Day 1 of my 31 Days of Monster Mania features one of my favorite underrated horror films entitled "PONTYPOOL". The film was released in 2008 and really went under the radar. I didn't actually discover the film until 2010. Most of my friends and family have not heard of the film when I mention it, but every time I've shown the film to someone they usually find it creepy or intriguing. It's actually based on a novel written by Tony Burgess which I haven't had the chance to read, but according to the reviews I've seen the film is actually superior (which is a rarity). The plot of the film revolves around a disc jockey by the name of Grant Mazzy (what a name) played by Stephen McHattie, who works in a small dim cold town called Pontypool located in Ontario. Over the course of one day Mazzy experiences a series of strange occurrences. I can't get into too much detail about these occurrence because they are critical to the surprises in the film but I can tell you that it is absolutely chilling. The entire film basically takes place inside of a radio station and we hear about the events unfolding outside of the station through a series of phone calls from witnesses. The concepts in the film open a new can of worms in terms of what we define as "horror". Gore is traded in for psychology and it pays off.
Grant Mazzy has a voice that is incredibly crisp and attractive to the ear, so it's no problem that he is the focus of the film, and that we never really leave his surroundings. This is a film that takes a simple idea and makes it mind-blowing. You will find yourself re-watching the film to pick up on smaller details. The film is a truly compelling horror entry and it takes an approach we haven't really seen before. It has a very warped weirdness that reminded me of a Cronenberg film. I was left with hair standing up on my arm and chills going down my spine. That is a feeling that is hard to come by the older and more jaded I get. I can't recommend this film enough. It's currently streaming on Netflix and it's about 5 bucks to buy on dvd, so no excuses for missing this one! If you are like me you will find yourself forming theories and explanations in your head for hours after viewing the film. If you watch it you'll have to comment with your theory of what the truth in the film is!
The whole time I was watching this, I was thinking of what is perhaps my favorite short story of all time, "Houses Under the Sea" by Caitlin R. Kiernan.
ReplyDeleteAt one point in the story, the narrator thinks of the quote by William S. Burroughs - "Language is a virus from outer space." Apt for the movie, I do think.