Was Drop Dead Fred inspired by John Lydon?
Drop Dead Fred isn’t a great film. There, we’ve said it. Yes, we love it because it’s the type of edgy British comedy that makes for riveting winter viewing, and yes, it’s the type of comedy those pesky cappuccino supping, mindful obsessive millenials would have banned today, but it’s still not that great.
I’m not even sure it’s even very good, and I struggle to call it good, but it’s certainly entertaining, bolstered by punk-like energy, cemented by a wacky script and a suitably ferocious performance from alternative comic stalwart Rik Mayall as the nasty, nefarious imaginary friend that spends his time taunting and throwing tantrums.
Mayall’s ‘Drop Dead Fred’ (the name his character is given) holds a garish, gaunt look, punctuated by his manic hairstyle and grotesque facial expressions. When he emerges into the spotlight (as he frequently does), Mayall gives a sneering, sinister performance that’s more in keeping with the trappings of rock than cinema. This begs the question: was he inspired by shock rock superstar, John Lydon?
If it was, then that makes the film a bit more interesting, although it doesn’t necessarily make it any better to watch. Mayall had already channelled his inner punk in The Young Ones, a ferociously timed, explosively charged spectacle that was popular amongst British children in the 1980s. And if he was inspired by John Lydon, then it was as his alter ego, ‘Johnny Rotten’, a character Lydon had consigned to the late 1970s, alongside The Sex Pistols.
For his part, Lydon enjoyed being mistaken for Mayall: “In LA I was mistaken for Rik Mayall. And who am I to deny it, y’know. If the free drinks keep coming.” Lydon had been tipped to play the lead in Quadrophenia, but the part went to Phil Daniels instead. Lydon didn’t take it well: “I remember, which you might not remember, that after the film came out, us meeting Johnny Rotten somewhere, do you know what I mean?” recalled Quadrophenia co-star Trevor Laird. “And he being a little bit squiffy about the film and everything and I think he threw an insult at Phil and Phil threw an insult at him and of course they backed down”.
Clearly, Hollywood didn’t want Lydon, so Drop Dead Fred is probably as close as we are going to see him onscreen. But imagine if the producers had decided to go down that route, and cast the erstwhile Sex Pistol in the role? It would have made this mediocre picture that bit more memorable than it already is, complete with a menacing performance from a star fuelled by adrenaline, anxiety and general acidity. Instead of an imaginary punk, we’d witness a real-life punk, and sure he wasn’t a trained actor, but can we really describe what Mayall was up to as “acting”?
But rather than feel cheated (we can leave that to Malcolm McLaren and co.), let’s look at how well Mayall adjusts to the role of a feisty, fiery figment of a maiden’s imagination. Lest we forget that he had a sex appeal Lydon sorely lacked, which makes the film’s central duality between friend/fiend that bit more interesting to watch. For a film that isn’t “great”, “very good” or even “good”, it’s certainly memorable, something punk had always aspired to be. And while I can’t necessarily applaud its virtues, I can admire its chutzpah, and how it entertains people, even when they are not watching the picture. May the road rise with Drop Dead Fred, may the road rise with Drop Dead Fred…
