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Movie:		8.0
Picture:		8.0
Sound:		8.0
Extras:		7.0
Score:		8.0

Director(s):	Bruce McDonald
Writer(s):	Tony Burgess
Starring:	Stephen McHattie • Lisa Houle • Georgina Reilly • Hrant Alianak • Rick Roberts • Daniel Fathers
Genre:	Horror • Thriller
Website:	http://www.pontypoolmovie.com/
Release Date:	January 26, 2010

List Price:	DVD - $14.99
Amazon:

Pontypool is not a zombie movie — this is the first thing director Bruce McDonald wants you to know, and something you should know before watching (zombie fanatics, you have been warned). Though they go after other humans like zombies, and (debatably) move like zombies, the infected are what McDonald describes as “Conversationalists.”

Based on the short story “Pontypool Changes Everything” by Tony Burgess (who also penned the screenplay adaptation), Pontypool follows radio host Grant Mazzy (Stephen McHattie) and his morning crew (Lisa Houle and Georgina Reilly) during what begins as a normal, low-key Valentine’s Day morning. In a matter of hours, the day turns into a nightmare.

Traffic reporter Ken Loney (Rick Roberts) starts sending in disturbing accounts of vicious attacks around town. At first it seems like an elaborate hoax, but then it’s on the actual legitimate news, and it’s not long before hoards of the “Conversationalists” arrive at the radio station and try to get in.

What exactly is the deal with these “Conversationalists”? Explained McDonald at Rue Morgue, “They come to realize this is because the English language has been infected with a virus.”

This, though unorthodox, is not the worst vehicle for the spread of a virus, and in a strange way, sort of makes sense. Over the years, as the slang and Internet shorthand that once appeared only online has pervaded everyday speech (anyone born after 1980 is most likely guilty of throwing an “lol” or “jk” into face-to-face conversation, whether out of irony or otherwise), understanding each other has become harder and harder.

McDonald goes on to clarify, “There are three stages to this- 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’” — Uh-oh, and on Valentine’s Day — “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.”

So, in a way, it’s sort of like 28 Days Later, but rather than being afflicted with a quite literally uncontrollable murderous rage, the victims are stuck with a very serious, very deadly case of verbal butterfingers. These people can’t explain themselves properly, and, let’s face it: the idea of no one understanding you is pretty damn scary. Technology is devoted to keeping people in touch, to communicate, to relate to each other (even if counteractively at times — see Internet shorthand).

Social commentary aside, actual scenes of violence and gore are few and far between, so for those of you who prefer psychological terror over the constant sight of disembowelment and decapitation, this film is right up your alley.

DVD Bonus Features:

The hourlong “CBC Original Radio Show,” and the short films “Eve” and “Dada Dum,” both directed by Britt Randle, and “The Death of Chet Baker,” directed by Robert Budreau. You can also watch with commentary by director Bruce McDonald and writer Tony Burgess.