时间:2025-04-03 17:33:45 来源:网络整理编辑:熱點
Want to talk problematic crushes? No, I don't mean world-threatening MCU villains with killer charis
Want to talk problematic crushes? No, I don't mean world-threatening MCU villains with killer charisma. You can keep your dyed-in-the-leather bad boys and your rakish but wounded aristocrats. The man of my dreams is a Polka King. Specifically, I want the version of wildly charismatic con man portrayed by Jack Black in the undersung 2017 film The Polka King.
Co-written and directed by Maya Forbes,this comedy biopiccenters on Jan Lewan, Polish immigrant turned Pennsylvanian entrepreneur turned self-proclaimed Polka King turned convicted fraud. The exploits of the real Jan Lewan were first jocularly unfolded over a barstool in the documentary The Man Who Would Be Polka King,on which Forbes' film was based. The real Jan Lewan is undoubtedly a cad, a man who ensnared elderly investors into a polka Ponzi scheme with the irresistible allure of a flashy wardrobe, a dancing bear, Polish tchotchkes, and a private audience with the pope. Yes, the pope.
iRobot Roomba Combo i3+ Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum and Mop—$329.99(List Price $599.99)
Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 10.9" 64GB Wi-Fi Tablet—$169.99(List Price $219.99)
Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen With MagSafe USB-C Charging Case—$189.99(List Price $249.00)
Eero 6 Dual-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System (Router + 2 Extenders)—$149.99(List Price $199.99)
Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS, 41mm, Midnight, S/M, Sports Band)—$299.00(List Price $399.00)
It's a stranger-than-fiction story so enthralling that I recommend watching both movies. Seeing how many of the lines that Forbes and co-writer Wallace Wolodarsky plucked from the doc's eccentric interviews is fun enough to justify this DIY double-feature. But today, I'm not here to advocate for these fantastic films. I'm here to lay down my defense because I'm crushing hard on the fictional Jan Lewan.
It's a tricky task casting the debonair polka bandleader, who earned a Grammy nod and enchanted the whole of Northeastern PA. You need someone with robust charisma, a swagger as intense as it is inviting, the stage presence of a rock star but the physique of a couch potato. Part of the lure of Jan Lewan was that he felt like a superstar who was genuinely down-to-earth, even as his heads were firmly in the clouds. Simply put: Forbes needed Jack Black.
SEE ALSO:Jack Black overcomes a very real sprained ankle to serenade Conan for his final episodeAs half of the dynamic duo Tenacious D, Black has proved his rock star chops over and over, delivering outrageous songs that make any polka (or even a polka-rap) seem easily in his wheelhouse. He's translated that showman swagger onto the big screen time and again, becoming not only a beloved star of children's movies but also a swoon-worthy love interest in The Holiday. During the pandemic, he goofed about in his backyard in costumes. And where the "Imagine" video drew ire, he drew a resurgence of fans who recognized simply: Jack Black is hot.
To quote another TikTok meme/Jack Black role(specifically School of Rock): "Once I get up on stage, start doing my thing, people worship me, because I'm sexyand chubby, man."
Black brings all his bravado into the character of Jan Lewan. So, even as you witness him lying to his investors, his family, and the government agents at his door, you can't help but wish for things to work out for him. And look, his crimes were awful, pitching untold polka fans into financial disaster. But he did it for love!
SEE ALSO:Jack Black thinks Donald Trump stole Tenacious D's magicTo others, Marla (Jenny Slate) was a "Mrs. Jan Lewan," but to him, she was his queen, the mother of his prince, and “My light, the love of my life, the one and only.” In The Polka King, Jan lavishes Marla in adulation. When commanding a sprawling polka band and a rowdy crowd, he directs both to cheer for her. ("Ziggy Zaggy Ziggy Zaggy Oi Oi Oi!!!") He works tirelessly to build their empire, which includes not only the touring band but also a novelty shop filled with Polish trinkets. He defends her against her sneering mother (Jacki Weaver). He brings home the bacon and fries it up in a pan, alongside eggs and pancakes for family breakfast. (Literally.) He is tirelessly optimistic and supportive. So, when she wants to step out of his shadow and into the spotlight of a local beauty pageant, he throws all he has into promoting her rise to the podium…even if it means his downfall.
The hokey '80s training montage gets a cheeky revival as Marla (Slate) tromps in preparation for the pageant. The money laid down for dresses, travel, and accessories parade along as bouncy music blares. It's not "Eye of the Tiger" or some other traditionally inspirational jam that is her soundtrack. It is of course a love song, performed buoyantly by Jan (Black). But that's just the prelude. Jan will also rent buses (plural) to transport fans to her pageant, where they will cheer for her as if it's the opening of the Hazeltown Onion Festival. After all this support, it's not like Jan would allow for her not to win. He'd do anything for her...whatever the cost.
There will be no happy ending for these lovers, who were not— the film notes — partners in crime. Still, even as Jan's over-the-top devotion turns heads, even as their family faces scorn and he confronts criminal charges (and worse), I can't help but pine for the fantasy that throbbed so vividly that a whole community bought into it with relish (and sauerkraut).
I can't help but wish to be loved like only a Polka King can.
The Polka Kingis now streaming on Netflix.
The Man Who Would Be Polka Kingis available for rent on Youtube.
TopicsFilmNetflixStreamingTrue Crime
Olympic security asks female Iranian fan to drop protest sign2025-04-03 17:25
國足+U23國足安全回家 中國足球防疫工作堪稱完美2025-04-03 17:04
曝NBA騎士隊老板加入切爾西競標 將提供一大筆資金2025-04-03 16:41
梅西之後是拉莫斯!遭巴黎球迷狂噓 下一個是誰 ?2025-04-03 15:57
Carlos Beltran made a very interesting hair choice2025-04-03 15:54
紮心了 !越媒諷中國20年難進世界杯 還不如朝鮮2025-04-03 15:54
足協轉換男足國字號保障重點 國足將退居二線2025-04-03 15:26
斯洛文尼亞前鋒貝裏奇已入境 津門虎外援目前隻差維基2025-04-03 15:09
Slack goes down again, prompting anxiety everywhere2025-04-03 15:08
曝高拉特大概率放棄中國國籍 目前暫無歸化申請退籍2025-04-03 14:48
Cat gets stuck in the most awkward position ever2025-04-03 17:29
朗尼克:曼聯玩技術的太多了 DNA裏的東西很難改變2025-04-03 17:27
吹爆 !哈維將巴薩從第9帶到第2 同期40分隻遜皇馬2025-04-03 17:24
津媒 :津門虎上賽季工資獎金已全部發放完成2025-04-03 17:04
Chinese gymnastics team horrifies crowd with human jump rope2025-04-03 16:38
粵媒:不排除有俱樂部開賽前退出 聯賽有望在5月之前打響2025-04-03 15:57
國米單賽季對戰尤文保持不敗 用德比勝利一掃陰霾2025-04-03 15:29
持續低迷!曼聯近6場僅取1勝 多賽兩場仍居第六2025-04-03 15:19
Michael Phelps says goodbye to the pool with Olympic gold2025-04-03 14:53
武磊第13次全場替補連續20輪板凳 近5輪僅踢12分鍾2025-04-03 14:51