Trouble with a variable

[MetalAges]

I have this code, which isn't grabbing the variable from the URL string, but if I hard code a forum id it works. Code:

<?php
error_reporting(7);

$templatesused='latest_hostedthreadbits,latest_hostedthreads';


require('./global.php');

$latest = $db->query_read("SELECT * FROM thread WHERE forumid='$fid' ORDER BY lastpost DESC LIMIT 10");


while ($recent = $db->fetch_array($latest)) {

$title = $recent['title'];
$id = $recent['threadid'];
 eval("\$latest_threads .= \"".fetch_template("latest_hostedthreadbits")."\";");
}




eval("print_output(\"".fetch_template('latest_hostedthreads')."\");");

?>

Include in my PHP page:

<?php include('http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/hosted10.php?s=&fid=143&size=1&face=verdana&vlink=666699&link=336699&alink=000000&body=&text=000000'); ?>

As I said, everything works if I substitute forumid='$fid' with forumid='143' etc.

Am I doing something wrong or has something change in 3.5.0 that makes it to where I can no longer grab that variable in that format?

EDIT: This script grabs the top ten latest threads in any given forum and allows bands (in my case) to display this on their sites. Everything worked pre-3.5.0 upgrade.