#drop dead fred

[seapotty]

Drop Dead Fred

[impactrueno]

after seeing so many people bring up Drop Dead Fred in the comments of my bj & lyds comic, i decided to finally watch it last night and oh my god. i get it now. that's literally them, it's crazy???? i mean not 100% but i'm still shocked at how much they reminded me of both beej and lydia in looks, personality and dynamic (i gotta say though, i'm surprised that fred is more chaotic and infuriating than beej lol. fred makes him look tame in comparison)

it's interesting that tim burton was offered to direct this movie. i can definitely see how that would've turned out. the dark humor, the aesthetic of the imaginary friends and the inside of elizabeth's head already felt pretty burtonesque as they were in the movie, so i don't doubt he was a source of inspiration regardless.

fred and elizabeth though...it's crazy how much this feels like a spiritual successor to the beetlejuice cartoon. obviously it has its own identity so it's not like it's a beetlejuice ripoff or anything, especially since elizabeth is an adult dealing with adult problems and fred's existence is kinda vague in the sense that you don't know how much of him is actually imaginary/part of elizabeth's mind, and how much of him is an actual entity separate from elizabeth. i think by the end he struck me as some type of fucked up guardian angel that only manifests to those who need him. his purpose and reason of existence are directly tied to elizabeth (or whoever needs an imaginary friend) due to her needing some sort of coping mechanism to deal with abuse from her mother and her ex-husband. so like...part of her brain (her taking special pills weakens him until he disappears) but also not. he just exists with the sole purpose of helping her get back on her feet.

which is why i'm baffled at this letterboxd review i saw when i logged the movie:

girl what the FUCK are you talking about.

(spoilers: there is one kiss. one very non-sexual non-romantic goodbye kiss between elizabeth and her living coping mechanism/figment of her imagination/guardian angel of sorts after she managed to heal her inner child thanks to him. i am straight up stupefied that someone would interpret this whole thing as grooming. what movie were you watching)

i'm surprised in general at how so many people completely missed the point of the movie. people taking the gross out immature humor at face value as if that's what the movie is about has me worried about people's media literacy for real lol. this perception of the movie made it flop in the US and even had david letterman condescend to rik mayall when he interviewed him back when the movie came out in 1991. man.........don't piss me off lol

anyway. weird but ultimately lovely movie, it makes so much sense that this is a comfort movie for many and now i totally get why my comic reminded people of it. i understood what they were going for and it's tragic that general audiences did not. it's a movie that's hard to market for sure, because it looks like a kids movie at first glance but the themes and humor are very adult; but then an adult might look at this movie and go "why am i watching a movie where an imaginary manchild calls this girl snotface and makes all these crude gross out jokes" so i'm just. pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration at how misunderstood this movie ended up being

so yeah if you like beetlejuice and lydia's friendship in the cartoon, definitely watch this movie. just know what you're in for lol

[pierppasolini]

Drop Dead Fred (1991) // dir. Ate de Jong

[spicyboelives]

more doodles of the Drop Dead Fred + Beetlejuice AU I have in my head. Expect more of this because it’s all I’ve been thinking about.

Bonus:

[mountain-of-madness]

What the Olympics is REALLY about

[snotface-ing]

💥🦖🌈 I'M JUST AN ALIEN THROUGH AND THROUGH... TRYING TO MAKE BELIEVE I'M YOU!

first post :) i drew this today.. i'll probably post some old stuff too to keep the masses entertained but i am on a rik mayall kick right now ough. drop dead fred makes me feel lots of things and most of them are good and the others are crazy emotional sobbing i'm going to die feelings. god send me asks about him please i have so much to say.

closeups under the cut

[freakyfrook]

needed to draw my fav promo pic of them

[doorshop]

inspired by the infamous david tennant trinity!

some of these maybe feel like a stretch (COUGH kevin turvey COUGH SPLUTTER) but I couldnt rest until I at least TRIED my hand at it

[haveyouseenthismovie-poll]

[starleska]

me before watching Drop Dead Fred: aw this is gonna be a really silly dumb kinda movie and it'll cheer me up :3c me after watching Drop Dead Fred:

[jemthespud]

In memory of Rik I'm posting pictures from all of his great work that has spanned the decades.

Bottom:

The Young Ones:

The New Statesman:

Bad News:

Drop Dead Fred:

Lord Flashheart:

Comic Strip:

Dangerous Brothers:

Kevin Turvey:

We miss you Rik can't believe its been 10 years without you. :((

You'll forever be one of my heroes x 💝

[completebastardsweek]

Complete Bastards Week 💥

***************COMING JANUARY 2025***************

[spicyboelives]

AU where Drop Dead Fred is a ‘real’ imaginary friend, and Lydia knows Elizabeth.

(I say ‘real’ imaginary friend because in the film is very much a part of Elizabeth/a metaphor for her suppressed emotions)

[peachviz]

Drop Dead Fred (1991)

[getcrazyiththecheesewhiz]

I WAS WATCHING THE YO GABBA GABBA CHRISTMAS SPECIAL WITH MY MOM AND SHE SAID GERARD WAY LOOKED LIKE DROP DEAD FRED

[freakyfrook]

The shrine...