Pontypool is a sinister symphony told in three distinct. Pontypool is a refreshing change of pace among the plethora of zombie outbreak films out there. Pontypool plays with the notion of truth, terror popmatters. Pontypool also explores the role of the media in the ongoing disintegration of our society, this time from the squeakychair, glass booth perspective of.
I remember purchasing this book back in 2008 because it was a canadian zombie story that takes place in a little nowhere ontario town called pontypool. Peter wrote to say he had come across a book called action replay by jeffrey hamm of pontypool. Pontypool is a 2008 canadian horror film directed by bruce mcdonald and written by tony burgess, based on his novel pontypool changes everything plot. Pontypool combines the found footage aesthetic with a movie the focuses almost exclusively on an entirely different and rarely seen sense. May 31, 2009 while some may see it as a far too metaphysical monster movie, others will see and more importantly, hear the defining difference.
Pontypool 2008 directed by bruce mcdonald grant mazzy is a shock jock radio personality who has hit rock bottom. But when he hears reports of a virus that turns people into zombies, mazzy barricades himself in the radio booth and tries to figure out a way to warn his listeners about the virus and its unlikely mode of transmission. If any movie could make the case for this position, its pontypool. Watched a neat little horror movie on netflix recently called pontypool. May 18, 2009 pontypool, at the end of the day, wants to be more of an intellectual exercise a mediation on communication and the power of language than just a silly old horror movie. The back of the book had me laughing and intrigued by the description. Burgess really is a genius, if only for that absolutely fantastic conceit. This is it is a good movie and the dvd bluray are worth picking up, but they are not pick of the week material. Riots and infected citizens are reported and the town is put into quarantine for a mysterious outbreak. The existence for it is sort of buried in there, well the title of the book sort of suggests it, pontypool changes everything, and one of the things ive always love about the notion of this, is that the virus could effect something as abstract as the english language, it can leap into reality itself. Ken then manages to call back, this time close enough for grant and the women to hear the infected sons mumbling, which is nothing but mommy in a childs voice. Pontypool is not always the most exciting movie, but its surprisingly original for a zombie movie and it achieves quite a bit on a shoestring budget. If youve only seen the trailers, pontypool would seem like your average zombie movie. The book is his autobiography and peter says he was quite surprised to find so many of the early pages of the book referring to jeffrey hamms days in pontypool.
What is the significance of the postcredits scene in pontypool. Have you ever waited for your favorite book to be turned into a movie. The movie tells the story of the eponymous town of pontypool and a bizarre virus that is spreading through the community, causing widespread chaos and rioting. A body count in the millions has decimated ontarios population. The most important booktotv adaptations coming in 2020.
When disc jockey grant mazzy reports to his basement radio station in the canadian town of pontypool, he thinks its just another day at work. Critics often claim that movies that leave something to the imagination have a far greater impact on viewers than the movies that reveal too much. That is what made the movie and actually, even the book pontypool changes everything so interesting that the principal thing that separates us from other animals is our ultimate undoing is a great catch22. Set in both rural ontario beginning in pontypool, not be confused with pontypool, wales and big city ontario such as toronto, created by tony burgess the canadian novelist.
By presenting the story through the words and voices of terrified callers, mcdonald and burgess create a truly nightmarish scenario. Tony burgess also wrote the screenplay for the adaptation of pontypool. Pontypool was produced as both a motion picture, and as a radio play. The existence for it is sort of buried in there, well the title of the book sort of suggests it, pontypool changes everything, and one of the things ive always love about the notion of this, is that the virus could effect something as abstract as the english language, it. The novel itself is also a canadian work, both in setting and creation. It is one of those movies that you can watch 20 times and still get something new out of it that changes your perception of the movie quite remarkably which makes it a perfect addition to your movie library.
Both versions of pontypool were influenced by orson welles infamous radio production of the war of the worlds. Ive been on such a badmovie binge lately that im slightly ashamed to admit how caught off guard i was by pontypool. Pontypool is a weird movie, one of those films that makes you think and doesnt wrap everything up all neat and tidy like with a nice little bow at the end. In the small town of pontypool, ontario, radio announcer grant mazzy is accosted by a nonsensical woman who repeats the word blood several times before staggering away. Trauma is a news photo without a caption, mazzy will declare on the air, paraphrasing no less highbrow a source than roland barthes for his audience of rural commuters.
Pontypool article about pontypool by the free dictionary. Pontypool changes everything depicts just such an epidemic. The film puts you in the station with the central characters and as such, we only know what they know. Hes working for a small news radio station in the small town of pontypool. My hope is that, through word of mouth, audiences will finally give pontypool the attention it deserves. Theres a virus, there are mobs of infected people attacking the main characters, and our heroes are holed up somewhere trying to survive.
Sep 06, 2008 pontypool has been ranked 738 times, wins 52. If youre looking for noeffort, comfortable reading, this isnt it. There are nylon, pharmaceutical, and automotive parts industries. In a movie founded on the precarious shortcomings of language, this inciting incident with a seemingly urgent yet indecipherable apparition is all too apt. Pontypool is a unique ride into the zombie movie genre. You catch it through conversation, and once it has you, it leads you on a strange journey into another world where the undead chase you down the streets of. The character has the same name in both the book and the movie. To the north at blaenavon the big pit preserves a former coal mine as a museum. Pontypool was adapted from a book called pontypool changes everything, which is part of a series by tony burgess. Trauma is a news photo without a caption, mazzy will declare on the air, paraphrasing no less highbrow a source than. The new canadian thriller pontypool owes a debt to a long line of horror movies, from invasion of the body snatchers to night of the living dead and more recent chillers 28 days later and. Bloody encounters and fear pulse throughout the town of pontypool.
Most of the first half of the movie plays out like a modern version of a radio drama, much like orson wells war of the worlds, in that the fear comes from you imagining what ken loney is seeing. Not in a long time has a horror movie fired this viewers imagination this much, and therein lies the appeal. Top 5 weird ww2 german prototypes that actually flew duration. The arrogant antihero, grant mazzy, is a once nationally celebrated shockjock now. Mendez is a hilarious, overthetop nod to grindhouse scientists who are fascinated by the. Book your tickets online for the top things to do in pontypool, torfaen on tripadvisor.
Its technically well made, well acted, creepy, funny, and weird. Its the compelling, terrifying story of a devastating virus. Pontypool is a 2008 canadian horror film directed by bruce mcdonald and written by tony burgess, based on his novel. Pontypool also explores the role of the media in the ongoing disintegration of our society, this time from the squeakychair, glass booth perspective of smalltown shockjock. Garbled phone calls with warnings of danger pour into the radio station. But this is not your typical zombie infected flick. The transmission is an instruction to remain indoors, not to use terms of endearment, phrases that conflict, or the english language. A psychological thriller in which a deadly virus infects a small ontario town. The most important book totv adaptations coming in 2020.
Georgina reilly in a scene from pontypool, a horror film set in a radio studio. Sep 18, 2009 pontypool was produced as both a motion picture, and as a radio play. Set in both rural ontario beginning in pontypool, not be confused with pontypool, wales and big city. Need to watch pontypool on your tv or mobile device at home. Jun 01, 2009 the new canadian thriller pontypool owes a debt to a long line of horror movies, from invasion of the body snatchers to night of the living dead and more recent chillers 28 days later and. In the movie pontypool, the people have a disease that is transferred by hearing the mumbling of an infected person and thinking about it. If youve seen the movie and now look to the book for a deeper explanation of the events that dog grant mazzy and sydney briar, look elsewhere. In a new film directed by bruce mcdonald, zombies attack a.
Pontypool changes everything is, to those unfamiliar with the work, the novel which received the movie adaptation treatment to become cult canadian movie, pontypool. Pontypool sounds like a zombie movie, and its not too far removed from one. Stephen mchattie is grant, a grouchy badass talkradio host in the onehorse canadian town of pontypool, just about kept in line by his producer sydney lisa houle. The blizzard takes her, leaving grant shocked and mystified. Its the kind of movie that, if its seen in the right place and right time, can really. The 10 best things to do in pontypool 2020 with photos. Pontypool changes everything is, by turns, a zombie novel, a literary painting, an exploration of semiotics and a series of vignettes. This whole mess began with a flyer for a missing cat, honey. Hunting down a streaming service to buy, rent, download, or view the bruce mcdonalddirected movie via subscription can be confusing. Oct 15, 2009 stephen mchattie is grant, a grouchy badass talkradio host in the onehorse canadian town of pontypool, just about kept in line by his producer sydney lisa houle. Pontypool is a 2008 canadian horror film directed by bruce mcdonald and written by tony burgess, based on his novel pontypool changes everything. In the avanthorror film pontypool, stephen mchattie plays a radio jock squarely in the potstirrer mold.
Whats the difference between pontypool changes everything the book and pontypool the movie. Then when it finally happens you barely recognize it on the big screen. While some may see it as a far too metaphysical monster movie, others will see and more importantly, hear the defining difference. Jun 27, 2016 pontypool combines the found footage aesthetic with a movie the focuses almost exclusively on an entirely different and rarely seen sense. Follow the movie on facebook plot summary when disc jockey grant mazzy stephen mchattie reports to his basement radio station in the canadian town of pontypool, he thinks its just another day. Watch pontypool movie trailers, exclusive videos, interviews from the cast, movie clips and more at.
1258 1333 13 597 73 891 465 336 694 1179 318 338 1457 1027 1477 932 721 530 50 493 1033 827 747 276 494 452 394 650 558 950 219 1392 241 1327 368 40 744 91 1314 696 349 1068 796 145 690 782