Plot: What’s it about?
George Newman (“Weird Al” Yankovic) has a lot of dreams and a vivid imagination, but it has caused him nothing but trouble to this point. He’s been fired from countless jobs thanks to his daydreaming and big mouth, booted from every profession from burger flipper to fish market lackey and beyond. He has also caused his friend Bob (David Bowe) many headaches, since when George gets fired, so does Bob. But when his uncle wins a UHF television station in a card game, George is given the chance to let his creative side soar. In this environment, George couldn’t make things worse since the station is almost bankrupt, but knowing George and his imagination, perhaps he could sink the place even further. As George tries to get some things rolling, he soon finds himself insulted by the competition, surrounded by unusual people, and the new employer of Stanley (Michael Richards), a janitor with a mop fixation. The start for U62’s Newman era is a rough one, but some improvements come as George installs new programs. But can George turn this station around, or will it be just another failed attempt to harness his imagination?
It took a long time to happen, but now all of us DVD fanatics can drink from the firehose, because UHF has arrived. This offbeat, hilarious movie boasts the pedigree of “Weird Al” Yankovic, who has the lead role, cowrote the screenplay, and even serves as host when you browse the menus on this disc. I will admit that UHF has become a little dated, but it hasn’t lost any of its humor, as stuff this off the wall never gets old. I mean, we have Wheel of Fish, Conan the Librarian, flying poodles, a wacky midget cameraman, a man obsessed with a mop, and a mound of mashed ‘taters, but that is just the tip of the iceberg with UHF. The film takes a rapid fire approach to the jokes, ala The Naked Gun, but I think more of the gags here hit the bullseye and even with so many, I found few that missed their mark. I have an odd sense of humor though, which is something you’ll need to fully enjoy this one, no doubt about it. So if you have a taste for offbeat humor, or you just love “Weird Al,” then UHF is more than recommended. And since MGM has given us a rather lavish treatment, a rental or purchase would be more than justified.
In addition to having the central role here, “Weird Al” Yankovic also helped cowrite the screenplay and of course, his unique brand of humor shines through. Of course, Yankovic is best known for his albums of song parodies and he takes aim on other media forms here, with many sequences that spoof famous pictures, television shows, and the like. Al is able to handle himself very well in terms of acting, but then again, this kind of comedy seems like a second home to him, so I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised. The role calls for him to don all kinds of costumes and makeup devices, as well as endure some humiliating moments, but Al faces it all with skill and gives us a terrific performance in the process. You can also see Al in such films as The Naked Gun, Tapeheads, Nothing Sacred, Spy Hard, and The Naked Gun 33 1/3. The cast also includes Michael Richards (Trial & Error, Tv’s Seinfeld), Victoria Jackson (Casual Sex?, The Couch Trip), and Fran Drescher (This Is Spinal Tap, American Hot Wax).
Video: How does it look?
UHF is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, with a full frame edition included on the disc’s flip side. I knew MGM would give us a solid effort here, but I was concerned about the source material, given the low budget roots involved. As it turned out, I had no reason to be worried, as this transfer looks great and UHF has never been so well treated, excellent work from MGM on this one. The print does show some grain at times, but looks clean on the whole, which allows for a sharp, pleasant image. The colors are bright and never falter, while contrast is solid too, though maybe not always as stark as we’d like. Even so, this is a wonderful visual effort and fans will be more than pleased with the end result.
Audio: How does it sound?
I didn’t expect much beyond the basics from this 2.0 surround option, but it turns out to be quite good, much better than anticipated. The surrounds are used often in this mix, whether to enhance atmosphere in busy scenes, intensify the musical soundtrack, or just make us take notice of some odd sounds. I found the surround use to be very natural also, so this is not the forced, hollow kind of rear channel presence. The dialogue remains clean and easy to understand also, so no real worries in the least here. This disc also includes Spanish and French language tracks, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
We’ll kick off this loaded disc with an audio commentary track, in which you’ll hear from “Weird Al” himself, director Jay Levey, stars Michael Richards & Victoria Jackson, and even Emo Phillips. As you can imagine, this session is upbeat and humorous, as Al guides us down memory lane. It seems like Al was well prepared going into this session, as he is able to get a lot of insight from the others, as well as provide his own stories & memories. You’ll have to flip the disc to access the deleted scenes, but it is well worth the extra effort, as these scenes are terrific and a joy to finally be able to see. Al even introduces the scenes himself and that adds a lot to their value here, if you ask me. This disc also includes a brief behind the scenes featurette, a massive selection of still photos, a gallery of posters & promotional artwork, the UHF music video, and the film’s theatrical & teaser trailers.
