226 reviews
This movie is just... wow mixed with a dash of wobbly hand. I'm currently suffering from mental health problems, and this is both funny, creative, and helpful for those know need to understand that, they're not alone, and others know how you feel and can really help you feel like yourself.. A guilty pleasure... Not the greatest film out there but there are far worse... For every "Drop Dead Fred", there are at least a dozen "Jack and Jills"... it definitely went down as a classic. You got 90 mins I mean you make the best out of it for what it's worth.....the actor who portrayed DDF passed away so RIP my boi Fred.
When Elizabeth (Phoebe Cates) returns to her childhood home after her marriage breaks down, she re-creates her imaginary friend from her childhood; Drop Dead Fred (Rik Mayall) to help her cope with the loss.
Fred should have never been allowed to enter the world of an adult, he simply breaks everything he comes in to contact with, including Elizabeth's chances of getting her life back on track, and Rik Mayall portrays this maniac in true mad-cap fashion.
'Drop Dead Fred' is wickedly funny, but it does have very serious and accurate undertones beneath all the zany comedy, and is a great deal cleverer than most people give it credit for.
7/10
Fred should have never been allowed to enter the world of an adult, he simply breaks everything he comes in to contact with, including Elizabeth's chances of getting her life back on track, and Rik Mayall portrays this maniac in true mad-cap fashion.
'Drop Dead Fred' is wickedly funny, but it does have very serious and accurate undertones beneath all the zany comedy, and is a great deal cleverer than most people give it credit for.
7/10
I am amazed by the amount of people who have discussed this movie in the terms of being about "mental illness".... it should become clear by the end of the movie that this is a fantasy, Fred is not an imaginary friend he is "real" he exists and his sole purpose in life is to help children in a dark place and bring them out of themselves. Imaginary friends do not move on to another child, imaginary friends are the property of those who imagine them. I wouldn't be at all surprised if I saw a review of "Gremlins" on here by the same people who said "nasty little creatures who create distruction around them are not funny". This is a funny movie, plain and simple. Rick Mayall is outstanding as Fred and Phoebe Cates gives the perfect performance as the downtrodden daughter and wife. Anyone who says bad things about this movie has obviously never seen a fantasy movie before and taken it for what it is. I am surprised that they didn't call Demi Moore delusional in "Ghost" because she was refusing to let go of her boyfriend and "imagined" all the stuff that went on. This is a fantasy folks, a pure unadulterated fantasy and it is a bloody funny one at that. Watch it, it will make you laugh, it will make you smile, and it will make you chuckle.... what more can you ask and again Rick Mayall is brilliant.
- Theoriginaltruebrit
- Aug 29, 2002
- Permalink
Rik Mayall died recently. I had never heard of him before then, so I decided to watch a movie in which he starred. I determined that "Drop Dead Fred"'s point is that we all need some fun in our lives. True, a lot of the humor is pretty childish, but it's hard not to laugh at Fred's antics. Indeed, Elizabeth goes through a stark change in the course of the action.
If Phoebe Cates seems familiar, you may have seen her in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (remember the bikini scene?) and "Gremlins". She married Kevin Kline and retired from acting a few years later, although the entire family starred in "The Anniversary Party".
Overall, the movie sets out to entertain, and it succeeds. There needs to be a film festival for movies reminding us of the need to have fun. Aside from this one there would be "Zorba the Greek", "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar" and "Chocolat".
If Phoebe Cates seems familiar, you may have seen her in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (remember the bikini scene?) and "Gremlins". She married Kevin Kline and retired from acting a few years later, although the entire family starred in "The Anniversary Party".
Overall, the movie sets out to entertain, and it succeeds. There needs to be a film festival for movies reminding us of the need to have fun. Aside from this one there would be "Zorba the Greek", "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar" and "Chocolat".
- lee_eisenberg
- Jun 13, 2014
- Permalink
You probably already know the synopsis. Woman in her 20's, Elizabeth, who has always been dominated by her mother. When she wa a little girl, Elizabeth used fantasy as a way to cope with her mother. She invents an imaginary friend, "Drop Dead Fred". Together they rebel against the mother. Fast forward then to her 20's and Fred returns to help her figure out an unhealthy relationship with her boyfriend...and finally get some closure with her mother.
It cannot be said that Elizabeth's character is mentally ill. The reviewer who said this is being as silly as Fred...unless of course he/she is a doctor and has counseled with Elizabeth :) This was a movie about a woman healing.
This was also a wholesome movie that the entire family can watch together. Some of the humor may be over the heads of children, but there are no swear words or violence for the sake of violence. Great fun--and funny!
It cannot be said that Elizabeth's character is mentally ill. The reviewer who said this is being as silly as Fred...unless of course he/she is a doctor and has counseled with Elizabeth :) This was a movie about a woman healing.
This was also a wholesome movie that the entire family can watch together. Some of the humor may be over the heads of children, but there are no swear words or violence for the sake of violence. Great fun--and funny!
- ACME_Horses
- Oct 11, 2003
- Permalink
I went to see this at the encouragement of my movie going buddy. Gordon told me, "It's about a puka. You know, like the rabbit in 'Harvey.'" We sat in the theater and a small child who was sitting with mom and dad turned to Dad and said, "This was horrible." He was about six years old. On our way out of the theater, Gordon said, "I am soooooo sorry." We never spoke about it again.
Later that week, Siskle and Ebert were on 'The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.' They spoke about several movies, and when Johnny asked, "What's the worst movie you've ever seen," without hesitation and in unison they said, "Drop Dead Fred." That pretty much says it all.
Later that week, Siskle and Ebert were on 'The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.' They spoke about several movies, and when Johnny asked, "What's the worst movie you've ever seen," without hesitation and in unison they said, "Drop Dead Fred." That pretty much says it all.
- clay_thompson
- Apr 6, 2006
- Permalink
Drop Dead Fred is a difficult film to review. I saw it for the first time when I was 13 years old or something, and I absolutely loved it because I was right in the middle of the age group at which the film is directed. I watched it again recently, and while the film's slapstick comedy did not hold quite the same massive appeal (although I was still hugely entertained) as it did when I was younger, I regretted to discover that I had grown out of a lot of the goofy antics that went on in the movie.
However, I was reading through some of the reviews written on the IMDb by other users, and was amazed at how offended a couple of people were by this film, revealing in their reviews a total detachment from their own inner selves and a complete misunderstanding for the little people that we call kids. No, for example, I would NOT recommend a seven year old girl to psychiatric help for making a mess. This is arguably one of the most ludicrous ideas that I have ever read on the Internet Movie Database in my entire life, and believe me, I have read some jaw-droppingly moronic comments on this beloved site.
If you read through the user comments for this movie, you can so clearly see the difference in the people who liked it and the ones who hate it that it almost makes you laugh out loud that these people can't see that they are exactly the kinds of people that the movie rebels against. Drop Dead Fred begs Elizabeth not to let her mother turn her into one of them because he doesn't want her to turn into the kind of person who is so uptight and frigid and barren that she would be incapable of enjoying exactly the kind of entertainment and fun that Drop Dead Fred is.
This is a movie that was made for people who are still in touch with their inner child, people who realize that a little girl with a mother who has absolutely no understanding of the mind of a child has every right to escape into the world of an imaginary friend if it will help her escape the grayness and responsibility imposed on her by her mother, who demands absolute perfection and hasn't the first clue about how to raise a child. Very similar things can be said about various IMDb users, such as ones who refer to Fred as a product of a deranged mind or say anything about psychos or brutality or insanity.
Drop Dead Fred is not a film about an insane little girl. Indeed, I like to think that the world is populated mostly with people who understand that the minds of young children operate slightly differently than their parents'and our own, and that they can be forgiven for getting into a little mischief. I am generally against grouping together people who did not like a certain film, but in this case it seems overly obvious that the people who wrote negative reviews of this fun comedy are simply the people who resent being pointed out as the kinds of people that they are.
Drop Dead Fred is a movie that was made for fun, to be enjoyed, laughed at, and respected for reminding us that we need to lighten up occasionally and, while not necessarily flinging spaghetti in a nice restaurant, act like children every once in a while to prevent ourselves from being driven insane by the fast-paced society that we live in. And if you can't do that, if you hated Drop Dead Fred because you simply can't understand that concept, if, indeed, you think that Elizabeth is in dire need of psychiatric care, you may want to step back and look closely at your life and your views.
YOU may be the one in need of therapy.
However, I was reading through some of the reviews written on the IMDb by other users, and was amazed at how offended a couple of people were by this film, revealing in their reviews a total detachment from their own inner selves and a complete misunderstanding for the little people that we call kids. No, for example, I would NOT recommend a seven year old girl to psychiatric help for making a mess. This is arguably one of the most ludicrous ideas that I have ever read on the Internet Movie Database in my entire life, and believe me, I have read some jaw-droppingly moronic comments on this beloved site.
If you read through the user comments for this movie, you can so clearly see the difference in the people who liked it and the ones who hate it that it almost makes you laugh out loud that these people can't see that they are exactly the kinds of people that the movie rebels against. Drop Dead Fred begs Elizabeth not to let her mother turn her into one of them because he doesn't want her to turn into the kind of person who is so uptight and frigid and barren that she would be incapable of enjoying exactly the kind of entertainment and fun that Drop Dead Fred is.
This is a movie that was made for people who are still in touch with their inner child, people who realize that a little girl with a mother who has absolutely no understanding of the mind of a child has every right to escape into the world of an imaginary friend if it will help her escape the grayness and responsibility imposed on her by her mother, who demands absolute perfection and hasn't the first clue about how to raise a child. Very similar things can be said about various IMDb users, such as ones who refer to Fred as a product of a deranged mind or say anything about psychos or brutality or insanity.
Drop Dead Fred is not a film about an insane little girl. Indeed, I like to think that the world is populated mostly with people who understand that the minds of young children operate slightly differently than their parents'and our own, and that they can be forgiven for getting into a little mischief. I am generally against grouping together people who did not like a certain film, but in this case it seems overly obvious that the people who wrote negative reviews of this fun comedy are simply the people who resent being pointed out as the kinds of people that they are.
Drop Dead Fred is a movie that was made for fun, to be enjoyed, laughed at, and respected for reminding us that we need to lighten up occasionally and, while not necessarily flinging spaghetti in a nice restaurant, act like children every once in a while to prevent ourselves from being driven insane by the fast-paced society that we live in. And if you can't do that, if you hated Drop Dead Fred because you simply can't understand that concept, if, indeed, you think that Elizabeth is in dire need of psychiatric care, you may want to step back and look closely at your life and your views.
YOU may be the one in need of therapy.
- Anonymous_Maxine
- Jan 20, 2003
- Permalink
- BA_Harrison
- Dec 31, 2007
- Permalink
- barnabyrudge
- Feb 10, 2008
- Permalink
- sizeeofachaffage
- Sep 14, 2005
- Permalink
I originally saw this in my late teens. A few years ago, it started getting good play on cable, and I rediscovered this treasure.
I won't rehash the plot (you can read that on the main page), but the premise has a real interesting idea. What surprised me most by the other comments were things about Elizabeth's emotional state? She's not nuts, and she's not delusional. Just because her mother mistakes Fred for a psychological problem doesn't mean she's right. That's the whole point. While we might have some questions in the beginning, by the end it's quite clear that Fred is real. This is a fantasy after all.
Elizabeth is such a sweet child, it's just such a shame her father never gets a backbone to stand up to her mother. That's the one thing I didn't like about the story. It would seem her father simply abandoned them, which you simply wouldn't believe based on the sweet caring man they depict him to be. I've always adored Marsha Mason, and it was hard to see her as such a cold manipulative woman. You can see underneath, at least at the end, that she has her own issues that cause her to treat her daughter as an adversary. But it's hard to forgive.
Ryk Mayall is hilarious! He's an absolute gem, and I really wish we would see him in more mainstream movies so I could view his talent without video hunting. He is brilliant in the physical comedy, and a riot even when his jokes aren't all that funny. He also shows some really tender moments. He reminds you a touch of a teacher who really loves a student with emotionally inept parents. He's supposed to be showing her what's wrong with her life, making her wake up to the shell of a person she's become, but you can see what he really wants to do is hold her, kiss the top of her head, and tell her it'll all be alright and that (at least) he loves her.
Phoebe Cates turns in one of her best performances (second only to Shag). She plays the vulnerable young woman, who's been cowed by her mother and squashed by her husband, with realism and depth. You can understand her attachment to her philandering spouse (cleverly portrayed by Tim Matheson) when you recognize that she just desperately wants to be loved by someone. But after being; abandoned by her father (and seemingly Fred), emotionally battered by her mother, and losing her only other real friend (Ron Eldard is really charming in this bit) as a child; who wouldn't cling to any shred of love they can get?
While this movie is so funny and energetic, it's at the end it really pays off for the grown ups. Elizabeth comes to terms with the fact that her husband really doesn't care, that she can live her life without the approval or permission of her mother, and that she'll never really be happy until she regains the inner child her mother stole from her. The fantasy scene where Fred helps her step back and face all this is really interesting, I particularly LOVE the metaphor of unwrapping the young Elizabeth from the bed where she's trapped by the same masking tape her mother used to lock Fred in the Jack-in-the-Box. The final moment of Fred's departure, with a warm kiss and hug, is heartbreaking but fitting. And closing the film with Fred continuing his efforts by befriending Mickey's daughter proves the whole point, that Fred is very real and that the imaginary friends in this story have a real purpose. They are there to help children in need in the only way kids really can be helped, with fun.
I won't rehash the plot (you can read that on the main page), but the premise has a real interesting idea. What surprised me most by the other comments were things about Elizabeth's emotional state? She's not nuts, and she's not delusional. Just because her mother mistakes Fred for a psychological problem doesn't mean she's right. That's the whole point. While we might have some questions in the beginning, by the end it's quite clear that Fred is real. This is a fantasy after all.
Elizabeth is such a sweet child, it's just such a shame her father never gets a backbone to stand up to her mother. That's the one thing I didn't like about the story. It would seem her father simply abandoned them, which you simply wouldn't believe based on the sweet caring man they depict him to be. I've always adored Marsha Mason, and it was hard to see her as such a cold manipulative woman. You can see underneath, at least at the end, that she has her own issues that cause her to treat her daughter as an adversary. But it's hard to forgive.
Ryk Mayall is hilarious! He's an absolute gem, and I really wish we would see him in more mainstream movies so I could view his talent without video hunting. He is brilliant in the physical comedy, and a riot even when his jokes aren't all that funny. He also shows some really tender moments. He reminds you a touch of a teacher who really loves a student with emotionally inept parents. He's supposed to be showing her what's wrong with her life, making her wake up to the shell of a person she's become, but you can see what he really wants to do is hold her, kiss the top of her head, and tell her it'll all be alright and that (at least) he loves her.
Phoebe Cates turns in one of her best performances (second only to Shag). She plays the vulnerable young woman, who's been cowed by her mother and squashed by her husband, with realism and depth. You can understand her attachment to her philandering spouse (cleverly portrayed by Tim Matheson) when you recognize that she just desperately wants to be loved by someone. But after being; abandoned by her father (and seemingly Fred), emotionally battered by her mother, and losing her only other real friend (Ron Eldard is really charming in this bit) as a child; who wouldn't cling to any shred of love they can get?
While this movie is so funny and energetic, it's at the end it really pays off for the grown ups. Elizabeth comes to terms with the fact that her husband really doesn't care, that she can live her life without the approval or permission of her mother, and that she'll never really be happy until she regains the inner child her mother stole from her. The fantasy scene where Fred helps her step back and face all this is really interesting, I particularly LOVE the metaphor of unwrapping the young Elizabeth from the bed where she's trapped by the same masking tape her mother used to lock Fred in the Jack-in-the-Box. The final moment of Fred's departure, with a warm kiss and hug, is heartbreaking but fitting. And closing the film with Fred continuing his efforts by befriending Mickey's daughter proves the whole point, that Fred is very real and that the imaginary friends in this story have a real purpose. They are there to help children in need in the only way kids really can be helped, with fun.
- CleverTitania
- Aug 28, 2002
- Permalink
If your brand of humor is poo jokes and an annoying guy who likes to draw stripes onto sweaters, than this is a film for you. Not one single thing that Fred did was funny to the rest of us, however. Terribly painful movie to sit through. I like how they tried to make out Lizzy's mom to be mean, bad lady too. If my daughter were a lunatic with imaginary friends wrecking my house, I'd become mean too. The only thing worse than this film is all the people who seem to love it and who talked me into watching this garbage. How many times can they make the same old move over and over again. Bad things happens. Kid blames imaginary friend. No one believes the kid. Kid has to face some test and grow up and make peace with imagination. Zzzzzz
Here's a little gem most everyone hated and totally misunderstood! Able to be loved by younger kids and laughed-at by the more "balanced" adults, DROP DEAD FRED is just fun. That's all it was ever meant to be! My children "grew up" with this film in our library and we have seen it probably 30 - 40 times over the years.
For those with absolutely no humor or sense of childhood-wonder still, you would be doing yourself a big favor to miss this flick. Rik Mayall (who never cut it for me particularly) is Phoebe's imaginary childhood friend made flesh and come back to haunt her. True, he is tasteless, inspirationally trouble-making and a straight-up fruit-cake, but surely wouldn't that make for the ideal imaginary friend? I laughed at the reviewer claimed "her" imaginary friend had way better taste and wouldn't be seen dead acting like "Fred"....pity her! I had one too...a couple of back-ups even and they would have LOVED Fred!
The entire point of the film is brought to bear at the very conclusion of the film when Phoebe realises she has finally grown up and Fred knows it is time to "move-on." Personally I found this extremely touching, but there again, I never grew up!
Manic Mayall was born for this one role and he makes the most of it. The restaurant scene with Cates, who is just so cool, elegant and stylish throughout, is laugh-out-loud funny...again, IF you have a sense of humor. Prudes may well be offended by some of Mayall's antics, my four children weren't! Slate the film all you wish, it remains a total ONE-OFF.....name another like it!
Wonderful little bit of stupidity and like I said, if they make them cuter than Cates, I've missed the boat!
For those with absolutely no humor or sense of childhood-wonder still, you would be doing yourself a big favor to miss this flick. Rik Mayall (who never cut it for me particularly) is Phoebe's imaginary childhood friend made flesh and come back to haunt her. True, he is tasteless, inspirationally trouble-making and a straight-up fruit-cake, but surely wouldn't that make for the ideal imaginary friend? I laughed at the reviewer claimed "her" imaginary friend had way better taste and wouldn't be seen dead acting like "Fred"....pity her! I had one too...a couple of back-ups even and they would have LOVED Fred!
The entire point of the film is brought to bear at the very conclusion of the film when Phoebe realises she has finally grown up and Fred knows it is time to "move-on." Personally I found this extremely touching, but there again, I never grew up!
Manic Mayall was born for this one role and he makes the most of it. The restaurant scene with Cates, who is just so cool, elegant and stylish throughout, is laugh-out-loud funny...again, IF you have a sense of humor. Prudes may well be offended by some of Mayall's antics, my four children weren't! Slate the film all you wish, it remains a total ONE-OFF.....name another like it!
Wonderful little bit of stupidity and like I said, if they make them cuter than Cates, I've missed the boat!
The reason for why I initially purchased this 1991 comedy at the local secondhand DVD store was because of Rik Mayall, the late, great British comedy genius.
I haven't seen "Drop Dead Fred" before now in 2016, 25 years after it was initially released. Shame on me, I know. And it was an error on my behalf, because this is a very funny movie and an enjoyable movie as well. And Rik Mayall really do put on a very good performance as the imaginary friend Drop Dead Fred. I was laughing a good amount throughout the course of the movie, especially because of the hilarious situations that Elizabeth (played by Phoebe Cates) ended up in because of her imaginary friend.
Rik Mayall is quite well-cast for the menacing make-believe friend, and he seemed to be given free hands to do what he wanted with the character. I was more than genuinely entertained by his comedy in this 1991 movie, his brush with Hollywood, although he was always more at home in the British comedy.
Aside from an all-over-the-screen Rik Mayall, then Phoebe Cates also did perform nicely in "Drop Dead Fred" and borough her usual charms. It was a nice treat to have the Princess herself in the movie for a supportive role, that being Carrie Fisher, of course.
"Drop Dead Fred" is a fast paced comedy with lots of laughs.
I haven't seen "Drop Dead Fred" before now in 2016, 25 years after it was initially released. Shame on me, I know. And it was an error on my behalf, because this is a very funny movie and an enjoyable movie as well. And Rik Mayall really do put on a very good performance as the imaginary friend Drop Dead Fred. I was laughing a good amount throughout the course of the movie, especially because of the hilarious situations that Elizabeth (played by Phoebe Cates) ended up in because of her imaginary friend.
Rik Mayall is quite well-cast for the menacing make-believe friend, and he seemed to be given free hands to do what he wanted with the character. I was more than genuinely entertained by his comedy in this 1991 movie, his brush with Hollywood, although he was always more at home in the British comedy.
Aside from an all-over-the-screen Rik Mayall, then Phoebe Cates also did perform nicely in "Drop Dead Fred" and borough her usual charms. It was a nice treat to have the Princess herself in the movie for a supportive role, that being Carrie Fisher, of course.
"Drop Dead Fred" is a fast paced comedy with lots of laughs.
- paul_haakonsen
- Jan 9, 2016
- Permalink
Drop Dead Fred is a horrible experience full of immature material. Only a very small amount of slapstick humour (which I didn't find amusing while others kind of did), but that's not enough to keeping the whole movie occupied. It was so incoherent that it provided me with the most unpleasant and embarrassing experience I've ever had watching a film.
The plot is unimaginable and incomprehensible. Fred is a complete idiot who ruins and humiliates Elizabeth (Phoebe Cates, Gremlins I & II), the main character's life. I mean if you're seeing an imaginary friend you either can't see it or its hallucination. He makes her throw a bin of yellow slimy stuff at her Nan. I would hardly recommend any viewers under 5 to watch this. It could teach them bad manners. If you're watching this pile of puke right now I'd warn you to turn it off, get away from toddlers banging pans together and smashing dishes, go into the bathroom, look into the mirror (cover your face with water), clear your mind and think about something completely imaginable (I know it sounds strange but it's just a warning from me).
Now this is a film where the actors/actresses go way over their heads. Once DD Fred causes embarrassment, all the others main actors on the set go bonkers. At one point Liz has coffee with a chap named Mickey Bunce, a date kind of thing, which Fred wrecks as always, causing Bunce to go nuts. I couldn't get my head round it. Martha Mason plays the mother of Liz, Polly Cronin. She's completely unhinged over Fred. It's like she wants to abandon her child on the street. She traps him in a wooden box and wraps it in cello tape, causing young Liz to end up in tears. There's another thing I don't get: Why would Liz let loose a mental maniac from the box years later when she's wants to get on with her unstable life (to try and make it better) and it's going to make her life more unstable? If I was her I would just leave him there to suffer and then throw the box into a dump compactor(probably what I should do with the DVD).
Now as Drop Dead Fred provides nothing to recommend, I'm starting to think why it was made this way. It could have been a kid's movie. What I mostly think of this is why it was even made. I can't believe it's not on IMDb's Bottom 100 list and why anyone would even like this. It's one of these unusual Hollywood movies where parents, with their children, would end up going to the nearest exit outside the cinema or a DVD showing, which I attended. Any parent would be appalled with the entirely childish and occasionally inappropriate content. I spent most of my experience trying to figure out a way to get out of the place. Misguided, misconcieved and completely mental and stupid, you won't survive the running time. It wastes your time. Avoid.
The plot is unimaginable and incomprehensible. Fred is a complete idiot who ruins and humiliates Elizabeth (Phoebe Cates, Gremlins I & II), the main character's life. I mean if you're seeing an imaginary friend you either can't see it or its hallucination. He makes her throw a bin of yellow slimy stuff at her Nan. I would hardly recommend any viewers under 5 to watch this. It could teach them bad manners. If you're watching this pile of puke right now I'd warn you to turn it off, get away from toddlers banging pans together and smashing dishes, go into the bathroom, look into the mirror (cover your face with water), clear your mind and think about something completely imaginable (I know it sounds strange but it's just a warning from me).
Now this is a film where the actors/actresses go way over their heads. Once DD Fred causes embarrassment, all the others main actors on the set go bonkers. At one point Liz has coffee with a chap named Mickey Bunce, a date kind of thing, which Fred wrecks as always, causing Bunce to go nuts. I couldn't get my head round it. Martha Mason plays the mother of Liz, Polly Cronin. She's completely unhinged over Fred. It's like she wants to abandon her child on the street. She traps him in a wooden box and wraps it in cello tape, causing young Liz to end up in tears. There's another thing I don't get: Why would Liz let loose a mental maniac from the box years later when she's wants to get on with her unstable life (to try and make it better) and it's going to make her life more unstable? If I was her I would just leave him there to suffer and then throw the box into a dump compactor(probably what I should do with the DVD).
Now as Drop Dead Fred provides nothing to recommend, I'm starting to think why it was made this way. It could have been a kid's movie. What I mostly think of this is why it was even made. I can't believe it's not on IMDb's Bottom 100 list and why anyone would even like this. It's one of these unusual Hollywood movies where parents, with their children, would end up going to the nearest exit outside the cinema or a DVD showing, which I attended. Any parent would be appalled with the entirely childish and occasionally inappropriate content. I spent most of my experience trying to figure out a way to get out of the place. Misguided, misconcieved and completely mental and stupid, you won't survive the running time. It wastes your time. Avoid.
As part of my old job I was allowed all of the free DVD's I could handle. At one point I had over 500. I am in the midst of selling a lot of them and it is a painful process. I had a solid pile of about 100 that I wanted to sell. 'Drop Dead Fred' was at the top of the pile. I had never watched the movie and for some reason, last night, it was calling to me. I am really glad I decided to watch it and remove it from the doomed pile.
On the surface this is one of those early 90's kids movies that actually is not really intended for kids. Do you remember that movie with Martin Short? 'Clifford'? It is the same idea. It is a style of film making that is not utilized nearly enough. The movie is crewed and lewd and almost perfect. Fred rules! I love the imaginary friend idea and I think it was depicted in perfect absurdity.
The plot is simple but far from stale in the way it is presented. Girl has crappy life, remembers childhood imaginary friend and then said imaginary friend comes back into girl's life and wreaks havoc. The film's colorful and quirky nature invigorates the plot 200%. It is also really heartfelt and gives you a warm mushy feeling at the end which honestly is something that we all need to experience every now and again seeing as we live is such a cruel and depressing world full of heartless and blood thirsty ingrates.
Underneath the comical veneer is something else- something much darker and disturbing. There is something very psychological about this film. Fred, the imaginary friend, is ID through and through. I would go as far to say that this film should be shown in PSY100 classes to demonstrate the ID, EGO and SUPER EGO and how they work. Although the film is comical I think the plot plays with the idea of mental illness a lot. I will make the argument that Lizzy suffers from Schizophrenia and this film is a depiction of her battle with the illness.
I am told that a remake is in the works and that British Comedian Russell Brand is set to play Fred. He is getting a lot of flack on both his message board and this message board as well. Part of me, as Any fan of this movie would, agrees that it is near perfect and a remake is pointless- however if I had one complaint it is that the film does not look all that great (with the exception of Phoebe Cates). Visually, the film is kind of dull. I think it would be invigorating to see the film done with more in terms of effects. And in Russell Brand's defense, have we really seen enough of his work to discriminate against him and know that he will ruin a remake? I HATED 'Forgetting Sara Marshall' but Russell Brand really made it's excruciating length and general blandness slightly more bearable.
On the surface this is one of those early 90's kids movies that actually is not really intended for kids. Do you remember that movie with Martin Short? 'Clifford'? It is the same idea. It is a style of film making that is not utilized nearly enough. The movie is crewed and lewd and almost perfect. Fred rules! I love the imaginary friend idea and I think it was depicted in perfect absurdity.
The plot is simple but far from stale in the way it is presented. Girl has crappy life, remembers childhood imaginary friend and then said imaginary friend comes back into girl's life and wreaks havoc. The film's colorful and quirky nature invigorates the plot 200%. It is also really heartfelt and gives you a warm mushy feeling at the end which honestly is something that we all need to experience every now and again seeing as we live is such a cruel and depressing world full of heartless and blood thirsty ingrates.
Underneath the comical veneer is something else- something much darker and disturbing. There is something very psychological about this film. Fred, the imaginary friend, is ID through and through. I would go as far to say that this film should be shown in PSY100 classes to demonstrate the ID, EGO and SUPER EGO and how they work. Although the film is comical I think the plot plays with the idea of mental illness a lot. I will make the argument that Lizzy suffers from Schizophrenia and this film is a depiction of her battle with the illness.
I am told that a remake is in the works and that British Comedian Russell Brand is set to play Fred. He is getting a lot of flack on both his message board and this message board as well. Part of me, as Any fan of this movie would, agrees that it is near perfect and a remake is pointless- however if I had one complaint it is that the film does not look all that great (with the exception of Phoebe Cates). Visually, the film is kind of dull. I think it would be invigorating to see the film done with more in terms of effects. And in Russell Brand's defense, have we really seen enough of his work to discriminate against him and know that he will ruin a remake? I HATED 'Forgetting Sara Marshall' but Russell Brand really made it's excruciating length and general blandness slightly more bearable.
This movie appeared when I was about 12. At the time I was able to watch anything, but "Drop Dead Fred" was one of the few films I simply couldn't digest.
Many say that movie-going children should be protected from sex and violence on screen, but they're all wrong. Children should at all costs be protected from THIS film.
The brain-numbingly bad screenplay and terrible acting, pedestrian direction and an overall cheap appearance mix into a terrifyingly psychedelic mess of a film. The only reason why this isn't a C-grade horror or porn is cheap slapstick humor instead of gore or nudity.
Many say that movie-going children should be protected from sex and violence on screen, but they're all wrong. Children should at all costs be protected from THIS film.
The brain-numbingly bad screenplay and terrible acting, pedestrian direction and an overall cheap appearance mix into a terrifyingly psychedelic mess of a film. The only reason why this isn't a C-grade horror or porn is cheap slapstick humor instead of gore or nudity.
- revolution-7
- Nov 25, 2005
- Permalink
Despite it's rather inbetweeney rating here on IMDB, this movie is one of those that has gained a reputation for being sort of bad, but I think it's misunderstood.
A lot of people did not enjoy the child-movie tone mixed in with a lot of more "adult" elements (the lascivious Fred, the adultery, the emotional abuse...).
But I think this is a shallow criticism. The essence of this movie is a reflection on people reviving the inner child we keep locked up inside us to help them when they really need it. It's weird how as we grow into adults we become more obedient and less anarchic and lose our self esteem.
Fred is a bit much; he is a walking ball of obnoxiousness even if that is the point since he is a personification of the vulgarity of childhood; the id buried by the superego (am I being pretentious enough?) Yes, Fred can be hard to take but I think creatively this comes from a good place and is ultimately a rather life affirming story for the reasons I've put above.
Its world building is more than a little confusing and I'm not saying this is anything close to a masterpiece, nor does it really even exploit its full potential.
But I happily watched it in one sitting after reading about it on the "Bad movies wiki" even though it was like midnight. I watched it in one sitting.
Again, don't think it's an impressively clever movie but it's hard to make something truly original in its tone and style, and this managed it.
A lot of people did not enjoy the child-movie tone mixed in with a lot of more "adult" elements (the lascivious Fred, the adultery, the emotional abuse...).
But I think this is a shallow criticism. The essence of this movie is a reflection on people reviving the inner child we keep locked up inside us to help them when they really need it. It's weird how as we grow into adults we become more obedient and less anarchic and lose our self esteem.
Fred is a bit much; he is a walking ball of obnoxiousness even if that is the point since he is a personification of the vulgarity of childhood; the id buried by the superego (am I being pretentious enough?) Yes, Fred can be hard to take but I think creatively this comes from a good place and is ultimately a rather life affirming story for the reasons I've put above.
Its world building is more than a little confusing and I'm not saying this is anything close to a masterpiece, nor does it really even exploit its full potential.
But I happily watched it in one sitting after reading about it on the "Bad movies wiki" even though it was like midnight. I watched it in one sitting.
Again, don't think it's an impressively clever movie but it's hard to make something truly original in its tone and style, and this managed it.
- GiraffeDoor
- Oct 1, 2019
- Permalink
I saw this movie when it first came out. I was a junior in high school, so my boyfriend and I thought that the "sophomoric" humour would be most appropriate for a date. We were wrong. We both hated the movie. Drop Dead Fred is just a bunch of outrageous and disgusting gags (pun intended) which might amuse a six-year old one second and have his parents covering his eyes the next. The idea of an imaginary playmate becoming flesh-and-blood is quite amusing but the plot of this movie (if there is one) keeps Fred nothing more than "someone to blame" and a troublemaker. My imaginary playmate was much more caring, sensitive, and mature than Fred will ever be...
This is a movie that I loved as a kid. I never understood any of the adult parts of the movie of course at a young age. But the movie itself never left my memories and has stayed with me as I've grown up. Now I am going on 26 years old and watching it again. I haven't seen it since I was in elementary school. It brings back so many good memories and was one of my favorite movies as a kid. Now that I'm an adult I understand all the adult parts of the movie which now has a slightly different meaning. But it's still a good movie for kids and for any adult that likes fantasy. Especially adults like me that wish they could go back to being a kid.
- Robert_duder
- Jun 27, 2008
- Permalink
- natashabowiepinky
- Sep 18, 2014
- Permalink