UHF (1989)

Director:

Jay Levey

Writers:

'Weird Al' Yankovic (written by) &
Jay Levey (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

21 July 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

TV as it was meant to be seen. In a movie theatre.

Plot:

A local public station gets a new owner. The station becomes a hit, with all sorts of hilarious sight gags and wacky humor.

Plot Keywords:

Television | Television Station | Alien | Satire | Parody

Cast

'Weird Al' Yankovic	...	George Newman
Victoria Jackson	...	Teri
Kevin McCarthy	...	R.J. Fletcher
Michael Richards	...	Stanley Spadowski
David Bowe	...	Bob
Stanley Brock	...	Uncle Harvey
Anthony Geary	...	Philo
Trinidad Silva	...	Raul Hernandez
Gedde Watanabe	...	Kuni
Billy Barty	...	Noodles MacIntosh
John Paragon	...	Richard Fletcher
Fran Drescher	...	Pamela Finklestein
Sue Ane Langdon	...	Aunt Esther
David Proval	...	Head Thug
Grant James	...	Killer Thug
Emo Philips	...	Joe Earley
Lou B. Washington	...	Cameraman
Vance Colvig Jr.	...	Bum
Nik Hagler	...	FCC Man
Robert K. Weiss	...	Bartender
Eldon G. Hallum	...	Spatula Husband
Sherry Engstrom	...	Spatula Wife
Sara Allen	...	Spatula Neighbor
Bob Hungerford	...	Sy Greenblum
John Cadenhead	...	Crazy Ernie
Francis M. Carlson	...	Blind Man
Ivan Green	...	Earl Ramsey
Adam Maras	...	Joel Miller
Travis Knight	...	Billy
Joseph Witt	...	Little Weasel
Tony Frank	...	Teri's Father
Billie Lee Thrash	...	Teri's Mother
Barry Friedman	...	Fletcher Cronie #1
Kevin Roden	...	Fletcher Cronie #2
Lisa R. Stefanic	...	Phyllis Weaver
Nancy Johnson	...	Big Edna
Debbie Mathieu	...	Betty
Wilma Jeanne Cummins	...	Little Old Lady
Cliff Stephens	...	Animal Deliveryman
Jim West	...	Band: Guitar
Steve Jay	...	Band: Bass Guitar
Jon Schwartz	...	Band: Drums
Kim Bullard	...	Band: Keyboard
Barry Hansen	...	Whipped Cream Eater (as Dr. Demento)
Bob Maras	...	Thug #3
George Fisher	...	Thug #4
Tony Salome	...	Guide #1
Joe Restivo	...	Guide #2
Charles Marsh	...	Yodeler
Belinda Bauer	...	Mud Wrestler
Lori Wagner	...	Mud Wrestler
Patrick Thomas O'Brien	...	Satan (as Patrick O'Brian)
Roger Callard	...	Conan the Librarian
Robert Frank	...	Timid Man
Jeff Maynard	...	Boy with Books
M.G. Kelly	...	Promo Announcer (voice)
Jay Gardner	...	Promo Announcer (voice)
John Harlan	...	Promo Announcer (voice)
Jim Rose	...	Promo Announcer (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Brian Routh	...	The Kipper Kids (as Harry Kipper)
Martin von Haselberg	...	Kipper Kids (as Harry Kipper)
Adam Clarke	...	Kid In Audience (uncredited)
Kenwick Cook	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Herbert Glucksman	...	Gorbachev (uncredited)
Rhias Hall	...	Kimberly Hall (uncredited)
Jeff Howard	...	Donor at Telethon (uncredited)
Jay Levey	...	Gandhi (uncredited)
Gigi Orsillo	...	Spatula daughter (uncredited)
Gary Sievers	...	Disco Dancer (uncredited)

Directed by
Jay Levey

Writing credits
'Weird Al' Yankovic		(written by) (as Al Yankovic) &
Jay Levey		(written by)
Charles Holloway		Conan the Librarian sketch (uncredited)

Produced by
Joe M. Aguilar	....	associate producer (as Joe Aguilar)
Becki Cross	....	associate producer
Gray Frederickson	....	executive producer
Deren Getz	....	co-producer
John W. Hyde	....	producer
Gene Kirkwood	....	producer

Original Music by
John Du Prez

Cinematography by
David Lewis

Film Editing by
Dennis M. O'Connor

Casting by
Barbara Hanley
Cathy Henderson

Production Design by
Ward Preston

Set Decoration by
Robert L. Zilliox

Costume Design by
Tom McKinley

Makeup Department
Allan A. Apone	....	makeup effects supervisor
Lynne K. Eagan	....	hair department head
Lynne K. Eagan	....	makeup department head
Suzy Graham	....	assistant makeup artist
Roseanne McIlvane	....	hair stylist
Roseanne McIlvane	....	makeup artist
Douglas J. White	....	special makeup effects artist (as Doug White)

Production Management
Bill Carroll	....	production supervisor
Gray Frederickson	....	production manager
Kate Morris	....	executive in charge of production
Susan Zwerman	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Benita Allen	....	second assistant director
Scott Clark	....	second assistant director
Lorene M. Duran	....	second second assistant director
Pam Whorton	....	third assistant director
John R. Woodward	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Michelle Baron	....	set dresser
Jennifer Wyatt-Beasley	....	art department swing gang

Sound Department
Ara Ashjian	....	sound recordist
Christopher Assells	....	sound editor
Charles R. Beith Jr.	....	sound editor
Gregory Cheever	....	sound recordist (as Greg Cheever)
Clayton Collins	....	sound editor (as Clay Collins)
Andy D'Addario	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dino Dimuro	....	sound editor
G. Michael Graham	....	sound editor
Jeffrey J. Haboush	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Jeffrey Haboush)
Bo Harwood	....	sound mixer
Dan Hegeman	....	sound editor (as Daniel Hegeman)
A. David Marshall	....	sound editor
Diane Marshall	....	sound editor
Dave McMoyler	....	supervising sound editor
Art Schiro	....	sound recordist
Scott A. Tinsley	....	sound editor (as Scott Tinsley)

Special Effects by
Mike Menzel	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
John Coats	....	visual effects producer (as John Coates)
Tim Donahue	....	miniatures and art directiorn: Introvision
John Hora	....	visual effects photography
Richard Kilroy	....	visual effects art director
William Mesa	....	visual effects supervisor
Marcus Tate	....	visual effects cameraman
Ron Yates	....	visual effects art director: Introvision
Susan Zwerman	....	visual effects producer: fantasy sequence and music videos

Stunts
George Fisher	....	stunts
Dennis Madalone	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Patric J. Abaravich	....	assistant chief lighting technician: second unit
Dante Cardone	....	gaffer: visual effects unit
Dave Footman	....	grip
Tom Keefer	....	key grip: second unit
Gary Molyneux	....	dolly grip: "b" camera
Steve Reinhardt	....	best boy electric
Rick Taylor	....	second assistant camera
Peter J. Verrando	....	24 frame video operator

Casting Department
Barbara Brinkley	....	local casting
Michael Cutler	....	casting assistant

Editorial Department
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
Dale E. Grahn	....	color timer
Mike Milliken	....	color timer
Steve Polivka	....	assistant editor
Lewis Schoenbrun	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Katherine Quittner	....	music editor
Katherine Quittner	....	music supervisor
Katherine Quittner	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Katherine Quittner	....	music editor: temp score (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Geno Hart	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Michael Carroll	....	production assistant
Bonnie Macker	....	production coordinator
Michael Lembeck	....	acting coach: Weird Al Yankovic (uncredited)

Thanks
Trinidad Silva	....	dedicatee

Production Companies

• Cinecorp SAC
• Imaginary Entertainment
• Orion Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Orion Pictures Corporation (1989) (USA) (theatrical)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Video (1989) (Japan) (video)
• Nordic Film Group (1990) (Finland) (VHS)
• Orion Home Video (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1996) (Finland) (TV)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (video)
• Roadshow Home Video (Australia) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Chiodo Brothers Productions (clay animation)
• Introvision International
• K.N.B. Effects Group (Weird Al's muscle makeup)
• Makeup Effects Laboratories

Other Companies

• f-Stop  titles and opticals

Also Known As:

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Iceland:12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #29692) | Finland:K-10 | UK:PG | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Channel 8 - 6655 S. Lewis, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA

Company:

Cinecorp SAC

Trivia:

After extremely positive feedback from test screenings, the struggling Orion Pictures concluded that this film was their sure-fire summer blockbuster. Unfortunately, the film was released during the summer of 1989 against huge films like Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Batman (1989) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). "UHF" was subsequently crushed at the box office. Although it made $6.5 million domestic box office on a $5-million production budget, this estimate does not take into account that studios only take in generally half of its theatrical gross, the rest going to exhibitors. Following another string of box-office flops, Orion went bankrupt in the early 1990s.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Joe Earley loses his thumb in the table saw and lifts his arm to examine the wound, briefly his thumb can be seen bent underneath his hand.

Quotes:

Stanley Spadowski:George, you know I was wondering, like if you were traveling through outer space, I mean like you're going real fast, like the speed of light, you know... hoooohhhhh... and all of a sudden you started screaming... aaaahhhhh aaaaahhhhh... Do you think your brain would blow up?
Bob:Guys, I'm trying to work... Do you mind?
Stanley Spadowski:I don't mind. Go right ahead... Do you mind, George?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Nostalgia Critic: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (#1.31)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

SPATULA CITY

A disturbing peek into the mind of one of the world's wackiest entertainer: "Weird Al" Yankovic.

Michael Richards battling a gang of mobsters with a mop and a staplegun. A clown being smashed with a frying pan, then force-fed dog biscuits. Emo Phillips accidently slicing off his thumb with a tablesaw. And Fran Drescher. Yup, I think it's safe to say that this movie has everything, folks!

"Weird Al" Yankovic's first (and only) movie is everything you would expect from this underappreciated comic genius. It has the same goofy charm as a Weird Al record, and works as an effective visual representation of what Al's music is all about. As you would expect, UHF contains plenty of movie parodies, all of which are spot-on and generally harmless. Die-hard fans can also look forward to seeing a wide array of "Al-isms" like Twinkie-Wiener Sandwiches, detailed rants about bizarre nonsense, usage of the word "weasel", et cetera.

Casual viewers will find the good (U-62) vs. evil (Channel 8) story a bit ho-hum and the humor a little too... Well, a little too weird. But let's face it: this film wasn't made to tell a captivating love story or to inspire us with biting social commentary. It's an excuse for using a new medium to show Al doing what Al does best: being himself. And, as all of us devoted fans can agree, we couldn't possibly ask for anything more! LONG LIVE MR. YANKOVIC!