Plump Fiction
Encyclopedia
Plump Fiction is a 1998 parody film
, released by Rhino Entertainment
. It's a spoof of 1990s movies
in general, and violent, convoluted movies more specifically; the overall story is a takeoff of Pulp Fiction
, complete with intertitle
s and an out-of-sequence storyline, with bits of Reservoir Dogs
and Natural Born Killers
thrown in.
talks about how Tarantino started a trend of extremely violent movies, and says that the time has come for much more wholesome, life-affirming movies — and he's cut off as someone shoots him.
The body of the film contains the following intertwined plotlines:
After the credits, a server at the Independent Cafe (who calls himself Priscilla, Queen of the Desserts) looks into the camera and says, "This has been one long, mixed-up, crazy, out-of-sequence kind of day!"
Parody film
A parody film is a comedy that satirizes other film genres or films. Although the genre is often overlooked, parody films are commonly profitable at the box office...
, released by Rhino Entertainment
Rhino Entertainment
Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company. It is owned by Warner Music Group.-History:Rhino was originally a novelty song and reissue company during the 1970s and 1980s, releasing compilation albums of pop, rock & roll, and rhythm & blues successes...
. It's a spoof of 1990s movies
1990s in film
The decade of the 1990s in film involved many significant films.-Events:* Thousands of full-length films were produced during the 1990s....
in general, and violent, convoluted movies more specifically; the overall story is a takeoff of Pulp Fiction
Pulp Fiction (film)
Pulp Fiction is a 1994 American crime film directed by Quentin Tarantino, who co-wrote its screenplay with Roger Avary. The film is known for its rich, eclectic dialogue, ironic mix of humor and violence, nonlinear storyline, and host of cinematic allusions and pop culture references...
, complete with intertitle
Intertitle
In motion pictures, an intertitle is a piece of filmed, printed text edited into the midst of the photographed action, at various points, generally to convey character dialogue, or descriptive narrative material related to, but not necessarily covered by, the material photographed.Intertitles...
s and an out-of-sequence storyline, with bits of Reservoir Dogs
Reservoir Dogs
Reservoir Dogs is an American crime film marking debut of director and writer Quentin Tarantino. It depicts the events before and after a botched diamond heist, but not the heist itself. Reservoir Dogs stars an ensemble cast: Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, and...
and Natural Born Killers
Natural Born Killers
Natural Born Killers is a 1994 crime/black comedy film directed by Oliver Stone about two victims of traumatic childhoods who became lovers and psychopathic serial killers, and are irresponsibly glorified by the mass media...
thrown in.
Synopsis
At the start of the movie, the voice of Don LaFontaineDon LaFontaine
Donald Leroy "Don" LaFontaine was an American voiceover artist famous for recording more than 5,000 film trailers and hundreds of thousands of television advertisements, network promotions, and video game trailers. His nicknames included "Thunder Throat" and "The Voice of God"...
talks about how Tarantino started a trend of extremely violent movies, and says that the time has come for much more wholesome, life-affirming movies — and he's cut off as someone shoots him.
The body of the film contains the following intertwined plotlines:
- Jimmy Nova and Julius are two exterminatorsPest controlPest control refers to the regulation or management of a species defined as a pest, usually because it is perceived to be detrimental to a person's health, the ecology or the economy.-History:...
, required to dress as hitmenHitmanA hitman is a person hired to kill another person.- Hitmen in organized crime :Hitmen are largely linked to the world of organized crime. Hitmen are hired people who kill people for money. Notable examples include Murder, Inc., Mafia hitmen and Richard Kuklinski.- Other cases involving hitmen...
; they work for Montello, who also owns a strip club. Jimmy is assigned by Montello to look after his wife, Mimi, while he's out of town; her over-eating and wild behavior get herself and Jimmy into one mess after another, including being imprisoned by a convenience storeConvenience storeA convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
owner and his pet "gimp" Nell. Jimmy and Mimi eventually drive off to MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
together.
- Some of Montello's strippers concoct a plan to steal Montello's money; they disguise themselves as nunNunA nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
s and use fake names, including Sister SisterSister, Sister (TV series)Sister, Sister is an American television sitcom about identical twin girls Tia Landry and Tamera Campbell , who were separated and adopted at birth, when one day they come face-to-face after 14 years apart....
, Sister SledgeSister SledgeSister Sledge is an American musical group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed in 1972 and consisting of four sisters: Kim Sledge Debbie Sledge , Joni Sledge , and Kathy Sledge . They are granddaughters of the former opera singer Viola Williams. The sisters used to perform under the name of "Mrs...
, and Sister BertrilleThe Flying NunThe Flying Nun is an American sitcom produced by Screen Gems for ABC based on the 1965 book The Fifteenth Pelican, by Tere Rios, which starred Sally Field as Sister Bertrille...
. The plan goes awry, and one of the nuns is wounded. As trust between the criminals breaks down, they all draw weapons on each other (including a blowtorch and a crossbow), but suddenly they're all gunned down by film director Crispin Maraschino, who's making a movie in the next room and doesn't want to be disturbed.
- Nicky and Vallory Cox, a pair of tag-team wrestlersTag teamTag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
called the Natural Blonde Killers, blame their lot on a terrible movie made about them by Gulliver Stone. They steal a seemingly valuable briefcaseBriefcaseA briefcase is a narrow box-shaped bag or case used mainly for carrying papers and other documents and equipped with a handle. Lawyers commonly use briefcases to carry briefs to present to a court, hence the name...
from Montello and go into hiding; while on the run, Nicky accidentally leaves the briefcase in a booth at The Independent Cafe, a theme restaurantTheme restaurantTheme restaurants are restaurants in which the concept of the restaurant takes priority over everything else, influencing the architecture, food, music, and overall 'feel' of the restaurant...
whose theme is independent filmIndependent filmAn independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
s. The two of them go back to retrieve it, and find themselves in a showdown with Julius (whom they'd encountered earlier). The contents of the briefcase turn out to be an old Welcome Back, KotterWelcome Back, KotterWelcome Back, Kotter was an American television sitcom starring Gabe Kaplan and featuring a young John Travolta.It originally aired on the ABC network from September 9, 1975 to June 8, 1979.-Premise:...
lunch boxLunch boxThe lunch box, also referred to as a lunch pail or lunch kit, is used to store food to be taken to work or school. The concept of a food container has existed for a long time, but it wasn't until people began using tobacco tins to haul meals in the early 20th century, followed by the use of...
and several orange glow sticks. The Coxes both wind up shot by Julius.
- Bunny Roberts has written a violent film that Crispin Maraschino is directing, but he doesn't have a copy of the script; she sends her friend Bumpkin to deliver her last copy to Maraschino. As Bumpkin runs to the studio, he occasionally bumps into the other characters, each time dropping the script pages and having to pick them up again. When he finally gets to the studio, the script is a convoluted mess, and Maraschino loves it; the title is revealed to be Plump Fiction. Bunny, meanwhile, winds up dead in the showdown between Julius and the Coxes.
After the credits, a server at the Independent Cafe (who calls himself Priscilla, Queen of the Desserts) looks into the camera and says, "This has been one long, mixed-up, crazy, out-of-sequence kind of day!"
Cast
- Pamela AdlonPamela AdlonPamela Fionna Adlon is a Jewish-American actress, voice actress, and producer. She is sometimes credited as Pamela Segall, Pamela S. Adlon and Pamela Segall Adlon...
/Pamela Segall (Vallory Cox) - Philippe Bergeron (Jean-Claude Ennui)
- Sandra BernhardSandra BernhardSandra Bernhard is an American comedian, singer, actress and author. She first gained attention in the late 1970s with her stand-up comedy in which she often bitterly critiques celebrity culture and political figures. Bernhard is number 97 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest standups of...
(Bunny Roberts) - Julie BrownJulie BrownJulie Ann Brown is an American actress, comedienne, screen/television writer, singer-songwriter, television director. Brown is perhaps best known for her work in the 1980s, where she often played a quintessential valley girl character...
(Mimi Hungry) - Colleen CampColleen CampColleen Celeste Camp is an American actress and film producer, known for her performances in two installments of the Police Academy series and as Yvette the Maid in the 1985 black comedy Clue. She was also the first actress to play Kristin Shepard in U.S. prime time soap opera Dallas in 1979.Camp...
(Viv) - Dan CastellanetaDan CastellanetaDaniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
(Bumpkin) - Jennifer CoolidgeJennifer CoolidgeJennifer Coolidge is an American actress best known for playing "Stifler's mom," the older woman in the film American Pie ; Hilary Duff's stepmother in A Cinderella Story ; Paulette, the manicurist in Legally Blonde and its sequel; the voice of Aunt Fanny in the animated feature Robots ; for her...
(Sister Sister) - Robert CostanzoRobert CostanzoRobert Jason Costanzo is an American actor. He has an acting career spanning over thirty years and is often found playing surly New York types such as crooks or low level workers and mixes both drama and comedy roles...
(Montello Hungry) - Tommy DavidsonTommy DavidsonTommy Davidson is an American comedian, film and television actor.Born in Washington, D.C., Davidson was adopted when he was 2-years-old. He was a child of an interracial adoption, with his parents being Caucasian and he being African-American. He attended high school at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High...
(Julius) - Lezlie DeaneLezlie DeaneLezlie Deane is an American singer, musician, rollerderby athlete, and actress who has starred in film and made some television appearances...
(Jodi/The Gimp) - Lea DeLariaLea DeLariaLea DeLaria is an American comedienne, actress, and jazz musician. The "famously controversial" DeLaria was "the first openly gay comic to break the late-night talk-show barrier" with her 1993 appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show....
(Mr. Purple) - Nada Despotovich (Sister Bertrille)
- Paul DinelloPaul DinelloPaul Dinello is an American actor, comedian, writer, director, and an alumnus of Chicago-based The Second City, Improv Institute, and Annoyance Theatre...
(Jimmy Nova) - Matthew GlaveMatthew GlaveMatthew G. Glave , an American film and television actor.-Personal:Glave attended Ohio University.He is married to Anita Barone and has two daughters, Madeline and Roxanne.-Career:...
(Nicky Cox) - Kent Gregory (Diner patron; uncredited)
- Shawn Michael HowardShawn Michael HowardShawn Michael Howard is an American film, television and theater actor.Howard was born in Newark, New Jersey, the son of Olivia C. and Frank Howard, Jr. Shawn moved to Manhattan at age 19 to study acting at New York University. He began working off-Broadway while still in school, in Mac Wellman's...
(Lee) - Tim KazurinskyTim KazurinskyTimothy J. Kazurinsky is an American actor, comedian and writer best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and for his role as Carl Sweetchuck in the Police Academy films...
(Priscilla, Queen of the Desserts)
- Simbi KhaliSimbi KhaliSimbi Khali is an American actress, known for her role as Nina Campbell on the NBC sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun.Born in Jackson, Mississippi, Khali was raised in Chicago, Illinois, the youngest of seven children...
(Sister Sledge) - Bob Koherr (Grip)
- Don LaFontaineDon LaFontaineDonald Leroy "Don" LaFontaine was an American voiceover artist famous for recording more than 5,000 film trailers and hundreds of thousands of television advertisements, network promotions, and video game trailers. His nicknames included "Thunder Throat" and "The Voice of God"...
(Voice-over, at start of film) - Scott LaRoseScott LaRoseScott LaRose is an American comedian, actor and writer.He has done stand-up comedy appearances, sit-com appearances on Seinfeld and the Jamie Foxx show and film roles such as Booty Call, EDtv, and Comic Book: The Movie. He has most recently written and directed The Blair Bitch Project starring...
(Karaoke customer) - Kevin MeaneyKevin MeaneyKevin Gerard Meaney is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He has been involved in a number of television programs, having been featured on Dr. Katz, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Garfield and Friends, Rocko's Modern Life, London Underground, and Duckman, among others...
(Les) - Stephen Nemith (Convenience store clerk #1)
- Molly O'Leary (Waitress)
- Kane Picoy (Kris Walken Kringle)
- Paul ProvenzaPaul ProvenzaPaul Provenza is an actor, comedian and filmmaker, a self-professed skeptic currently based in Los Angeles.-Early years:...
(Crispin Maraschino) - Riki RachtmanRiki RachtmanRiki Rachtman is an American television and radio personality.-Rock scene:At the age of 16, Rachtman auditioned to sing in the band the Angry Samoans, and the next year he was in a band called the Fairlanes. In the late 1980s, Rachtman was lead vocalist of the L.A. Metal Act "Virgin"...
(Convenience store clerk #2) - Jennifer Rubin (Kandi Kane)
- Donna W. Scott (Convenience store patron)
- Al Septien (Cop)
- Karla Tamburrelli (Sister Ruth)
- Judy TenutaJudy TenutaJudy Tenuta is an American entertainer, actress, comedienne, author, producer and accordionist.-Early life:...
(Rhonda) - Jimmie WalkerJimmie WalkerJames Carter "Jimmie" Walker is an American actor and stand-up comedian, known for portraying J. J. Evans on the television series Good Times, which ran from 1974 to 1979...
(Stingy customer)
Subjects of parody
The following movies, people, and TV shows are parodied or satirized in this movie:- The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the DesertThe Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the DesertThe Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is a 1994 Australian comedy-drama film written and directed by Stephan Elliott. The plot is based on the journey of three drag queens who travel across the Australian Outback from Sydney to Alice Springs in a tour bus that they have named...
- Woody AllenWoody AllenWoody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
- ClerksClerksClerks is a 1994 independent comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith, who also appears in the film as Silent Bob. Starring Brian O'Halloran as Dante Hicks and Jeff Anderson as Randal Graves, it presents a day in the lives of two store clerks and their acquaintances...
- The Crying GameThe Crying GameThe Crying Game is a 1992 psychological thriller drama film written and directed by Neil Jordan. The film explores themes of race, gender, nationality, and sexuality against the backdrop of the Irish Troubles...
- Forrest GumpForrest GumpForrest Gump is a 1994 American epic comedy-drama romance film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise...
- Spike LeeSpike LeeShelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
- The MonkeesThe Monkees (TV series)The Monkees is an American situation comedy that aired on NBC from September 1966 to March 1968. The series follows the adventures of four young men trying to make a name for themselves as rock 'n roll singers. The show introduced a number of innovative new-wave film techniques to series...
- Natural Born KillersNatural Born KillersNatural Born Killers is a 1994 crime/black comedy film directed by Oliver Stone about two victims of traumatic childhoods who became lovers and psychopathic serial killers, and are irresponsibly glorified by the mass media...
- NellNell (film)Nell is a 1994 drama film starring Jodie Foster as a young woman who has to face other people for the first time after being raised by her mother in an isolated cabin. The film was directed by Michael Apted, and was based on Mark Handley's play Idioglossia. The original music score is composed by...
- Pulp FictionPulp Fiction (film)Pulp Fiction is a 1994 American crime film directed by Quentin Tarantino, who co-wrote its screenplay with Roger Avary. The film is known for its rich, eclectic dialogue, ironic mix of humor and violence, nonlinear storyline, and host of cinematic allusions and pop culture references...
- Reservoir DogsReservoir DogsReservoir Dogs is an American crime film marking debut of director and writer Quentin Tarantino. It depicts the events before and after a botched diamond heist, but not the heist itself. Reservoir Dogs stars an ensemble cast: Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, and...
- Oliver StoneOliver StoneWilliam Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
- Quentin TarantinoQuentin TarantinoQuentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
- Christopher WalkenChristopher WalkenChristopher Walken is an American stage and screen actor. He has appeared in more than 100 movies and television shows, including Joe Dirt, Annie Hall, The Deer Hunter, The Prophecy trilogy, The Dogs of War, Sleepy Hollow, Brainstorm, The Dead Zone, A View to a Kill, At Close Range, King of New...
- WaterworldWaterworldWaterworld is a 1995 post-apocalyptic science fiction film. The film was directed by Kevin Reynolds and co-written by Peter Rader and David Twohy. It is based on Rader's original 1986 screenplay and stars Kevin Costner, who also produced it. It was distributed by Universal Pictures...
- Reality BitesReality BitesReality Bites is a 1994 American romantic comedy-drama film written by Helen Childress and featuring the directorial debut of Ben Stiller. It stars Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke and Stiller, with major supporting roles played by Janeane Garofalo and Steve Zahn. The film was shot on location in Austin...
Poster
The poster for this movie is a parody of the Pulp Fiction poster:- In the Pulp poster, Mia has a lit cigarette in one hand and is resting the other on a pulp magazinePulp magazinePulp magazines , also collectively known as pulp fiction, refers to inexpensive fiction magazines published from 1896 through the 1950s. The typical pulp magazine was seven inches wide by ten inches high, half an inch thick, and 128 pages long...
; in the Plump poster, Mimi is holding a lollipopLollipopA lollipop, pop, lolly, sucker, or sticky-pop is a type of confectionery consisting mainly of hardened, flavored sucrose with corn syrup mounted on a stick and intended for sucking or licking. They are available in many flavors and shapes.- Types :Lollipops are available in a number of colors and...
in one hand and resting the other on a copy of The Joy of CookingThe Joy of CookingJoy of Cooking, often known as "The Joy of Cooking" is one of the United States' most-published cookbooks, and has been in print continuously since 1936 and with more than 18 million copies sold. It was privately published in 1931 by Irma S. Rombauer, a homemaker in St. Louis, Missouri, who was...
. - Whereas the Pulp poster says, "Winner of the Palme d'OrPalme d'OrThe Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...
, Cannes Film FestivalCannes Film FestivalThe Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
," the Plump poster says, "Winner of the Palm d'Hors Doeurve, Canned Food Festival."