By Brandon Nolta

Many times, I’ve wondered to myself what could make the 1950s more interesting as a cultural artifact. Sure, there was a lot going on in the fringes and the background, but compared to every decade since, mainstream American culture was resoundingly dull. Well, thankfully, writer/director Andrew Currie provides the answer with FIDO, now out on DVD: zombies.

In this universe, World War II was never fought, because after the Earth passed through a cloud of radioactive dust, the nations of the world had enough trouble with the reanimated dead snacking on everybody. Thanks to the domestication collar developed by one Dr. Geiger, however, zombies went from mindless flesh-eaters to mindless household help. Sure, every town is surrounded by fencing, wild zombies roam the countryside and in-town patrols have to stay alert, but thanks to Zomcon, the Microsoft of this world, things aren’t too shabby for the living.

Timmy Robinson (K’Sun Ray) isn’t so sure. He’s not into mandatory target practice at school, he asks questions in class that nobody seems willing to answer, and he just isn’t buying into the shiny happy love for Zomcon. Of course, he may have inherited this attitude from his clueless dad (Dylan Baker), who is afraid of zombies because he had to whack his dad when he was 11. Things start to look up for Timmy, however, when his mom buys a new zombie (Billy Connolly) who gets christened Fido. When Fido saves Timmy from bullies, Timmy and Fido develop a strange friendship. Unfortunately, Fido runs afoul of the crotchety old neighbor lady, and in the midst of Fido’s undeserved beating, his collar malfunctions. Exit neighbor. Pretty soon, Timmy’s keeping clear of the suspicious head of Zomcon security (Henry Czerny) and making friends with the neighbor (Tim Blake Nelson) who keeps a zombie sex toy at home. Yes, it’s that kind of film.

If what you’ve read so far hasn’t sold you, let me make it plain: FIDO is one of the funniest damn films I’ve seen all year. The writers and actors have given a lot of thought to how zombies might affect everyday life; funerals are social events, old people are viewed as one step up from the enemy, and literally everybody is packing heat. Currie and his crew aren’t just aiming at zombie tropes, though; feminism, capitalism, men/women relations, and nationalist politics all get swipes aimed their way. The writing is sharp, but it’s the actors who make it work. Czerny is a stone-faced hoot, and Moss is great as a housewife who blossoms into an independent woman thanks to her friendship with Fido. But, Ray and Connolly are the heart of the film; both are innocents, and their relationship is more honest and real than anybody else’s. At the end, Timmy’s dad and Fido team up to save Timmy from the Wild Zone, and things … well, things don’t turn out as we expect, but it’s more or less a happy ending, and it’s the relationship between Connolly’s expressive corpse and the sweet innocence that Ray has in spades that make it work.

Considering the low-budget nature of the film, the DVD presentation isn’t bad, though unmemorable. Picture quality and sound are good, and the assorted features include a scene-specific commentary by the composer (no director commentary, unfortunately), deleted scenes, the usual making-of puff piece and a limp collection of bloopers. Still, with a movie this dedicated to its off-putting premise, who needs special features? Those crazy Canadians have shipped us another winner. Whether you like your films gory or just dig satire for its own sake, FIDO deserves a place on your DVD shelf right next to SHAUN OF THE DEAD. Fried gold, mates.