[Pontypool]
Plot:Set in a radio station in Pontypool where one day the morning team starts taking reports of extreme, bloody incidents of violence occurring in town. As the story unfolds, the radio staff soon realizes the violence that is ripping society apart is due to a virus being spread through the English language. That in turn poses a problem for a yappy radio jock and his staff holed up in the broadcast booth housed in the basement of the town's church as a slaughter rages beyond its walls.

Cast:Stephen McHattie, Lisa Houle, Georgina Reilly, Hrant Alianak, Rick Roberts.

My Thoughts:Something new for the most part.

Review:"Pontypool" was originally billed as this new-age horror movie that relied more on suspense and thrills than blood and gore. Ultimately I felt the movie offered up something new most definitely, when it comes to the horror genre. But, it was thin in many areas as well. The movie follows a radio jock, a pretty old guy who sports a cowboy hat...and his radio show staff, who go on the air during a usual day in Pontypool Canada.

Suddenly, they begin to get in reports of horrific scenes taking place around the town. People being attacked viciously, mobs of people forcing their way into buildings, and numerous deaths. The question is, why is this all happening suddenly, and what does it have to do with language? This movies premise is that the infected, or affected...are victims of some sort of curse, plague, or mental psychosis, brought on by speech. As in words, or the spoken word.

The affected soon lose all ability to think for themselves, and can only function by having words transmitted to them. The more words they hear, the more active, and deadly they become. While the plot, and story is orginal, and the way it slowly unfolds in the films first and second acts, is very reminiscent of that chilling, and thrilling old "War Of The Worlds" broadcast from way back when...the movie sometimes ends up tripping over it's own story, and doesn't craft it well enough to be precise and effective.

For example, we know that words, the english language is causing these people to go crazy, but we never learn how this is possible, what's behind it, or anything really key to the scenario unfolding. Also the film has some very unbelievable moments, such as when a doctor, who has had his practice invaded by the affected, manages to somehow get from all the way across town, to the church basement where the DJ and his staff are doing their broadcast.

It just seemed too far-fetched, especially because the entire town according to unfolding events, is supposed to be running rampant with infected people. Ala "28 Days Later", where even leaving the safety of a building was taking your life into your own hands. The film does do many things right though. It offers up an original story, an original dilemma, and an original scenario. It also manages to add a lot of suspense to the proceedings by putting together a very good cast of good actors, and making the events taking place outside the radio station seem very powerful and impactful.

As a viewer watching all of this, I felt like if someone were to leave the safety of the broadcast room, they'd surely be brutally mutilated immediately. So atleast, to that extent, the film was very effective in creating a mood, and atmosphere of allowing the viewer to believe that the characters are in a life or death situation, where every decision and move they make is critical. Blood and gore in a movie like this should be at high levels, optimum levels in fact.

But as I mentioned earlier in the review, they were shooting more for suspense, thrills, and chills here. So save one brutal scene where one of the infected broadcast staff members begins smashing her head against the DJ booth window, this movie doesn't splash and throw around a lot of the red stuff.

The ending of the movie is a big-time cliffhanger, and it's almost disappointing in many ways, but pretty effective in others. In the end, I'd say the movies finale is pretty break even, even though it could've been a lot more clear and resolute. "Pontypool" might not work for every horror fan, but it is worth seeing for a fresh, new, story offering.

Positives:A fresh new approach to a horrific story, very effective scenes of suspense and thrills, good performances, some disturbing scenes, and an interesting conclusion.

Negatives:The film lags sometimes and doesn't seem to know what to do with it's rich story, also the doctor escaping the infected townspeople into the safety of the station was pretty far-fetched.

Overall:Two and a half out of four stars.





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