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Director: Robert M. Young
Cast: Paul Simon, Blair Brown, Rip Torn, Joan Hackett, Allen Goorwitz, Mare Winningham, Lou Reed
One-Trick Pony © 1980, Package Design © 2009 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Jonah Levin knows what it’s like to sit atop the world of pop music. But chart-topping hits (as well as enduring marriages) are harder to come by – and nothing he ever knew could prepare him for the skid to the bottom. Playing Jonah, the enduringly talented Paul Simon knows the musical terrain – but scores in acting and screenwriting areas as well in this sometimes funny, always probing look at the intriguing starmaking machinery of the recording industry. Blair Brown, Rip Torn, Joan Hackett and Lou Reed also score among the movie’s performances. Among the 10 soundtrack Simon songs are Ace in the Hole, Late in the Evening, the title tune and That’s Why God Made the Movies. Offering a showcase to a master musician like Simon is another divine reason to carry this cinematic tune.
Customers most agreed on the following attributes:
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Portland, OR on 12/27/2010Comments about One Trick Pony (DVD):
Really enjoyable film for musicians and music fans, if far from perfect. It is really illuminating on what happened to the music biz and to '60s/'70s artists as that easygoing era turned into the rapacious '80s. Rip Torn is as good as always, and Lou Reed has a very funny, small role as an ultra-commercial record producer. One of the most enjoyable and realistic aspects of the film is the chemistry between Jonah and his bandmates, who were played, of course, by Simon's real-life bandmates. The great studio pianist Richard Tee is in particular very appealing. Also featured are great performances by The Lovin' Spoonful and Sam and Dave in the radio convention in the middle of the movie, and of course there is great Simon music throughout, too. Fine performances in the three female roles, too, with Joan Hackett especially good.
WHY OH WHY though, is this DVD released in FULL-FRAME 4:3 aspect ratio? The original film was certainly not! I wanted to replace my VHS copy of the film, but why bother if I'm not getting any more picture out of this DVD?
PLEASE Warners, remaster and rerelease this film in Widescreen format ASAP!!!
Comments about One Trick Pony (DVD):
Musicians and people in the Biz will get the most from this!
[5 of 6 customers found this review helpful]
from North Carolina on 4/2/2009Comments about One Trick Pony (DVD):
Although largely ignored when released into theaters, Paul Simon's attempt to not only write, but act in a movie is definitely worth the ride. His acting ebbs and flows like the tide as the movie progresses with some moments almost painful to watch and then others where he nails the nature of his character perfectly. It's almost as if he learned a bit about delivering dialogue as the shooting progressed - even though his character isn't too far from his own personality. It tells the tale of a one-hit-wonder from the 60's that is still trying to fight his way back into the national spotlight with new music. The positive aspects of the film are many and varied. Several of the tunes are magnificent pieces and lyrically relate to the film itself, the screenplay accurately depicts the way many A/R people will distort and alter an artistic vision for the sake of commercialism, and although toned down a bit, the movie does present a fairly accurate depiction of life on the road for a band of limited success.
There are some wonderfully tender moments between Simon and his "son" in the picture that many dads will relate to and a morbidly interesting scene of the band travelling between gigs and betting each other $20 over who can name the most dead rock stars. You can clearly see as you watch the film that this is an insider view of the music industry that many people never get to witness first hand and that by itself makes the movie both informative and entertaining.
While far from perfect, this movie does have something for just about everyone - a love story of sorts, a really nifty dad/son subplot, and some surprise guest stars including Lou Reed and the B52s. There is a fair amount of nudity and adult language, so I wouldn't recommend it for small children.
