The Plank Family Players is a series of shorts that played as segments of Cartoon Network's Fridays, and are also included in the Ed, Edd n Eddy Vol.2: Fools' Par-Ed-ise DVD. In them, Plank and his parents perform short plays, each of which parodies a specific movie genre. Staying true to the show, none of the wooden characters are ever seen moving under their own power.
Plays[]
A Rock and a Hard Place[]
The film opens with Plank and his father standing by a rock with a sword thrust into it. The camera switches to Plank, who is looking at the rock, and then to his father, who is watching him, and then back to Plank, who is now standing on the rock. The camera then switches to his father, and a glow comes from offscreen. Plank is then seen standing next to the drawn-out sword. His father then bows down to him.
This film is a parody of the King Arthur tale about The Sword in the Stone, which was later adapted into a Disney film.
Love Is A Many Splintered Thing[]
Plank's mother is seen staring at the sunset. The camera then changes angles to reveal her husband standing a few feet behind her. Plank's mother is then seen turned around to face her husband, and in the next shot they are seen watching the sunset together.
This film is a spoof of romantic movies, especially ones that end with the main couple staring into the sunset, deeply in love.
Here Come The Judge[]
The family is in a courtroom. Plank's mother is sitting in the defendant's box. Plank's father is in the judge's seat, and Plank himself has the witness stand. The camera shifts back to his mother, and then to Plank, closing in on him. Soon, the sound of a rapping gavel is heard, and the camera shifts to Plank's father.
This film is a take-off on courtroom dramas. Examples of said dramas include ...And Justice for All, My Cousin Vinny, and To Kill a Mockingbird.
Get Out Of Dodge[]
Plank and his father are having a showdown in a Wild West town while his mother watches from atop the Dry Goods store. Suddenly, Plank's father is seen standing in a pile of dung.
This film is a spoof of Western films.
A Wing and a Prayer[]
Plank's parents are riding in a plane as it goes through a storm. Suddenly, out the window, Plank can be seen, riding on the wing.
This film is most likely a parody of the Twilight Zone episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet".
A Diamond In The Rough[]
Plank and his father are playing baseball. Plank is up to bat, while his father is on the mound. The camera shifts to his father as the crack of the bat is heard and the shadow of the ball moves across his face. Plank then rounds the bases.
This film is a spoof of sports movies, most specifically baseball films where the game comes down to the final out.
The Plank In the Mirror[]
Plank's mother is in a hotel room, looking into a mirror while she does her hair and makeup. Plank is standing behind her, and a creepy nursery tune begins to play. Plank's mother turns around, and finds that there's nobody there. She returns to the mirror, and Plank appears in it once again.
This film is a parody of supernatural thrillers. The nursery tune and hallucination of Plank in particular seem to be references to The Shining.
Here At The Rock[]
Plank and his father are in a jail cell. Plank is looking out of the barred windows while his father lies on a cot, trying to sleep. Harmonica music plays in the background until it is stopped by a voice saying "Alright, alright, keep it down in there." After this, the only sound that can be heard is a train whistle blowing in the distance.
This film is a take-off on prison movies.
From Somewhere In The House[]
This film is presented in black and white. In it, Plank is standing alone in a room as the phone on the table beside him starts to ring. The camera cuts to the clock as it strikes midnight, and then cuts back to Plank, who now has the phone pressed against his ear. The camera zooms in and passes his right side as lightning flashes, revealing the shadow of another Plank. The camera then cuts to the phone, dangling helplessly as a busy signal emanates from the receiver.
This film is a spoof of slasher films that use the idea of "calls coming from inside the house." Movies that use this include Black Christmas, When a Stranger Calls, Scream, and Urban Legend.
Keep Watching The Skies[]
Plank and his father are having a cookout. They are happily roasting marshmallows when a UFO suddenly swoops in and uses a tractor beam to drag them into the ship. After abducting them, the ship zooms off into the night sky.
This film is a parody of alien abduction films.
Credits[]
- Writer: Matt McElhanon
- Producer: Calvin Florian
- Creative Supervisor: Steve Patrick
- Art Direction: Kevin Fitzgerald
- Graphic Design: Mike Andriola
- CGI Design, Animation, Composite and Sweetening provided by: Turner Studios
Trivia[]
- Plank and his parents are actual planks with crayon faces, as they were in "My Best Friend Plank."
- The Plank used here was used for Plank's guest appearance on Fridays on July 29, 2005.
- The only spoken dialogue in any film is "Alright, alright, keep it down in there", which is spoken in "Here At The Rock."
- The spaceship that Plank and his dad are abducted by looks a lot like the Alien Spaceship from "The Eds are Coming."
- In addition, this might have inspired the "Agent 314" part of the credits at the end of Cartoon Network Invaded.
- Plank doesn't appear in "Love Is A Many Splintered Thing."
- Plank's Mother does not appear in "A Rock and a Hard Place," "A Diamond In The Rough," "Here At The Rock," or "Keep Watching The Skies."
- It is also possible that she doesn't appear in "From Somewhere In The House" as the shadowy figure could be either her or her husband.
- Plank's Father does not appear in "The Plank In the Mirror."
- It is also possible that he doesn't appear in "From Somewhere In The House" as the shadowy figure could be either him or his wife.
Gallery[]
Video[]
This clip was provided by EdEddNEddyFan100 on YouTube.
