Breaking News! Just Announced!
PONTYPOOL Producer Jeffrey Coghlan of Toronto will make a special appearance IN PERSON at the Annapolis Pretentious Film Society screening on January 11th to participate in a post screening Q&A/Discussion of his film and it's production. (Pictured: Jeffrey Coghlan (Left) with PONTYPOOL Director Bruce McDonald on set.)This is a great honor for the Annapolis Pretentious Film Society and we, along with our sponsors are proud to host Mr. Coghlan for this screening.
Since this screening was announced, PONTYPOOL has been new award nominations and critical praise which includes:
- 2009 Best Picture Nominee (Canada) - Toronto Film Critics Association
- 2009 Best Actor Nominee (Canada) - Stephen McHattie - Vancouver Film Critics Association
- 2009 Best Supporting Actress Nominee (Canada) - Lisa Houle - Vancouver Film Critics Association
- Over 20 "Top 10" of 2009 Lists.
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In these days of office football pools, high stakes poker on ESPN, and Wall Street investment hi-jinks called Ponzi scams, it's easy to think that the Canadian thriller “Pontypool” is related somehow to these current events. In my opinion, “Ponty,” sounds like the word “Ponzi” and the word “pool” makes me think of gambling. A “Ponzi” scheme is sort of like gambling, and since Ponty reminds me of Ponzi and I associate “pool” with gambling, when I first heard the title "Pontypool," I thought the movie was about some type of elaborate game with sinister overtones. So without knowing anything about the movie, I watched it because it was highly recommended by some people I respect. As it turned out, it had nothing to do with swindles or gambling or schemes.
Nevertheless, I was on to something. Pontypool, which has been called by some a zombie movie (I disagree), or a horror movie (not really), is more of a rhetorical thriller. It’s a movie about words. Words themselves become what Pontypool novelist and screenwriter, Tony Burgess, refers to as “predatory metaphors” that never die, but just keep coming at you and appearing at every opportunity trying to possess you, infect you, and infiltrate your subconscious.
Although the word associations I made in trying to figure out Pontypool were wrong, that very process of word association was exactly what the movie was about.
Fiercely independent Canadian director, Bruce McDonald (Hardcore Logo, The Tracey Fragments) delivers something that you rarely witness at the theater – a unique film. Pontypool has been nominated by the Toronto Film Critics Association for Best Canadian Feature of 2009 and is critically acclaimed internationally. That's impressive for a movie that was shot independently in 15 days, and hasn't been widely distributed.
Those who know me will tell you that I hate telling people too much about a movie before they see it. There are so many spoilers out there on the web about Pontypool, and it sort of sickens me. So unless you need to know everything about a film before you see it, I want to caution you about reading too much regarding this masterpiece. You have a chance of seeing something very special without having it all revealed to you in some carelessly written movie review.
Trust me on this one, Pontypool is best sampled with a clean palette. This is a movie that you will not only enjoy, but that will become a cinematic reference point for many movies you will see in the future.
The trailer below should be enough to peak your interest...
Based on the book, "Pontypool Changes Everything" by Tony Burgess
Screenplay by Tony Burgess
Directed by Bruce McDonald (The Tracey Fragments, Hard Core Logo)Screenplay by Tony Burgess
Starring Stephen McHattie (300, Watchmen, Shoot Em Up, Fringe)
Produced by Jeffrey Coghlan
WHERE: RAMS HEAD ON STAGE
WHEN: January 11, 2010
TIME: Doors Open 6PM, Program begins at 7PM
Tickets: $8 in Advance, $10 at the door. Click Here for Tickets.
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