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Monday, March 29, 2010

Pontypool Review

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Last night I decided to watch a movie that received a lot of attention at film festivals last year, Pontypool.
Pontypool stars Stephen McHattie as Grant Mazzy, a shock jock that has been kicked off the airwaves and is now relegated to working a small-town morning show. What starts as an ordinary morning quickly turns deadly as calls and reports start flooding in of riots and crazy people attacking others, including biting and tearing them apart. This film has one of the most original viral outbreak scenarios I have ever seen. Instead of the virus being spread by blood, saliva, or the air it infects people through language, specifically English. Only certain words are infected, such as baby talk and terms of endearment phrases. The ending is sad but make sure you watch all the way to the end of the credits for an extra scene that is left open to the viewers interpretation. The thing I loved most about Pontypool was that there isn't much gore or on screen action, the horror is conveyed through description and emotion. If you are looking for a zombie splatterfest, this isn't for you. 98% of the film takes place inside the radio station, giving you a very claustrophobic setting that is punctuated by the tension the characters are feeling. This is one of the smartest horror films I have seen in a long time, great acting, great story, and nail biting scenes with a pinch of humor. If you haven't seen this one check it out.

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