UHF

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Traveta reviews

UHF
Distributed by
MGM

    Cover

  • Cert: PG-13
  • Cat.no: 1003515
  • Running time: 97 minutes
  • Year: 1989
  • Pressing: 2002
  • Region(s): 1, NTSC
  • Chapters: 27
  • Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
  • Languages: English, Spanish. French
  • Subtitles: English, Spanish. French
  • Disc Side A: Widescreen: 1.85:1
  • Disc Side B: Fullscreen: 4:3
  • 16:9-Enhanced: Yes
  • Macrovision: No
  • Disc Format: DVD 18
  • Price: $14.99
  • Extras: Audio commentary by Al Yankovic, director JayLevey, Emo Phillips, Michael Richards, VictoriaJackson. Making-of featurette, deleted scenes,production materials, theatrical trailer, productionstills, easter eggs, interactive menus, and sceneselection.

    Director:

      Jay Levey

Screenplay:

    “Weird Al” Yankovic and Jay Levey

Cast:

    George Newman: “Weird Al” Yankovic
    Teri: Victoria Jackson
    R.J. Fletcher: Kevin McCarthy
    Stanley Spadowski: Michael Richards
    Bob: David Bowe
    Uncle Harvey: Stanley Brock
    Philo: Anthony Geary
    Noodles Macintosh: Billy Barty
    Richard Fletcher: John Paragon
    Pamela Finklestein: Fran Drescher
    Aunt Esther: Sue Ane Langdon
    Raul Hernandez: Trinidad Silva
    Kuni: Gedde Watanabe

UHFis one of those 80s movies that has garnered acult status over the years. Other 80s films like thisare: Howard the Duck, Big Trouble in Little China andJohn Carpenter’s The Thing just to name a few. Being apilot for Weird Al Yankovic I’m not suprised it didn’texactly ignite the box office, being released in 1989amidst the biggest summer season of all time. Filmslike Indiana Jones and Batman were debuting and it’snot suprising why a little film like UHF was shovedaway. It soon found it’s audience when it was releasedon VHS, Beta and Laserdisc in January 1990. Sincethen the film has been a fan-favorite. When MGM pickedup Orion’s hefty film vault which included films like:Bill and Ted’s Excellent AdventureandRobocop,I think they definitely knew UHF would sell.

Written by Yankovic along with agent Levey, UHF tellsthe story of George Newman (Yankovic) who inherits a TVstudio from his Uncle Harvey who won the deed in apoker match. Newman’s imagination cannot save thestudio and it begins to flounder even more than itever did. That is until he discovers StanleySpadowski (Michael Richards) and his knack for beingthe perfect child show host. The station becomes asuccess and starts airing shows like Raul Hernandez’sWild Animals which features a hilarious scene whenRaul shakes up an ant farm. Other shows include aJerry Spinger-like show (wonder if Springer was aroundin ’89) and Wheel of Fish. The plot is pretty much cut-and-pastebut still gives a very good time.

Into the disc. The video on this MGM disc is prettystandard for them. Most of their old titles aren’tvery good in the picture department but this isn’tthat bad. Minor grain here and there and occasionalsoftness pop up at times. But overall not thatdistracting or anything. At least you can tell MGMtakes a little time in cleaning up the print fortransfer time.

The sound, on the other hand, is great. Again youdon’t need much on a comedy but everything is audibleand loud when it should be. Explosions in the Rambofantasy are thundering and dialouge is audible.

The extras are really great. I wish MGM had put thismuch care into the extras of such discs like both Billand Ted movies orEscape From New York.Very plentiful extras like deleted scenes (hosted by Yankovic and arereally funny), production materials which show theposters, plus theatrical trailers. MGM clearlyrecognized that this is a cult favorite and that manypeople would be interested. I have two complaintsabout the extras though. First, the behind-the scenefeaturette is worthless, running at a mere 3 minutes.Second, you have to flip the disc over for the deletedscenes. But these gripes are very minor.

Overall, this film is very funny. A great film thatwill definitely be appreciated now. I wish that WeirdAl could have made more movies because he does have avery good sense of humor (watch his music videos likeAmish Paradise and Fat). I miss these type of movies thathave been replaced by the worthless teen moviegarbage (all Freddie Prinze Jr. movies,American Pie).

You went to see these movies to just laugh at it’scleaverness and not it’s gross-out factor. Definitelycheck this out since it is only $14.95 but I got mineat Best Buy for only $9.99. You won’t be dissapointed.Oh yeah and here’s a link to all the easter eggs youcan find: http://www.dvdeastereggs.com/showEgg.php?eggid=721&grabEggs=u

FILM CONTENT
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS


OVERALL
Review copyright © Traveta, 2002.

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