Pontypool vs. Autumn

I've seen a number of movies over the past couple of weeks. The first was Pontypool, a film making the indie and film fest circuit over the spring and summer.

This movie is based on the book Pontypool Changes Everything by Tony Burgess. The basic plot is of a radio shock jock in the small town of Pontypool in Quebec, Canada. The action takes place in the radio studio and there are three main characters, Grant, Sydney and Laurel Ann.

In Pontypool, location is everything. It's even what makes the people in the town turn into 28 Days esque zombies.

The movie itself is shot beautifully, the snow and shear whiteness of the surrounding area give the viewer a almost claustrophobic feel. I felt like I was stuck in the studio with these characters. I opened my blinds excepting to see nothing but snow around me.

The movie shifts from color to black and white in a obituary montage that helps move the story along nicely but, if you are like my girlfriend, you find yourself wondering how the characters know all this information when they don't know whats going on in the first place.

Pontypool reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw. "The English Language didn't borrow from other languages. It followed them down a dark alley, clubbed them over the head and went through their pockets."

Next on my list is Autumn, based on a novel by David Moody. On a side note I'm currently reading Haters, another novel by Moody and I have to say I am impressed.


Autumn is the story of three survivors of a plague that causes citizens to cough blood and then die. Of, course the dead to regain motor skills and begin to get up and walk around.

They movie itself is sort of slow paced. If you are looking for big zombie action, this is not the film for you. This film is about the little things of character development.

I will add I saw this movie on a bootleg screener's copy from a "Source" and that the audio wasn't always the best quality and this may not be the final version of the film that will be in theaters.

There is a twist in these zombies that I won't give away. Let's just say that up until a point, this zombie apocalypse was fairly bearable.

I will go see this movie when/if it comes to my town. I don't usually pay to see movie in the theater unless it's in Imax.

These two movies have unique takes on what makes a zombie and both have a certain claustrophobia that makes it even better.

Also, I liked the fact that both these movies didn't use big name Hollywood actors. I didn't recognize a single person in these films which allowed me to be able to get into them even more.