Pontypool

This is an incredibly strange but satisfying thriller from Canada. It's not strange in its style, although there a a few offbeat and unexpected flourishes delivered in random scenes, but just a very strange story. It's kinda Twilight Zonish and a little trippy.

It takes place in a radio station in the tiny town of Pontypool, Quebec. Certain events on Valentine's Day begin to unfold with the most inexplicable and horrific violence as explained through eyewitness accounts over the radio station.

The acting, writing, and overall direction are quite good. As the events unfold and the nature of what is occurring begins to be understood, the writing becomes a little murky in spots, and some loose ends are unexplained. But overall, it is a totally original and thought-provoking movie.

It is creepy in parts, and keeps you glued to the characters throughout. I definitely recommend it if you can find it.

__________________

and there was me thinking it was a promotional film for the Welsh tourist board

__________________
100 Favourites From The Future: REWIRED

^^

__________________

~In the event of a Zombie Uprising, remember to sever the head or destroy the brain!~

I agree with this.

The movie also had a claustrophobia to it that added to the creepiness factor.

6.5/10

__________________
"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tanhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time like tears in rain. Time to die." . . .
"Even when I was carrying a gun, she scared the be-jesus out of me."

Good idea but disappointing, not much scope and bit forced and doesn't always deliver itself in best way.

__________________

It came across as quite intense to me. Stephen McHattie's strong presence and voice as the maverick radio disc jockey is the centerpiece. In many ways, it plays out as a companion piece to Orson Welles' radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds on Halloween 1938. Horror shows do really like those holidays. I'd also give it but that means it wasn't disappointing at all.

__________________
It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
My IMDb page

Definitely agree. This film is so underrated but it's amazing. Very simplistic but simplicity in this case only helps add to its realism.

The wife and I randomly popped this on last night, and both enjoyed it quite a bit. It didn't quite stick the landing, but I really only had minor quibbles overall. This one was a bit ahead of its time in its allegory for information dissemination and the damage it can cause culturally.

__________________

This girl I dated wanted to watch this with me, after we both had made lots of jokes about words and english language, which was fitting.

It's a unique take on the zombie movie, well-made and directed for its low budget. The concept of a virus being carried through specific words is a bit ridiculous. I think this movie did the best it possibly did with realizing the concept to its potential. There's a certain comedy to this, and the relatively short runtime ensures that it ends before the joke starts to get old.

Critics on rating sites rated it higher than audiences. I'm somewhere between a 6-7/10 on this one.