Plantman & Blondie: The Dress Up Gang’s Surreal Comedy Meets Heat

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The Dress Up Gang’s new project, Plantman & Blondie, definitely sounds like a quirky comedy about a plant-based superhero. And it is! But it’s also a surprisingly heartfelt story about loneliness, getting another chance, and the unexpected connections people make.

The movie centers on Cory, a man in his thirties who feels lost until he meets Plantman, a quirky character dedicated to protecting plants. Their unusual connection leads to a funny and touching story about finding friendship and meaning in life.

The film’s overall tone wasn’t always clear during filming. According to Kirk Fox, who plays a reformed criminal in the movie, his performance in Plantman & Blondie was actually much more dramatic than viewers might realize. He shared this with ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan at an event in Austin, Texas, last week.

Kirk Fox shared that he’s consistently played characters who are sex offenders. When offered a role, he asked the creator, Cory, whether the character was going to prison or being released. Knowing the character was being released is what convinced him to accept the part.

So, the story behind my character is that I was an Uber driver who unknowingly gave a bank robber a ride, and I ended up in jail. I didn’t want to portray a serious crime, so I presented it as a simple mistake rather than something violent like murder – that would have changed the character completely. I played the role with a lot of intensity, actually thinking we were making a serious crime thriller like ‘Heat’! I honestly didn’t realize it was a comedy until just yesterday when I watched it. I kept telling everyone it was going to be a ‘Heat’-style heist movie, and the plant in the story is central to everything.

The Dress Up Gang Explain The Concept Behind Plantman & Blondie

ScreenRant: I want someone to explain what the concept of the movie is.

Cory and my character end up teaming up, though it’s not exactly by choice. Together, we go on a week-long adventure across LA, trying to save plants and getting into a bit of trouble along the way.

Donny’s right, that’s a fair point. It all started when a bunch of us got really into plants and started experimenting with small doses of mushrooms around the same time. We were terrible at keeping plants alive, and it made us feel guilty. Donny’s character is basically a plant rescuer – he breaks into homes to save neglected plants from owners who aren’t taking good care of them.

Frankie Quiñones goes to great lengths for plants – he’ll even trespass and steal them if they need help. He breaks the law, but only to keep plants alive.

I’m really excited to see Kirk as a former convict! He’s playing a friend of Cory’s, and from what I understand, he’s the one subtly encouraging Cory to team up with Donny’s character, the Plantman. It sounds like he’s going to be a key player in getting things moving.

I try to encourage Cory to go outside and get some fresh air and sunshine. That’s my main goal. I’m always supportive and positive with him, and honestly, it feels like I’m trying to pull off a sneaky mission to get him out of the house!

ScreenRant asked me to introduce myself, describe my character, and explain how my character relates to the other people involved.

Brent Weinbach: My name is Brent, and I play this character named Brant.

Frankie Quiñones: Laser Brant.

Brent Weinbach, who’s often called Laser Brant in the film, is one of the people affected by the Plantman – his plant is stolen, and that drives him to team up with others to try and expose the Plantman. While the movie is a comedy, it’s easy to understand why he’d be upset. If someone broke into your home and stole something you cared about, like a plant, that would be really disturbing, so there’s a relatable element to his motivation.

Kirk Fox points out that if someone breaks into a house, it’s unusual for them to only steal a plant and leave more valuable items behind.

I play Frankie in the movie. I first met the creators years ago at an open mic night in San Francisco, and they eventually asked me to join their project. We started creating content, which led to a TV show in 2017, and now we’ve made a movie. In the story, my character and my parents run a nursery that’s having a hard time. We secretly care for sick plants brought to us by Plantman, nursing them back to health so they can find new homes. It’s like our little base of operations.

Cory Loykasek: And the nursery provides an emotional anchor in the movie.

Frankie Quiñones’ Parents Ended Up In The Film

It was amazing to have my actual mom and dad there. I was talking to Donny, and someone – a woman in particular – came up to me and asked who played my parents. I told her they were my real mom and dad, and she was so surprised she just walked away, like she couldn’t process it.

Cory Loykasek described a powerful moment with his mother while filming a nursery scene. She delivered an incredibly moving performance, and he was struck by her acting ability. However, Frankie pointed out that someone naturally talented at one thing doesn’t automatically become skilled at something else, playfully reminding Cory that different skills require different aptitudes.

Frankie Quiñones said his mom is really proud and now jokingly refers to herself as a working actress.

ScreenRant: Was it like this on set the entire time?

DeMorge Brown: Yes.

Frankie Quiñones: Pretty much. We were either laughing, arguing, or at each other’s throats.

ScreenRant: What do you argue about? Plant care?

Frankie Quiñones: A lot of stuff. We’ve known each other a long time.

The Dress Up Gang Started In San Francisco in 2009

ScreenRant: What is the history of the Dress Up gang?

Frankie Quiñones: Robb and Cory went to high school together.

I first encountered Frankie and Brent while doing stand-up comedy in San Francisco back in 2009.

I’ve never been so committed to one person before. We filmed one video together and decided, ‘Let’s just keep things as they are – that was a great experience!’

Donny Divanian: We just kept going.

I worked on a video with Frankie, and it went really well. We should definitely do more collaborations like that, and just keep building from there, one step at a time.

Donny Divanian: Adding everybody.

It all just fell into place, really. I’d already relocated to San Francisco when I started doing stand-up, probably a year or two later. Donny had a really unique stage presence – he’d wear headbands and tennis clothes. I remember thinking, ‘What’s this guy all about?’ And now, look at us!

After moving to Los Angeles, we all lived together in a house, and we ended up creating a TV show based on our lives there.

My Roommate, My Friend started as a web series created by Frankie Quiñones and later became a TV show on TBS. The cast all lived together, though Rob eventually moved to a place nearby.

Christian Dugay: What was so weird is they rebuilt his apartment exactly how it was.

Frankie Quiñones explained that when they started working on a TV show, they weren’t sure what to expect from the set builder. They imagined someone would come and carefully measure everything. Instead, the builder simply took a quick picture with his iPhone and said he was finished. They figured the set would be a rough approximation, but when they saw the finished product, they were amazed. It was a perfect recreation of their apartment, down to the smallest details – even the stains on the walls and the crown molding were exactly the same.

Donny Divanian mentioned they replicated everything, even furniture from his aunt’s house – they found exact copies.

Frankie Quiñones: Corey almost peed in the toilet, ’cause the restroom would look exactly the same.

On the show, my character lived in the boiler room, and it was surprisingly cozy! I actually tried to spend as much time there as possible – it was a fun experience.

ScreenRant asked, “What’s one thing you’d want people to know about the movie before they see it?”

Robb Boardman describes the film as truly special, praising the incredibly funny cast and calling them a comedy dream team. He believes it’s a very enjoyable experience and hopes audiences will feel the same.

We all genuinely enjoy working together, and we hope that when you watch our movie, you can relax and feel like you’re spending time with friends, connecting and having fun.

Be sure to dive into some of ScreenRant‘s other SXSW coverage with:

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2026-03-28 04:57