UHF (1989)

Directed by Jay Levey. Starring “Weird Al” Yankovic, Michael Richards, Kevin McCarthy, Victoria Jackson, David Bowe, Fran Drescher, Stanley Brock, Anthony Geary, Vance Colvig Jr., David Proval, John Paragon Jr., Grant James, Gedde Watanabe, Trinidad Silva, Sue Ane Langdon, Billy Barty. [PG-13]

“Weird Al,” the 1980s king of pop song/music video spoofs, makes the leap to feature films in this flimsy star vehicle that unsuccessfully casts him as an aimless dreamer put in charge of running a stagnant UHF television station. Against all common sense, his strange and random ideas—like having a slow-witted janitor (Richards) host a live kids’ program—translate to strong ratings, driving rival VHF boss McCarthy up the wall. Barely-there plot is just an excuse to string together a long series of TV, commercial, and movie parodies, few of which are humorous, and fewer of which aren’t one-note and obvious. Despite demonstrating charisma in his goofy video clips (“Eat It,” “Like a Surgeon,” etc.), Yankovic is pretty stiff playing a “normal guy” onscreen, and he’s not surrounded by an especially endearing group of supporting allies and weirdos. Even during the movie’s lone detour into the star’s comfort zone of music video send-ups, all it amounts to is a partial redo of Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing” video with the “Beverly Hillbillies” theme lyrics substituted in—what exactly is the joke? Yankovic scripted with director Levey. Dedicated to co-star Silva, whose role as a nutcase “animal expert” was cut down after the actor died in a car crash during production.

40/100