"God bug" - mad scientist Dr Mendes Wow! What a pleasant surprise this was.Or rather, what a disturbing, unsettling and downright creepy surprise it was.Never have I seen a 'zombie' film with such little violence and blood. In fact I can't recall any actual violence that I saw, other than poor Laurel-Ann trying too hard to get close to Mazzy. Even when Grant & Sydney have to beat one of the 'conversationalists' to death, we only see them stamping away from just above the victim.Interesting that they are to be called 'conversationalists' rather than 'zombies' according to director Bruce McDonald;"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 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." Interview with Bruce McDonald I accept this but only to a certain extent. From stage one to two it's a credible step. But from scrambled words to eating faces is one biiiiiiiiiig leap!As is often the case with a good film, it got me thinking. The idea that a virus (or whatever you want to call it) can be transmitted through words is really novel but how did it originate....?Wonder if it's not biological/chemical weapons that whoever is the US's current number one enemy possesses but a toxic vocabulary?Or maybe nobody has yet mastered it and the Pentagon are working on it. They will have me 'removed' for going public and blowing the whistle on their little scam.

A remarkably fresh & highly original example of restrained craftsmanship that's clever, captivating & at times amusing, Pontypool is a smartly structured, patiently narrated & brilliantly performed Canadian horror that establishes an aura of unrelenting tension & mystery with immaculate precision during its first half but loses some of its potency when it lets the cat out of the bag in the remaining half.The story of Pontypool takes place in the titular town and unfolds at a radio station where a radio announcer is going through his usual morning schedule with two of his associates before they are interrupted by one of their reporters who feeds them disturbing intel about an uprising in the small town that is rapidly getting out of control, but they are left shell-shocked when they learn the true nature of it.Directed by Bruce McDonald, the first half of Pontypool is a thrilling exercise in tension building as it provides only bits n pieces of information regarding the horror that's unfolding in the town, that too through second hand accounts instead of taking the viewers right into the middle of the crime scene, thus bringing their imagination into play. Less is more is the approach here and McDonald employs it really well for the most part.The script is penned down by the author of the novel this film is adapted from, and the decision to narrate the story like a radio play gives Pontypool a uniqueness of its own. Its minimal & enclosed setting helps in sustaining its already tense ambiance as our characters are just as oblivious as us and have to rely on reported accounts to make a sense of what's happening outside. However, when we do get to the part when the secret comes out, it all seems a bit absurd.The camera rarely sways its focus away from the characters inhabiting this tale and it makes really effective use of close-ups throughout its runtime. Editing in the first half is nearly flawless but the next half is a hit or miss, depending on how the big reveal works out for you. The cast comprises of Stephen McHattie, Lisa Houle & Georgina Reilly, with McHattie carrying the entire film on his own with a cool, confident & charismatic performance and is finely supported by Houle & Reilly.On an overall scale, Pontypool works amazingly well during its first half, takes an unexpected turn in the middle that requires some time to get comfortable with but the film still wraps itself up on a satisfying note with a finale that's heartbreaking yet brims with heartfelt warmth. Whether you approach it as a zombie film or a psychological horror, this Canadian flick is a welcome entry in the world of horror that's undeterred by budgetary constraints and finds creative ways to realise its own ambitions. Definitely recommended... recommended... recommended...!

I would give this a minus 10 if it were possible. Seriously? Synopsis: 3 People not trapped in a radio station relay what's going on outside to their listeners. That's the whole bloody movie - at least up to 42 minutes, which is when I stopped watching. Couldn't get through this borefest.Nothing much happens in the first 20 minutes except for one idiotic jump scare. Hand on the window....oooooo scary! Then there is a blackface skit....yes, a blackface skit....oh yes, now I really care about the inhabitants of this dumb town, don't I? Then the reports started coming in. Then some idiotic lines in Spanish about not translating into English...Bottom line - stupid movie for stupid people...don't waste your time

I really wanted to like this film. I thought its premise was interesting - rehash a 'War Of the Worlds' scenario for a modern audience and see what happens. This movie, though, was so full of holes that it distracted from its believability.First of all, it was too artsy-fartsy. That, in itself, is thrilling if nonsensical jargon is your thing. If it is then you'd think this was a sublime film that deserves an Oscar for best script.The four main actors were pretty believable up until the movie turned sour. A virus that is spread by words? I'd think if they illustrated this idea instead of just presenting it as plausible then perhaps the movie would, indeed, be something to behold. But if I am to just accept that viruses can be spread by words, why stop there? Let's see carcinomas created when the kitchen light goes on or watching Sesame Street breaks your legs.I stayed all the way through with this film because I was hoping it'd suddenly turn around by its final scene as it did in Dogtooth. But I was robbed. It was just full of talking for talk's sake. The producers should put a warning that 'Pontypool' is just a yam-fest. I would've kept my distance. I gave it two stars because it was an interesting film poorly executed and contained too many distracting holes.