UHF
A daydreaming eccentric turns a failing local television station into a wildly improvised community sensation while battling a ruthless network mogul.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- None
- anarchic
- irreverent
- surreal
- cult movie night
- comedy marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film bizarre and energetically anarchic but too uneven and sketch-like to sustain a feature-length narrative.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The station's programs, music-video spoofs, game-show riffs, and comic bits function as linked short-form sketches within the station-saving plot.
George and his friends use Channel 62's eccentric local programming and a public telethon to resist R.J. Fletcher's attempt to eliminate the station.
Stanley Spadowski's manic antics, bizarre programs, and escalating station conflicts embody the film's broad slapstick approach.
Channel 62 becomes the town's favorite station through eccentric community programming rather than polished network production.
Films like UHF, and why
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
anarchic slapstick, sketch-like structure, and irreverent parody humor
Pee-wee's Big Adventure
surreal television satire, eccentric characters, and broad comic invention
Wayne's World
offbeat underdog comedy built around exaggerated performance and unconventional humor
Movie Details
- Director
- Jay Levey
- Release Date
- 1989-07-21
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (434)
Cast
- 'Weird Al' Yankovic
- Kevin McCarthy
- Michael Richards
- David Bowe
- Stanley Brock
- Anthony Geary
- Trinidad Silva
- Gedde Watanabe
- Billy Barty
- John Paragon
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is UHF about?
- A daydreaming eccentric turns a failing local television station into a wildly improvised community sensation while battling a ruthless network mogul.
- What is UHF like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of UHF as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is UHF violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in UHF.
- What did critics think of UHF?
- Critics broadly found the film bizarre and energetically anarchic but too uneven and sketch-like to sustain a feature-length narrative.
- Which films are like UHF?
- Films with a similar feel include The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, Pee-wee's Big Adventure, and Wayne's World.
- How long is UHF?
- UHF runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch UHF?
- In United States, UHF is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
