Sockbaby

Sockbaby

Promotional poster
Written by John Soares
Douglas TenNapel
Directed by John Soares
Douglas TenNapel
Starring John Soares
Cody Spurlock
Uriel Padilla
Douglas TenNapel
Jon Heder
Dan Heder
Doug Jones
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
Production
Producer(s) John Soares
Cinematography Justin Spurlock
Editor(s) John Soares
Running time 20 min
Production company(s) Troublemaker Studios
Ghost House Pictures
Distributor Channel 101

Sockbaby is a four-part no-budget short film originally for Channel 101, directed by Douglas TenNapel, the man best known for works such as Earthworm Jim and The Neverhood; and John Soares, who is best known for co-founding the independent film group WestHavenBrook.

The film lampoons kung-fu movies, and directly parodies pop-culture icons like Dragon Ball Z. All of the martial arts were done by the actors themselves, and were directed by Soares.

In addition to the numerous martial arts sequences, the film also features a cartoon sequence in part two and a partial CGI sequence in part three.

The film centers on a character named Ronnie Cordova, a funky martial artist and (possibly) 1970s-style detective in a slick leisure suit, played by Soares. The plot mostly involves his quest to get a bite to eat that's thwarted consistently as he must protect a Sockbaby from an evil group of Greys ("demonic men in suits," to quote the official site).

Part 1

Episode 1

As Ronnie, Burger and the Sockbaby leave their house to go someplace to food up, they are confronted by Davis the Grey, who wants to take Sockbaby to Lord Opticord, leader of the Greys. Davis informs Ronnie that this Sockbaby is "the Sockbaby Jesus, Sock-savior to the Sock-people". While Burger escapes with the Sockbaby, Davis and Ronnie fight each other, with Davis running off as he is defeated, and notified that, in the opinion of Ronnie Cordova, he and his brethren are "gay".

At its Channel 101 screening on Sunday, January 25, 2004, it received an audience share of 45.5% and was 5th top voted show with 129 votes.

Episode 2

While Ronnie and Burger try to get their car started - Ronnie left the radio running, thus draining the battery - Lord Opticord dispatches more Greys to kill Ronnie and retrieve Sockbaby, including the ultra-powerful and poorly wardrobed club-wielding, two ton Chum-Chum. Ronnie once again manages to fight off a majority of the Greys, this time using even more spectacular fighting moves than before (utilizing a plasma pill), but he is eventually knocked down by the Chum-Chum.

At its Channel 101 screening on Monday, March 1, 2004, it received an Audience share of 39.7% and was 7th top voted show with 105 votes, leading to its cancellation.

Episode 3

Burger dispatches an odd-looking creature to kill Chum-Chum, and Ronnie rises again to defeat the remaining Greys, excluding Davis. Directly afterward he steps in a pile of dog feces, which he wipes from his shoe with a sock, tossing the sock on the ground. He then kills Davis for good, but discovers that Davis has killed Burger. Lord Opticord then confronts Ronnie directly. Opticord and Ronnie fight each other, during which Ronnie's funky disco medallion ties itself around both Ronnie's and Opticord's necks, putting both of them in an electric choke hold. While they are being choked, Opticord reveals to Ronnie what Opticord thought was the Sockbaby in his possession, but is actually Ronnie's discarded sock. Both Ronnie and Opticord then fall to the ground, dead. A shark robot then arrives, resurrecting Ronnie and leaving with the Sockbaby. Ronnie then finds that Burger has been revived as well, and together they leave to find some food.

Part 2

Episode 4

Sockb4by is an 11 minute short, featuring Jon Heder, Dan Heder, and Doug Jones as a new set of villains. A high-definition version was released on the Sockbaby website on July 25, 2008.

The film begins with Ronnie being attacked at his backyard pool by divers in scuba gear. He defeats a number, and is then attacked by the divers' leaders (Jon Heder and Dan Heder) named "Manatu" (Probably based on the fact that one of them splits off from the other), who drag him into the pool. The divers say they killed Ronnie's master; Ronnie replies it was only his master's clone. Manatu's nearly drown Ronnie, at which point he is saved by Doug Jones (played by himself).

Doug Jones explains that he is Ronnie's father, whereupon Burger appears and claims that this cannot be true, as he says Ronnie's father is black. Ronnie says that the situation is a lot to process, and asks Burger to let him deal with it.

Burger heads to a laboratory to perform a DNA comparison, while Ronnie and Doug stay at the pool to catch up. Doug poisons Ronnie as Burger discovers that the DNA does not match. Ronnie asks Doug why he would do this, and it is explained that Ronnie's father killed Doug's son Guillermo. Doug throws Ronnie into the pool and an animated sequence showing Ronnie's anthropomorphized lungs drowning is shown.

Burger arrives at the pool and defeats Doug, who asks his Guillermo for forgiveness as he dies. Burger performs CPR on Ronnie, who hallucinates that he is in heaven, and sees his mother before being resuscitated. Ronnie awakes and asks Burger whether they are gay for having engaged in CPR. He then laughs pulls a chewing gum out of his mouth and puts it in Burger's.

As The End screen is displayed, followed by a scene wherein Ronnie's father, Master Cordova (who turns out to be black), is approached by an agent who says they have found his son. The Master says "Hello, Ronnie," and the credits roll.

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