Pontypool Changes Everything: Movie Edition

With Pontypool Changes Everything Tony Burgess has proven himself to be the unchallenged master of literary zombie mayhem. The book is a mind blowling experience akin to tripping on acid while both H.P. Lovecraft and William S. Burroughs transmit dark thoughts directly into your brain. Reading the book is a life alterning experience that leaves other horror novels drowning in its wake. More than highly recommended, this book IS required reading for both fans and authors of the horror genre.

the main concept of the movie, that a deadly virus can spread by words/repetition to violence, horror, and death, is not a new concept. however, the twist the movie brings to the concept is amazingly well executed for an indie film. while the film is not the same as the book, the concept in science fiction/horror has been floating around for some time. about 2/3 through the book, i realized what was tickling me in the back of my mind (ironically enough, given the subject). one of the central concepts of 'snow crash' by neal stephenson was that a virus could be both transmitted by blood as well as by sound to hit the deep structures of the brain. that is what this movie invoked with me, particularly with the 'kill is...' scene. kudos to the director and actors. it is impossible to convey most complex books in a movie - but this movie managed to grab me with the concept. it was slow to start, but built to a successful and mesmerizing conclusion. the use of v/o instead of music at the end was especially inspired.

This is one of those books that you won't put down until it's finished. The second volume in Burgess's Pontypool trilogy, PCE follows the rise and fall of a destructive virus as it rampages across Ontario, Canada. What elevates this work to truly deranged hights is the seemly-endless array of bizarre characters, from an obsessive compulsive doctor to a walking foetus to relentless zombies. Filmmaker Bruce Macdonald (Highway 61, Roadkill) is expected to film this story; after reading the book, I shudder with anticipation.