I haven't felt the need to do this yet, but today I have to give an official Vault of Horror endorsement to a movie I just had the pleasure to see. I had heard a lot about Fido in the past few months, and so when it finally arrived from Netflix, being the zombie aficionado I am, I was pretty psyched to check it out.What I saw most certainly lived up to my expectations. In short, the film is a brilliant satire, and while not quite as brilliant as the flick it's most likely to be compared to--Shaun of the Dead--it still manages to carve out an identity all its own.
In fact, after watching it, it's hard to understand how a movie like this could simply slip under the radar. Sure, horror geeks like myself knew all about it, but it only got a limited release, and really didn't make much of a dent in the mainstream, which is a shame.
The tale of a fictional 1950s in which humans have survived a zombie plague and turned their undead assailants into docile servants, Fido is highlighted by a compelling mute performance by Scottish comic Billy Connelly in the title role of the Robinson family's pet ghoul--who befriends his owners' son Timmy. The friendship is typified by a hilarious nod to the old Lassie TV show which I won't give away here for anyone who plans to see the movie.
A subversive and thoroughly original picture, this zom-com may be relatively low on blood for all you gorehounds out there, but makes up for it with a script smart enough to please any zombie-lover. Case in point: the TV commercial for a heart monitor to be used in the event of the reanimation of elderly loved ones ("Grandpa's fallen--and he's getting up!") I highly recommend taking a look at this very satisfying film. You're bound to enjoy it whether you're a horror fan or not. But then, if you're not a horror fan, what are you doing reading this?