UHF (1989)

An unemployed visionary becomes the manager of a local public station. The station becomes a success, with all sorts of hilarious sight gags and wacky humor.

Director:

Jay Levey

Writers:

'Weird Al' Yankovic (as Al Yankovic), Jay Levey

Stars:

'Weird Al' Yankovic, Victoria Jackson, Kevin McCarthy

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
'Weird Al' Yankovic	...	George Newman
Victoria Jackson	...	Teri Campbell
Kevin McCarthy	...	R.J. Fletcher
Michael Richards	...	Stanley Spadowski
David Bowe	...	Bob Steckler
Stanley Brock	...	Harvey Bilchik
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	...	Esther Bilchik
David Proval	...	Head Thug
Grant James	...	Killer Thug

Storyline

George Newman is a daydreamer whose hyperactive imagination keeps him from holding a steady job. His uncle decides George would be the perfect man to manage Channel 62, a television station which is losing money and viewers fast. When George replaces the station's reruns with bizarre programs such as "Stanley Spadowski's Clubhouse", "Wheel of Fish" and "Raul's Wild Kingdom", ratings begin to soar again. Mean-spirited and cynical mogul R.J. Fletcher becomes furious that the UHF station is getting better ratings than his network's programming. Because of gambling debts, the uncle is forced to consider selling the station to Fletcher, who would only too happily shut down (he cannot legally own two stations in the same town). George and his friends organize a 48-hour telethon to raise the money by selling investment stock from Channel 62 to save the town's new favorite station.

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Plot Keywords:

slapstick | television station | tv show | telethon | satire | 

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Taglines:

Channel 62 needed a new station manager. But what they got was a man so desperate for ratings, he'd put anyone on the air.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 July 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Vidiot from UHF

Filming Locations:

Rosewood Chapel - 2570 S Harvard Ave - Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$6,157,157

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinecorp SAC, Imaginary Entertainment, Orion Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min 150 min (rough cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to 'Weird Al' Yankovic, G.W. Bailey and Art Metrano auditioned and were seriously considered for the role of R.J. Fletcher, which ultimately went to Kevin McCarthy.

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Goofs

When the video of R.J.'s rant is played back by Philo ("This community means about as much to me..." etc.), R.J.'s phrasing at the beginning of the rant doesn't match when he's originally heard saying it earlier in the film.

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Quotes

George Newman: [picks up a frying basket from a pot of boiling cooking oil, the blackened remains of something are seen] Well, I think the fries are just about done.
[He puts the frying basket back in the cooking oil]
Bob Steckler: [unhappy] Aw geez, George. You'd better not let Big Edna see that or she'll have a fit.
George Newman: [as Big Edna walks up behind him] Big Edna. Big Edna. You sound like a broken record. Big Edna this, Big Edna that. Why are you so afraid of that pathetic tub of lard?
[...]

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Alternate Versions

The Comedy Central version deletes quite a little out of such a short film - mainly bits related to animal cruelty, such as much of the "Raul's Wild Kingdom" scene (involving teaching poodles how to fly) and the punchline of car commercial (the owner threatens to club a baby seal if buyers don't come). Among other bits deleted: a scene regarding gun nuts; part of the scene where Emo Phillips loses a finger in a saw; most of the first "Uncle Nutzy's Clubhouse" scene (probably because the final punchline involves a guy eating dog treats by accident); the part of the "Conan the Librarian" sequence where a guy says he has an overdue library book, and Conan bloodlessly cuts him in half with his sword; a sequence with an elderly lady who knees R.J. Fletcher in the crotch.

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Connections

Referenced in Regular Show: Rigby's Body (2010)

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Soundtracks

Gandhi II
Written and Performed by 'Weird Al' Yankovic
Published by Holy Moley Music

User Reviews

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!