“UHF” 1989 Orion ***
“Weird” Al Yankovic, Michael Richards, Fran Drescher, Victoria Jackson & Trinidad Silva
“Lost My Stub” (.Com) review 29 Feb 2012 (MZ: #G-7)
Back Again Fans,
I actually saw this movie when it came out in the theatre. I liked “Weird” Al (23Oct59) ok, but I was a huge fan of Victoria Jackson (2 Aug59) from “SNL” Blond Hair, Blue Eyes and… oh yea, I met her in Des Moines in 1998 she was awesome, anyway, I digress. I remembered Michael Richards(24Jul49) from the TV Show “Fridays” I feel this was his shining moment even over “Kramer” in ‘Seinfeld’ so let us begin the journey.
The Premise:
George Newman, is a daydreamer and has an active imagination and feels he is destine for bigger and better things, he’s fired from all his menial jobs, and luckily inherits a local UHF TV station (for our younger viewers back in the olden days of “Free” TV UHF had the weakest signal and was the hardest to watch when I was a kid In Sioux City CBS 14 was our UHF channel therefore I saw very few shows on CBS) Wow, no wonder I love this movie, I was like George only I opened “Mr. Zero’s” instead of a TV station !!! Cheers to the underdog and the under appreciated. May we all succeed at failing.
On with our story:
George discovers Stanley Spadowski and his mop (when I worked for a large music company in 2002 the night cleaning crew had a guy very similar to Stanley only instead of a mop this guy had his “Doodle Bug” the resemblance was so uncanny I showed my co-worker ‘Sonic Jeramone’ this film and he agreed “Man, he is just like Stanley”) and offers him a job as the station janitor and his own TV Show… It works and the little station becomes #1 in the ratings the evil big network channel (The Man) is out to squash George & his little UHF channel, let the shenanigans begin !!! Weird Al spoofs many films & TV shows from way back when, so I wonder if younger viewers may not get the references at first viewing ???
Not to be
A ‘Debbie Downer’ the actor Trinidad Silva 1950- 1988 who’s character has a an “Animal Show” in the film teaching poodles how to fly, was unfortunately Killed by a Drunk Driver during the filming of this movie. Silva was best know for his role on “Hill Street Blues”.
Music By:
There is a soundtrack to this film I personally feel some of Weird Al’s best work is original tunes like in this film the title track “UHF” or “The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota” and some others from other CDs like “Dare To Be Stupid” or “One More Minute” I saw him sing this one, live when I saw Weird Al open for The Monkees July 1987 in Des Moines, Iowa. I would say my favorite parody song he did was “Living With A Hernia” from 1986 a James Brown cover. Victoria Jackson has a couple CDs out too, one of her best songs “I Am Not A Bimbo” or “Where Do You Draw the Line Between Love and Adultery?” which I have seen her perform live in 1998 !!!!
In closing:
Again if you like stupid comedies where the hero comes out on top then this is a film for you.I give it 3 (out of 5) “Peace Signs”
Until the next one…. MrZero
Mr. Zero’s “Pop Culture Heaven”
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