The Polka King
Release date: 2017-01-22
Votes: 307
Genres: Comedy
Local Pennsylvania polka legend Jan Lewan develops a plan to get rich that shocks his fans and lands him in jail.
Reviews
furious_iz
Something's missing from this one, or maybe it's couple of things. Jack Black plays goofy loveable Polka King of Pennsylvania Jan Lewan. He is completely certain of his own talent and has an immense drive to make it big. Sadly he isn't that smart, and not enough people love his music, only a group of dedicated elderly fans, so in a desperate act out of what seems like altruism he starts what is essentially a ponzi scheme to help get his musicians paid more and build his empire. Jack Black is solid, so if you like his schtick or Polka music you may enjoy this, but outside of that it seems like the actors think this film is a comedy when nothing really funny is said or done. The film ambles along, recreating the events, but it misses any kind of heart or soul that would have been found in the real people. The biggest disappointment was Jason Schwartzman, the usually solid comedy actor was completely coasting. And what a total waste of JB Smoove. Jenny Slate seemed the most committed to her role outside of Jack Black, but even she couldn't hold this film together. All in all the film reminded me of another Jack Black film based on true events called Bernie, but Bernie was superior in every way.
Movie Recommendation
Call Me Mrs. Miracle2010-11-27Mrs Merkle (or Mrs. Miracle as she is know by some) finds herself in a toy department of a department store that is having all kinds of financial problems, but leave it to this kind lady as she will get the Christmas spirit flowing very freely at this store.More...
Milada2017-11-02Pre-WWII Czech democratic politician Milada Horáková was one of the first victims of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia. Opposing the 1948 coup but not leaving the country, she was arrested and tried for treason on fabricated charges in a show trial broadcast on the radio.More...
Couple Therapy for Cheaters2017-10-26Reckless and in love, Viviana and Modesto are bound by an uncontrollable passion. Their secret relationship ends up in front of an incredulous therapist, who'll anyway help them understanding their feelings and dealing with their desire to follow the true love.More...
The Most Dangerous Game1932-09-16When legendary hunter Bob Rainsford is shipwrecked on the perilous reefs surrounding a mysterious island, he finds himself the guest of the reclusive and eccentric Count Zaroff. While he is very gracious at first, Zaroff eventually forces Rainsford and two other shipwreck survivors, brother and sister Eve and Martin Towbridge, to participate in a sadistic game of cat and mouse in which they are the prey and he is the hunter.More...
Don't Kill It2016-08-27Demon hunter Jebediah Huntley teams up with an FBI agent to battle a supernatural force in the southern state of Mississippi.More...
Acts of Violence2018-01-12When his fiancee is kidnapped by human traffickers, Roman and his ex-military brothers set out to track her down and save her before it is too late. Along the way, Roman teams up with Avery, a cop investigating human trafficking and fighting the corrupt bureaucracy that has harmful intentions.More...
The Ramen Girl2008-02-08An American woman is stranded in Tokyo after breaking up with her boyfriend. Searching for direction in life, she trains to be a ramen chef under a tyrannical Japanese master.More...
Monsieur Hulot's Holiday1953-02-25Monsieur Hulot, Jacques Tati’s endearing clown, takes a holiday at a seaside resort, where his presence provokes one catastrophe after another. Tati’s masterpiece of gentle slapstick is a series of effortlessly well-choreographed sight gags involving dogs, boats, and firecrackers; it was the first entry in the Hulot series and the film that launched its maker to international stardom.More...
Thinner1996-10-25An obese lawyer finds himself growing "Thinner" when an old Romani man places a hex on him. Now the lawyer must call upon his friends in organized crime to help him persuade the old man to lift the curse. Time is running out for the desperate lawyer as he draws closer to his own death, and grows ever thinner.More...
Third Person2014-06-20An acclaimed novelist struggles to write an analysis of love in one of three stories, each set in a different city, that detail the beginning, middle and end of a relationship.More...
Special Correspondents2016-04-22A radio journalist and his technician get in over their heads when they hatch a scheme to fake their own kidnapping during a rebel uprising in South America and hide out in New York instead.More...
Transformers: Beginnings2007-10-16On their home planet of Cybertron, the Autobots and Decepticons are involved in an explosive battle over the coveted AllSpark. With the fate of the universe at stake, the Autobots send it far from the reaches of the ruthless Megatron, leader of the Decepticons. But there are even more surprises in store when it crash-lands on Earth.More...
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story2007-12-21Following a childhood tragedy, Dewey Cox follows a long and winding road to music stardom. Dewey perseveres through changing musical styles, an addiction to nearly every drug known and bouts of uncontrollable rage.More...
The Exception2017-06-02Nothing is as it seems in this riveting World War 2 thriller as a wary soldier goes to investigate a mysterious German monarch at his secluded mansion, leading him into a web of deceit and a dangerous love affair with a local Jewish woman.More...
Pee-wee's Big Adventure1985-07-26The eccentric and childish Pee-wee Herman embarks on a big adventure when his beloved bicycle is stolen. Armed with information from a fortune-teller and a relentless obsession with his prized possession, Pee-wee encounters a host of odd characters and bizarre situations as he treks across the country to recover his bike.More...
The Leisure Seeker2018-01-03A runaway couple go on an unforgettable journey from Boston to Key West, recapturing their passion for life and their love for each other on a road trip that provides revelation and surprise right up to the very end.More...
Interstate 602002-04-13An aspiring painter meets various characters and learns valuable lessons while traveling across America.More...
The Good Shepherd2006-12-11Edward Wilson, the only witness to his father's suicide and member of the Skull and Bones Society while a student at Yale, is a morally upright young man who values honor and discretion, qualities that help him to be recruited for a career in the newly founded OSS. His dedication to his work does not come without a price though, leading him to sacrifice his ideals and eventually his family.More...
Repulsion1965-06-01Beautiful young manicurist Carole suffers from androphobia (the pathological fear of interaction with men). When her sister and roommate, Helen, leaves their London flat to go on an Italian holiday with her married boyfriend, Carole withdraws into her apartment. She begins to experience frightful hallucinations, her fear gradually mutating into madness.More...
Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot2018-04-04On the rocky path to sobriety after a life-changing accident, John Callahan discovers the healing power of art, willing his injured hands into drawing hilarious, often controversial cartoons, which bring him a new lease on life.More...