...ranks alongside "Shaun of the Dead" in the "zomedy" scheme of things. Sporting dead-on production design (Rob "Picture Claire" Gray), art direction (Michael N. "Slither" Wong) and costuming (Mary "Halloween 2007" McLeod), "Fido" takes place in a mythical post-zombie holocaust 50s America, in which numerous fenced-in bastions of civilization are protected by ZomCon, the company that devised an electronic collar to pacify zombie appetites, transforming the living dead into domestic servants. One such community is Willard (an obvious nod to "The Twilight Zone" as well as "Night of the Living Dead"), wherein reside the Robinsons (Swiss Family? Here's to you, Mrs.?), a typical household straight from the land of "Leave it to Beaver," etal. Mrs. Robinson (deliciously played by Carrie Ann "The Matrix" Moss) wants to keep up with the Joneses by having a zombie servant of her very own, despite the misgivings of her hubby, Bill (equally well played by Dylan "Happiness" Baker), and her son, Timmy (perfectly realized by newcomer K'Sun Ray). Wives, of course, have their ways and soon enough the Robinsons have a zombie of their very own: Fido (an awesome job by Billy "The Last Samurai" Connolly). It's not until Fido gets loose and chews on an irksome neighbor that things get out of hand, but the trip there and back to "normalcy" is quite amusing. Jan "Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical" Kiesser's cinematography is lush and evocative, as are Don "Rollercoaster" MacDonald's apropos score and the small cavalcade of 50s pop songs that propel "Fido" to its "Lassie, Come Home" resolution. Director/co-writer Andrew Currie really hits the mark in what seems to be an un-jinxed sophomore full-length feature, along with co-writers Robert "Mobile Suit Gundam" Chomiak and Dennis "Blood Ties" Heaton. Kudos to all these gentlemen and everyone else involved; if making movies in Canada means more treats like "Fido," then I'm all for it! The look of the film is immaculately nostalgic, the sound equally so, and the above-reproach ensemble acting and confident direction make "Fido" a laugh-out-loud satire of the first order. And you don't even have to love zombies to enjoy it, although it would undoubtedly help. I praise my local library for carrying this oddball title; I might never have run across it otherwise, since I can't imagine anyone who bought it actually getting rid of it. I know I won't once I find a copy of my own. Not to be missed!
