Fido (2007)

"Gut laughing funny! A brilliant and twisted vision!  Ain't It Cool News
"This is killer satire, drop-dead (and get back up again) funny...  Chris Knight, National Post

Editor's Note Lying somewhere between PLEASANTVILLE and NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, FIDO is a zombie buddy pic/love story set in a picture-perfect, technicolored 1950s suburb. With the world still recovering from a zombie war that broke out several decades prior, the town of Willard has found a way to keep the peace. The world beyond the gates may be overrun by zombies, but fortunately a huge corporation called ZomCom has managed to domesticate the undead, turning them into faithful servants of the human race. Director Andrew Currie's movie follows a young boy named Timmy (K'Sun Ray) as he develops a friendship with the zombie (Billy Connolly) his mother purchases to impress the new neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Bottoms, when she finds out Mr. Bottoms (Henry Czerny) just happens to be the head of ZomCom itself. Naming his new friend Fido and initially treating him like a poorly-behaved dog, Timmy soon confirms what he always secretly suspected ? that zombies can have feelings too. No one is more surprised by this than Timmy's mom, Helen (Carrie-Anne Moss), who, as an escape from of her rude, zombie-phobic husband (Dylan Baker), develops some very human feelings for the household zombie help. The best part about Fido are the zombies themselves, with Billy Connolly giving a great performance as Fido. Even though he's never given an opportunity to speak, Connolly convincingly comes across as kind and life-loving despite his zombie-ness. In creating the look of the 1950s, the film boasts impressively bright colors and neat furniture design. This, combined with elaborate costumes, provides a surreal backdrop for a fantastical plot. Thankfully Currie never gets too sentimental with his script, and maintains a satirical tone throughout, throwing in a severed limb whenever things risk getting to weepy.

	Billy Connolly
	Carrie-Anne Moss
	Dylan Baker
	Tim Blake Nelson
	Andrew Currie - Director
	Andrew Currie - Screenplay
	Dennis Heaton - Based On Story By
	Don MacDonald - Original Music By
	Jan Kiesser - Cinematographer
	Michael N. Wong - Art Director
	Michael Shepard - Producer
	Peter Block - Executive Producer
	Rob Gray - Production Designer
	Robert Chomiak - Screenplay
	Roger Mattiussi - Editor

New York Times
"[T]icklishly amusing....Mr. Currie and company are happy to make you laugh, which they do easily..." 06/15/2007 p.E6

Reel.com 8 of 10
A zombie may not look much like a loyal companion--take it off its lead and it will normally make a meal out of you--but in Andrew Currie's Fido, a delirious '50s satire, the difference between the titular zombie (Billy Connolly) and, say, Lassie is miniscule. In this sunny black comedy that mixes elements from Pleasantville, Shaun of the Dead, and a-boy-and-his-dog movies, Fido is not only little Timmy Robinson's (K'Sun Ray) faithful friend, he is also just about the most emotionally alive being in Timmy's rigid suburban community...Young Ray is excellent as little Timmy, a kid far too smart and inquisitive for his own good in such a repressed time. Moss is wonderful as the status-conscious housewife who begins to question her own values, and Nelson is hilarious as the jolly, leering, practical neighbor. But the movie lives or dies on the strength of Connolly's performance. His language reduced to a series of grunts, the Scottish comedian imbues Fido with heart and soul. There are definite references made to Lassie; Fido is a great deal more than that, but he shares many of her qualities. He's loyal and true, a boy's best friend, and he's one of the most offbeat movie heroes of the year--and one of the funniest. - Pam Grady