Fido (2006)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Andrew Currie

Writers:

Robert Chomiak (written by) &
Andrew Currie (written by) ...

Release Date:

16 March 2007 (Canada)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Horror | Romance

Tagline:

Good dead are hard to find

Plot:

Timmy Robinson's best friend in the whole wide world is a six-foot tall rotting zombie named Fido. But when FIDO eats the next-door neighbor...

Plot Keywords:

Zombie | Neighbor | Next Door Neighbor | Leash | Decapitation

Awards:

13 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Carrie-Anne Moss	...	Helen Robinson
Billy Connolly	...	Fido
Dylan Baker	...	Bill Robinson
K'Sun Ray	...	Timmy Robinson
Sonja Bennett	...	Tammy
Jennifer Clement	...	Dee Dee Bottoms
Rob LaBelle	...	Frank Murphy
Aaron Brown	...	Roy Fraser
Brandon Olds	...	Stan Fraser
Alexia Fast	...	Cindy Bottoms
Henry Czerny	...	Mr. Bottoms
Tim Blake Nelson	...	Mr. Theopolis
David Kaye	...	Narrator (voice)
Jan Skorzewski	...	Eating Zombie
Kevin Tyell	...	Zombie's Victim

MPAA:

Rated R for zombie-related violence.

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White (one scene) | Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Brazil:12 | Japan:PG-12 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-13 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | USA:PG-13 (original rating) | USA:R (re-rating) | France:U | Portugal:M/16 | Netherlands:16 | Iceland:14

Filming Locations:

British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Lions Gate Films

Trivia:

Peter Stormare (Fargo) was originally cast for the role of Fido, but upon being cast in "Prison Break" (2005) opted out of the film a week before principal photography was to begin.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the car washing scene with Fido and Timmy when Helen first brings out the drinks there is a shot with Fido's eye make-up clearly missing. In the next shot the make-up has been reapplied.

Quotes:

Helen Robinson: You crazy, wonderful zombie!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Hollywood on Set: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer/Nancy Drew/Fido" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Hold Me Love Me

I wish I didn't have to wait for this to come out in the US...

I suppose the ultimate curse of attending the Toronto Film Festival is your release date time table get messed up. Quite frankly, I'm just happy Fido got picked up for US distribution. In any case...

Ever seen Shaun of the Dead? Good. How about Lassie? Able to reconcile the two? Well, if you can your name might be Andrew Currie, Canadian helmer of the first ever family themed zombie comedy, or zomedy. (Seriously, that's what the press book in Toronto called it.) Though not as violent, dry, or British as Shaun of the Dead, Fido remains true to its roots: a devotion to old 50s black and white television including both Lassie and the infamous sci-fi pulp that was being pumped out during the period.

Fido's talented headliners (Carrie Anne Moss, Billy Connelly, Dylan Baker, and Tim Blake Nelson) stand as a testament to the brilliance of the script. The film explores all the implications of its premise: a world where zombies have been converted to servants because of the sheer number of them due to a strange accident. What would you use your new undead servant for? A butler? Manual labor? A pet? Unspeakable acts? Fido tackles all these possibilities in a sweet and surprisingly classy way, with much thanks to the work of Connelly (as one of said zombies) and young TV actor K'Sun Ray, who seems at times to be a better young Elijah Wood than the young Elijah Wood was.

If you're expecting another Shaun of the Dead, don't waste your time. There's not nearly enough gore and pokes at the genre to satisfy you and you'll just leave the theater bitter and depressed. But if you're willing to take a look at what happens to Shaun of the Dead when it jumps across the lake, you're in for a treat. Think of Fido as the sensitive, more often beaten up little brother to Shaun of the Dead's rebellious loser, and you're starting to get the drift. If you like (or at least tolerate) zombies, small children, and loads of deadpan satire, Fido's the film for you. If that's not the case....well, you know the drill. Just hit 'em square between the eyes.