PLOT Dark, snowy, cold as nuts Pontypool Ontario where Honey the cat has been missing until seen last Thursday. What does any of this mean? I actually still do not know but the narrator leads us into the movie with this bit of small town news as our radio jockey drives into work. Pulling to a stop, Grant Mazzy dressed as a ridiculous cowboy is startled by a woman who approaches his car window and disappears repeating the words Mazzy last spoke. Not knowing what to do, Mazzy continues on and arrives at a small radio station manned by "Homecoming Hero" Laurel-Ann and station manager Sydney.
As Grant settles in with the microphone he begins to upset Sydney with some of his old "Shock Jock" tricks until their weather/traffic man Ken calls in and describes a mob scene he is witnessing. There are some "Oh, God no's" and "Oh the humanity's" before Ken is cut off. Hot Diggety Dog, we got ourselves something to talk about now! scrambling for word on the situation, Sydney and young Laurel-Ann filter incoherent calls which end in more "Ahhhhh *clicks*" while Grant airs the singing talents of some white folk dressed as Middle East terrorists, one of whom starts to display some very unusual behavior. Well the Ali Babas or whatever they were called are dismissed and then things get really interesting when the radio signal is hijacked by a broadcast in French when translated warns against terms of endearments and baby talk or something before warning against translating the message into English. Oops, too late.
Ken calls in every few minutes with more obscure news and Laurel-Ann begins to imitate the tea kettle whistle before repeating the word "miss" and then eats her face. It's good fun for all. Our two survivors Sydney and Grant soldier on attempting to either avoid or come to some sort of understanding as to what is happening to the residents of Pontypool.
FINAL THOUGHT For a zombie movie that took place in one room and had a lot of talking, I am in love with Pontypool. Oh, Canada. Only you could be ground zero for a language based zombie virus. I still wonder if damn Honey the cat had something to do with this whole mess.
1 important opinions:
I like the notion of ideas spreading like a virus, and the studio of a talk radio program is definitely the ideal setting for such a story. They did a great job casting the lead actor too, as he reminded me of Don Imus or any of a number of right wing hosts who make their living by spreading misinformation.
Also, the final warning in the French message gave me the impression that the English language had effectively been quarantined, and that English speakers were soon going to be wiped off of the map altogether to save the species. We've of course seen that idea before with other zombie films, but making language the source of infection is just a shockingly original spin on the familiar concept. I love it.
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