UHF 4K Review: Shout Factory Helps Bring Joy Decades Later

What can be said about UHF that hasn’t been said before? “Weird Al” Yankovic and his manager/the director of the film, Jay Levey, pulled off something that was originally released in 1989. Oh, simpler times. The film is a ridiculous, over-the-top film that has ascertained near-legendary cult status.

The comedy features Yankovic as George Newman in a classic village idiot scenario — walking into opportunities that should never come to him, failing way, way up, and somehow coming up on top, because in America, chaos reigns. Because his rich uncle won a local TV station in a poker game and didn’t know what to do with it, he and his wife (really, the wife’s decision) gives it to Newman to manage. 

At the same time, Stanley Spadowski, an even more breathtaking village idiot played by Michael Richards (Seinfeld), gets fired from his dream job as janitor by Kevin McCarthy’s (the original 1956 Invasion of the Body Snatchers) R.J. Fletcher. This character is the owner and manager of the rival, big-time TV station, and is played with relentless evil, narcissistic glee. I can only imagine what a great time McCarthy had playing such a cartoonish villain, and normally that’s something said about a flat character, but he plays it with such charisma and gusto, that you can’t look away.

The same can be said about Richard’s Spadowski, but oh, with so much more emphasis. Holy shit. Imagine Forrest Gump in Pee Wee’s Playhouse having a non-stop manic attack fueled by speed. It’s both horrifying and compelling to watch.

Anyway, Newman runs into Spadowski at Fletcher’s station after he’s been fired, immediately hires him, and eventually asks him to fill in for himself on a failing local kids’ show. Of course, “Stanley Spadowski’s Clubhouse” show is a huge hit, as are other new channel 62 programs, like “Wheel of Fish”  — spin the wheel and take home a huge dead fish — or take what’s in the box! And there’s “Raul’s Wild Kingdom,” where an ordinary guy has too many pets in his apartment and decides to try to teach dogs to fly — by tossing them out his window.

Along the way, Newman struggles, loses his girlfriend Teri (Victoria Jackson, SNL), and in the most ‘80s plot ever, has to raise money to save the TV station from being acquired by the mob due to his rich uncle’s poor business decisions. The plot itself is mostly predictable, but the TV skits are absolutely insane. All in all, UHF is a laugh-out-loud good time. And we all need some laughter, now more than ever.

As for the picture, there’s some flickering and small anomalies in the beginning of the film, in the Indiana Jones spoof segment. But as the film progresses, we’re in good territory, with most of the scenes looking like they were shot this year. Especially beautiful are the mechanical lab scenes; the lighting and colors are vivid, and these shots look pristine.

And now UHF is available in a limited edition (with slipcase) 4K and Blu-ray combo release for all you fellow weirdos to enjoy, at home, whenever you want. No streaming service will ever take it away from you, either, which is the real joy of physical media. Once you buy it, it’s yours, unlike those phantom streaming libraries that can evaporate even if you “bought it.” No, we live in an era of unchecked corporate greed. You can hold your physical media in your hands, hug it if necessary, show it to friends, and press play whenever you like. It won’t disappear like so much sand blowing in the wind.

Let’s check out the…

Bonus Features for UHD/Blu-ray

DISC ONE (4K UHD):

• NEW 4K Scan Of The Original 35mm Camera Negative

• Audio Commentary With "Weird Al" Yankovic And Director Jay Levey

DISC TWO (BLU-RAY):

• NEW 4K Scan Of The Original 35mm Camera Negative

• Retrospective Panel From San Diego Comic-Con 2014

• Audio Commentary With "Weird Al" Yankovic And Director Jay Levey

• Deleted Scenes

• Behind-The-Scenes Footage

• Music Video

• Production Stills

• Easter Eggs

• Promotional Materials

The 2014 SDCC panel was lengthy, but entertaining and somewhat cringey due to the questions and comments of the audience, but Yankovic and panel moderator Jonah Ray (Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, Suitable Flesh) handle any weirdness like the pros they are. 

The music video for UHF is a lot of fun, and the deleted scenes should be watched; one of them features actor John Paragon (Pee-Wee's Playhouse, also Seinfeld) as one of Fletcher’s beaten-down sons, Richard Fletcher, guffawing out such a ridiculous villainous laugh in it that you just might scream at the comedic belligerence on display.

If you’d like to add this rad 4K/Blu-ray combo of UHF to your physical media collection, just head on over to our friends at Shout Factory.

You can also choose from more deluxe packages if you're a super fan, too. One contains an exclusive 18” x 24” rolled poster of the original theatrical artwork, a second exclusive 18” x 24” rolled poster featuring a new design, two slipcovers, a retro prism sticker, a Smell-O-Vision Sticker Set, a collectible Spatula Factory fridge magnet, and a Remote Control Stress Relief Collectible squishy.