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The Polka King

  • 20172017
  • TV-14TV-14
  • 1h 35m
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
10K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Jason Schwartzman, Jack Black, and Jenny Slate in The Polka King (2017)
Local Pennsylvania polka legend Jan Lewan develops a plan to get rich, but sometimes with big plans come big mistakes.
Play trailer2:17
1 Video
63 Photos
  • Biography
  • Comedy
  • Drama
Local Pennsylvania polka legend Jan Lewan develops a plan to get rich that shocks his fans and lands him in jail.Local Pennsylvania polka legend Jan Lewan develops a plan to get rich that shocks his fans and lands him in jail.Local Pennsylvania polka legend Jan Lewan develops a plan to get rich that shocks his fans and lands him in jail.
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
10K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Maya Forbes
  • Writers
    • Maya Forbes
    • Wallace Wolodarsky
  • Stars
    • Jack Black
    • Jenny Slate
    • Jason Schwartzman
Top credits
  • Director
    • Maya Forbes
  • Writers
    • Maya Forbes
    • Wallace Wolodarsky
  • Stars
    • Jack Black
    • Jenny Slate
    • Jason Schwartzman
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 50User reviews
    • 42Critic reviews
    • 65Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:17
    Official Trailer

    Photos63

    Marilyn Busch and Randy Tow in The Polka King (2017)
    Jason Schwartzman, Jack Black, and Jenny Slate in The Polka King (2017)
    Jason Schwartzman and Jack Black in The Polka King (2017)
    Jack Black in The Polka King (2017)
    Jacki Weaver and Jenny Slate in The Polka King (2017)
    Michael Lerman and Jenny Slate at an event for The Polka King (2017)
    Jack Black at an event for The Polka King (2017)
    Jack Black, Jacki Weaver, and Jenny Slate at an event for The Polka King (2017)
    Jack Black at an event for The Polka King (2017)
    Jack Black and Michael Lerman at an event for The Polka King (2017)
    Andi Poland in The Polka King (2017)
    The Polka King (2017)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Jack Black
    Jack Black
    • Jan Lewanas Jan Lewan
    Jenny Slate
    Jenny Slate
    • Marla Lewanas Marla Lewan
    Jason Schwartzman
    Jason Schwartzman
    • Mickey Pizzazzas Mickey Pizzazz
    Jacki Weaver
    Jacki Weaver
    • Barbas Barb
    J.B. Smoove
    J.B. Smoove
    • Ron Edwardsas Ron Edwards
    • (as JB Smoove)
    Robert Capron
    Robert Capron
    • David Lewanas David Lewan
    Willie Garson
    Willie Garson
    • Lonnyas Lonny
    Vanessa Bayer
    Vanessa Bayer
    • Bitsy Bearas Bitsy Bear
    Robert Macaux
    • Christopheras Christopher
    Mary Klug
    • Anita Krzyewskias Anita Krzyewski
    Wallace Wolodarsky
    Wallace Wolodarsky
    • Vinceas Vince
    • (as Wally Wolodarsky)
    Lew Schneider
    Lew Schneider
    • Lou Laroueas Lou Laroue
    Phyllis Kay
    Phyllis Kay
    • Marilynas Marilyn
    Richard Donelly
    • Stan Moetekas Stan Moetek
    Kati Salowsky
    Kati Salowsky
    • Connie Klopskias Connie Klopski
    Jordan Lloyd
    • Debra Johnsonas Debra Johnson
    Rachel Annette Helson
    Rachel Annette Helson
    • Beauty Pageant Judgeas Beauty Pageant Judge
    Anthony Estrella
    • Presenteras Presenter
    • Director
      • Maya Forbes
    • Writers
      • Maya Forbes
      • Wallace Wolodarsky
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The original Jan Lewan Orchestra members; Steve Saive Trumpet, Bob Lugiano Trumpet, Scott Shirk Saxophone, and Stephen Kaminski Saxophone, recorded the movie soundtrack at Avatar studios along with Jan Lewan who was coaching Jack Black on his vocals.
    • Goofs
      Although the minor detail was caught to use the proper blue & yellow Pennsylvania license plates prior to the year 2000 and then update them to the current form upon Lewan's release from prison, vehicles are shown having front plates. Pennsylvania does not issue front license plates.
    • Quotes

      Title Card: This really happened.

      Title Card: In Pennsylvania.

    • Crazy credits
      You can see and hear the real Jan Lewan and his band perform.
    • Connections
      Referenced in Flix Forum: The Polka King (2019)
    • Soundtracks
      Ole Ole Ole 12 Inch
      Written by Mike Stock, Jeanine Dee, Roland Verlooven, Matt Aitken (as Matthew James Aitken) and Pete Waterman

      Performed by Jack Black

    User reviews50

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    An Absurd And Fascinating Story
    I've always enjoyed watching films with Jack Black as the leading man, but his career has been pretty hit or miss in terms of good and bad content. Recently with Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, he's been having a solid year, but I've been waiting for his classic performances to return. Not since films like High Fidelity, Shallow Hal, or School of Rock have I truly found myself loving him. That being said, I loved how he was committed to his role in the recent rendition of Jumanji and The Polka King only continues his recent devotion to acting. This is a film that completely came under the radar for me, but it's a pretty solid surprise. Now streaming on Netflix everywhere, here's why I think you should check out The Polka King.

    Exploring the craziness that ensued when one man wanted to create a so-called "Empire," The Polka King follows Jan Lewan as he does his best to find investors for his company, in order to tour the world, making tons of money. The only issues are that his touring hardly have him breaking even, while his investors continue to invest money, having him owing millions of dollars and spiraling out of control. More than anything, this was simply a fascinating watch, especially when having the knowledge that it's a true story. Polka itself isn't very interesting to me in terms of art mediums, but there was something about this film that hooked me from beginning to end.

    From humor to drama, The Polka King has it all. When Lewan is down on his luck, he enjoys finding the best in every situation and that makes for quite a few hilarious scenarios and I found myself audibly laughing on multiple occasions here. Jack Black, as I mentioned already, is a fantastic talent in term of comedy and he doesn't disappoint here. Jenny Slate as Lewan's wife is terrific as well and they share a strange chemistry that I was sort of surprised by. On top of these two great performances, I found myself loving Jason Schwartzman's contribution to this film as well, and I haven't really been blown away by any of his work in the past, so that's saying something from me.

    I may be slightly biased when giving my recommendation here because I'm the type of person who loves the meshing of multiple genres. When Comedies and Dramas are mixed together to make films like off-beat movies like 50/50 or Safety Not Guaranteed (just to name a couple), I feel that it's more relatable. Not everything in the world is dour and depressing and not everything is cheerful, so a nice blend of the two is always what draws me in more. The Polka King does a great job at making you laugh, but you also feel terrible for this guy, who steals everyone's money, but his heart's always in the right place.

    In the end, this is one of the better films to be released on Netflix in a while and I recommend it to those who're looking for a quick watch. At a breezy 90 minutes, this movie gives you comedy, drama, life lessons, and hope. There's not much more you could ask for from a movie like this. The one downside is that you can sort of predict where the film's going, even if you're unaware of the true story. It's the type of movie that's very solid and worth a watch, but won't ever be up for awards or even remembered for that matter. That's a shame because it's a nice little comedy that I believe deserves some attention.
    helpful•33
    9
    • kjproulx
    • Jan 13, 2018

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 12, 2018 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Vua Lừa Đảo
    • Filming locations
      • Rhode Island, USA
    • Production companies
      • ShivHans Pictures
      • Electric Dynamite
      • Permut Presentations
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 35 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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