Reviewed by Carol Sullivan
Genre: Horror
Rating: Not Rated
Director: Bruce McDonald
Starring: Stephen McHattie, Lisa Houle, Georgina Reilly, Hrant Alianak, Rick Roberts
On DVD: July 21st, 2009
Studio: IFC Films
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They munch, they crunch and are always eager to spread their love through military bases, jumbo-jets, hospitals, high-school proms, large portions of England and lately take over the world. What am I referring to? Why, our beloved movie zombies, of course.
Why do these gruesome, gooey creatures, that bring only sickness and death, fascinate us so? While that question should really remain unanswered, I always get a kick out of the filmmakers that come up with new settings for the un-dead and the primal mayhem that they cause. Just when you think you've seen it all, they come up with a new one!
Well, folks, I have found one of the best psychological thrillers that I have ever seen and, believe or not, the zombies are not the scariest thing about it...
The Indie flick, Pontypool, begins as a deep-voiced narrator explains the meaning of the title word. To make a long story short, Pontypool essentially means things that are there, yet not seen. When these things finally come into focus, it makes them real... Or, quite simply, something is coming, or about to happen.
We then join a old and grizzled radio shock-jock named Grant Mazzy (Stephen McHattie, 2012) as he heads for work at a small-town radio station. Fired from his previous job for various sins on the air, his relegation, (to a job he feels is well beneath him), has left him with plenty of resentment and a bad attitude.
That snowy morning, Mazzy is to report on the school closures for the day and local interest pieces only. But, when his producers hear chatter on the police scanner, they begin to worry. A large mob has descended on a doctor's office building and people are dying. As the riot grows, Mazzy tries to get the full story with only limited reports from the outside world. When they learn that a virus is changing the simple citizens into monsters, can Mazzy solve the problem from the small radio station before the entire town becomes infected?
The idea that a zombie virus could be spread through the English language, the spoken word, sounds a little off-the-map, I know. But, this story is so smart and so well written by Tony Burgess; you'll be pulled right along with the characters in the film.
I love how the story evolves; the manner in which the fear creeps up on you is the best kind of suspense. Like the radio broadcast of War of the Worlds; you are hearing only limited information and news snippets from whimpering witnesses and it makes it terrifying. What you cannot see is what makes your skin crawl!
Director Bruce McDonald (The Tracey Fragments) really impressed me with this film; shot in the close quarters of a radio-booth really show-cases his talents and vision. And with its edgy, sarcastic script and fabulous cast performances, Pontypool is an absolute must-see! Do not miss this one!
Highly recommended as a rental and/or purchase.
Overall Rating: 4 1/2
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