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Those people acting strange and attacking others are also chanting and babbling incoherently, repeating the same word or phrase again and again. Mazzy and Sydney translate a message in French warning people to avoid contact with loved ones and the English language. The sinister force at work is a strange virus that turns people into mindless zombies repeating phrases like: "A simple kind of sample" or "I'm not missing Mr. Mazzy. " The explanation for the virus comes in one of the film's biggest contrivances, Dr. Mendez (Hrant Alianak), who breaks into the radio station and explains his theory on the virus. The idea he presents, that the virus spreads through understanding certain infected words, is what sets Pontypool apart from other virus/zombie movies. It's an intriguing concept. As Mazzy puts it, "How do you not understand a word. How do you make it strange? " Pontypool would work equally well as a stage or radio play. There are scenes of blood and zombie attacks (for lack of a better term) but almost no pop-up scares.
Sydney's assistant Laurel-Ann (Georgina Reilly), is a young veteran that served in Afghanistan. These are the main characters, and, aside from a few callers and visitors to the station, the only characters. Once Grant arrives at the radio station, he and Sydney and Laurel-Ann slowly realize that the strange violent events overwhelming the town have trapped them in the station. The film unfolds over a matter of hours on a frigid and snowy Valentine's Day in one location, more or less. Before the sun is even up, the radio station begins receiving reports of strange and violent behavior in Pontypool. There is a hostage situation and a riot at a doctor's office and military vehicles in the streets. We see none of this and no other news source is reporting the events. Sydney thinks that they are being pranked but the influx of reports and a call from the "sunshine chopper" reporter (who actually just reports from a hill overlooking the town) make it clear that something sinister is wreaking havoc and spreading.
If A Quiet Place is the horror movie based around not speaking, and Bird Box is the horror movie based around not seeing, then Pontypool is the horror movie based around not hearing. Its conceit is fresh and interesting and, while not without flaws, remains haunting and unsettling. Pontypool has never fully left my mind since I first saw it two years ago. It has been on my mind a lot since March 2020. There are films with more violent and disturbing imagery that I'm recommending this Shocktober, but this is the only one that I hesitated in recommending at all. It didn't occur to me in 2018 but it is clear now that Pontypool, like 28 Days Later, is not a zombie movie. It is a pandemic horror movie. Grant Mazzy (Stephen McHattie) is a cowboy hat wearing, washed up radio shock jock reduced to doing morning news for a rural town in Ontario: Pontypool. Sydney Briar (Lisa Houle) is the morning show producer, who tries to keep Grant on track, reminding him that people just want their news and weather and don't want to be antagonized.
This film relies on the sheer talent of its leads reacting to the news they hear and the little they see while stuck inside to create suspense and tension. Stephen McHattie and Lisa Houle don't just carry the movie, they make it as good as it is; the premise does not work without their top-notch performances. I wouldn't say that Pontypool falls apart in the third act exactly, but its intentions become muddled. Even as the characters are executing their plan it is unclear just exactly what they are trying to accomplish. Still, the tension is high and I was too caught up in their climactic performances to be concerned with the details. I am even more puzzled by the epilogue but equally intrigued for the same reason. Even with its flaws, Pontypool is a surprising and at times mesmerizing small scale horror movie that is unsettling and frightening not because of any intense visuals or effects but because of the overwhelming situation and ideas thrust upon the characters.
Pontypool is a 2009 Canadian horror film about a deadly virus that infects a small Ontario town. Directed by Bruce McDonald and adapted by Tony Burgess from his novel Pontypool Changes Everything. Words lose their meaning when you repeat them. taglines Grant Mazzy [ edit] 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 Pool. Panty pool. Flaque also means pool in French, so Colete Piscine, in French Panty Pool, drives over the Pont de Flaque, the Pont de Pool if you will, to avoid hitting Mrs. French's cat that has been missing in Pontypool. Pontypool. Pont de Flaque.
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See more » Did You Know? Trivia The second and third films in the series were actually conceived before the first one. See more » 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. See more » Soundtracks The Nefud Desert Music & Lyrics by Tony Burgess Performed by Boyd Banks, Tony Burgess, Rachel Burns, Hannah Fleming See more » Frequently Asked Questions See more » Details Release Date: 18 September 2009 (Turkey) Box Office Budget: $1, 500, 000 (estimated) Opening Weekend USA: $1, 541, 31 May 2009 Cumulative Worldwide Gross: $32, 118 See more on IMDbPro » Company Credits Technical Specs See full technical specs » Prime Video has you covered this holiday season with movies for the family.
What starts off as an easy task soon unravels, sending the killer into the heart of darkness. Ben Wheatley Neil Maskell, MyAnna Buring, Harry Simpson 5. 6 / 10 Chaos breaks out in a small Maryland town after an ecological disaster occurs. Barry Levinson Will Rogers, Kristen Connolly, Kether Donohue 5. 9 / 10 Five interlocking tales of terror follow the fates of a group of weary travellers who confront their worst nightmares - and darkest secrets - over one long night on a desolate stretch of desert highway. Roxanne Benjamin, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, and 6 more credits » Chad Villella, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Kristina Pesic 6. 8 / 10 Refusing to let anything spoil their romantic weekend break, a young couple confront a gang of loutish youths with terrifyingly brutal consequences. James Watkins Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender, Tara Ellis Edit Storyline A radio host interprets the possible outbreak of a deadly virus which infects the small Ontario town he is stationed in. Plot Summary Plot Synopsis Taglines: Words lose their meaning when you repeat them.