Bruce McDonald is cowboy cool as the editing of Pontypool enters the 11th hour

Last night at Milli’s boutique in Yorkville, we caught up with Canadian director Bruce McDonald (Highway 61, Hard Core Logo). He arrived fashionably late to his own party due to the down-to-the-wire editing of his film Pontypool, which has its international debut Saturday night at TIFF. Bombarded by guests, and with daughter Charlie jumping up to steal his cowboy hat, McDonald says with absolute calmness, “The final sound mix will be down to the hour…right to the fucking wall.” Although most filmmakers would have a series of panic attacks if found in this situation, Toronto’s eccentric cinema maverick remarks, “It’s exciting. Typically there is a screening for the cast and crew first, but for us, it’s boom—show it to the world! We are very jazzed.”

The film was shot entirely in a church basement in Toronto’s Junction neighbourhood, and we are looking forward to seeing some Canadian gore as the characters rip each other’s faces off trying to rid each other of some crazy language virus. —Jen McNeely

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