At the Angelika. A cross between "Shaun of the Dead" and "Lassie," Andrew Currie's cheerfully demented zombie comedy lacks the bite of a truly great satire. But it's definitely the most fun you'll have with the undead this week.
Set in a candy-colored 1950s suburb called Willard, "Fido" imagines a world in which humans and zombies live in tense peace. After years of deadly battles, scientific corporation ZomCon has created an electronic control so effective, domesticated zombies now serve the living, in menial tasks humans would rather avoid. (Lawn mowing and car washing top the list.
) Of course, there are occasional glitches in this system, but ZomCon prefers to accentuate the positive. When the company's security chief (Henry Czerny) moves into the neighborhood, appearance-obsessed housewife Helen (Carrie-Anne Moss) begins to feel embarrassed that her family doesn't have its own zombie. So despite the fears of uptight husband Bill (Dylan Baker) and preteen son Timmy (K'Sun Ray), she goes out and buys Fido (Billy Connolly).
Soon, Bill starts to notice that although his wife and son are comfortable with the new addition to the family, there's barely any room for the breadwinner anymore. Fido is always willing to play ball with Timmy or listen to Helen, and he never complains when he's asked to take out the trash. There does seem to be a problem with neighbors turning up dead, but as far as Helen's concerned, what are a few corpses when you've found the perfect help?
Currie clearly intends to make some significant statements here - about race, conformity, conservative family values - but he lacks the sharp wit of predecessors like George Romero and "Shaun's" Simon Pegg. Still, thanks to a giddy script, game actors and its campy setting, Willard is a pretty amusing place to visit. Even if you wouldn't want to live there.
At the Angelika.
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