UHF

Rating:
Summary: We got it all on UHF!
Review: Weird Al Yankovic describes and sings about so many wacky, bizarre scenarios in his songs and videos, that one might think, "what would he be like in a feature film?" UHF answers that question, and despite this being his only starring role, Yankovic acquits himself pretty well in this quirky cult film from the 80's.

"Nobody here appreciates someone with a good imagination," says Yankovic's character
George Newman, a Walter Mitty-type daydreamer who keeps failing at job after job, much to the frustration of his girlfriend Teri. So when his Uncle Harvey decides to give him a chance to be the new station manager of the UHF station, Channel 62, George jumps at the chance by putting more live shows. After all, with his pop culture daydreams, he'd be a shoo-in, right? As he tells his skeptical friend Bob, "It's just like working in a fish-market. Except you don't have to clean and gut fish all day." Joining him is Pamela Finklestein, a frustrated secretary aspiring to be a reporter. George, being the nice guy that he is, makes her one, but her first broadcast, an interview with the mayor, is rudely sabotaged. A remark "broads don't belong in broadcasting," typifies the 80's style sexism. Also, one has to compete with the national news station, Channel 8, run by the very loathsome R.J. Fletcher, who doesn't have a single nice line in the entire film.

Things start to turn around when he hires janitor Stanley Spadowski, the tall, simple-minded, but eager guy who turns out to be a smashing good entertainer as he is a janitor-his Mop speech is just great. Because of Stanley Spadowski's Clubhouse, the ratings soar and before long Channel 62 is outdoing the national network affiliate Channel 8. Fletcher is far from pleased and sets out to sabotage Newman.

A lot of the film's funny moments hinges on ideas George has, such as trailers for Town Talk, his Geraldo Rivera type show where he gets whacked with a chair, commercials, or some of the programmes he comes up with-check out the programming schedule. Goony, Prince Valiant-haired comedian Emo Phillips has a memorable moment as a shop teacher who could be more careful with a buzzsaw. And how much one enjoys Raul's Wild Kingdom, hosted out of the apartment of a Mexican guy named Raul, depends on one's taste for small dogs. Oh, and Weird Al makes his notorious twinkie-wiener sandwich, oft-mentioned on Al-TV.

The high note is the opening Raiders of the Lost Ark parody, with an "idol statue" scene that's Al's closest to ever getting Best Actor. The "Beverly Hillbillies" video, a spinoff on Dire Straits' computer animated "Money For Nothing," is the other highlight, showing how George does indeed have a good imagination. And the late 70s/early 80s car commercials with a Cal Worthington type cowboy salesman is embodied in Crazy Ernie: "If nobody comes down here and buys a car in the next hour, I'm gonna club this baby seal. That's right. I'm gonna club this seal to make a better deal. You know I'll do it, to, cause I'm crazy." Hooboy!

A very young Fran Drescher is pretty hot as Pamela Finklestein, outshining Victoria Jackson (Teri), whose whiny voice is a debit in the film. Michael Richards steals the show hands down as Stanley. Kevin McCarthy does Fletcher as that villain one loves to hate, odious, overacting, and with a goofy laugh. Gedde Watanabe, who made his film debut as Long Duk Dong in Sixteen Candles, plays Kuni, who goes a bit OTT in the Wheel of Fish segment. "Stupid! You're so stupid!" he yells at a losing contestant. And veteran midget comedian Billy Barty is sadly underused in this movie, as he only has two scenes as cameraman Noodles MacIntosh. And catch Dr. Demento as the guy Stanley sprays whip cream on in an ad.

The video for the "UHF" song is included as a bonus, as is Al hosting a series of deleted outtakes, which definitely should've been left off the movie, as most were filler that did nothing to advance the movie.

Fans of Weird Al will definitely like this cult classic from the 1980's. Sight gags, and pain and destruction gags abound. Some of the material may not be so PC today. Yet for Children of the 80's such as myself, it may serve as a nostalgic pop cultural reference point.


Rating:
Summary: UHF -- The Funniest Greatest Movie everrrr...
Review: this movie is the funniest movie in the world. it keeps you watching it cause if you leave while its playing for 1 second youll miss something funny thank god theres a pause.. if you have any sense of humor at all youll love this movie.

Rating:
Summary: Very Funny
Review: Not much more to add, very funny, particularly Wheel of Fish.

Michael Richards steals the show both in the movie and in reality but there is so much show that there are still plenty of laughs for everyone.

The DVD is very worthwhile, weird Al's introduction of various features is worth the price of the cd.

Will always hold the spot of a cult classic, which is a shame as it deserves better.

Rating:
Summary: ha ha ha ha
Review: quite easily one of the funniest films ive ever seen!
if you are looking for a film to watch as you eat junk food and nearly wet your pants with laughter then this needs to be on your shortlist.
good fun

Rating:
Summary: Get 2 copies, people will borrow this and never return it...
Review: If you loan this to someone, consider it a gift, because it will NEVER be returned. Get two "UHF" DVDs so you don't suffer needlessly. ALSO... take care who you watch this movie with. It will forever change your relationship with that person -- they will become your "UHF Buddy." Someday you'll both be watching kids play a game -- one of the kids wins, and you look at your UHF Buddy and say gleefully, "you get to drink from the FIRE HOSE!!!" And you'll both start laughing ridiculously, and people will stare at you. Or when someone you know gets ripped off in some way, your UHF buddy will say to you "What's in the box? NOTHING! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! STUPID!!!!" and the laughter will erupt again. If you're not prepared to live like this for the rest of your life, perhaps you'd do well to avoid this movie. Monty Python fanatics will understand what I mean...

Rating:
Summary: Still as funny as it was in the 80s...
Review: One of my childhood favorites is still almost as entertaining as I used to find it back then. In fact, with this disc filled with lots of extras (which for some reason are not listed on Amazon's page!), it's even better. The motion menus are exceptional as are the contents they open, and there is just one gripe - the deleted scenes are on the Idiot Side of the disc (the one with the cut, Fool Screen version of the film). They're missing from the proper, watchable, widescreen side of the DVD. (Why do studios still support fool screen, anyway?) The deleted scenes are, by the way, probably the best part of the extras - not really because they're particularly entertaining (there is a reason why scenes that don't work end up deleted), but because they're introduced and discussed by Al Y., who puts on a bitter, jaded, disgruntled act of being ashamed of and disgusted with them.

Rating:
Summary: Weird Al at his very best
Review: One of my favorite, and funniest movies of all time. There are many insane parodies in this movie. This film takes hacks at Rambo, Geraldo, Ghandi, and so much more.

A dreamer who can't hang onto a job is given a lowly U.H.F station as part of a poker bet. The station is in the middle of nowhere, with real corny programing and a rating at the bottom of the ladder.

George, wonderfully played by Yankovic, decides to re-do the entire programing schedule. Town Talk with George, which makes Gerlado look like Oprah, is priceless. There's also Ghandi II, Ghandi comes back as a meat eating, karate fighting, no nonsense bad guy. Schwartzenegger is parodied as "Conan the Librarian" who's very strict on over-due books.

George takes on a slow minded janitor who saves the day after taking over the kids show and makes it the big ratings winner. Who else but an adult who is like a child, to run a children's show. Features finding a marble in oatmeal, rewarded with a drink from a firehose.

Parodies of animal shows with the phrase "Badgers, badgers, we don't need no stinking badgers!" wonderful. Emo Phillips is great as the inept shop teacher who has a show of his own.

Just as a warning. If you don't like humor like Weird Al Yankovic this movie is NOT for you. If however, you like zany slapstick parodies, then this movie will certainly please you.

Rating:
Summary: weird al
Review: if you liked weird als music,youll like this movie.its very silly but loads of fun.the kids will like it.if you are worried about how cool you are all the time and cant relax then dont watch this because its a movie for people who likewhat they want.individuals and dreamers.the bad guy is this old man from a tv station who is als rival when he has to run a tv station.this movie is very very funny.the bad guy is a real pain in the ass.its definately worth watching!

Rating:
Summary: THE BEST of random humor!
Review: I think this has to be one of the funniest movies i have seen in my life! just all the random shows in between the plot of the movie just make it like a family guy/futurama show mixed in with a healthy dose of random al.

Rating:
Summary: Side A Is Excellent, Side B Is A Major Disappoinment
Review: Overall an excellent DVD, however I can't give it a perfect 5 star rating because of what's on side B: deleted scenes and the Pan & Scan version of the film (not the full frame unmatted version from the original VHS release). Al mentions that there are hours of deleted scenes, so why didn't they use the entire side B for them? Nobody asked for the crappy Pan & Scan version of the film. To add insult to injury, two of the deleted scenes are fast forwarded through. Sorry Al, but even if you don't think those two scenes are of any value, your fans think otherwise.