Dr. Plonk (2007)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Rolf de Heer

Writer:

Rolf de Heer (written by)

Release Date:

30 August 2007 (Australia)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

A comedy about the end of the world

Plot:

A scientist & inventor in 1907, Dr Plonk, predicts that the world will end in 101 years, unless something is done about it. A comedy in the Charlie Chaplin / Buster Keaton tradition. |

Plot Keywords:

Plonk | Scientist | Inventor | Australia | Schtick

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Nigel Lunghi	...	Dr. Plonk
Paul Blackwell	...	Paulus
Magda Szubanski	...	Mrs. Plonk
Wayne Anthoney	...	Prime Minister Stalk
Quentin Kenihan	...	Man on Trolley
Mike Rann	...	Prime Minister Short
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Phoebe Paterson de Heer	...	Maid
Joshua Jaeger	...	Botanic Gardens Policeman
Bogdan Koca
Jeff Lang	...	City policeman
Nigel Martin	...	Dr. Plonk

Also Known As:

Doctor Plonk (International: English title) (alternative spelling)
Dr. Plonk (Greece) (festival title) [el]

Runtime:

Australia:85 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | Silent

Certification:

Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Company:

Australian Film Finance Corporation (AFFC)

Trivia:

The film was inspired by such silent movie performers as Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton, Charles Chaplin and Keystone Kops.

Movie Connections:

Features Shadows of the Heart (1990) (TV)

Dr. Plonk ain't no Chaplin

Dr. Plonk is a silent black and white comedy along the lines of Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin films. The story follows Dr. Plonk and his lazy drunken assistant Paulus, who in 1907 discover the world is going to end in the year 2008 and travel to the future to bring back proof when nobody believes them. For authenticity the film was shot with a hand crank camera using traditional techniques like under-cranking for the filming of chase sequences. While the film is entertaining, and features some fine acting (though the dog really steals the show in this department), what the film does most is remind everyone about how great and inimitable the masters like Keaton and Chaplin were. As an example, given a plot that brings a character from the year 1907 into the future to the year 2007, you'd think there would be some clever and unforgettable visual gags they could pull, poking fun at the absurdity of modern life. Instead, Plonk teleports into the future into such humdrum environments like abandoned warehouses and railway yards where the main gag is rather unimaginative Keystone cops type chase sequences. All in all it feels very much like a film school project, with a lot of homage to classic films, and very little genuine creativity.