UHF - My Thoughts

 

After close to ten years, I was finally able to watch UHF again! I used to watch it when I was a kid when it came on cable (either HBO or Showtime, I can't remember; never came on basic cable or OTA TV). Let me tell you, I LOVED this movie! It also helps that I am a big Weird Al fan! I also always wanted to run a TV channel. I used to pretend I had a TV channel back then, and whatever I watched or played (either action figures or video games) was what was airing on my channel. I was able to watch it on YouTube, free with ads!

In UHF, George Newman (played by Weird Al) is put in charge of a bankrupt UHF TV station. George is an imaginative person and has many ideas, but he tries to 'play by the book' at first in trying to make the TV station successful. When that doesn't work (and after he finds out the station is days away from being flat broke), he gives his janitor Stanley Spadowski (played by Michael Richards) a shot at hosting his live kids show. The show becomes a hit! This inspires George to put on more weird TV shows, all of which become hits! A rival network TV station boss, R.J. Fletcher (played by Kevin McCarthy) decides to buy his competition after the UHF station becomes number one in the ratings. From there, George has to come up with $75,000 in two days to keep the station on the air!

This movie is full of parodies and wacky humor. The film starts with an Indiana Jones parody! The part I loved the most was the Rambo scene. I always laughed maniacally at that. Of course, I loved the Money For Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies* music video. I always hoped to catch that video on MTV, but I was not disappointed when the original Money For Nothing video aired. Both videos rocked!

The TV shows were a wild mix! Conan The Librarian was a favorite of mine. Ghandi II is just crazy! The animal show with the enthusiastic Latino host is great! Never noticed until this past viewing how crazy that guy is! Fran Drescher plays the station newscaster. Perhaps this is where my crush on her began...

Michael Richards (known to Seinfeld fans as Kramer) plays Stanley Spadowski in such an energetic, pure-hearted manner. You can't help but love the guy. It is great how such a good, pure person becomes beloved in their city. How lucky is he to have such a hit show immediately, without even trying! 

This movie is pretty safe for the whole family... to a certain extent. There is no sexual humor, but there is some cartoonish, yet extremely violent scenes. The extremely violent scenes are played for laughs, so hopefully kids will not be scarred for life by watching them! (Do not get me started on Robocop!)

So yeah, I love this movie. Humor is subjective, so I know not everyone will like it or even get it. Also, this movie was made in the late 1980s, so some of the references are dated. I think you should at least give it a chance. If you know what Weird Al is about, then you'll get an idea for what you're in for. If not, I hope you enjoy it just the same!

Reviewed by David Williams