Quick Review:Pontypool(2009)

Shut up or die is the tagline. After seeing the movie it's definitely a good choice of words.I heard about this movie from various bloggers and sites and finally got a chance to view this.It's a very interesting and yet bizzarre movie but well made.

This movie is based on the book Pontypool changes everything by Tony Burgess.
The plot:DJ Grant Mazzy(a shock-jock radio host on the downside of his career) is on his way to work in the small Ontario town of Pontypool when a strange occurrence happens as he's stopped in his car.A women bangs on his window shouting indistinctly only to roam away before help.Little does Mazzy know that this is only the beginning of a number of totally strange and unbelievable events most notable reports from chopper man Ken who has witnessed some kind of violent outbreak by residents of this small town.Apparently these residents are murdering one another and speaking in strange and erratic speech patterns.Mazzy and his small crew,radio producer Sydney Bryar and technician Laurel Ann Drummond have a hard time believing what is happening and go as far as even thinking its some kind of hoax until the horde of crazed residents reaches their radio station.

The movie itself seems to be falsely identified by some as a zombie movie,while this is somewhat true ,this movie is definitely more of a surreal,mind bender flick that is more scifi than horror.Because we soon learn that people the virus is the English language and is being spread through certain words of endearment. Director Bruce McDonald was really able to craft a chilling atmosphere,that being Mazzy and his crew trapped inside this old radio station as more and more reports of mayhem come in..McDonald did a great job hinting of something going terrible wrong outside without hitting us over the head with it.Kudos also to Mazzy(Stpehen McHattie) and Sydney(Lisa Houle) who's reactions to some of these events keep the tension high and keep the story believable.

Later on a doctor arrives at the radio station and gives Mazzy and Sydney come clarification on what is going on.Once they find out it is the English language that is the virus they are forced to write and even speak in French in order to communicate and not become infected.There are several strange scenes where it appears Mazzy is infected only to snap out of it and another scene where Mazzy seems to come up with some pattern of random words that snap Sydney out of it.That was where I got the bizzarre idea from.

The fact that this film relies on a real intriguing premise IS definitely a breath of fresh air.I did feel it missed out a little though,it could have further explained the hows and whys and it wouldn't have hurt to show a little more of the chaos happening outside the station.But supposedly this is part of a trilogy and if that's true I would definitely like to see the next installment of this saga.

7/10