This movie started off better than probably 95% of the movies out there. The extremely funny segments where this think-tank of geniuses whose only aim is to jerk around the rest of the unsuspecting public were great. I loved how they used their superior intellect just to play one cruel joke after another on the world. The movie needed more of this sort of dark humor. However, when they decided to create their ultimate prank in the form of "Simon", the movie slowed to a deadly crawl! It was only at the end, when Simon caught on to their scheme that the movie got back on track. So, basically I loved the beginning and the end and everything else was a bit ponderous. Because of this, this is one movie ACHING for a re-make to correct these flaws.

A conglomeration of ideas from older sci-fi films, especially Woody Allen's "Sleeper", are given a new spin in "Simon". A "think tank" that has been living off unlimited government grants, while coming up with nothing but nonsense, devises a plan to startle the planet. They will present the world with a "space visitor" of their making, and record humankind's reaction to the momentous event. These beginning moments of "Simon" are pure gold, clever, hilarious, and entertaining. With the "birth" of their creation a number of truly comic situations are presented. This does not last however, and the film gradually degenerates into silliness. "Simon" has a lot of great ideas that are simply not fully developed, or allowed to merely drift into "slapstick" - MERK

This is a very funny film written and directed by Marshall Brickman, who wrote Woody Allen's ANNIE HALL, MANHATTAN, and MANHATTAN MURDER MYSTERY, as well as numerous other films. He only directed four films, of which this is the first, and it shows the least directorial skill unfortunately. His second film LOVESICK (1983, see my review) was much more satisfactory as a film. SIMON should have been far more hilarious than it is, but Brickman was too inexperienced and did not plot the pace sufficiently to keep the action moving, so that it repeatedly sags with people talking for too long, and with too much space between the jokes. However, it is very good value if you are willing to go with the flow and not mind the minor faults. Austin Pendleton is the co-star, along with Alan Arkin, and Madeleine Kahn is one of the two female leads. Austin is my cousin, and I believe he and I met Maddy Kahn together for the first time at the Upstairs at the Downstairs when she was still doing live shows, long before she was ever in a movie. This film is a comic sci fi caper, where a think tank full of mad scientists interested in brainwashing techniques, which is run by Austin, choose Arkin for an experiment. They put him into an isolation tank for a very long period of sensory deprivation and persuade him that he is an alien. Much of the comedy then results from Arkin's behaviour once he comes to believe this. Wallace Shawn adds good support, as he always does. I won't spoil the ending by discussing what this all leads to, but 'a good time was had by all', as they say.