UHF - I vidioti

The 1989 "Weird" Al Yankovic vehicle is good for some chuckles but far from brilliant. I must admit it was fond childhood memories that led me to unburden myself of the $9.99 that my local Circuit City was asking for DVD. I remembered Conan The Librarian, I remembered Gahandi 2, I remembered laughing my 8-year-old butt off, but would this film stand the test of time.

When they jokes and parodies hit well in UHF they hit very well, and as always Michael Richards is wonderful. The overall impression of the film though that it is a 97 minute Weird Al video. If over an hour and a half long weird Al video is your idea of cinematic ecstasy then by all means buy this film. However, if you are looking for a smart comedy avoid this fill at all cost. Personally I like a good dumb comedy and that coupled with my nostalgia makes the purchase worthwhile. If you lack either you might not be so pleasant following you purchase.

Keep an eye out for Emo Philips though in his amazing part as a sedated shop teacher that segment alone is pure comedy.

"UHF" is, to me, one of the greatest comedies ever. So many great scenes, so many awesome quotes, and best of all, a chance for Weird Al Yankovic to show off his talents, both as an actor and as a singer. Also, it's so much fun to see if you can pinpoint all the references to famous movies that Al puts into this film, such as the "Raiders of the Lost Ark" parody at the beginning, and many others.

The film is the story of George Newman, a young man who has trouble holding a job (and frequently gets his best friend Bob in trouble too) due to his overactive imagination. When he is given ownership of a local TV station, UHF, his imagination can finally be put to good use, in inventing the most bizarre show lineup you can imagine. When a network owner gets jealous of UHF's success, George and his friends and fans must unite to stop him and keep UHF on the air. Michael Richards is also quite excellent as the optimistic, not-too-bright Stanley.

Though it can be somewhat difficult to find, it's definitely worth the time and effort to buy "UHF" on DVD, so you can enjoy Weird Al's movie again and again and again...

Weird Al Yankovic's only excursion into film making proved to be a solid effort on his part. With an off-beat story such as this, the frizzy haired patron of pop polka proves his acting is adequate enough to carry a film such as this. While I feel there could have been more Weird Al songs, the comedy wasn't lacking. Michael Richards had his best role ever as Stanley Spadowski the janitor. All of the children's show sequences were hilarious. While this film isn't for all, it was certainly a movie which I can enjoy on many occasions. 6.8/10

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.

UHF is a story about a man who gets to have a Television Station. It is hilarious in most of the scenes. The villain is also so funny, and never really gets credited most of the time people watch this film.

Weird Al stars as a wacky guy who always has many funny ideas for television and movies and many other things. The real show-stopper in this movie is Raul's Wild Kingdom, you have to see it for yourself. The bad-guy works for the competing station, which had higher ratings.

Some parts of this film are not that funny, but stupid. If you are a big fan of Weird Al you'll love this film. And if you aren't then you will still love it. This film is for everyone.

Rated PG-13

What I think it should be rated and why: PG-13 for some crude and sexual humor, brief language, and some comic violent images.