Po Mo Knock Knock

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Po Mo Knock Knock is a 1999 experimental comedy short film written by David Ball and directed by Greg Pak. It is performed by Ball and other members of the New York City improv comedy troupe, The Pollyannas, Bill Stiles and Vin Knight. The title of the film refers to its subject, PostModern knock knock jokes. The film itself is a parody of postmodernism and of postmodern experimental film, through its use of irony, internal contradictions, references to Jacques Derrida, and the Godardian use of title cards.

Po Mo Knock Knock has shown at a large number of Asian American and LGB film festivals.

[edit] Plot

Two lovers, Knock Knock (Ball) and Who's There (Stiles) confront their difficulties communicating with each other by telling knock knock jokes. Rather than being puns, as knock knock jokes in the usual sense, the jokes are intended to invoke a sense of postmodern thought, for example, "Knock knock", "Who's there?", "Not only not no one, not even not he" (a parody of "Postmodernism is not only what it is not, it's not even not that", apparently heard by one of Ball's friends in a literary theory class).

The third member of the love triangle, Vin Knight (played by himself) enters, and the tension rises. The film ends with Knock Knock asking "Don't you understand that communication is impossible?" and Who's There answering "No".

[edit] Po Mo Love Doc

In 2000, Po Mo Knock Knock was the subject of a short "documentary", Po Mo Love Doc. In this documentary, director Greg Pak reveals that the love triangle hinted at in the movie is very real and very painful. He visits Knock Knock and Vin Knight at their home in Chelsea to discuss the film, the emotion behind it, and living with a postmodernist.