UHF (1989)

55% of critics liked it
(22 reviews)
72% of users liked it
(48,231 ratings)

UHF is the film debut of comedy rock satirist Weird Al Yankovic, who also co-wrote the screenplay. George Newman (Yankovic) and his friend Bob (David Bowe from The Cable Guy) are fired from their jobs at Burger World. So George decides to take over Channel 62, a failing local TV station that his… More UHF is the film debut of comedy rock satirist Weird Al Yankovic, who also co-wrote the screenplay. George Newman (Yankovic) and his friend Bob (David Bowe from The Cable Guy) are fired from their jobs at Burger World. So George decides to take over Channel 62, a failing local TV station that his uncle Harvey (Stanley Brock) won in a poker game. George turns it around into an overnight success after letting the janitor, Stanley Spadowski (Michael Richards from Seinfeld), host a kid's show. George then fills the broadcast day with bizarre programming, bringing the ratings up and saving the station. Soon, rival station CEO R.J. Fletcher (Kevin McCarthy) of Channel 8 threatens to sabotage the successful station, and George must come up with a way to save it. Only loosely constructed around this storyline, UHF is mostly a series of TV, movie, and music parodies strung together and played for cheap laughs. UHF also stars Victoria Jackson, Emo Philips, and Fran Drescher. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 37 min.
Directed By: Jay Levey
Written By: Jay Levey
Genres: Television, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1989 Wide
On DVD: Jun 4, 2002
Studio: Orion Pictures Corporation

Critic Reviews

Brian Orndorf, BrianOrndorf.com
Literally everything but the kitchen sink, and while it doesn't always hit the sweetest notes of inspiration, it maintains a lovable spiritedness and offers the odd gut-buster. And dumb guy humor. UHF has some of the best dumb guy humor around.
Stefan Birgir Stefansson, sbs.is
I liked it even after all those years
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Forgettable Weird Al starrer...enUHF, please!
Michael A. Smith, Nolan's Pop Culture Review
"Today, we're teaching poodles how to fly!" Michael Richards is hilarious.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Watchably amusing, nothing more.
Luke Y. Thompson, New Times
If the idea of a Weird Al movie is anathema to you, just don't bother reading anything I write, ever.
Clint Morris, Moviehole
Weird Al again proves himself the king of skit, spoof and everything in between
James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette
Scattershot satire

Read all 8 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

AJ V

If you love weird Al songs, you have to see this movie! It's so much fun, it has a bunch of movie and TV spoofs featuring him, within another funny story as well. It's cool.
Michael E

goofy and very hysterical, you have to be in the right mood to watch it because its so silly, but hey that's Weird al in a nutshell
Tim S

Anything that's quotable is gonna last, and this movie is endlessly quotable.
Derek D

Watchable starring vehicle for Weird Al, who was virtually untouchable in the 80's. It's barely even funny, though back in the day I loved to sit and watch this thing (oh how times and tastes change) and relies extensively on parodies that can only take a movie so far.
Greg S

Walter Mitty-style daydreamer George (Weird Al Yankovic) becomes manager of an independent television station, and his bizarre programming becomes a surprise hit. Good spoof for both kids and adults, with surprisingly offbeat humor and lots of parodies of 1980s hit movies.
Douglas W C

MY MOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jason S

It had some really funny parts but I didn't think the movie on a whole was all that good.
Lafe F

Weird Al becomes the manager of a run-down TV station, and revitalizes it with original weird and wacky television programming. It's really oddball hit-or-miss humour. Michael Richards (Kramer from Seinfeld) plays a goofy janitor who rises to the occassion. It includes the music… More
Weird Al becomes the manager of a run-down TV station, and revitalizes it with original weird and wacky television programming. It's really oddball hit-or-miss humour. Michael Richards (Kramer from Seinfeld) plays a goofy janitor who rises to the occassion. It includes the music video "The Beverley Hillbillies", a takeoff of the Dire Straits "Money for Nothing" video. Weird and wonderful cult film.
Steve K

One of the very few movies that makes me laugh every time. It's like comfort food. Weird Al is the best!
Curtis L

Pretty funny stupid humor.
Tim B

Plenty of "Weird Al" parody and silliness for all.
danny d

classic comedy, underrated and totally hilarious. you'll be repeating lines from this flick for the rest of your life
Curt C

Pretty funny wacky humor. The plot is trash but Yankovic is very funny.
Doctor S

Weird Al has much better musical parody ideas than for film, but offers a couple laughs here & there. First place I ever saw Michael Richards who plays a slow janitor with a deep emotional attachment to his blue-handled mop, I still remember & chuckle over the moment where he… More
Weird Al has much better musical parody ideas than for film, but offers a couple laughs here & there. First place I ever saw Michael Richards who plays a slow janitor with a deep emotional attachment to his blue-handled mop, I still remember & chuckle over the moment where he retrieves it from the bad guys and swings it back & forth with the sound effects of a lightsaber.

Read all 14 featured audience ratings

Cast

            Weird Al Yankovic as George Newman

            Michael Richards as Stanley Spadowski

            Kevin McCarthy as R.J. Fletcher

            Anthony Geary as Philo

            Victoria Jackson as Teri

            David Bowe as Bob

            Stanley Brock as Uncle Harvey

            Trinidad Silva as Raul Hernandez

            Gedde Watanabe as Kuni

            Billy Barty as Noodles MacIntosh

            John Paragon as Richard Fletcher

            Fran Drescher as Pamela Finklestein

            Sue Ane Langdon as Aunt Esther

            David Proval as Head Thug

            Grant James as Killer Thug

            Emo Philips as Joe Earley

            Jay Levey as Gandhi

            Belinda Bauer as Mud Wrestler

            John Cadenhead as Crazy Ernie

            Roger Callard as Conan the Librarian

            Vance Colvig as Bum

            Dr. Demento as Whipped Cream Eater

            Tony Frank as Teri's Father

            Ivan Green as Earl Ramsey

            Nik Hagler as FCC Man

            M.G. Kelly as Promo Announcer

            Joe Restivo as Guide

            Robert Frank as Timid Man

            Robert Weiss as Bartender

            Jim Ross as Promo Announcer

            Sara Allen as Spatula Neighbor

            Francis M. Carlson as Blind Man

            Wilma Jeanne Cummins as Little Old Lady

            Sherry Engstrom as Spatula Wife

            Barry Friedman as Fletcher Crony

            Jay Gardner as Promo Announcer

            Eldon G. Hallum as Spatula Husband

            John Harlan as Promo Announcer

            Bob Hungerford as Sy Greenblum

            Nancy Johnson as Big Edna

            Harry Kipper as Kipper Kid

            Travis Knight as Billy

            Adam Maras as Joel Miller

            Bob Maras as Thug

            Debbie Mathieu as Betty

            Jeff Maynard as Boy with Books

            Kevin Roden as Fletcher Crony

            Tony Salome as Guide

            Lisa R. Stefanic as Phyllis Weaver

            Cliff Stephens as Animal Deliveryman

            Billie Lee Thrash as Teri's Mother

            Lori Wagner as Mud Wrestler

            Lou B. Washington as Cameraman

            Joseph Witt as Little Weasel

            Michael Cutler
            
            Barbara Hanley
            
            Cathy Henderson
            
            George Fisher as Thug

            Charles Marsh as Yodeler

            Victoria Jackson (I)
            
            David Bowie
            
See full cast

UHF (1989)

Critic Reviews

Featured Audience Ratings

Cast

Trailers & Clips