Sometimes there are movies that are so niche you wonder how and why they ever got made. Not to say that there isn’t merit, but most of the time people don’t go out of their way to make a cult classic. There is nothing wrong with cult classics, they just usually have a harder time returning their investment, but more often than not, those types of movies have the most passionate of fan bases. I am not going to sit here and pretend I know everyone’s fascination/obsession/love of the creative mastermind Weird Al Yankovic, but I feel it would be safe to say that if someone released a different version of any of his filmography or even a bonus track on an old CD, the fans would certainly make it their mission to add the newest edition to their collection.
What boggles the mind is that UHF (1989) is somehow 35 years old, something that is just so shocking because time no longer makes sense. With the 35th anniversary of UHF, Shout! Studios decided to grace the world with Al’s first leading role in a stunning 4K restoration about the little tv station that could, and thus we have another cult classic on 4K in the books. The movie is quite simple, though. It focuses on George Newman (Weird Al Yankovic), who, along with his long-time friend, Bob (David Bowe), is given the deed to a television station. The old UHF television station is in a rundown, messy area, and broadcasts on channel 62, but George wants to make the most of it and the characters who are still with the station, including Pamela Finklestein (Fran Drescher), cameraman Noodles (Billy Barty), and Philo (Anthony Geary), and make sure they get to be the most talked about television station in the nation. He goes ahead and hires Stanley Spadowski (Michael Richards), who used to work at UHF Channel 8, to create and perform a children show, which becomes a sensation. However, R.J Fletcher (Kevin McCarthy) is the owner of Channel 8 and hates that his former employee is successful and that channel 62 is stealing his spotlight, and he will stop at no cost to ensure their demise.
If you’ve never seen UHF but are a fan of Weird Al and his newest feature, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022), then it shouldn’t be a question as to whether you need to obtain UHF or not. Granted, Weird is a more cohesive movie which focuses on the man behind the accordion, whereas UHF is a Weird Al project more through and through, but the enjoyment level is equal. There is so much Weird Al lore and love in UHF. It creates such a world of madness that only Al fans can truly appreciate and understand, a movie that is absolutely one of its kind and enjoyable for anyone who likes the antics of Al on and off screen, as well as his brand of humor.
Now to get to the nitty gritty of things. Shout! Studios has created four different versions for consumers to buy of UHF. There is the standard UHD/4K copy which comes housed in a beautiful slipcover while the next price point includes two posters, an alternative slipcover, a prism sticker, and a scratch and sniff sheet, the next edition up includes all the aforementioned and a 3×3 Spatula City collectible magnet and a 6” high UHF remote control stress relief collectible. For the true die-hard UHF/Al fanatics is the edition that comes with all of that AND an enamel pin set (limited to 500 units). Something Shout! Studios does really well is release the movies in different variations for levels of fandom and bonus physical things while not gatekeeping any of the features or movies for the fans themselves.
While talking about the movie itself, this 4K transfer is sharp. It is lean and crisp. While the grain is noticeably gone, its not smoothed over and, thankfully, it doesn’t have that motion smoothing attribute transfers sometimes suffer from. This transfer is truly fantastic and allows audiences to get lost in Channel 62 in a whole new way — Ultra High Def! This was done by remastering the original 35 mm negative, and it truly has never looked better. As far as extras, they are the same as the previous Shout! Studios Blu-ray, but the transfer more than makes up for the lack of new features.
UHF 4K UHD Blu-ray Combo Special Features:
4K UHD Disc:
- *NEW* 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative
- Audio Commentary with Weird Al Yankovic and Director Jay Levey
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
Available on 4K UHD Blu-ray Combo and various bundle July 2nd, 2024.
For more information, head to the official Shout! Studios UHF webpage.
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Categories: Home Release, Recommendation
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