Po Mo Knock Knock (1999)

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.

Synopsis

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).