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Pontypool Director: Bruce McDonald Genre: Horror, Drama, Comedy Starring: Stephen McHattie, Lisa Houle, Georgina Reilly, Hrant Alianak Screenplay: Tony Burgess, from his novel. By: Don Young Grant Mazzy (Stephen McHattie) stops on the side of the highway on his drive into work on a snowy Valentines Day morning. A woman comes up to his car, smacks her hand on the window, and speaks unintelligible words. When Mazzy opens the window, she disappears. He continues in to work as a disc jockey at CLSY - The Beacon, a small radio station in Pontypool. The incident has tweaked his imagination. The station, in a church basement, becomes a refuge for Mazzy, his producer, Sydney (Lisa Houle) and engineer, Laurel Ann Drummond (Georgina Reilly), as their day begins and as it spirals out of control. Fuelled by a good rye-laced coffee, Mazzy spins stories and commentary, as he struggles to bring big city radio to a small town. He’s assisted by local callers, and the inimitable Ken Loney (voice of Rick Roberts). Loney, in the Sunshine Chopper provides traffic reports and on the scene reporting of the largest story to break in the village of Pontypool in ages, …perhaps ever. The story unfolds after reports come in of an incident between police and a group of people removing ice-fishing huts. The shootout is unusual, but then so are the suspects, talking nonsense as they run around naked, some of them missing body parts. The story expands with Loney’s reports of a riot at the offices of Dr. John Mendez (Hrant Alianak), the local psychiatrist. Meanwhile Mazzy interviews Lawrence and the Arabians, a local musical theatre group, and eventually reads the obituaries. Nigel Healing (voice of Daniel Fathers), of the BBC does a live interview with Mazzy on air, and tries to tie the incidents to Quebec Separatists, as the military establishes a quarantine around the village. Doctor Mendez arrives at the station, entering through a window. He explains his theories that a virus that has taken over the village. It is spread through words, but only some words and only if they are understood. And the words seem to be in English. It is the same intelligent conversation that attracts those infected, which results in Laurel Ann becoming infected and the victims arriving at the radio station. But was the doctor also attracted by the understandable communications coming from the radio station. Is he a victim, or does he hold the solution? Thus begins the action part of the movie, as well as the gorier scenes. Unlike many horror films, this movie is as much about the imagined horror as in what is shown. That’s not to suggest there aren’t some excellent examples of special effects and makeup; they only confirm the imagined horror described in the news reports from the unseen scenes. In other words, the story is spread in our minds much like the virus is spread in the victims in Pontypool. So, how good is this movie? There are movies created from piles of money and so many skilled and unskilled people that the credits run on for minutes that seem to be longer. Pontypool was filmed by a small cast and crew of skilled and talented people using limited sets and selective applications of money. While everything appears real on screen, it is the actors that sell the story to the audience and fire their imagination. If the movie is popular (and I see no reason it shouldn’t be), I imagine that it could be re-created as live theatre. On the stage, it has the potential to rejuvenate the selection of tired and lackluster stage productions found in Toronto, those borrowed once stale in other locations. And if the 17 weeks Pontypool movie production to final film is an indication, a stage production could be up and running before next spring. But that is another topic, and this review is about Pontypool, the movie. The production values on Pontypool are excellent. Cinematography by Miroslaw Baszak using the RED camera is an example of professional standards. The editing by Jeremiah L. Munce gives the movie a smooth flow with some exciting points, excellent comedy timing and a great overall feel and appearance. The music, set design and decorating/art, wardrobe, hair and make up are perfect and come together to create one of the best movies made in Ontario this year. Bruce McDonald has scored really high with this one. It’s the must-see movie of the year. Let’s hope it gets on the big screen soon. 
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