s a challenging film. I love the mystery and the unknowing. Great concept too.
If anything, it’s something every horror film has to see, regardless of what their opinion will be at the end.
Horrible fuckin’ movie! I really was excited to see this movie too and wow what a letdown. There was little gore and zombies for that matter. Just an old dude talking in a sound stage. I waited and waited for it to get good and then it ended. I want my money back!
Not really much to say about this one. Interesting premise. Stephen McHattie is very good. I would liked to have seen more hot zombie action. Would also like to have had some revelation at the end. Started off entertaining, but then grew tedious and didn’t have a payoff at the end.
The movie poster says “Cronenbergian”… I would like to man slap whomever said that.
This movie was absolutely terrible! When i was watching the trailers/clips for it, i thought it would be amazing or atleast pretty good. But wasn’t even descent.
So if you were thinking of watching this movie…just don’t. Its a waste of time.
This movie was a bore.I am disappointed
Excellent movie. Seems like people either love it or hate it, I really liked it. It’s a low budget film with very little in the way of action or gore, so if you’re looking for that kind of thing, you’ll be disappointed. On the other hand, it’s very funny at times and has some great dialogue, as it should since 99% of the plot is dialogue driven. McHattie carries this movie as he is front and centre for pretty well the whole 90 minutes and does a great job. A different and more cerebral “zombie” movie.
The lady and I finally got to see this film after months of waiting.
This film started off a bit slow, and then it started getting good. When it was getting good, we were hooked the whole time. I liked the fact that it’s based on how the situation is played in your head while the events are happening. The last 15 minutes was a real let down for me. I just think it didn’t continue how I wanted it to be and it had a good chance to be a great film (in my opinion) but with that disappointment..it was still a very decent film.
Just remember, folks… your mind and the way you think plays a big part in watching this film. So be aware.
excellent
this was really boring and that guys voice really annoyed me
I llike the movie for one reason. It shows what you can do with little money, little space, and little time. That to me is something interesting. And this is a movie you prob have to watch numberous times to get the real point. I don’t know what to think still. The ending was messed up… an it surely makes you think. Is it as good the signal. FUCK NO. But this movie is a good way to kill 1:30 mins. And leaves to not to speak.
I loved this movie. Some may not find it to be their cup of tea, but there was some gorey scenes. Not to the extreme gore, like Autopsy for example. By the end of the movie, it felt WRONG and I was PARANOID to speak english. Watch the movie and you’ll know why.
I give it eight stars for being different and for any willing direction to take on such a difficult script.
I thought this movie was pretty damn good. Obviously the whole English language being the host for a zombie apocalypse is a unique twist on the genre, and I dug that. The way the infected acted was nice and creepy, just babbling nonsense. If zombies talk in a movie, that’s how it seems to work best IMO, just pointless shit.
Hummmmm? Ugh!
This is a hard one for me. I so had looked forward to this movie. The excitement of a new type of movie thrilled me. The concept and plot sounded so amazing, I just had to see what they would do with such a story.
Stephen Mchattie was truly awesome and gave this role what it needed. However WTF??? Seriously I can not express how disappointed and completely confused Im over this movie. Not only did it not come together, it actually never started. This isnt a zombie movie but more less in a way an insult to the Human understanding of our language. Conversationalists is the bases for this movie. The book is detailed much more and believe it or not is much better put together.
Amazing!
I saw this last night and i have to say how impressed i am.
Very different movie, like a zombie movie but with a really different take or twist. And for some reason i just felt all the tension going on, even when not much was actually happening.
Makes you think, and feel uncomfortable with very simple things
Excellent movie. Wish it was available to own right now…
Best movie of the year besides Martyrs and The Children. So suspenseful and intelligent – it’s just unbelievable. A masterpiece!
“Pontypool, Pontypool, Pontypool…Pontypool changes everything.”
All that I can say is…watch this amazing move…RIGHT NOW!
The movie Pontypool (currently a Blockbuster Exclusive in the US) is one of the smartest horror flicks out there today. Based on the novel, Pontypool Changes Everything by Tony Burgess (who also wrote the screenplay for the film), is serious fun for the horror enthusiast who thinks they have seen everything.
*SPOILERS*
This movie plays upon the idea that a (deadly) virus has moved from an infectious airborne (or touching) disease into a verbal contagion when people use terms of endearment. Let me tell you…while you may be thinking that saying “I Love you “may not be scary, let me tell you that it does work and there are some frightening scenes in this film that will creep you out. And all of this unfolds while you watch ex-shock jock Grant Mazzy (McHattie) have another bad day as a small town morning radio show host. Stephen McHattie has the voice, composure and whit as Grant Mazzy…he makes the movie real.
The best part of this movie is that it is in fact, a one-room play…you only “hear” the escalating horror going on outside of the radio station and you feel helpless as the story goes towards its ultimate conclusion.
I won’t give anything else away, but let me tell you this…”Sydney Briar is Alive…Sydney Briar is Alive…Sydney Briar is alive…:
*static*
I LOVED this movie. Its originality was exceptional and it was brillinat at making the off camera action creepy and disturbing. Kill is kiss and the ending…well, it is just what great film makingf is about – no formulaic bullshit here. Excellent stuff.
Just great, nothing else to say. More movies like this please.
It was a good idea and was well made, but I thought the ending was just too anti-climatic.
i just finished this movie, and i loved it. very claustrophobic, i actually had a hard time breathing in a few scenes! great concept, great actors, canadian, watch it!!!
I thought Pontypool started off as a pretty strong slow burning, startling, intriguing, clever, witty and suspenseful virus/zombie thriller or whatever it was. It ended up eventually spinning out of control into something ridiculous, outrageous, confusing and silly that made me roll my eyes a few times and it was like this whole big build up to nothing thrilling. The acting was strong and believable and the characters were likable and relatable and were worth rooting for but against what kind of left me hanging. The filming and atmosphere were ok but it kind of bugged me that it took place in a radio station the whole time and all the action and chaos happended mostly outside and we only heard the comotion on the airwaves but it did keep me on the edge of my seat. I think some horror fans might be disappointed that this movie isn’t that gory at all and is mostly about its characters and suggestion and suspense than scares and fast pace action but to me that didn’t pay off very well at all and just left me hanging and wanting more. Overall I liked their idea and thought it was pretty fresh and smart but the execution of it could of been better and clearer, this reminds me of the movie The Signal which was a little bit better and more entertaining than this one so if your a fan of this genre check that one out but don’t expect much from that one either. Skip it!
Yawn. With the hype behind this one I was expecting (hoping) to be blown away but it was a pretty middling affair. Obviously McHattie makes the film and that German doctor completely ruins it but besides that, my interest waned and I grew pretty tedious by the end of the movie. Bored sums up this experience.
This drew me in—-bought into the pitch totally….but the payoff just wasn’t there. Now, I am not talking about all-out gorefest, zombie massacre kinda payoff—-this is not that kind of movie and doesn’t try to be. This subtle, yet building story is clever in letting your own mind decide what is really happening, and it is a nice approach. The acting is good, and the direction of such a low-budget movie is good. It is the way it all went bad towards the finale that turns me sour and makes the movie seem very anticlimatic. This didn’t need gore and splatter to be good—-just a good ending would have worked.
A really good Movie with an original Concept and some very scary Moments – the Ending doesn
I liked this movie so much that I actually registered just so I could leave a review. Don’t except a giant zombie scene or heaps of gore, but the originality of this take on a “zombie” movie makes up for any of that. I loved the concept, plus there are definitely some very creepy moments.
“stop understanding everything…”
Pontypool takes place in a radio station. Certain events outside are being called in and reported by locals and own station team. It seems people are speaking in tongues / stuttering and starting riots.
I do not believe another “infected” or zombie film has relied on the imagery Pontypool brings about. We don’t see much, but if you’ve perfected imagination as you’ve grown, Pontypool will be sure to pull you in.
The source of the strange ongoings is never revealed, and the reasoning behind the berserk peoples is slightly far-fetched, but it made for good viewing.
I recommend Pontypool to those who have a taste for horror outside of the gore/splatter genre, looking for a new concept and execution. 7.5 / 10
This movie has a really cool story and sets you up with some great suspence. Not being able to see what is going on but can hear lots of it builds on this suspenceful thriller. Not a whole lot going on visually, so don’t expect to see much. I guess like most I was just expecting more from this film (just more visually.) The thing is this movie left me feeling creeped out, paranoid, but really unsatisfied. This was a good movie but my rating is because I would have liked to see some of the violence going on in Pontypool.
Amazing movie!!! all i heard about this movie was how slow and not worth the time it was, but all those people lie!!!
The idea was very original. Stephen McHattie was amazing because he not only had to act in a zombie film (yes, ACT), he had to act well enough to build tension and release the scares while mostly in a small radio room. However, I didn’t quite understand the process of a virus mutating into transmission in the English language. It didn’t seem like Grant or Sydney did either as the doctor was trying to tell them and the audience his theory. When it somehow clicked with Grant, I was still left wondering, and even my post-credit roll imaginagtion can’t pull the pieces into a rational form.
I found it great in some ares lacking in alot of
others, I really was expecting more but got alot
less…oh well sooo what another horror movie bites the dust, this one sure was no casualty…
whatever.
just saw it, i loved the whole concept and the whole film was gripping, loved until the very end, it takes a whole new look at zombies and does a great job. i love Pontypool
i honestly couldn’t believe how boring and slow this movie was.
it took AGES for it to go anywhere and then it stayed in a claustrophobic radio station the ENTIRE movie.
there was one scene of any kind of ‘zombie’ action. it was crap.
i do admit that the lead actor did well to create tension and suspense but i got bored and couldn’t have cared less if anything happened to them anyway.
then there was the scientist. immediately, i sighed with a mixture of irritation and disappointment.
the concept of the movie is pretty cool with the whole ‘English Language Being Infected’ idea but it was never explained how it happened which is probably what the director wanted but I hate not having questions answered by the end of the movie.
and the ending…just wtf?!
The script is ingenious and original, letting the viewers mind wonder and giving us only brief glimpses of the horror that is going on around the town of Pontypool. I believe that some people are viewing this moving in such a bad light because they want to be shown carnage and creepy, rather than let their imaginations run wild. Remember when you were a kid and heard a noise in the house and your brain suddenly filled up with all these horrible images of monsters, and killers, and the like? If you can tap into that imagination you’ll find a real creep factor here.
The acting was spot on. McHattie and Houle come off as believable (which is really the best thing an actor can hope for in a serious movie). The chemistry between all the actors seemed very genuine and each actor played their characters as honest-to-God people. People with different personalitues, ideals, and quirks reacting to the same event. Like I stated before, it all came off as very believable. Also, watching Reilly and Alianak slowly descend into the madness of Pontypool was a very sweet treat, as well.
As someone who has spent a lot of time on stage, I can really appreciate this film. Why you ask? Because Pontypool unfolds a lot like a stage play. Using really only one room as a setting, the movie can be a bit claustraphobic(but not as much as say, The Descent). Scenes play out much like a play, focus on certain characters, and “blackouts” in appropriate spots. I don’t know if this was the director’s intention, but I felt it made the movie even better as whole.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed Pontypool. It was definately one of the most original horror movies in the last ten years or so. It’s not your goriest or even most action packed “zombie” movie…But it IS a thinking man’s “zombie” movie. If this appeals to you. I highly recommend it.
“Stealing Loot and Knocking Boots in The Free World, Baby”
One of the more interesting and unique horror films of the past few years. Takes a different approach to paranoia, and still keeps your attention. Has it’s flaws, but are relatively few and far between. See all the details here:
http://thewolfmancometh.com/2010/07/19/pontypool-2008/
wicked good movie. very original and i loved the message of the movie overall. best part of the movie was not being able to see what was going on in the town and just hearing the reactions of the people calling in.
I loved “Pontypool.” Very original, clever, creepy, suspenseful, and relies little on standard horror conventions. For me, one of the top modern horror films. It deserves a higher rating than it currently has.
This is an intelligent,intense,and suspenseful film.A pure dialogue film.McHattie was brilliant as the DJ.A zombie film with not much Zombie action at all.But the story was done so well that it didn’t matter.I do agree with BD review that the Doctor character should of been cut out.He took away from the tension.Still a great film though.
Very well done film, a must see.
I was really excited to check this movie out, but it did not meet up to my expectations. It has a cool plot, but it didn’t have enough going on to keep my attention. Not very much actual time spent showing the zombies, so that was really disappointing. The dialogue is really good, but it wasn’t what I was expecting.
The whole point of this film, as many might think, is Zombie apocalypse! Now that’s what you think at first, but it’s more than just that; it makes you wonder about the reason for the infection, which towards the half portion of the film you find out to be unusual. The intensity of Pontypool builds up, even though you don’t really get to see much of the infected. (It’s like watching Monsters or Paranormal Activity. There’s a presence of a threat, but it’s almost hidden, thus intensifying the story). The whole thing takes place inside a radio station, and it may leave many wanting more towards an unexpected ending. Overall, it is a great suspense Horror that gives a tingling response to everyone with an open mind. – MR
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First off if you are going to sit down for a movie you should atleast be willing to follow a story to the end. Regardless of this films flaws ( there were a few)it was different in a good way which is hard to come by nowadays
one of the best zombie movies iv’e ever seen
Unique premise, chilling and isolating.
A couple friends mentioned this was on Netflix right now and that I had to check it out. GLAD I DID. It’s not super gory or anything, and when you hear it’s supposed to be a zombie movie it’s kind of confusing at first. Once you get in to the movie though you see that no gore is needed. All that is needed to enjoy the movie is a good imagination. If you have that, you’ll be giving this five skulls. If you don’t, and are the type of person who needs everything laid out for you, you’ll probably give this one skull. Can’t imagine there’s an in between. So if you like to use your imagination and get freaked out that way, check this one out for sure! If you want something gory with no thought, watch something else. On Netflix now!
One of the best movies I’ve ever seen. If you want only blood and gore zombie cheese then you won’t like it. If you want an intelligent, highly original film that is great you’ll probably like it. If you have impeccable taste like me you’ll love it.
Interesting take on Zombies.
My only question is, “Was Mazzy sick and speaking gibberish? or was it too late for them to be saved?”.
Other then that a pretty enjoyable and confusing movie.