This Day in Horror History: PONTYPOOL First Screened in 2008
Josh Millican
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Just as the zombie subgenre of horror seemed to be hitting a plateau in the late 2000s, Bruce McDonald’s Pontypool came along to change the game. Though indie in its approach, utilizing a single location and a small cast, the film nonetheless brought the undead apocalypse to life with frightening reality and intensity. It’s also an intelligent, unique spin on established zombie tropes, imagining an infection that spreads through language.
If you’ve never seen Pontypool, give the trailer and synopsis a spin below.
Synopsis:
When disc jockey Grant Mazzy (Stephen McHattie) reports to his basement radio station in the Canadian town of Pontypool, he thinks it’s just another day at work. 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: the English language.
Pontypool is based on the novel by Tony Burgess, who also wrote the screenplay. The film is propelled by a riveting performance from Stephen McHattie, who’s adeptly supported by Lisa Houle and Georgina Reilly.
Even with the zombie subgenre of horror showing signs of fatigue, Pontypool remains an engrossing and compelling piece of cinema, one that deserves to be celebrated and studied for decades to come.
Trivia:
Bruce McDonald has said that the victims of the virus are called “conversationalists,” as opposed to “zombies”. In describing the stages of the virus, McDonald said: “There are three stages to this virus. The first stage is you might begin to repeat a word. Something gets stuck. And usually it’s words that are terms of endearment, like sweetheart or honey. The second stage is your language becomes scrambled and you can’t express yourself properly. The third stage is that you become so distraught at your condition that the only way out of the situation you feel, as an infected person, is to try and chew your way through the mouth of another person”. (Source)
Are you a fan of Pontypool? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! You can also carry on the convo with me personally on Twitter @josh_millican.
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