UHF (1989)

At times we all can be dreadfully serious when it comes to movies. I know I can be--based on many of my other IMDb reviews, it's obvious I can be critical and occasionally too serious.

Because of this, I am glad there are really funny and stupid movies like this one. While not as sophisticated as The Producers or as wacky as Monty Python and the Holy Grail, it is one of the best "turn off your brain and just have fun movies".

The movie can be very amateurish at times and some jokes fall flat. However, the incredible energy and originality of the film make it very endearing. Unfortunately, it is too often just tossed aside as a "dumb movie" by many who just don't give it a chance. So my advice is to sit tight--don't turn it off! Allow yourself to wade through the slower first 1/4 of the movie so you can get to the GOLD, such as Gandhi 2, Conan the Librarian, or the commercials for cut rate funerals or for Spatula City! Feeling depressed or in a funk? See this film to cure what ails you!

Fmovies: I own a copy of this rare classic. I got it from a local video store for $1.00 I loved this movie & I'm a big fan of "Weird Al". I got all his cd's & his other rare video - "Complaet Al". If u r looking 4 a great comedy, look for UHF-its the perfect comedy! It is a must see & worth keeping if u r a Al fan, or Michael Richards fan as well.

UHF is a fantastic movie. At first glance a cliche ridden poke at 80's TV and film but on further examination it is an original and skillfully made satire that ranks as highly as anything Mel Brooks or Monty Python have ever released. It stars Weird Al Yankovic, the man responsible for "Eat it" the famous parody of Michael Jackson's "Beat it" and it is clear from the outset that he loves the things he makes fun of. The movie outline provided by IMDB is sufficient as regards the plot and I'm not about to blow it for you, but there are one or two things I need to draw your attention to. The film starts with a parody of the opening sequence of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and the attention to detail is staggering. The scene in which Weird Al Attempts to steal the golden idol is a perfect ape to the original scene in "Raiders" right down to each stroke of an unshaven chin. It's clear that that this parody is not done to poke fun but instead to add comedy to a familiar and formulaic piece of action, and it is with this in mind that the rest of the movie connects with your head as much as it does with your funny bone. It's not just a series of parodies though. There is a well defined plot pitching hero against villain (enthusiastically played by Kevin McCarthy) and the story meanders perfectly between George Newman's (Weird Al's character)imagination and his reality giving the perfect platform for Weird Al to put in a terrific comedy performance. There is as much original material as there are references to other famous films (Blazing Saddles, Close Encounters and Rambo to name but a few..) and the whole thing adds up to a genuinely funny movie. If you've seen all Mel Brooks's films or you need a change from Monty Python and Jim Carrey doesn't quite do it for you, this film is a must.

UHF fmovies. This movie taught me that absolutely nothing is sacred, and that anything is fair game in the pursuit of comedy. This is an incredible movie, on the same level as Return of the Jedi or any of the Indiana Jones movies. The short clips in the movie are reminiscent of the comic genius of the early Saturday Night Live skits. The homage paid to MAD magazine in the form of Uncle Nutzy's Funhouse is another selling point... anyone who praises MAD magazine in as subtle a way will always get my vote. Go see it immediately if you haven't before, or even if you have.

Possibly the strangest cast ever assembled in a movie. "Weird" Al Yankovic, Victoria Jackson, Michael Richards and Fran Drescher. That in itself is pretty funny, right? Weird Al plays a man who gets control of a television station (which was won in a poker game by his uncle). He's been fired numerous times by different jobs, and is about to quit looking. He is at risk of losing his girlfriend, and he's just going insane. The movie is one of those where when you're bored, it will always make you laugh. What's funnier than bad TV? The movie has a few of those great scenes like "Uncle Nutsy's Clubhouse", where it's impossible not to laugh when you know what's going to happen. Richards was far from Seinfeld fame at this time, and he is great in this as well, playing a janitor that comes out as the hero in the end. And, you can't forget the cameo by comedian Emo Phillips!

For some reason, I never pictured myself watching a film starring "Weird Al" Yankovic. He just looked too weird or too stupid....but he was okay. In fact, he was pretty likable in this fun-but-unmemorable film. He's actually more like Jim Varney''s "Vern" character that was so popular in the '80s: a lame but super nice guy.

That's what "Weird Al" plays in here, a Mr. Nice Guy who prevails against forces of evil against him, in this case a TV station owner: Kevin McCarthy, who plays a totally over-the-top villain.

Yankovic will never win any Academy Awards for his acting but he suffices in this no-brainer comedy. Some of the bits are actually quite clever and some are a bit raunchy (hence the PG-13 rating) but there is almost no profanity in here. Michael Richards was funny as the stupid janitor. Lots of jokes in this movie. You just pick out the ones you like.