U.H.F.

US, 1989, 87 minutes, Colour.
Weird Al Yankovich, Kevin Mc Carthy, Victoria Jackson, Michael Richards, David Bowie.
Directed by Jay Levey.

U.H.F. is a spoof on American society, especially on American society, especially on American television society and consumers. It is a star vehicle for personality `Weird Al' Yankowic. Other members of the cast include Kevin Mc Carthy as a ruthless television tycoon and Victoria Jackson as the love interest.

The film spoofs quite a number of films, especially its opening stolen straight from Raiders of the Lost Ark. There is parody of Gone With The Wind and Rambo. There are also some amusing spoofs of television commercials as well as quizzes and children's programmes.

The style of the film is very broad, appealing to an American sense of fun. However, even with the broadness, there are some aspects of the plot and characterisation as well as the spoofs which may, at times, appeal to a wider audience than an American one.

1. Broad comedy? Spoof? Americans? Television?

2. The blend of fantasy and reality? Special effects and stunts? The musical score, the range of songs?

3. The basic plot, good and evil? The stance of the film against big tycoons? The stand for innocence? For the people? The U.H.F. band on television as symbolic of audience participation, against the networks?

4. `Weird Al' Yankowicz's portrait of George: the initial Indiana Jones parody and daydreaming? Singer? Rambo? The Gone With The Wind finale? Working at the burger joint, his being accident-prone and ousted? With his aunt and her help? The friendship with Teri, the clashes, forgetting to go out to dinner with her for her birthday? Inheriting the television station? His philosophy of television, his experiences? His friend Bob, getting the sack, helping him with the work at the television station? Going to deliver the parcel to J.R. Fletcher, humiliated? Befriending Stanley and giving him the job? The television ads: the promotions for Town Talk, the children's programme and his conducting of it and their boredom? Problems of money? Stanley going on and being a success? In the bar watching the audience enjoy Stanley? The philosophy of individual success? The ratings going up? The introduction of the programming: the animals programme, the jokes? Forgetting to go out with Teri? Fletcher's plot? The idea for the telethon, raising the money, Stan's support, his being kidnapped? Coping? The beggar who kept asking for change - and his supplying the final money against Fletcher? The uncle and the pressure from Big Louie, the midnight deadline, Fletcher being defeated? Teri and her help, reconciliation?

5. Stanley, his pride in his work as janitor, the taking of the mop, getting the sack, George giving him the job, his pride, going onto the kids' programme, his success? The telethon, his being captured, annoying his captors, seeing the mop? The happy ending?

6. Bob, more normal, working in the studio, the accounts, his help?

7. Teri, the dentist, hurt by George, going to see Fletcher, the reconciliation?

8. Fletcher and his boys, his meanness, jokes, sacking people, the ratings, his wanting to own the television station and make a parking lot, the deal with the uncle, the smooth talk, his being videoed with Teri and his abuse of the public, its being used, his humiliation and frustration, his being outwitted by the money - especially by the beggar when he gave him the special coin?

9. The staff: Philo, his experiments, videoing and jamming the airwaves? The extraterrestrial going back home? The dwarf and the camera work? Pam as secretary, her interviews, the finale?

10. The role of the people, their support of Channel 62, rallying with the telethon?

11. The martial arts friends, their television programme, coming to the rescue?

12. The programmes and the spoofs: the children's programme and George's failure, Stanley's success? The wheel of fish? The strange animals? Town Talk and the celebrities, the man sawing off his finger, etc?

13. The ads and the spoofs - recognisable?

14. The send-up of the movies and television programmes, The Beverly Hillbillies, music, the MTV video style ensemble?

15. The film's humorous and ironic comments on the television generation?