ShortStuffCentral.com presents a review by staff member Jon Turner. For more reviews of Short films and Flash animation, check out www.shortstuffcentral.com, the Internet's home for Short Films.
Po Mo Knock Knock
Like so many great films, Po Mo Knock Knock is not what it appears on first viewing. Ok, so it's no Fight Club, or even Sixth Sense for that matter, but for the message that it cleverly delivers in under three minutes, it's well worth your time to check out. The entire black and white, experimental film consists of gloomy, artiste characters trying to communicate with each other through knock knock jokes. It is a post-modern idea, if you will; hence the title, Po Mo Knock Knock. The first time it plays through, the film appears dry, unintelligible, and random. But once you catch on and become part of the inside joke, it proves to be a non-stop punch line.
Although, as a whole, it is definitely a comedy, the only actual joke in the film is one brief sight gag. The Pollyanna comedy troupe wants you to experience it all as one long, surreal gag. David Ball plays the character of Knock Knock, while his counterpart, played by the late Bill Stiles is called Who's There? The men's struggle to communicate in a post-modern style parodies the general failure of such experimental films to convey their meanings.
The only problem with the film is that you just might not get it. I certainly did not on my first viewing, but I found it quirky enough to want to delve further into the filmmaker's psyche. With plenty of supplemental material on the DVD, I was able to do just that and came to really appreciate the intricacies of the extended joke.
Included with the film on this DVD compilation are four more tracks that illuminate the film's various meanings and serve up some great entertainment. The Pollyanna troupe obviously has tremendous fun with their work as you can see in their 5 minute featurette, `Po Mo Love Doc,' during which they stay in character, and their `Matrix Special Edition' commentary track. I find this bonus track to actually be funnier than the film itself. The troupe completely ignores their film playing in the background as they elaborate on their fascination with the Wachowski's Matrix and tell hilarious stories about their obsession. Also included is one more commentary track by director Greg Pak and another one with the whole troupe actually discussing their own film.
It may take you a few viewings to fully appreciate the work that went into Po Mo Knock Knock as well as the hilarity of the resulting film. But at only 3 minutes running time, the joke never tires and the experience is well worth it.
**** Director Greg Pak
Available on SHORT 10: CHAOS (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004Z4V8/shortstuff03)
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