Customer Reviews

One Trick Pony [VHS]

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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."

Both the movie and the accompanying album are sadly underrated. The film is a fascinating study of a painful subject. It's not great and inspiring as a story. It's largely watching someone's downfall. To be honest, take out the humour, and this and Spinal Tap are VERY closely related. It's the story of a somewhat outdated, and less-successful-than-he-used-to-be musician and deals with his professional and personal trials at this point in his career (the fictional character's). This film deals with life on the road, the struggle for artistry versus the need for commercial success, and the personal hardships of someone who chooses the life of a musician. Looking at this and VH-1's Bands On The Run show (I like that too) does a lot to take the glamour out of being a rock musician. It's not the most upbeat of movies, but basically shows you the other side of A Hard Day's Night! Fascinating as a character study and a look at the music industry. Might not be an owner for everyone, but I'd love to see it out on DVD with commentary and extras myself.

A fogotten classic. I saw this movie as a 16 year old, and loved it immediately. My copy of the soundtrack was worn out during my college years. It really gave me a good view of the life of the replaced artist, someone not at the top of their game anymore, but stil knowing they can contribute. Some great lines, including the dead rock stars game, Jonah with the groupie, and others. Don't forget this is also the last filmed performance of the Lovin' Spoonful. Also, Douglas Adams put the soundtrack as a "thank you" in one of the Hitchhiker books, saying it played constantly in his house while writing his books.

I'm sorry to say if you're not a professional musician there are aspects of this movie that will fly past you. Those other reviewers who 'got' the movie, whether being a musician or just an observer of how detritus gets peddled for art on a daily basis, are to be commended for recognizing the subtleties in this movie. One aspect of genius in this movie is recruiting REAL musicians to portray the characters they represent. Maybe some of those who found it boring would have preferred some hotel room trashing rather than a depiction of professionalism. Anyone with a job that involves travel knows about the strain that time away from your family can create. Add to that, being part of an industry that most people don't regard as a legitimate job. Also the politics of being subjected to the opinions of superiors (and their influences) who haven't the slightest idea of what you're trying to accomplish. Hooks are for people with minimal imagination! There's a lot to appreciate in this movie if you know where to look.

This film has not recieved alot of recognition,and understandably so.It is not a remarkable film,but it does express well the determination of a man who refuses to allow his dream of playing music for people die.It is a tad bit self absorbed(the main character,played by Simon,is based not so loosely on himself),but nonetheless is pretty well written.The storyline is good,but not mindblowing.The acting is fair(Simon is better with comedy than drama,and the majority of the cast have "day jobs" as musicians).Why did I give it four stars?Mainly because of the music.The band is one of Simons best lineups ever,and he himself displays remarkable showmanship when he is onstage.If you are not particularly a Paul Simon fan,but are intrigued with music in general,I would suggest this film.If you are a Paul Simon fan but are not particularly a fan of the music business,watch it for the great music scenes and ignore its storyline.If you are a Paul Simon fan,and you love stories about the music business(and you havent seen this film yet)I strongly suggest this for the top of your list.However,if you are a movie buff,but do not fit any of the catagories above,forget it.This film will be mediocre to you.

Okay, the screenplay and the acting are not top notch, but think of it as a quite genuine and entertaining look of the end of the 70s. Also there are a few really cool cameos. LOU REED as a faggoty record producer trying to change up Paul's style and STEVE GADD, one of the most insanely talented, infamously drug addled drummers with some speaking lines. I really loved it.

Sure, I can see why this movie flopped commercially. Paul failed to demonstrate as an appealing actor, which nobody ever hoped he would be. I felt high with music scenes and low with non-music scenes. But I still thoroughly enjoyed seeing Paul performing with Big Apple's top jazz musicians. Most of the songs he contributed for the movie were also fitting to the respective scene. This video, nonetheless, is recommended only to devoted fans of Paul Simon and STUFF, which I was.

I agree that this film is seriously underrated. In my opinion, the story and the soundtrack have not dated, and it is a film that I find I still want to come back to every few years. My tired old video copy of this film is the only thing keeping me from getting rid of my video player - everything else in my collection has already been re-purchased in DVD format! To the powers that be: please release a DVD version pronto! Then I can give my video copy to someone else, and even create a new "One Trick Pony" fan in the process.