Main Cast: David Kaye, Jan Skorzewski, Kevin Tyell, Andy Parkin, Lynn Pendleton
Release Year: 2006
Country: CA
Run Time: 91 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
In a 1950s-era alternate universe where domesticated zombies play a functional role in society by delivering the milk, carrying the mail, and even helping out with household chores, one boy is about to find out just how big of a personal responsibility "pet" ownership truly is. When the Earth passed through a cloud of space dust and the dead arose from their graves to devour the flesh of the living, it first seemed that all hope for humanity was lost. Society's rapid slide into chaos, however, was soon halted when scientists at a company called ZomCom created a special collar that turned the rampaging animated corpses docile. Now, thanks to ZomCom, everything is under control -- or is it? Timmy Robinson (K'Sun Ray) isn't quite convinced. Quiet and withdrawn, the skeptical young boy spends so much time locked away in his room that he's almost become invisible around the household. His mother Helen (Carrie-Anne Moss) has recently purchased a zombie to help keep things tidy around the house though, and when the creature attempts to engage the curious youngster in a game of catch, a friendship is forged between boy and zombie that finds the amiable gut-muncher nicknamed Fido (Billy Connolly) practically becoming a part of the family. Things take a turn for the worse however, when Fido's collar malfunctions and Timmy's neighbors begin dying in droves. When ZomCom's top zombie control specialist Mr. Bottoms (Henry Czerny) moves in across the street from Timmy, the increasingly complicated situation threatens to place a serious stumbling block in the path of human-zombie relations. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Review
The vacant stares, the jerky movements, the easily escapable speed of their pursuit -- zombies have always carried with them an element of comedy, intentional or otherwise. But Andrew Currie's Fido does something a little different than the majority of the "zom coms" out there, placing his zombies in the 1950s -- the archetypal 1950s, the kind you remember from those "duck and cover" instructional films. The portrait-like perfection of the family unit was one of the hallmarks of that decade, and here, zombies complete that portrait -- as domesticated "pets," who mow the lawn and carry in the groceries. And keeping a beloved family member on in zombie form is better than no form at all, right? There are a lot of fun satirical opportunities in this cheery, pastel-colored world that gets spattered in blood from time to time, and Currie doesn't miss out on them.
Billy Connolly is virtually unrecognizable as the titular zombie with a dog's name; his closest cinematic forebear may be Peter Boyle's monster from Young Frankenstein. Connolly uses a combination of sad eyes, inquisitive grunts, and gruff signs of loyalty, not only to become probably the most sympathetic zombie in film history, but also to demonstrate why society has kept the undead around, rather than just unleashing them all into the "wild zone," where they run rampant. There's even a government agency -- called ZomCom, in a spoof of the film's genre -- assigned to regulate them, an intentional skewering of Bush-era tactics for policing the element of "other" in American society. Good performances from Dylan Baker, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Tim Blake Nelson keep this whimsical alternate universe moving forward joyously. Fido is a lot of fun. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
Cast
David Kaye - Narrator
Jan Skorzewski - Eating Zombie
Kevin Tyell - Zombie's Victim
Andy Parkin - Dr. Hrothgar Geiger
Lynn Pendleton - 1940's Mother
Gary Slater - Father Zombie; Taylor Petri - Little Girl; Glenn Richards - Vicious Zombie; Raphael Kepinski - Collar Light Zombie; Carl-James Kalbfleisch - Child Zombie; Tiffany Lyndall-Knight - Miss Mills; K'Sun Ray - Timmy Robinson; Alexia Fast - Cindy Bottoms; Henry Czerny - Mr. Bottoms; Aaron Brown - Roy Fraser; Brandon Olds - Stan Fraser; Jennifer Clement - Dee Dee Bottoms; Tim Blake Nelson - Mr. Theopolis; Sonja Bennett - Tammy; Mary Black - Mrs. Henderson; Bernard Cuffling - Mr. Henderson; Mike Azevedo - Henderson Zombie; Carrie-Anne Moss - Helen Robinson; Billy Connolly - Fido; Dylan Baker - Bill Robinson; Glen Power - Zombie Milkman; Michael Irwin - Human Milkman; Liam Crocker - Zombie Paperboy; Lauren Oleksewich - TV Girl; Harold Courchene - Zombie Grandpa; Geoff Adams - Public Service Officer; Michael P. Northey - Joe Petersen; Adam Scorgie - Miss Mills's Boyfriend; John B. Lowe - Priest; Raymond E. Bailey - Floyd; Doug Abrahams - Commanding Officer; Rob La Belle - Frank Murphy; Jacob Rupp - Returns Room Clerk; Clint Carlton - Returns Rooms Customer; Lauro Chartrand - Bezerk Zombie; Andrew Hedge - Human Worker; Chad Sayn - Poacher; Rick Pearce - Poacher Driver; Barbara Moss - Helen's Mom
Credit
Michael Norman Wong - Art Director, International Rocketship Limited - Animator, Marv Newland - Animator, Bill Stephens - Associate Producer, Michael Shepard - Associate Producer, Ki Wight - Associate Producer, Rory O'Neill - Boom Operator, Heidi Levitt - Casting, Lynne Carrow - Casting, Viktoria Langton - Choreography, Adam Klemens - Conductor, Heidi Levitt - Co-producer, Trent Carlson - Co-producer, Kevin Eastwood - Co-producer, Mary E. McLeod - Costume Designer, Oriana Graber - Costume Designer, Steve Eathorne - First Assistant Director, Paul Etherington - First Assistant Director, Andrew Currie - Director, Trent Carlson - Second Unit Director, Roger Mattiussi - Editor, Patrick Cassavetti - Executive Producer, Daniel Iron - Executive Producer, Peter Block - Executive Producer, Jason Constantine - Executive Producer, Shelley Gillen - Executive Producer, Sanna Seppanen - Hair Styles, Kirk Johns - Location Manager, Erin Smith - Line Producer, John Dines - Lighting, James M. Jackson - Lighting, John Williams - Lighting, John Brown - Lighting, Geoffrey Lee - Lighting, Todd Macland - Lighting, Tavis Millard - Lighting, Don MacDonald - Composer (Music Score), Sarah Webster - Musical Direction/Supervision, Connie Parker - Makeup, Mike Fields - Makeup Special Effects, Gideon Hay - Makeup Special Effects, Geoff Redknap - Makeup Special Effects, Raymond E. Bailey - Makeup Special Effects, Lisa Marquardt - Makeup Special Effects, Tricia Nowell-Hoyer - Makeup Special Effects, Sarah Pickersgill - Makeup Special Effects, Brad Proctor - Makeup Special Effects, Jamie Salmon - Makeup Special Effects, Randal Platt - Camera Operator, Rob Gray - Production Designer, Jan Kiesser - Cinematographer, Erin Smith - Production Manager, Mary Anne Waterhouse - Producer, Blake Corbet - Producer, Allan Magee - Story Editor, John McAndrews - Story Editor, Andrew Pope - Story Editor, Annie Reid - Story Editor, Paul Sharpe - Sound/Sound Designer, Kris Fenske - Sound/Sound Designer, Chris Duesterdiek - Sound/Sound Designer, Devan Kraushar - Sound/Sound Designer, Jacob Rupp - Stunts, Brent Woolsey - Stunts, Alex Green - Stunts, David Mylrea - Stunts, Melissa R. Stubbs - Stunts, Lauro Chartrand - Stunts, Jim Finkbeiner - Stunts, Shawn Orr - Stunts, Doug Chapman - Stunts, Cotton Mather - Stunts, Carolyn Field - Stunts, Crystal Dalman - Stunts, Chad Sayn - Stunts, Connor Crash Dunn - Stunts, Celia Bond - Stunts, Joe A. Dodds - Stunts, Clint Carlton - Stunts, Melissa R. Stubbs - Stunts Coordinator, Rick Pearce - Stunts Coordinator, Dennis Heaton - Screen Story, Andrew Currie - Screenwriter, Dennis Heaton - Screenwriter, Robert Chomiak - Screenwriter, Randal Platt - Second Unit Director Of Photography, Lindae Hilton - Production Assistant, Sandy Hoekstra - Production Assistant, Gail Hourigan - Production Assistant, Adam Lauzé - Production Assistant, Ryan Lauzé - Production Assistant, Twyla Mackiewich - Production Assistant, Kim Naumann - Production Assistant, Andria Spring - Production Assistant, James Tichenor - Visual Effects Supervisor, Andrew Simpson - Animal Trainer/Wrangler, Duane Bradley - Animal Trainer/Wrangler, Dana Dube - Animal Trainer/Wrangler, Donna Bradley - Animal Trainer/Wrangler, Barb Benoit - Matte Artist, Matthew Talbot-Kelly - Matte Artist, Kathleen McInnis - Unit Publicist, Doug Campbell - Digital Effects, Sean Elliott - First Assistant Camera, Burton "Joe" Kuchera - Gaffer, Donald Quinn - Grip, Royce Mattice - Grip, Jordan Dean - Grip, Darren Draper - Grip, Alex Godfrey - Grip, Ashley Jestin - Grip, Chris Mennell - Grip, Doug Parton - Grip, Gordon Tait - Grip, Levi Woods - Grip, Jenéa Tallentire - Historical Consultant, John Kuchera - Key Grip, Andria Spring - Post Production Coordinator, Kevin Eastwood - Post Production Supervisor, Nancy McKenzie - Production Coordinator, Clive Edwards - Properties Master, Todd Masters - Prosthetic Makeup Effects, Mastersfx Inc. - Prosthetic Makeup Effects, Kevin Belen - Re-Recording Mixer, David Hiebert - Re-Recording Mixer, Natasha Young - Script Supervisor, Mikki Bang - Special Effects Assistant, Cody Gillis - Special Effects Assistant, Tyler Shymkiw - Special Effects Assistant, Lance Smith - Special Effects Assistant, Randy Shymkiw - Special Effects Coordinator, Michael Courtney - Still Photographer, Terry Hutcheson - Visual Effects Producer, Kevin Konarzewski - ADR Recordist, Lorraine Carson - Assistant Costumer Designer, Devin Senft - Assistant Location Manager, Douglas Foreman - Assistant Properties, Ann Townshend - Assistant Sound Editor, Paul Arnel - Best Boy Grip, Oriana Graber - Buyer, Larkin MacKenzie-Ast - Casting Assistant, Lauren Fernandez - Casting Assistant, Melissa Perry - Casting Associate, Alan Burdett - Construction Coordinator, Brian Campbell - Dialogue Editor, Lee Gibeau - Dolly Grip, Robert Leader - Draftsman, James Forsyth - Extra Casting, Kerry Ann Redmond - First Assistant Accountant, Murray Williams - First Assistant Accountant, Boardwalk Foley - Foley Artist, Dario DiSanto - Foley Editor, Patricia Harrington - Greensman, Patricia D. Williams - Production Accountant, Eda Kowan - Production Executive, Hans Schmidt - Scenic Artist, Christine Houtman - Scenic Artist, Harold James Kniess - Scenic Artist, Helen Menyes - Scenic Artist, Trevor Wiens - Second Assistant Camera, Marian Truscott - Second Unit Costumer, Behjat Benam - Set Dresser, Tim Higgins - Set Dresser, Paul Malcovitch - Set Dresser, David M. Richards - Set Dresser, Robert Pratt - Storyboard Artist, Steve Woods - Transportation Captain, Kim Harmer - Transportation Coordinator, Spin West VFX - Visual Effects, James P. Willcock - Set Decorator, Jacqueline Cristianini - ADR Supervisor, Cinema Scenes - Craft Service/Catering, Ken Forsberg - Craft Service/Catering, Lana Thys - Craft Service/Catering, Vicky Davis - Driver, Sam England - Driver, Richard A. Forcier - Driver, Dennis Friesen - Driver, James B. Friesen - Driver, Rob Gowler - Driver, Lyle Harrison - Driver, Mark Penner - Driver, Mitchell Riley - Driver, Ivan D. Vlahovic - Driver, Pamela Watts - Driver, Violet Barisoff - Set Medic/First Aid, Jaron Boon - Set Medic/First Aid, Ken Forsberg - Set Medic/First Aid, Rodolfo Scali - Set Medic/First Aid, Lana Thys - Set Medic/First Aid, Quincy Wheeler-Hendren - Third Assistant Director, Jennifer Nelson - Third Assistant Director, Bienvenido Cruz - Title Design, Switch Interactive - Title Design, Ricardo Sandoval - Conceptual Design, Warren Hickman - Assistant Editor, Errin Clutton - Assistant to the Director, Stephanie Herbert - Producer's Assistant, Ken Frost - Head Carpenter, Garry Patt - Head Carpenter, Gary Page - Scenic Carpenter, Martin Adamski - Scenic Carpenter, Mark Baranow - Scenic Carpenter, Richard Elder - Scenic Carpenter, Roland Fuhrmann - Scenic Carpenter, Kevan Jensan - Scenic Carpenter, Mark Kendall - Scenic Carpenter, Barb Benoit - Compositor, Jef Lonn - Compositor, Landon Bootsma - Compositor, Marco Cantaluppi - Compositor, Matt Lane - Compositor, Nikolai Michaleski - Compositor, Mike Ranalletta - Compositor, Harrison Rutherford - Rotoscope Artist, Andy Clarke - Painter (digital), Harrison Rutherford - Painter (digital), Vanessa Anderson - Assistant Set Decorator
Fido is a Canadianzombie 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 Entertainment, Anagram Pictures, British Columbia Film Commission and Téléfilm Canada.
The film takes place in a 1950s-esque 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 Zomcon. Zomcon provides collars with accompanying remote controls to control the zombies' hunger for flesh so as to use them as slaves or servants.
In the town of Willard, whose name is a reference to the town in the original 1968 Night of the Living Dead, 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 neighbor.
When a pair of local bullies are blamed for the missing neighbor, they capture Fido and Timmy. Fido escapes and runs to find Helen, who comes and rescues Timmy 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 Zomcon where the public is told he will be destroyed. Timmy learns through a friend (the daughter of Zomcon's security chief) that Fido is simply working in a factory at Zomcon. Timmy sets out to rescue him with the help of another next door neighbor (a former Zomcon employee who was forced into early retirement when it was discovered he was in a romantic relationship with his female zombie). Meanwhile, Timmy locates Fido, but is captured by Zomcon's security chief, who attempts to throw Timmy into the zombie-infested "wild zone" that exists outside of the fenced communities. Bill comes to the rescue and is killed by the security chief, who is killed by Fido. Timmy is set free and the film ends with Fido, Helen and Timmy and a few neighbors happily enjoying their new domestic lives together.
Based on 67 reviews Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 69% "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.
