BONUS EPISODE: "UHF"

This is literally the first I've heard of anyone besides 1989 film critics having bad feelings about what I always thought was a universally beloved cult classic. I guess I grew up hitting that Weird Al Kool-Aid pretty hard.

I feel UHF is underrated, but I have problems with it too, and personally, I don't think any of those problems were Weird Al's fault. He made an 80s comedy movie, and 80s comedies had obligatory trends they usually followed. I guess Al could've held off on making his movie until the 90s, but the 80s were his golden years, so it makes more sense to do it then, 80s movies regularly rub me the wrong way for reasons I can't quite explain completely, but I think the most glary issue with UHF that exemplifies it is this. Skits like the Rambo sequence, while funny, aren't stuff that's airing on the UHF channel. It's stuff that has nothing to do with the UHF channel. The opening Indiana Jones bit gets a pass since that's a pretty awesome way to open a movie, and they needed some set up before Al's character gets the UHF channel. But stuff like the Money for Nothing parody just distract from the main premise of the movie. And that sucks cuz it's a really great premise for a zany comedy, but executed only half way. I guess they figured they needed to spend some time away from the UHF stuff to give the movie some "substance". But the silly "unsubstantial" stuff like Conan the Barbarian and Spatula City IS the substance. I'm not saying the movie should've done away with basic stuff like having a villain, but for half of UHF, its own title is a lie. While it's a dated concept, I'm 24 currently, and I got what a UHF channel was easily enough, and what its place in history was. So I feel the title was actually a really good one, as opposed to what Al thought of it. It's just that, if you're going to name a movie UHF, it should have that be what's on screen wall-to-wall. It's like how other classic 80s movies only go half way with their premises, despite being pretty overall good. Like how Highlander is about this epic fight in New York City between these master swordsmen, but there's only. like, 4 of them, and there're not that many sword fights that happen in New York. Or like how a lot of Ghostbusters is just about the main characters, mostly Venkman, being jackasses. 80s movies just had a hard time focusing on their own premises, and bogged themselves down, which ain't Al's fault. I will say I also agree that Weird Al's character, and several other characters are given some weak writing. But at the end of the day it's a harmlessly silly zany comedy, so I don't get the intense hate for it either.

JasSpy

The original '68 movie got adapted into a broadway show, which then got adapted into a movie, which is probably what you're thinking of. The musical is great (I got to be in two different productions of it, one in high school and one in theater camp) but the movie-musical, not so much.

Gabriel Schleifer

A film of icing and no cake. That's the problem, each individual part could be a great throwaway scene for another comedy. UHF the film reminds me very much of a knockoff SCTV. I would absolutely love to see a UHF remake much like the new bill and Ted film. Just a washed up UHF "Star" trying to do something.

ABear

Is there another producer's film other than the Mel Brooks film? I remember a number of songs that just exist in the external narrative and don't exist in the play, like Make it Gay.

ABear

I date myself, I was actual in the audience for a local UHF station back when I was about 10 (didn't get the fire-hose though). Weird Al is zany, but the best of his songs are usually working on 2 or 3 levels. One of which is how good a musical mimic he and the band are. UHF suffers from bad pacing editing etc.. But what I miss from his songs is that he isn't really stepping outside his material to put an interesting angle on a plot that was old before TV was color. Going zany also dents his fine touch on picking the right tone for the material. "Skipper Dan" is funny, and sad and mildly depressing the older you are. Compare to "50,000 pounds of bananas" which is similar in theme, and sabotaged by the singer smiling wistfully at how silly the situation is.

Andrew Dederer

The Theme of the Movie aged badly, but the Jokes (especially the references) didn't. I still love it though!

Sauwercraud

You've now done two of my top ten all time favorite movies. Now you HAVE to do The Producers (the original. I know it' s not a musical, but it's ABOUT a musical! It counts!).

Gabriel Schleifer

There's a Bee Gees documentary coming out on HBO December 12th directed by the same guy behind Benjamin Button and Seabiscuit that maybe you guys could add for a future bonus episode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5tncybE7Wg