"Of all the arts, movies are the most powerful aid to empathy, and good ones make us better people."
-- Roger Ebert, The Great Movies

Saturday, October 24, 2015

UHF


  • Title:  UHF
  • Director:  Jay Levey
  • Date:  1989
  • Studio:  Orion Pictures (DVD released by MGM)
  • Genre:  Comedy
  • Cast:  "Weird Al" Yankovic (created as Al Yankovic), Victoria Jackson, Kevin Mccarthy, Michael Richards, David Bowe, Anthony Geary, Trinidad Silva, Gedde Watanabe, Billy Barty, Fran Drescher
  • Format:  Color, Widescreen
  • DVD Format:  R1, NTSC


"This is even better than I imagined!" - George

"Sweetheart, take my advice, broads don't belong in broadcasting." - Fletcher's thug to Pamela

"I never should have taken this job. I should have known it would turn out like all the others. You know, for a short time there, I really thought this was going to be different. I just don't know anymore." - George

UHF  is a underdog story about a UHF television station and the misfits who end-up working there. However, today many people might not even know what a UHF station is. Back in the days before cable when all television was local and not national, picture tube television sets had two dials - VHF (very high frequency) and UHF (ultra high frequency). The VHF dial consisted of numbers 2 - 13 and was where the locally-owned network affiliates were found. A locally-owned network affiliate was owned by a local business person or group and they bought network programming during prime time, but ran whatever they wanted otherwise (usually re-runs). The UHF dial (channels 14 - whatever) was home to all sorts of unusual channels that were also locally owned (and may even have a network affiliation) in my area we had a channel 35 which was an PBS affiliate and a channel 41 which was an ABC affiliate. But often the UHF band also supported various local channels that catered to a specific audience: news, sports, minority broadcasting, etc. In major cities the local VHF or UHF stations often were the first to jump to cable and become national "Superstations" (for example WWGN (Ch 9) in Chicago - famous for running Cubs baseball, WTBS in Atlanta, WWOR in New York, etc.).

UHF, the film, is about one of these small, independent stations - but more than that it's about the people who end up there and how they actually care about what they are doing. George Newman (Weird Al) is an idealistic dreamer. He goes from job to job, constantly getting fired for daydreaming rather than concentrating on his boring work. Bob is his friend. After they are fired from their job at Burger World, George is suddenly given what he thinks will be his golden opportunity: his Uncle Harvey wins a television station in a high stakes poker game. George's aunt convinces Harvey to let George run the station, Channel 62.

Channel 62 is a mess. Fran Drescher is Pamela Finkelstein, the secretary who was hired with the promise of a job in news. When George and Bob arrive no one else works at the station except the engineer, Philo, who seems very strange, even to George. But George, who is at heart, just a very nice guy, assembles a group of great people and gives them the opportunity to shine. This includes Billy Barty as Noodles the Cameraperson who works with Pamela, now the station's news reporter, Stanley the Janitor - who was fired by the cross town network affiliate "Channel 8" president, JR Fletcher.

George sees that they are only running re-runs, and decides to launch new live shows. At first, this only goes so well. But then, after a particularly bad day, George puts Stanley in charge of the kiddie playhouse show. Stanley is a hit, and soon, "Stanley Spadowski's Clubhouse" becomes a ratings blockbuster. George adds in other new shows, including "Wheel of Fish" hosted by his friend, Kani, who also runs a karate studio; and Raul's Wild Kingdom, as well as various movies such as: "Conan the Librarian" and "Gandhi II".

UHF moves quickly between George's daydreams - such as the opening parody of Indiana Jones, or later George's "Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies" music video; unbelievable commercials, promos for various shows, and brief excerpts of the programs on U62, and it's main story, which is an underdog story for George and his friends - where nice guys do finish first.

As George and Bob create more original programming, they get more and more attention, and when the ratings come out U62 is at the top in the local market, with five shows in the top five. George and Bob and stunned. But just as everything seems to be going perfectly, Uncle Harvey loses at the racetrack and needs $75,000 to pay his bookie.

Meanwhile, RJ Fletcher, the owner and manager of network affiliate channel 8, who has proved himself to be a nasty piece of work, with no redeeming features whatsoever (and who keeps, through his own arrogance and disregard for others - handing opportunities to George, who's very niceness turns to his own advantage) is angry about channel 62 beating him in the ratings, which he takes as a personal affront. He offers to buy the station from Harvey so he can pay his bookie.

George convinces Harvey to at least let him match Fletcher's offer. He and his friends then hold a telethon, raising money by selling stock in the station at $10.00/share. Despite difficulties, at the last minute they are up to $73,000 and change. Then a bum, who's been seen collecting change throughout the movie, gives them the last $2000 they need. It seems the penny RJ had given him as an insult was an ultra-rare coin worth a fortune. RJ could have still gotten his station (which he then was going to destroy) but he first goes to gloat at and insult the assembled crowd. George sneaks over to the bookie's car, gives him the money, gets the contract and Harvey signs it over.

Meanwhile, Philo had also installed cameras at RJ's office and recorded him saying very insulting things about the local community. This footage is not only played on Channel 8's own signal, over-writing his broadcast signal, but it's the primary evidence when the FCC agent shows up and revokes Fletcher's licence (we can assume, since the man shows up and rather than fining Fletcher for not re-applying for his broadcasting licence - he revokes it.) Philo walks off after saying goodbye to George and Teri (George's girlfriend) and disappears in a beam of light. Pamela reports on the story of the end of Fletcher's media career.

UHF  is really a simply underdog story. And it's the story of a man finding his way in the universe. But it's also a story about good people, and how just simply being nice, and kind, and considerate will bring good things. There's also a lot of sight gags, some physical comedy, and even some wordplay. It's an enjoyable family film.

This is a B film, however. Although there are some well-known names in the film (Fran Drescher, Victoria Jackson, Kevin McCarthy, Anthony Geary) it's mostly "Weird Al"'s movie - almost as if he and his friends got together to make a film. But even so, it's enjoyable and fun.

Recommendation: If comedy's your thing, See it.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
Next Film: Van Helsing