Simon (1980)

What happens when a bunch of geniuses come together? According to this film, a whole lot of trouble.

At the Institute for Advanced Concepts, the geniuses are a bit bored, so they come up with a plan to con the whole world into believing that an alien landed

on Earth years ago, and has been living as a human for years. Enter Alan Arkin as Simon, a college professor, whom they invite to join the Institute. Simon

at first has a difficult time believing that he belongs, but with the help of a little ego stroking, he decides that he is the forward-thinker that the others tell him.

Unfortunately for him, that's all part of the con. While in a sensory-deprivation tank (for an impossibly long time), Simon is brain-washed into believing that

he is an alien. Their first task done, the ne'er do wells share their "discovery" with the rest of the world...

I remember seeing this movie for the first time in the mid-nineties. One of the cable networks was airing the film constantly (probably FX or Comedy Central),

and I missed the first part, so I was surprised and disappointed that Simon wasn't actually an alien. I bought (and later lost) a copy of the movie, but even as a teen,

I thought that it was a neat little movie. There are a lot of familiar faces (as in, "Hey, it's that guy!"), and for the most part, it's funny without being too goofy.

Simon

Where Can I Find It?

Oh, how I wish that this was on DVD, but it's not. Warner Bros did actually re-release the VHS in 1990, so I suppose that's a good sign, but I haven't heard

anything. Until then, you know the places to go: Amazon & Ebay for used copies.