Product Details

• Actors: Paul Simon, Blair Brown, Rip Torn, Joan Hackett, Allen Garfield
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• VHS Release Date: April 15, 1992
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6300268217
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #94,164 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Paul Simon was in his mid-thirties, still a young man, when he made his acting and screenwriting debut in One Trick Pony back in 1980. But in the music biz, Jonah Levin, the semi-autobiographical character Simon portrays, is an old-timer, a relic of the '60s still trying to move beyond the one hit (a Vietnam-era protest tune called "Soft Parachutes") for which he's known. A "grown man living in a kid's world," as estranged wife Marion (Blair Brown) puts it, he and his band have been reduced to hitting the club circuit, traveling in a van, staying in $15 motels, trying to land a deal for his new songs but dismissed by clueless record company slugs as hopelessly uncommercial. So much for the story. When it comes to execution, Simon and director Robert A. Young do a decent job of it. Levin and his musicians (Simon's actual band at the time--including drummer Steve Gadd, bassist Tony Levin, guitarist Eric Gale, and keyboardist Richard Tee--all essentially playing themselves with different names) are living a fairly humdrum existence, and the film's tone is pedestrian as well; not a bad thing, really, as its low-key vibe proves quite winning in the end. Simon is no Olivier when it comes to acting, but he has a terrific supporting cast, including Brown, Rip Torn (as a smarmy label executive), Joan Hackett (as Torn's horny wife), Allen Goorwitz (excellent as a low-life promotion man), and even Lou Reed (as a producer who turns Levin's music to mush); performances by Sam and Dave, the Lovin' Spoonful, and the B-52s add some flavor as well. Most of all, there's Simon's music. Though neither his best nor best-known work, songs like "Late in the Evening," "Long, Long Day," and "Ace in the Hole" carry the film, and the band is superb. Combine that with the script's droll humor, and you've got a movie that's hardly a classic but still eminently watchable. --Sam Graham

Product Description

An aging folk singer who has passed the peak of his popularity takes one last stab at regaining his superstardom.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Paul's not a "One Trick Pony", May 17, 2001

By 

Christopher J Truffer (Sykesville, Maryland United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: One Trick Pony [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Paul Simon's venture into movie-making with "One Trick Pony" is very good. I'll qualify this review by admitting I am a very big Paul Simon fan, and I believe that it shades my rating here. If I weren't a Paul Simon fan, I might be less inclined to give it such a high rating.

The movie is based on the fictional musician Jonah Levin, a folk music singer-songwriter from the 60s, still trying to make a career of music in the early 80s. Jonah's biggest hit, the war protest "Soft Parachutes," is his one trick, and everywhere he goes, it's the only song his audience knows or wants to hear, despite his insistence in not playing it. Jonah struggles with who he is, his relationship with his wife and won, being in a band, and the music industry in general.

A lot of fans have theorized that this is Paul's "what if," what might have been had Simon and Garfunkel's "Sound of Silence" been there one hit. Certainly, there are a lot of parallels between Paul and Jonah, and it's an interesting perspective on the movie.

Plenty of good music is in this movie, too. Not only does Paul put out a great album with a great band (playing themselves in the movie), with songs like "Late in the Evening," "Jonah," and "Ace in the Hole," but there are some notable appearances by other bands in the movie (Lovin' Spoonful, B-52's, etc.) In fact, you would be remiss to get the movie and not the album.

It's a very good movie, especially if you like Paul Simon. It has some interesting thoughts on people coming of age and struggling with their careers and relationships, as well as a scathing look at the music industry, as they continually try to shape Jonah and his music into what they want. If you're a fan of Paul, this is a must-have.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not the underside of industry , but a side all the same, January 28, 2005

By 

Louis M. Mcneal "Tunesmyth" (PSL, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: One Trick Pony [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This film was really inspiring to me when it first came out, and remains that way 25 years later. Having always been a Paul Simon fan, I eagerly awaited it's release. the story is a familiar one, but retains originality through its unique perspective. The cameos are refreshing, and despite an inexperienced sreen-writer and lead actor, I found that it has been a movie that has stuck with me for over 20 years. As a struggling musician who has flirted with success, I found that it really hit home. The casual fan of Simon will not find much to like about this film, but for a fan like me it is priceless. I bought the soundtrack to it when it came out (on 8-track) and wore it out. Not having an internet to obtain a new copy, I operated on it and grafted it back together. This is one of my all-time favorite films and for the Simon-purist, this one should not be missed.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still Watching it After All These Years, July 27, 2001

By 

"smhboslee" (East Hartford, CT United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: One Trick Pony [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I saw this movie following its release in 1980, and was fascinated by its in-depth look at the music industry. The premise of the story is a good one--former "on top" band struggles to keep going while the music scene around it changes; nowhere was that more obvious than after the performance of "One Trick Pony." The B52s were cheered by the audience, while the Levin Band was largely ignored, despite its obvious talent.

Simon's portrayal of Jonah was relaxed and believable. He became Jonah, and that character's stubborn refusal to give up made the viewer want him to win at any cost.

I thought Simon's band was equally convincing as down-on-their-luck musicians living on the road. Even after 20 years, I still enjoy this movie, especially the live performances of "One Trick Pony", "Ace in the Hole" and "It's Been a Long, Long Day."