Having crafted a litany of iconic stories, if Stephen King heartily endorses anything even tangentially related to horror, then it’d be a wise move to listen. That being said, anyone with a soft spot for tales of terror will already be fully aware of Pontypool.
One of the cultiest cult classics to ever cult classic, director Bruce McDonald’s 2008 favorite finds Stephen McHattie’s DJ reporting for duty at his basement radio station in the titular town, only for reports of a rapidly-spreading virus to take over the airwaves, causing him to barricade the doors and try to warn listeners that not only is certain doom upon them, but it’s being transmitted by the spoken word.
Enthusiastically received by both critics and crowds, Pontypool did eventually gift the world a spin-off in 2019 when Dreamland arrived, but direct follow-up Pontypool Changes has yet to materialize despite dropping a teaser poster in 2012, with various updates over the years failing to bring about tangible results.
Either way, somebody seeking a recommendation got more than they could have dreamed of when King piped in to shout out Pontypool, hitting the nail squarely on the head in the process.
Whenever the conversation turns to cult gems that any self-respecting horror aficionado needs to add to their watch-list arises, it’s inevitable that Pontypool will come up sooner rather than later. As much as it’s a shame the second installment has never managed to drag itself out of development hell, maybe a legend like King speaking about it in such glowing terms will encourage an entirely new audience to seek it out, track it down, and give it a whirl, because they most certainly will not be left disappointed.
Published: Sep 19, 2023 02:55 am