UHF
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Movie Reviews of UHF
Movie Review: "Weird Al" Yankovic's attempted big break...
Summary: 5 Stars
... which failed as a huge hit, but it has become a major cult film. "Weird Al" is also a pretty good actor, but he wrote a role for himself, so he knew what he could do and couldn't. Fran Drescher and Michael Richards, both known for specific roles in sitcoms, did great work acting. Michael Richards is just as good here as he was in Seinfeld, if not better. He does a lot of great acting, but it's his improvised moments, and several of the scenes of his character's TV show that make his performance what it is. Because they had so much of him, they had to delete several scenes that he did, but the great part is that this DVD has deleted scenes, including the full version of one of his improvised performances. Fran Drescher does just as good a job here as she does on her sitcom. However, she's much more sane in this film than on the Nanny. The scene where she first appears is one of her best moments.
Some other actors include Gette Wattanabe from Sixteen Candles, Victoria Jackson from Saturday Night Live, and David Bowe (not to be confused with David Bowie) who has made small appearances in several different movies and TV shows (including Heavyweights and Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman). David Bowe, for once, has a major role in a movie. However, the entire cast is great.
Something else that makes this movie as good as it is is that "Weird Al" has several fantasy sequences, parodying other films. Name another person who ripped off the opening title sequence for Raiders of the Lost Ark, and think of someone else who could do Rambo like Sylvester Stallone. The other moments that are hilariously funny are the parodies of movies and TV shows that are supposed to be TV shows from this UHF TV station that this film is about.
The film is about a guy who gets fired from job to job because of his natural tendency of zoning out, who finds himself being the manager of his uncles TV station. Mainly, this is a great movie, and it's extremely funny.
Movie Review: More than just a movie in DVD format
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Movie Review: A cult classic!
Summary: 5 Stars
George Newman ( Weird Al Yankovic) is a daydreaming loser who just recently lost his job at Burger World, luckily his uncle Harvey ( Stanley Brock) wins a local TV station at a poker game before it's bankrupted. Uncle Harvey puts his trust in George to take care of the station and help keep the station from going down the drain, he creates popular new bizare shows like "Conan The Librarian", " Wheel of Fish" etc, making it the new highest rated station in the city but as a greedy rival network owner ( Kevin McCarthy)is getting quite jealous and wants to run the UHF station down, but it's up to George's friends to help battle against the tycoon.
Entertaining and flat out funny satire on the media that was originally a box-office bomb turned into a cult fave on video and TV showings. It co-stars Billy Barty, Fran Drescher, Geedee Wantanabe ( "Sixteen Candles", "E.R.", "Mulan"), and Seinfeld's Michael Richards, the movie is in my opinion a successful breakthrough for Weird Al Yankovic into movies as he also co-wrote the script. There's plenty of good laughs including that funny yet cool animated dream sequence "Beverly Hillbillies"/"Money for Nothing".
This DVD has good picture and sound quality even some cool extras like easter eggs, a hilarious audio commentary by Weird Al, Victoria Jackson, director Jay Levey, Michael Richards, and Emo Philips. A Music video, promotional materials, deleted scenes, widescreen and fullscreen presentations and production stills.
A most recommended comedy for anyone who loves Weird Al, comedy and parody movies.
Also recommended: "The Kentucky Fried Movie", "Amazon Women on the Moon", " Spaceballs", "Young Frankenstein", "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes", "Return of the Killer Tomatoes", " Freaked", " The Naked Gun", and "Hot Shots!".
Movie Review: UHF: "The most important DVD release. Ever."
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a repost of my review from the IMDB site, but since my feelings on the movie haven't changed between then and now, hey.Many folks find themselves laughing out loud at Al's latest song or video -- at least, the first time they experience it. They might later claim he's stupid or not funny, afraid possibly of being labeled a fan. They might avoid UHF in the belief that it's just an extended Al video.
Their loss.
'UHF' is one of those movies that had a miserable, worthless existence in the theater, shunned by the masses. The recognition of its genius was slow to arrive, but the movie did eventually find cult status on video and cable. The reason, simply: It's hilarious.
Part Naked Gun and part Al video, with plenty of sight gags, this is the kind of movie that only Al could make. "Wheel Of Fish" and "Conan the Librarian" are funnier than they have any right to be, and just wait until you see "Raul's Wild Kingdom".
The cast of 'UHF' seems almost prescient in retrospect; Fran Drescher and Michael Richards made memorable co-stars before they struck gold on network TV. Richards, especially, is hilarious as janitor-turned-TV host Stanley Spadowski. He's brilliant, better than anyone else in the movie and better even than the material he's given.
Although ostensibly a dig at TV, 'UHF' actually lampoons movies and commercials far more effectively, with hilarious send-ups of 'Raiders of the Lost Ark', 'Ghandi' and 'Rambo: First Blood Part II'.
But enough. I've already wasted too many words describing a movie that just needs to be seen. If you absolutely hate Al, or 'Airplane'-type movies, then avoid 'UHF'. Anyone else who just wants to laugh (a lot) needs to give it a look.
Movie Review: Worth the thirteen year wait.
Summary: 5 Stars
Al, the king of not-going-half-way-with-ANYTHING, has taken full advantage of this DVD, packing it with wacky behind the scenes hijinks, the brilliant UHF music video, and deleted scenes so utterly delete-worthy that Al himself does us the courtesy of fast forwarding through himself. The one feature I really looked forward to, the commentary track, did not disappoint. From the very beginning, with Al singing his own lyrics to the Orion theme music ("Orion.. Orion.. We're bankrupt.. Now..") Al and Jay Levey (but mostly Al) provide a great deal of fun insight as well as some remarkably "he's got to be reading this" type info. But it doesn't stop there. During the Emo Phillips scene, Al wonders whatever happened to Emo, only to hear Emo himself say "I'm right behind you," which is followed by a brief moment or two with the shop teacher himself. Michael "Stanley" Richards also pops in for some moments of utter hilarity, and you can tell everyone's having a blast, very pleased I'm sure, as are we, that this bad boy is finally on a DVD. Even Victoria Jackson gets a phone call at the end to talk about how she would love to talk about how much she enjoyed the film, but has to get back to her scalloped potatoes. And how many commentary tracks actually have the Star of the film physically getting up to grap the director a donut? (And YES, you DO actually SEE Al get up and walk across the screen.) Overall, this is a great film at a great price, and will make you laugh just as much as it was supposed to back when it was blown out of the water by all the huge blockbusters that came out that week way back in 1989. (On my 20th Birthday, no less.)