DVD Review: "UHF"

There are certain films that, as a child, I rented over and over again. They weren't necessarily great films-- in fact, looking back they seem to be exclusively bad films. However, each time my parents allowed me to choose a video of my own, I always gravitated toward these films. Weird Al Yankovic's 1989 film "UHF" is definitely one of those titles. I must have rented it upwards of 15 times! Hey, I can't have my film degree taken away for coming clean about something like this, right?

Anyway, the film follows George Newman (Yankovic), who has been handed the deed to a dusty old UHF television station on the outskirts of town. Being the goofball he is, George comes up with a whole host of wacky TV shows (Wheel of Fish, for one) and, of course, the shows catch on. The station somehow becomes the number one channel in town, which doesn't sit well with the owner of a competing station, R.J. Fletcher. Fletcher conspires to buy the station out from under Newman, and the only way to keep that from happening is for George to hold a 24 hour telethon to raise the money to buy the station himself.

I'm pleased, and somewhat surprised to say, this film holds up. Yankovic, the parody king of the 1980's, keeps it as silly and goofy as I remember it being as a kid. The current crop of "parody" films such as "Epic Movie" and "Meet the Spartans" would benefit from watching this one a few times. The film pokes a lot of fun at a lot of targets, but it's not offensive and never inappropriate. Sure, it's corny-- most of the jokes are about as inoffensive as a Henny Youngman one-liner-- but it's Weird Al! I must also mention the appearance of a wiry, young Michael Richards ("Seinfeld's" Kramer) starring as TV star/janitor Stanley Spudowski. The physical comedy for which he would eventually be most well known is certainly on full display here.

The film is definitely worth a watch, even if it doesn't hold the same type of nostalgic kitsch that it does for me. You'll no doubt find a few chuckles, which is more than can be said for the films that pass for parody these days.

Score: 4 out of 5

That's right, 4 out of 5. Film snobs, be damned.