UHF

Rating:
Summary: Awesome!
Review: A better ratio of belly laughs to groans than any Hollywood comedy I've seen in the last decade, with the exception, perhaps, of "Galaxy Quest". A "Must Have" movie!

Rating:
Summary: A Cult Movie That's Surprisingly Funny!
Review: When I first watched this movie, I laughed [alot], thinking it was just some unknown 80's film. Well, it was, but this movie has achieved an appropriate cult following since it's original failure. Parts of this movie are laugh-out-loud hilarious (Raul's Wild Animal Kingdom) and some of the characters are just funny in themselves (Michael Richard's character). Plenty of clips of fake commercials and shows as well as parodies of popular movies make up the funniest parts of this film. Some of the humor is ridiculously stupid and screwball, but all comedy fans will really enjoy this movie. It's also interesting to see how some of these stars were like before they got really big. Weird Al fan or not, rent it and you'll enjoy it.

Score: 8/10

Rating:
Summary: OK?? What's the point?
Review: ~80's music and movies always scare me but this movie has a SMALL exception. This movie is about when George Newman, a teenager with no job, ("Weird Al" Yankovic) gets permission from his uncle Harvey (Stanley Brock) to run a television station with his friend Bob (David Bowe), the really weird janitor Stanley Spadowski (Michael Richards), the television reporter wannabe Pamela Finkelstein (Fran Drescher), and a laboratory scientist from another planet named Phllo (Anthony Geary) while trying to avoid another television company owner (Kevin McCarthy) from taking over his company U-62, and turning it in to a parking lot . This movie is what I like to call a "slapstick movie" which is a move with nothing but mere jokes and gags. Many of the zany programs on the station that George runs are called "Wheel of Fish" (A cross between "Lets Make a Deal" and "Wheel of Fortune"), Raul's Wild Kingdom", "Stanley Spadowski's Clubhouse", "Fun with Dirt", "Ghandi II" and "Strip Solitare". A lot of these things just don't make sense! This movie is rated PG-13 and has Language, Adult Content, and Rude Remarks. It's kind of weird but kind of funny in an odd kind of way. Raul's Wild Kingdom was hillarious when Raul (Cliff Stephens) shakes up an ant farm and says "OHHH! They're really mad now!" and when he throws a poodle out of a three-story window because he thinks he can teach it to fly. Ghandi II was also quite funny along with "Conan the Librarian" and "Spatula City". This movie is overall in my opinion, ALRIGHT but next time MGM/UA makes a movie, don't put Weird Al in it!~

Rating:
Summary: We got it all on UHF
Review: Boy was that true. This movie's plot consist of joke after joke and somehow trough all the insanity and hysterical skits, thay all seem to tie in together. The plot is simple, a looser is given a t.v. studio by his rich uncle, and he makes it successful, this angers a competing station and they try to take away the station from Al, so now they must fight for there studio! This is easily the funniest movie I've ever seen, although it may be a bit off the wall for some jerks, I mean people.

Rating:
Summary: The Ultimate Novelty Movie
Review: For anyone who's ever been a fan of Dr. Demento, read Douglas Adams, watched Ron Pompeil infomercials for fun, or ever tried to stick a turtle to a ceiling with saliva -- this is the movie for you. Few movies come close to the sheer comedic genius of UHF. Plus -- bonuses for fans who haven't seen the movie since the '80s, especially with the stars. The DVD has some great background on Al and the movie, and great Easter eggs.

Rating:
Summary: I couldn't help but like it, and I'm ashamed.
Review: It's not the best movie in the world. Though I gave it 3 stars, it's sure to be a 5-star movie at your son's next sleepover. It's 13-year-old humor. It's nerdy high school humor. It's geeky adult humor, and that's me.

I couldn't help but like it. I don't recommend it to my friends, and yet I slip it in the DVD player when I'm home alone.

Weird Al is a smart guy with a silly sense of humor. If I weren't so afraid of how others might judge me, I'd probably give it 3 3/4 stars.

See? I'm still too goofy to rate it 4.

What the hell? It was funny . . . in a cult film sort of way.

(Looks over shoulder to see if anyone's listening.)

Rating:
Summary: More than just a movie in DVD format
Review: Naturally I enjoy the movie UHF, but I specifically bought the DVD for the bonus features. I was pleasantly surprised to find that some effort was made to make those features worth the choice in DVD over VHS.

The menus are not static, as they feature the antics of Wierd Al as he walks around, manipulates the menu options with a wave of his hands, and nods at the viewer in approval.

The DVD commentary was perhaps one of the best I've listened to in a DVD movie. Wierd Al and directory Jay Levey deliver the bulk of the commentary (Wierd Al does most of the talking), with short visits from other cast members. Michael Richards shows up for a few moments, excuses himself to go to the bathroom, and returns later for a second stint. Wierd Al appears to call Victoria Jackson over the phone for her input while she's preparing dinner. Typical Wierd Al.

It is clear that some effort was made to prepare for the commentary in UHF. Not content to be simply a voice-over, the commentary is produced such that Wierd Al can visibly stand up and walk off-screen for a donut while the movie is playing. Wierd Al mentions several interesting behind-the-scenes tidbits typical to DVD commentaries, but he also mentions other bits of information which were clearly compiled and scripted for him beforehand. This keeps the commentary moving, providing the viewer with the maximum amount of information. He also exhibits an anal attention to detail in that he's able to mention the exact address of the location on which each scene was shot.

Wierd Al apologizes for the poor quality of the deleted scenes on this DVD, as they were taken from a videotape he kept in his closet for the past 13 years, but he makes up for it by personally introducing each deleted scene. This is another attention to detail that I think is rare in DVD releases of older movies.

All in all, the DVD edition of UHF is definitely worth the money.

Rating:
Summary: UHF has it all! It has it all! On DVD! It has it all on DVD
Review: The extras on this DVD as sensational. If you don't do anything and just watch the menu you'll be entertained by "Weird Al's" antics. Deleted scenes found on the flip side aren't that great movie quality wise and you can see why they weren't included buy hey, we all wanted to see them. You will see some interesting characters that never made the final version.

Behind the scenes footage is pretty funny and interesting at the same time. You learn that Victoria Jackson who played Terri jumped at the chance to be Al's girlfriend as she had always wanted to play her after hearing Al's classic love song One More Minute. You also learn that Orion thought this would be the film to save them. They were wrong.

There is commentary you can turn on for the entire movie by "Weird Al", Victoria Jackson, Michael Richards and Jay Levi. You'll learn all about how they shot the movie, what other things every actor in the movie has appeared in. Al talks about how lots of fans claim the David Bowie was in his movie in their reviews and facts like the actor who played Raul (teaching poodle's how to fly) was killed by a drunk driver during filming and was supposed to have more scenes.

Posters is a heap of still shots of the various cover designs and posters that UHF had in different countries such as here in Australia where it was called The Videot from UHF. The differences between cover designs for each country is quite fascinating.

There are a lot of still shots from the movie or of the actors in the costumes which is worth a look.

Music Video is the UHF song video which has images of Al dressed up as various 80's rock stars together with scenes from the film. Some of those portrayed are Guns N Roses, Wham, ZZ top and Robert Palmer. I never even knew this was released as a single and was expecting music video to be Money For Nothing from the movie and was pleasantly surprised.

You can see two trailers for the UHF movie a short one and a longer one. They're pretty interesting as you probably never saw them or remember them. It's great to see how the picture was marketed by Orion in those days.

You can also watch the movie with English, French and Spanish subtitles so that you know when you get older and can't hear as well you'll still be able to enjoy this masterpiece. Also great if learning another language and want to know how to say stuff like, "So Stupid!" "Twinkie Weiner Hotdogs!" and "My Mop!" in French or Spanish.
You never know when you'll need these when travelling.

UHF is the original and still probably the best parody movie of all time. Although already hugely successful in the music industry with parodies such as Fat, Eat It and Like a Surgeon this 1989 classic was "Weird Al" Yankovic's first venture into the world of motion pictures.

UHF thrilled audiences in 1989 as we all sat glued to the screens watching Indian Jones decide that estimating the weight of an oscar with that of sand from the bag in his hand was too hard and eventually being flattened by the huge round boulder as the opening credits rolled. UHF followed the story of a nerdy young man named George Newman ("Weird Al" Yankovic) with too much imagination for everyday mundane jobs who is given the job of running his uncle Marty's local fledgling UHF station that he'd won in a hand of poker. With the help of his friends (David Bowe), (Fran Drescher from The Nanny), the janitor Stanley Spadowski (Seinfield's Michael Richards) and a few other friends George Newman redevelops the station's shows and takes the struggling UHF station to the top of the television world, even out rating the big free to air networks.

With movies such as Conan the Librarian and Ghandi II No More Passive Resistance channel 62 tops the ratings. TV shows such as Towntalk an early version of Jerry Springer where guests such as the Ku Klux Klan chat with lesbian nuns from outerspace, Wheel of Fish, Raul's Wild Kingdom (see Poodles learning to fly) and Stanley Spadowski's clubhouse the UHF station was destined to become the target of the evil R.J. Fletcher and his major television network. A battle erupts between the two stations and with R. J Fletcher set on turning channel 62 into a parking lot there can only be one winner.

This sensational movie has stood the test of time. Just watching for a glimpse of all the famous sitcom actors 15 years younger is worth the price tag alone.

Rating:
Summary: Funnier than most people look naked
Review: Will you like this movie? Depends. Here's a scene from the film. If you laugh, you'll like the whole movie. (Personally I REALLY like this kind of stuff. It's dumb and hilarious.):

Near the beginning, Al Yankovic has a dream where he's Indiana Yankovic, and he takes the idol from the altar, after which, like Indian Jones in "Raiders," he's chased by a giant rolling rock.

The rock chases him down the hallway, out of the studio, and into the street in downtown Hollywood. When Al turns a corner to evade the bolder, the bolder turns the corner too, and continues after him.

I laugh every time I see this. (I also laugh uncontrollably every time I see the WB cartoon "Duck Amuck," which has a similar chaos quotient.) If you like slapstick humor like this, then it's worth seeing.

It's also worth seeing for the performance of a pre-Kramer Michael Richards, whose simpleton-janitor-turned-simpleton-kids-show-host character sort of looks like Kramer with a few less IQ points. If that's possible.

Victoria Jackson acts like she can't wait to get to the bank and cash her paycheck, but thankfully she's not in the movie much.

This one's about show parodies, folks, as Al's records are mostly about song parodies. Get it and laugh. It's cheap and funny. Cheap laughs! Hey, I made a funny!

The DVD contains a section where Al introduces the scenes that were cut. And I have to agree with him as to why they were cut....

Rating:
Summary: Still Watching it
Review: One of the best comedies i have ever seen. I still introduce this movie to my friends and will never stop. To see Michael Richard in one of his first movies is hysterical and with Weird Al' it is even better. The best slapstick of all time and I can't get enough of the daydreams.

A must see!!!