Fido (film)

infobox film
name=Fido

---

director=Andrew Currie
writer=Robert Chomiak
Andrew Currie
Dennis Heaton
original story=Dennis Heaton
starring=Carrie-Anne Moss
Billy Connolly
Dylan Baker
K'Sun Ray
Henry Czerny
Tim Blake Nelson
producer=Trent Carlson
Patrick Cassavetti
Blake Corbet
Kevin Eastwood
Daniel Iron
Michael Shepard
Mary Anne Waterhouse
Ki Wight
distributor=Lions Gate Films
released=March 16 (Canada)June 15 (U.S.) 2007
runtime= 91 min
language=English
website=http://fidothemovie.com/
budget = $11 million
amg_id = 1:331877
imdb_id=0457572

"Fido" is a Canadian zombie comedy film released in 2006. It was directed by Andrew Currie and written by Robert Chomiak, Andrew Currie, and Dennis Heaton from an original story by Dennis Heaton. It was produced by Lions Gate Films, Anagram Pictures, British Columbia Film Commission and Téléfilm Canada.

Plot summary

The film takes place in a fictional alternate universe where radiation from space has turned the dead into zombies. This radiation still plagues humanity, as all those who die after the original contamination turn into the undead. In order to continue living normal lives, communities are fenced with the help of a governing corporation named "Zomcom". Zomcom provides collars (and accompanying remote controls) to control the zombies' hunger for flesh and use them as slaves.

One day, housewife Helen Robinson buys a zombie in spite of her husband Bill's zombie phobia. Their son, Timmy, befriends the zombie, naming him "Fido". One day Fido's collar malfunctions and he kills their next door neighbor, who turns into a zombie. Timmy "kills" the zombified neighbour.

When a pair of local bullies are blamed for the missing neighbour, they capture Fido and Timmy. Helen comes and rescues Timmy and Fido from the bullies (who, through misadventure and Fido's hunger for human flesh, are now zombies), and they try to forget about the whole thing. Several days later, the neighbor's body is found and the murder is traced back to Fido, who is taken away to Zomcom where the public is told he will be destroyed. Timmy learns though a friend (the daughter of a Zomcom worker) that Fido is simply working in a factory at Zomcom. Timmy sets out to rescue him with the help of another next door neighbor. Meanwhile Timmy locates Fido, but is captured by Zomcom's corrupt leader who attempts to throw Timmy into the wild zone that exists outside of the fenced communities. Bill comes to the rescue and is killed by the Zomcom leader. Fido kills the Zomcom leader and sets Timmy free. The film ends with Fido, Helen and Timmy happily enjoying their new domestic life together.

Release

This film premiered at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival. It was also shown at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, the 2006 Vancouver International Film Festival, the 2007 Kingston Canadian Film Festival, the 2007 Florida Film Festival and the 2007 Fantasy Filmfest in Germany. Its release date was March 16, 2007 in Canada.In the U.S. it opened on June 15, 2007 on two screens: the Nuart in L.A. and the Angelika in New York. On July 6 of the same year, the film expanded to four more screens in San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Boston. In August 2007 the film played in France and Singapore, and in October it opened in Japan. The DVD was released on October 23, 2007 in the U.S. and November 6, 2007 in Canada.

Film rating

The film is rated 14A by the Ontario Film Review Board for violence, crude content and gory scenes and rated PG-13 by the MPAA But then rerated R for sequences of zombie violence and gore, and comic horror situations.

Critical response

Rotten Tomatoes critics gave the film a "Fresh" rating. Robert Abele of the "Los Angeles Times", John Anderson of "Newsday", Manohla Dargis of the "New York Times", Kirk Honeycutt of the "Hollywood Reporter", Geoff Pevere of the "Toronto Star", and Elizabeth Weitzman of the "New York Daily News" turned in positive reviews. However, Richard Roeper gave it a resounding 'two thumbs down.'

Cast

*Billy Connolly - Fido. Peter Stormare was originally cast for the role of Fido, but upon being cast in "Prison Break" opted out of the film a week before principal photography was to begin, as per the DVD commentary.
*Carrie-Anne Moss - Helen Robinson
*Dylan Baker - Bill Robinson
*K'Sun Ray - Timmy Robinson
*Henry Czerny - Jonathan Bottoms
*Alexia Fast - Cindy Bottoms
*Tim Blake Nelson - Mr. Theopolis
*Aaron Brown - Roy Fraser
*Brandon Olds - Stan Fraser
*Terry Keyes - Herman the Gravedigger

ee also

Zombie comedy

External links

* [http://fidothemovie.com/ Fido the Movie] official site
*imdb title|id=0457572|name=Fido
*rotten-tomatoes|id=fido|title=Fido
* [http://www.zomcon.com/ ZomCon] website; fictional company created for the film
* [http://mailorderzombie.libsyn.com/index.php?post_year=2008&post_month=02&post_day=28 Mail Order Zombie, Episode 5]