I am so sick of people spweing that quote on every video on youtube involving Weird Al. Not that I don't agree with the line, itself, but after hearing it over and over and over and over again, I am just sick of hearing it. Not to mention the fact that it comes from one of the _worst_ Simpsons episodes ever made.
"UHF" Wasn't the name of the station. The name was U62. It was called that because on the old TVs in the US, back when antennae were used, there were two settings - VHF and UHF. The VHF stations (i.e. the low channel numbers) were typically the major networks, while the UHF (i.e. the high channel numbers) were often more local or small-time stations.
They still use VHF and UHF. The signals are broadcast digitally now. But UHF only goes up to 36 now as the upper stations were sold off for cell phones.
@@CraftAero My TV dial on my old cathode ray tube TV also went up to 83. But in Dallas, Tx, l only got reception up to 68. In June of 2006, the USA switched from analog to digital . Now we have DTV . (Digital Terrestrial Television). I actually got one woman 89 channels for free with nothing but a set of rabbit ear indoor antenna near a window . It didn't even need a signal amplifier. Unbelievable! I myself still get about 53 channels and I live way out in the country. I use a DTV digital directional Antenna.
1. The actor when played Conan the Librarian is the uncle of one of my good friends. He was a bodybuilder and he visited our 5th grade class to talk about his career. (Before UHF came out.) 2. One Valentine’s Day, I bought my wife a bouquet of spatulas. No better way to say,”I love you!”
It's amazing how Weird Al has outlasted the very musical acts he's spent decades parodying. So glad I FINALLY got to see him perform live a few years ago on the "All Strings Attached" tour.
I got to meet him during the Mandatory Fun tour. I'm in the 501st Legion and he called us up to get some troopers, Vader, etc, on stage with him. I didn't have my costume at the time but I still got to hang out backstage, saw him perform from the sidestage, etc. It was awesome meeting him in person.
Personally, being an 80s Child and growing up with his music, I’ve always thought that Weird Al has never gotten enough credit for his non-parody songs; or what people refer to as “pastiche:” Dare To Be Stupid Stuck In A Closet With Vanna White One More Minute You Don’t Love Me Anymore Don’t Download This Song Bob Melanie Pancreas Everything You Know Is Wrong The Night Santa Went Crazy I Remember Larry And, of course, UHF itself!! I could have kept going! These were just the songs that always pop into my head. I’m not suggesting that Minty only knows Weird Al as a parody artist, but too many people do and, in my opinion, that leaves out scores of awesome songs!
yeah, the theater I saw it in was pretty empty too - maybe like 4 groups of people. I also remember the film being delayed by about 45 minutes because of technical issues, so they let us wander into other movies while they sorted things out.
"Embarrassment to your country" in that context and tone is a badge of honor and actually means "national treasure." Congratulations, Minty! Well done, mate.
My husband and I are from the States, and we understand every word you say, mate! We love your shenanigans and content! As for your costume today- "peanut butter jelly time"! ❤
UHF parodies so many things from the 80's that it's unintentionally a kind of "Time Capsule" of the 1980's that one could use as a launching point to teach history and the pop culture of the 1980s
@@anthonyward8853 The amusing thing is that Blazing Saddles was parodying Legend of the Sierra Madre, but Blazing Saddles was such a huge hit everyone thinks that's where it came from.
I love the Indiana bit. Him whipping the guy’s arm off, he whips off the guy’s right arm. But the arm that lands on the ground is a left arm. Hilarious.
@@THRASHMETALFUNRIFFS AM is amplitude Modulation. the modulation of a wave by varying its amplitude, used chiefly as a means of radio broadcasting, in which an audio signal is combined with a carrier wave. FM the modulation of a radio or other wave by variation of its frequency, especially to carry an audio signal You can transmit FM or AM in VHF or UHF VHF stand for a frequency range Very High Frequency Is between 30 to 300 megahertz. UHF is Ultra High Frequency range. Between 300 megahertz (MHz) and 3 gigahertz You can transmit AM or FM inside of these frequency ranges.
I saw this three times in the theater. We went to a matinee with a bunch of HS friends, and there were 5 of us... and like 2 old folks who probably walked into the wrong theater. We were ROARING with laughter at the movie, and laughed even harder when the old folks in the back row walked out mumbling about what a piece of "expletive" the movie was. Greatest. Movie. Experience. Ever.
I'm old, and I love Weird Al Yankovic . My kid is a Millennial, and he loves Weird Al too. The movie was so neglected back in the day. It was great. And I bet you youngsters don't even now what UHF is, let alone try and tune in a channel on an old TV Set.
Asking someone to tune a digital monitor to a radio frequency today is like asking a kid in the seventies if they used carrier pigeons to warn their village of the incoming red coats.
No one asked anyone to do it, Krit. It's just a bit of "lost knowledge" a bit like dial-up pretty much is. Or remotes that were wired to the 📺that had an individual button for each channel. HAGD 👍
I've actually met a couple of Millenials that know what uhf/vhf is and how to use it/both, but they weren't suburbanites. Raised rural and poor w/ their parents raising them with Gen X morals and values. Sort of like a Vaquita: very rarely seen and you wouldn't know it if you did see one. 😂
Holy sh*t, that guy from the message really does sound like John Cusack. No wonder it kind of sounded familiar, I just watched a scene from High Fidelity and honestly he sounds like he just got his heart broken again. ¡DAMN!
Thank you, Minty! Who doesn’t love Weird Al?! Briefly, “UHF” was like the UA-cam of the PRE-cable TV era when I was growing up in the 70s/early 80s. TVs were like radios, you had to “tune” them in. The VHF channels were the big ones (ABC, NBC, CBS), even before Fox came along! The UHF were all the local stations. Some would barely be visible, even if you fiddled with the “rabbit ears” (anttenae), but others came in just well enough to watch some old cartoons, Gilligan’s Island reruns, or what have you. I spent much of my childhood going ‘round and ‘round that dial and it’s probably where I caught my first glimpse of Godzilla and Doctor Who too! 🤗 Cable TV was such a step up when we all got it! We are absolutely spoiled for choice these days, but your channel is always worth “tuning in”! 🍻
It's ironic because I gave up on cable some time ago and along with streaming, I've started watching broadcast TV and all the major channels have sub channels that feel like the old UHF stations we grew up with showing tons of old classic TV. The more things change...
I absolutely loved this movie when it came out and watch it at least every couple of years. In fact every year for the last 24 years, I have bought my wife a spatula for our wedding anniversary because “What better way to say I love you then with the gift of a spatula?”
When an angry Fletcher demands, “Take that ridiculous thing off,” his lackey, rather than remove the cowboy hat with the raccoon tail dangling from it, sadly peels off his fake mustache. That bit is comedy gold.
While I don't listen to a lot of Weird Al's music (although he is a musical genius), I have to say this movie is absolutely fantastic! This film was the template for modern parody films and deserves all the accolades it can get. Emo Phillips doing the shop teacher segments and the Spatula City commercial are forever burned into my brain (no matter how long it's been since I've seen the film). Thanks for the video Minty, great job!
This movie was sadly at the end of UHF stations being relevant. If it had been retooled to be a public access cable channel it would have been right at the cusp of a new thing. Sadly neither really exists any more. I will never forget my high school acquaintance getting intoxicated on public access cable and it was excellent.
A little correction. His 1988 album Even Worse was a huge success. His career was rekindled years before Off the Deep End. UHF was 1989. He wasn't even close to being forgotten or losing his career
He wasn't in danger of losing his career but he was shaken by the failure of 'UHF.' Both the movie and the soundtrack. His confidence was shaken enough that he contacted Michael Jackson to get permission to do a parody of 'Black or White' called 'Late Night Snack.' It was the only time Michael Jackson refused, and even Weird Al admitted that it was more out of desperation than inspiration. So while 'Off the Deep End' didn't *save* his career, it certainly revitalized it.
Long time listener first time caller. I just got to say the way you take the piss out of angry voice messages was probably the most delightful part of this video and gives me so much more respect for you as a content creator. I travel a lot for my job, so listening to your videos keeps me pretty entertained.
UHF is one of those movies the more you watch it over time the more youend up enjoying it . I was 10 yrs old when that came out and I did not see it until I was 17. Love Werid Al.
I feel ya, I got the cassette a couple of years before I saw the movie lol ...but I somehow ended up with a movie poster; still unsure how that happened!
Even as a big Weird Al fan, I learned some new things I didn't know before! It's always a gamble, going into lists of "trivia," when you're already a big fan of something. Many lists just contain the same old "things you never knew" as every other list. But this video had interesting information and anecdotes! Well researched!
"You know you have made it as a band when Weird Al does a parody of you." -Kurt Cobain, Nirvana "I think your parody is a big reason why I won this Grammy, because you made it undeniable that my song was the rap song of the year." -Chamillionaire to Weird Al on the red carpet.
To this day this is still my favorite comedy of all time. And you pronounced Weird Al's last name correctly, something my Google Assistant can't even do. So, kudos!
Wow minty you pulled all the stops out on this one, UHF is one of my favorite films, and you cover literally the exact same films that me and all my friends I grew up with love. BTW this video was absolutely hilarious, I'm glad you went all out like you did, Cheers.
I used to listen to Weird Al on the radio back in the 70’s when he was on Dr. Demento. I went to one of concerts in LA back in the 80’s. I rode in an elevator with him in a Century City office building. Really Weird, Al.
UHF is one of my all-time favorite movies. Like, in the top three of my favorite movies. It was definitely ahead of its time, just like Weird Al. I really enjoyed this behind the scenes look at how it came to be. Thanks, Minty! P.S. (Your whoopee cushion costume change was unexpected and hilarious! Pay no mind to your critics. Keep moving forward and doing what you enjoy doing, and your fanbase will find you. Just like it did with Weird Al. See ya! 😉)
For my 9th birthday, my parents suggested we go to a movie. In a Summer that also had Ghostbusters 2, Batman, and Last Crusade, i picked UHF and didn't regret it for a second. I showed this movie to my sons years ago and they loved it as much as I did
I saw this in the theater and watched it repeatedly on VHS. I had my whole family quoting this movie, especially including the Let's Make a Deal parody - "I'll take the box - the box!" "Let's see what's in the box! Nothing Absolutely nothing! Stupid! You're soooo stupid!"
Holy crap, I can't believe I learned something interesting in one of these videos! I had Bell's palsy back in 2013, and it's no joke, you can't move half your face for weeks or even longer, and it can result in permanent nerve damage. I'm glad Richards was able to recover and have a career.
I'll never forget, when this movie first came out, my friend and I went to see it. We were the only two in the theater, which made it even more funny, to us anyway. We both have twisted senses of humor, and laughed our butts off! Then, I asked him, "I wonder what the projector operator is thinking, about two dudes, laughing so hard at a movie, in an empty theater?" Which made us laugh even harder, LOL! To put our sense of humor into perspective, we also loved Micheal Nezmith's Elephant Parts...
To this day, whenever I wish my dad a Happy Father's Day, I tell him, "Sorry. No Rolex this year" because of this movie. XD! "I thought I told you I wanted a Rolex! A ROLEX!"
One of my favourite films of all time. I saw it at least 3 times while it was in theatres. The Rambo segment and the Spatula City ad were the scenes I remember the most.
Minty- for the brilliant "T-Rex Vitas" bit at the end, you get... NOTHING! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!! Well, maybe one little thing, that ties #7 and #3 together- it was Victoria Jackson that set up the meeting between Weird Al and Nirvana, because they were gonna be on SNL one week and Al asked Victoria if she could talk to Kurt Cobain and ask if maybe Al could do a song. Kurt's response was "Is it gonna be about food?" 😆
I was fortunate enough to be be to see UHF in the theater during its first run; there were maybe 2 other people in the theater during that showing. If I recall correctly, first run lasted only 2-3 weeks. It still shows up from time to time on the midnight circuit.
Random anecdote: around the beginning of the 2000s, I knew someone working at a video rental store. They would put staff recommendations on a display. One employee put the DVD case for UHF on the display. Then, Weird Al himself was in town for a concert and went to rent a video. He saw UHF on the staff picks, took the DVD case to the counter, and (jokingly) demanded to see the staff member who picked it, apparently so he could thank him. That's all I remember of the anecdote. I don't know if the guy was working or was off, and I don't know if the "thank you" amounted to anything more than appreciation (like concert tickets or something). Anyway, it was a great illustration of how nice Weird Al is.
I just saw this movie for the first time last week! I remember when it came out in 1989. I was just a struggling college freshman then, so I had to prioritize what movies to see on my very limited budget. I also remember not being impressed by the previews. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have appreciated it at the time, but I really enjoyed it now that I was ready for it! It's amazing how the universe puts things out at just the right time! On that note, I'm going onto Amazon now to see if I can order a Whoopie Cushion costume!
I’m 48 and my family’s first VCR had VHF and UHF tuners and my grandmother had a two knob television with 12 VHF presets and a UHF tuner. I do not miss analog tuners.
Aug 18, 2016 the last time Al was here in Thunder Bay 🇨🇦 I told him sincerely that his commentary track for UHF is the best ever. He seemed surprised. Every time I’ve met him he has been friendly but subdued.
I love that you covered UHF. I've been a huge fan of Weird Al since 1982 when I was 7 and have collected every album and every thing else he has done. And in case you didn't know he made a movie before UHF called The Complete Al: the almost true story of Weird Al Yankovic. It was on Amazon prime video a while back so it can be found on streaming. I recommend checking it out if you haven't seen it. And another great video Minty. Thank you for that. You rock!
I'm spending my holiday sick at home.. and you made me laugh multiple times in this one. Thank you, don't ever change. We love you just the way you are.
I love Weird Al, and UHF so much. I've owned a copy both during the VHS and DVD eras. I remember showing the movie to one of my friends who literally fell off the couch laughing so hard.
I remember my pops and I had gone to see Batman, however it was sold out, so we went to see UHF. I was not disappointed. There are lines to this day that we still quote. "boy is my face ever red."
Here's one: The last two dudes to appear on the telethon, leaning on umbrellas and making goofy noises, were The Katzenjammer kids. One of them was married to Bette Midler. They also appeared in the early 80s Danny Elfman movie, Forbidden Zone.
I remember when Weird Al sent in tapes to Dr. Demento he recorded with just an accordion in his collage dorm bathroom, if not for the good Doctor playing them on his radio show there probably would be no Weird Al. Thank you Dr. Demento for all you did.
Another great addition. I remember back in the day, when UHF hit VHS, it was the big cool thing to have seen. Anyone and everyone watched the other stuff, but you weren't really cool until you'd watched a copy of UHF with friends. Since that was before cellphones, so eye witnesses were necessary to vouch for your initiation into cool.
Fun fact - the Spatula City sign was up for many years after filming wrapped up. I remember seeing the sign off the highway, completely unaware of the movie or the fact it was a movie prop, It confused me so badly at the time why in the world there would be a store specifically for spatulas.
Proud to say I was one of the few who saw it in the theater! It was at the not-quite bargain cinema in the mall, which charged a couple bucks less. They would debut some of the less-than-blockbuster movies like Monster Squad, Disorderlies and Troop Beverly Hills. And I've got to say, that half-full cinema was roaring with laughter!
I saw UHF in theaters and really liked it. I’ve seen Weird Al in concert three times - ALWAYS a great show. And the last time, I even stuck around after the show when he did a short meet-and-greet outside his bus. He was very kind - especially considering he had just performed a whole show.
This was one of my favorite movies as a kid. I still quote it regularly hoping someone will pick up on it. If they do, I've made a friend for life! Thanks for covering this! And, even if you don't pronounce everything "right", I'm always fascinated by your accent. It's quite an interesting mix and is always from the heart. I speak more than my native language, and I'm sure people think I sound much stranger than you!
In Australia is was marketed as "Vidiot from UHF". So many quotable lines like "STUPID" I use still use to this day. That spatula city advertisement still brings tears of laughter to my eyes today.
Great video. Minor point, UHF is less like Airplane and more like The Kentucky Fried Movie, which consists of unconnected parodies and skits tied together with a relatively thin plot (compared to traditional films). It's a genre that has very few entries; the next two I can recall are Amazon Women on the Moon and UHF (released a couple years apart about a decade after The Kentucky Fried Movie), The Kids in the Hall movie, Brain Candy would be the 90's genre entry, and then there was a 20 year gap until the release of Movie 43. If anyone can think of one I've forgotten, let me know. ;) [Edit: I think I'll include Stay Tuned in this genre's list as well.]
"He who's tired of Weird Al, is tired of life." - Homer Simpson
"Brain freeze! Brain freeze!"
Homer J Simpson
The J stands for Jay
I am so sick of people spweing that quote on every video on youtube involving Weird Al. Not that I don't agree with the line, itself, but after hearing it over and over and over and over again, I am just sick of hearing it. Not to mention the fact that it comes from one of the _worst_ Simpsons episodes ever made.
@Morgil So you're saying that the quote is a "silver lining" at least...
...also, _boo hoo_ lol
@@Morgil27 I think you need a hug.
"UHF" Wasn't the name of the station. The name was U62. It was called that because on the old TVs in the US, back when antennae were used, there were two settings - VHF and UHF. The VHF stations (i.e. the low channel numbers) were typically the major networks, while the UHF (i.e. the high channel numbers) were often more local or small-time stations.
They still use VHF and UHF. The signals are broadcast digitally now. But UHF only goes up to 36 now as the upper stations were sold off for cell phones.
@@writerpatrick
Oh that sucks. It used to go up to channel 68😮
@@splawnrobert CityTV in Toronto was channel 79. The dial went to 83.
@@CraftAero
My TV dial on my old cathode ray tube TV also went up to 83. But in Dallas, Tx, l only got reception up to 68.
In June of 2006, the USA switched from analog to digital . Now we have DTV . (Digital Terrestrial Television).
I actually got one woman 89 channels for free with nothing but a set of rabbit ear indoor antenna near a window . It didn't even need a signal amplifier. Unbelievable!
I myself still get about 53 channels and I live way out in the country. I use a DTV digital directional Antenna.
Soo close to correcting him lol thanks. U62… COME ON!! lol
1. The actor when played Conan the Librarian is the uncle of one of my good friends. He was a bodybuilder and he visited our 5th grade class to talk about his career. (Before UHF came out.)
2. One Valentine’s Day, I bought my wife a bouquet of spatulas. No better way to say,”I love you!”
_"Buy 9 spatulas, get the 10th one for just one penny!"_
come on down to Spatula City!
Don't you know the Dewey Decimal System?😂
😂
@@judgedrekk2981🎶🎵Spatula City. We sell spatulas. And that's all!🎵🎶
"A timeless classic"
Filmed in my hometown. My friend later lived in the apartments where Rual's Wild Kingdom was filmed.
What? That's awesome!
“Fly, fluffy, fly!!!”
I’m from Tulsa too
918 represent! 👋 at the Golden Driller for me lol
P.S. I wonder if the 🐟 came from White River or Bodean's.
It's amazing how Weird Al has outlasted the very musical acts he's spent decades parodying. So glad I FINALLY got to see him perform live a few years ago on the "All Strings Attached" tour.
I got to meet him during the Mandatory Fun tour. I'm in the 501st Legion and he called us up to get some troopers, Vader, etc, on stage with him. I didn't have my costume at the time but I still got to hang out backstage, saw him perform from the sidestage, etc. It was awesome meeting him in person.
Personally, being an 80s Child and growing up with his music, I’ve always thought that Weird Al has never gotten enough credit for his non-parody songs; or what people refer to as “pastiche:”
Dare To Be Stupid
Stuck In A Closet With Vanna White
One More Minute
You Don’t Love Me Anymore
Don’t Download This Song
Bob
Melanie
Pancreas
Everything You Know Is Wrong
The Night Santa Went Crazy
I Remember Larry
And, of course, UHF itself!!
I could have kept going! These were just the songs that always pop into my head.
I’m not suggesting that Minty only knows Weird Al as a parody artist, but too many people do and, in my opinion, that leaves out scores of awesome songs!
artist come and artist go, only Al remains. 😠
He does still have better legs than Madonna.
I recall being one of the 20 people in the theatre watching this movie. Didn’t care. Loved every second. Still watch it every few weeks.
yeah, the theater I saw it in was pretty empty too - maybe like 4 groups of people. I also remember the film being delayed by about 45 minutes because of technical issues, so they let us wander into other movies while they sorted things out.
The commentary on the DVD is a hidden gem of its own.
"Orion! Orion! Is Bankrupt, Now!"
@@mrmxypltk "Orion, now bankrupt!"
Gedde Watanabe calling contestants stupid is one of the best bits. 🤣
Suppliiiieeeeesss!
Ohhhh....Red Snapper....!!!!
WEEEEEE-VAAAAAHHH
Technically, the entire movie is made up of best bits 😅
"Embarrassment to your country" in that context and tone is a badge of honor and actually means "national treasure." Congratulations, Minty! Well done, mate.
Good for us all that he takes the trolls head on! Pronouncing and pride of Australia is part of the package! Thanks a lot!
Trolls are an embarrassment to humanity. That guy probably can't even spell UHF.
That dude sounded like he was totally unhinged. I love this channel. I've learned tons of facts. Ignore the Haters, and thanks for all the fish. 🤣😎
My husband and I are from the States, and we understand every word you say, mate! We love your shenanigans and content! As for your costume today- "peanut butter jelly time"! ❤
@innerlude the way that guy was overly pronouncing his words to try not to appear a hypocrite was 😂😂😂 & I hope he's reading these comments lol
UHF parodies so many things from the 80's that it's unintentionally a kind of "Time Capsule" of the 1980's that one could use as a launching point to teach history and the pop culture of the 1980s
The stinkin badgers line stuck
With everyone forever.
Of course it did, Blazing Saddles was an amazing movie and also a parody of the main stream.
“You’re so Stupid!!!!”
@@anthonyward8853 The amusing thing is that Blazing Saddles was parodying Legend of the Sierra Madre, but Blazing Saddles was such a huge hit everyone thinks that's where it came from.
Students who went to University of Wisconsin don't seem to appreciate it much in my experience (and I've used it on several of them).
@@HariSeldon913 oh ok.
YES!!! My daughter just started getting into Weird Al and I just bought UHF on Blu Ray. “SUPPLIES!!”
I liked the spatulas so much, I bought the company.
"Red Snapper... Very Tasty!"
@@dieseljester what’s in the box?
@@bassman8144 You took the box! Let's see what's iiiiiin the box! NOTHING! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! 🤣😂🤣😂
Minty please never change, we love your weird quirkiness.
Wearing a roaring dinosaur head and a whoopie cushion outfit at the same time is why we love him!!
“I’m thinking of something orange. Something orange. Give up? It’s an orange.” 😆
*Hey my shirt glows in the dark!*
This movie's SO quotable...
George: "...Just BASH my head right in!"
Bob: "You know I can't do that, George. You still owe me five bucks."
Spatula City. i still say that every once in awhile and people scratch their head. those who know , know. Another great Video Thank you Minty
One of my childhood’s favorite, I remember laughing so hard at the: “Now look at Mr. Frying pan!” scene
That scene alone should have gotten a Oscar!
Same! But I had the OST on cassette tape a couple of years before my little rental shop had the 📼 on offer.
My 4 year old laughs so hard at that scene that he usually pees his pants! Haha!
“You are soooo stupid!!” Still iconic.
"Uh oh! Bob-O fall down, go boom." :)
I have WHEEZED at that scene countless times. "Yappy's Dog Treats..."
I love the Indiana bit. Him whipping the guy’s arm off, he whips off the guy’s right arm. But the arm that lands on the ground is a left arm. Hilarious.
2 knobs, VHF and UHF.
Great, now explain what it means and how it relates to AM/FM
@@THRASHMETALFUNRIFFS AM is amplitude Modulation. the modulation of a wave by varying its amplitude, used chiefly as a means of radio broadcasting, in which an audio signal is combined with a carrier wave.
FM the modulation of a radio or other wave by variation of its frequency, especially to carry an audio signal
You can transmit FM or AM in VHF or UHF
VHF stand for a frequency range Very High Frequency Is between 30 to 300 megahertz.
UHF is Ultra High Frequency range. Between 300 megahertz (MHz) and 3 gigahertz
You can transmit AM or FM inside of these frequency ranges.
@@notbanksy8294NEEEEEERRRRRDDDD!!! JK Lol 🤭😆😂
Would like to think if Weird Al was ever to do a sequal to UHF, *that* would be the title 😅
@@notbanksy8294 OK, now do HAM and CB!
I saw this three times in the theater. We went to a matinee with a bunch of HS friends, and there were 5 of us... and like 2 old folks who probably walked into the wrong theater. We were ROARING with laughter at the movie, and laughed even harder when the old folks in the back row walked out mumbling about what a piece of "expletive" the movie was. Greatest. Movie. Experience. Ever.
THE BEST!! I love UHF
“Are you ready weaver!??”
I'm old, and I love Weird Al Yankovic . My kid is a Millennial, and he loves Weird Al too. The movie was so neglected back in the day. It was great. And I bet you youngsters don't even now what UHF is, let alone try and tune in a channel on an old TV Set.
Asking someone to tune a digital monitor to a radio frequency today is like asking a kid in the seventies if they used carrier pigeons to warn their village of the incoming red coats.
No one asked anyone to do it, Krit.
It's just a bit of "lost knowledge" a bit like dial-up pretty much is. Or remotes that were wired to the 📺that had an individual button for each channel. HAGD 👍
I've actually met a couple of Millenials that know what uhf/vhf is and how to use it/both, but they weren't suburbanites. Raised rural and poor w/ their parents raising them with Gen X morals and values. Sort of like a Vaquita: very rarely seen and you wouldn't know it if you did see one. 😂
This movie was mainly filmed in and around my hometown. The store that they used for Spatula City is still there
This is one of my favorite movies EVER. I watched it in 1989 when I was 7
That was JOHN CUSACK, who left "MINTY" that message.
Holy sh*t, that guy from the message really does sound like John Cusack. No wonder it kind of sounded familiar, I just watched a scene from High Fidelity and honestly he sounds like he just got his heart broken again. ¡DAMN!
Bwahahahahahaha!!!!
Call him back, demand two dollars.
@@jeremybowers3181 my same thoughts exactly. I was just like "Why the hell this guy sounds very familiar?" And then I just burst out with laughter.
Gotta be
Thank you, Minty! Who doesn’t love Weird Al?!
Briefly, “UHF” was like the UA-cam of the PRE-cable TV era when I was growing up in the 70s/early 80s. TVs were like radios, you had to “tune” them in. The VHF channels were the big ones (ABC, NBC, CBS), even before Fox came along! The UHF were all the local stations. Some would barely be visible, even if you fiddled with the “rabbit ears” (anttenae), but others came in just well enough to watch some old cartoons, Gilligan’s Island reruns, or what have you. I spent much of my childhood going ‘round and ‘round that dial and it’s probably where I caught my first glimpse of Godzilla and Doctor Who too! 🤗
Cable TV was such a step up when we all got it! We are absolutely spoiled for choice these days, but your channel is always worth “tuning in”!
🍻
It's ironic because I gave up on cable some time ago and along with streaming, I've started watching broadcast TV and all the major channels have sub channels that feel like the old UHF stations we grew up with showing tons of old classic TV. The more things change...
@@Alfetta158 Huh! Irony. 😄
The station isn’t called UHF, it broadcasts in the UHF (Ultra High Frequency) band. UHF is the band above VHF (Very High Frequency).
I absolutely loved this movie when it came out and watch it at least every couple of years. In fact every year for the last 24 years, I have bought my wife a spatula for our wedding anniversary because “What better way to say I love you then with the gift of a spatula?”
UHF is right up there with Robin Hood: Men in Tights.
The Mel Brooks film is one of the best three Robin Hood films ever made.
UHF owns men in tights
@@ps5blows317 I have to agree. UHF is the parody GOAT. And Mel Brooks' best movie, IMHO, is High Anxiety. Even Alfred Hitchcok himself approved of it.
men in tights was not nearly as funny or good as UHF
No. I'm sorry, I love UHF but Mel Brooks was on a different level. Men in Tights was infinitely quotable, I can barely remember 5 lines from UHF.
Kevin McCarthy as R.J Fletcher was my favorite character in UHF. He was just the right amount of cheesy villian for the movie.
Right up there with Robert Vaughn in "Baseketball" or Robert Vaughn in "Joe's Apartment!"
Hos overacting was probably an indication of how much fun he had being in the movie.
When an angry Fletcher demands, “Take that ridiculous thing off,” his lackey, rather than remove the cowboy hat with the raccoon tail dangling from it, sadly peels off his fake mustache. That bit is comedy gold.
While I don't listen to a lot of Weird Al's music (although he is a musical genius), I have to say this movie is absolutely fantastic! This film was the template for modern parody films and deserves all the accolades it can get. Emo Phillips doing the shop teacher segments and the Spatula City commercial are forever burned into my brain (no matter how long it's been since I've seen the film). Thanks for the video Minty, great job!
This movie was sadly at the end of UHF stations being relevant. If it had been retooled to be a public access cable channel it would have been right at the cusp of a new thing. Sadly neither really exists any more. I will never forget my high school acquaintance getting intoxicated on public access cable and it was excellent.
A little correction. His 1988 album Even Worse was a huge success. His career was rekindled years before Off the Deep End. UHF was 1989. He wasn't even close to being forgotten or losing his career
He wasn't in danger of losing his career but he was shaken by the failure of 'UHF.' Both the movie and the soundtrack. His confidence was shaken enough that he contacted Michael Jackson to get permission to do a parody of 'Black or White' called 'Late Night Snack.' It was the only time Michael Jackson refused, and even Weird Al admitted that it was more out of desperation than inspiration. So while 'Off the Deep End' didn't *save* his career, it certainly revitalized it.
Long time listener first time caller. I just got to say the way you take the piss out of angry voice messages was probably the most delightful part of this video and gives me so much more respect for you as a content creator. I travel a lot for my job, so listening to your videos keeps me pretty entertained.
UHF is one of those movies the more you watch it over time the more youend up enjoying it . I was 10 yrs old when that came out and I did not see it until I was 17. Love Werid Al.
I feel ya, I got the cassette a couple of years before I saw the movie lol
...but I somehow ended up with a movie poster; still unsure how that happened!
Even as a big Weird Al fan, I learned some new things I didn't know before! It's always a gamble, going into lists of "trivia," when you're already a big fan of something. Many lists just contain the same old "things you never knew" as every other list. But this video had interesting information and anecdotes! Well researched!
Speaking as a Tulsan, I'm really happy you did this.
"You know you have made it as a band when Weird Al does a parody of you."
-Kurt Cobain, Nirvana
"I think your parody is a big reason why I won this Grammy, because you made it undeniable that my song was the rap song of the year."
-Chamillionaire to Weird Al on the red carpet.
Blind man trying to solve the Rubix Cube. "Is this it?" "Nope." 😂😂😂
The soundtrack is worth it just to listen to "Let Me Be Your Hog" and "Spatula City" over and over again!
One of my favorite movies of all time. Some great music too!
UHF is my favorite 'Weird Album.' The theme song rocks!
One of my favorite of weird Al’s albums.
To this day this is still my favorite comedy of all time.
And you pronounced Weird Al's last name correctly, something my Google Assistant can't even do. So, kudos!
Wow minty you pulled all the stops out on this one, UHF is one of my favorite films, and you cover literally the exact same films that me and all my friends I grew up with love. BTW this video was absolutely hilarious, I'm glad you went all out like you did, Cheers.
they are releasing a 35th anniversary edition of uhf so perfect timing on this video
Minty this is your best video yet! Thank you for all the joy and laughter you give me.
I used to listen to Weird Al on the radio back in the 70’s when he was on Dr. Demento. I went to one of concerts in LA back in the 80’s. I rode in an elevator with him in a Century City office building. Really Weird, Al.
UHF is one of my all-time favorite movies. Like, in the top three of my favorite movies. It was definitely ahead of its time, just like Weird Al. I really enjoyed this behind the scenes look at how it came to be. Thanks, Minty!
P.S. (Your whoopee cushion costume change was unexpected and hilarious! Pay no mind to your critics. Keep moving forward and doing what you enjoy doing, and your fanbase will find you. Just like it did with Weird Al. See ya! 😉)
I love the way Minty pronounces stuff, that's one of the reasons this channel is awesome.
UHF was my first Weird Al album, lol, I loved it, didn't even know a movie went along with it til 2-3 years later.
I tend to love it when I hear about "big names" turning down roles only to get the perfect person because of it.
I'm thinking of something Orange.... One of my favorite lines. Great video Minty!
Do you wanna drink from the firehose?!
For my 9th birthday, my parents suggested we go to a movie. In a Summer that also had Ghostbusters 2, Batman, and Last Crusade, i picked UHF and didn't regret it for a second.
I showed this movie to my sons years ago and they loved it as much as I did
The station is called U-62, not UHF. UHF (ultra high frequency) is a frequency range.
One of my all time favorite childhood movies! It should be in an archive somewhere
I saw this in the theater and watched it repeatedly on VHS. I had my whole family quoting this movie, especially including the Let's Make a Deal parody - "I'll take the box - the box!" "Let's see what's in the box! Nothing Absolutely nothing! Stupid! You're soooo stupid!"
Red snapper! Very tasty!
I have friends who did a cosplay skit for the Box bit at Anime North 2004.
Holy crap, I can't believe I learned something interesting in one of these videos! I had Bell's palsy back in 2013, and it's no joke, you can't move half your face for weeks or even longer, and it can result in permanent nerve damage. I'm glad Richards was able to recover and have a career.
I can't understand why it bombed at the box office, it was only up against batman,Indiana jones,when harry met sally.
I'll never forget, when this movie first came out, my friend and I went to see it.
We were the only two in the theater, which made it even more funny, to us anyway.
We both have twisted senses of humor, and laughed our butts off!
Then, I asked him, "I wonder what the projector operator is thinking, about two dudes, laughing so hard at a movie, in an empty theater?"
Which made us laugh even harder, LOL!
To put our sense of humor into perspective, we also loved Micheal Nezmith's Elephant Parts...
That ending brother… seriously I fell off my chair, laughing…
I didn’t realize that Silva died during the filming. That’s really sad. You’re right; his comedic timing was great.
Better off dead is an absolute classic
Two. Dollars.
CASH.
The humor in that movie stands the test of time. In fact, I recognized some classic Family Guy style comedy in it.
"What would our founder, R. J. Fletcher Sr., say if he were alive today?"
"Help! Help! Let me out of this box. I can't breathe!"
To this day, whenever I wish my dad a Happy Father's Day, I tell him, "Sorry. No Rolex this year" because of this movie. XD! "I thought I told you I wanted a Rolex! A ROLEX!"
One of my favourite films of all time. I saw it at least 3 times while it was in theatres. The Rambo segment and the Spatula City ad were the scenes I remember the most.
Mac and Me is a hidden treasure- Especially with the cut ending where the kid gets lit up like a Christmas tree.
I think Mac and Me only exists so Paul Rudd can torment Conan O'Brien.
Minty- for the brilliant "T-Rex Vitas" bit at the end, you get...
NOTHING! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!
Well, maybe one little thing, that ties #7 and #3 together- it was Victoria Jackson that set up the meeting between Weird Al and Nirvana, because they were gonna be on SNL one week and Al asked Victoria if she could talk to Kurt Cobain and ask if maybe Al could do a song. Kurt's response was "Is it gonna be about food?" 😆
The dignity of Minty was not hurt in making the episode!
What dignity? 😂
Nah, Minty is awesome.
I was fortunate enough to be be to see UHF in the theater during its first run; there were maybe 2 other people in the theater during that showing. If I recall correctly, first run lasted only 2-3 weeks. It still shows up from time to time on the midnight circuit.
Stanley Spadowski, nuff sed
Wonder if he was related to my friend, Bob Saccamano...
Okay, now I'm thinkin' of sumthin'... BLUE!!! Sumthin' BLOOOOO-oooooo!
Random anecdote: around the beginning of the 2000s, I knew someone working at a video rental store. They would put staff recommendations on a display. One employee put the DVD case for UHF on the display. Then, Weird Al himself was in town for a concert and went to rent a video. He saw UHF on the staff picks, took the DVD case to the counter, and (jokingly) demanded to see the staff member who picked it, apparently so he could thank him.
That's all I remember of the anecdote. I don't know if the guy was working or was off, and I don't know if the "thank you" amounted to anything more than appreciation (like concert tickets or something).
Anyway, it was a great illustration of how nice Weird Al is.
It's like "Purple Rain", but it's intentionally funny.
- Weird Al Yankovic
One of my top movies of all time. Thank you!
INNERSPACE..... Please Minty...
I saw this when it came out in theatres. I loved it then and still watch it every few years.
Great movie!!
I just saw this movie for the first time last week! I remember when it came out in 1989. I was just a struggling college freshman then, so I had to prioritize what movies to see on my very limited budget. I also remember not being impressed by the previews. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have appreciated it at the time, but I really enjoyed it now that I was ready for it! It's amazing how the universe puts things out at just the right time!
On that note, I'm going onto Amazon now to see if I can order a Whoopie Cushion costume!
If you are under the age of 50 then UHF doesn't mean a damn thing in USA.
I'm 43 and I love that movie.
I’m 48 and my family’s first VCR had VHF and UHF tuners and my grandmother had a two knob television with 12 VHF presets and a UHF tuner. I do not miss analog tuners.
I’m 41 and had it on vhs and I own it on dvd. Love this movie 🍿 😊
Sure it does. Modern over-the-air HD channels are broadcast over UHF.
I, for one, very much enjoy your communication whether it's pronunciation or spelling :)
Aug 18, 2016 the last time Al was here in Thunder Bay 🇨🇦 I told him sincerely that his commentary track for UHF is the best ever. He seemed surprised. Every time I’ve met him he has been friendly but subdued.
I love that you covered UHF. I've been a huge fan of Weird Al since 1982 when I was 7 and have collected every album and every thing else he has done. And in case you didn't know he made a movie before UHF called The Complete Al: the almost true story of Weird Al Yankovic. It was on Amazon prime video a while back so it can be found on streaming. I recommend checking it out if you haven't seen it.
And another great video Minty. Thank you for that. You rock!
I'm spending my holiday sick at home.. and you made me laugh multiple times in this one. Thank you, don't ever change. We love you just the way you are.
I love Weird Al, and UHF so much. I've owned a copy both during the VHS and DVD eras. I remember showing the movie to one of my friends who literally fell off the couch laughing so hard.
I remember my pops and I had gone to see Batman, however it was sold out, so we went to see UHF. I was not disappointed. There are lines to this day that we still quote. "boy is my face ever red."
Here's one: The last two dudes to appear on the telethon, leaning on umbrellas and making goofy noises, were The Katzenjammer kids. One of them was married to Bette Midler. They also appeared in the early 80s Danny Elfman movie, Forbidden Zone.
I remember when Weird Al sent in tapes to Dr. Demento he recorded with just an accordion in his collage dorm bathroom, if not for the good Doctor playing them on his radio show there probably would be no Weird Al. Thank you Dr. Demento for all you did.
@@SubPablum yup! Memories too! He recorded "My Bologna" in a Men's Bathroom too. Loved Dr. Demento show.
They were recorded in the Mens room at KCPR. The College Radio station for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
I watched this as a teenager and have recently showed it to my teen/pre-teens. They loved it!
Grew up on UHF TV and Weird Al, so I knew I'd immediately love this film when I saw it in 1989.
UHF legendary amongst me and my friends here in the UK, we still quote lines to each other now.
Uploaded only 3 mins ago… One of the funniest spoof movies ever! Wish Weird Al would’ve made more movies.
My favorite type of comedy
I always felt like the next turn of the dial would've been for SCTV lol
Canadian comedy show from the 80s for those interested 😂👍
He needs to cameo in Liam Neeson’s Naked Gun movie.
@@patrickasselin2326Lesley Nelson's naked gun - files from the police squad
Another great addition. I remember back in the day, when UHF hit VHS, it was the big cool thing to have seen. Anyone and everyone watched the other stuff, but you weren't really cool until you'd watched a copy of UHF with friends. Since that was before cellphones, so eye witnesses were necessary to vouch for your initiation into cool.
Fun fact - the Spatula City sign was up for many years after filming wrapped up. I remember seeing the sign off the highway, completely unaware of the movie or the fact it was a movie prop, It confused me so badly at the time why in the world there would be a store specifically for spatulas.
That Hairy Potter take on Weird Al is on point.
I do appreciate the sudden UHF though. Thanks
Proud to say I was one of the few who saw it in the theater! It was at the not-quite bargain cinema in the mall, which charged a couple bucks less. They would debut some of the less-than-blockbuster movies like Monster Squad, Disorderlies and Troop Beverly Hills. And I've got to say, that half-full cinema was roaring with laughter!
Still remember seeing this in 1989 in the theater when my friend and I were 13. Thought it was really funny then, and today I still love it!
That ending is beautiful, Minty. We love you.
I saw UHF in theaters and really liked it. I’ve seen Weird Al in concert three times - ALWAYS a great show. And the last time, I even stuck around after the show when he did a short meet-and-greet outside his bus. He was very kind - especially considering he had just performed a whole show.
This was one of my favorite movies as a kid. I still quote it regularly hoping someone will pick up on it. If they do, I've made a friend for life! Thanks for covering this!
And, even if you don't pronounce everything "right", I'm always fascinated by your accent. It's quite an interesting mix and is always from the heart. I speak more than my native language, and I'm sure people think I sound much stranger than you!
Thanks for new vid Minty, UHF is a classic film
I saw the movie in theaters in1989 (twice) and bought the album. It surprised me to find out years later that neither was successful.
In Australia is was marketed as "Vidiot from UHF". So many quotable lines like "STUPID" I use still use to this day. That spatula city advertisement still brings tears of laughter to my eyes today.
Great video. Minor point, UHF is less like Airplane and more like The Kentucky Fried Movie, which consists of unconnected parodies and skits tied together with a relatively thin plot (compared to traditional films). It's a genre that has very few entries; the next two I can recall are Amazon Women on the Moon and UHF (released a couple years apart about a decade after The Kentucky Fried Movie), The Kids in the Hall movie, Brain Candy would be the 90's genre entry, and then there was a 20 year gap until the release of Movie 43. If anyone can think of one I've forgotten, let me know. ;) [Edit: I think I'll include Stay Tuned in this genre's list as well.]