UHF (film): Difference between revisions

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Like Weird Al's music, the film focuses its comedy on oddball humor and [[Satire, Parody, Pastiche|satire, parody, and pastiche]] of pop culture. Released in 1989, at the height of Weird Al's popularity, the film was expected to be a summer blockbuster, but barely broke even at the box office (opening against the 1989 ''[[Batman (film)|Batman]]'' movie, after all) and instead became a [[Cult Classic]].

Then again, maybe a feature making fun of independent local TV does fit best on the small screen?

Then again, maybe a feature making fun of independent local TV does fit best [[Saved by Cable|on the small screen]]?

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...With just a hint of cheese!" }}

* [[I'm Your Worst Nightmare]]: George says this during his Rambo-parodying fantasy.

* [[Incredibly Lame Pun]]: Sort of. During the dreaded phone call between Uncle Harvey and Mr. Big, Mr. Big detaches his hand, replaces it with a meat cleaver appendage and violently chops a big loaf of lunchmeat (since it's Weird Al, probably ~~balogna~~), signifying he means business. Harvey staggers in the pool (where he's lounging when the call takes place) and says, "I'm dead meat!".

* [[Incredibly Lame Pun]]: Sort of. During the dreaded phone call between Uncle Harvey and Mr. Big, Mr. Big detaches his hand, replaces it with a meat cleaver appendage and violently chops a big loaf of lunchmeat (since it's Weird Al, probably bologna), signifying he means business. Harvey staggers in the pool (where he's lounging when the call takes place) and says, "I'm dead meat!".

* [[Indy Escape]]: Parodied in a dream sequence with a dauntless boulder. Averted since the dream was interrupted, killing the character in said dream.

* [[I Need a Freaking Drink]]: Invoked by George, but Bob calls him on it, saying he doesn't drink; George says he's been meaning to start.

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* [[Smug Snake]]: RJ Fletcher.

* [[Styrofoam Rocks]]: Parodied. In the opening sequence, a rock bounces right off George Newman's head mid-fantasy and does nothing to him.

* [[Technology Marches On]]: The UHF band in general. The launch of [[FOX]] TV as a fourth US commercial network in 1986 meant twelve VHF TV channels (which had been enough for three stations in each major market) were no longer adequate; meanwhile the TV sets have improved. Digital transition meant many longtime [[NBC]] and [[CBS]] affiliates who'd claimed low channels like "2" or "6" early as prime spots for their 1950s analogue signals found these frequencies too plagued with impulse noise to be useful digitally and begrudgingly moved up the dial, leaving low-VHF an over-the-air wasteland.

* [[Technology Marches On]]: The UHF band in general. The launch of [[FOX]] TV as a fourth US commercial network in 1986 meant twelve VHF TV channels (which had been enough for three stations in each major market) were no longer adequate; meanwhile the TV sets have improved. Digital transition meant many longtime [[NBC]] and [[CBS]] affiliates who'd claimed low channels like "2" or "6" early as prime spots for their 1950s analogue signals found these frequencies too plagued with impulse noise to be useful digitally and begrudgingly moved up the dial, leaving low-VHF an over-the-air wasteland. The "U-62" frequency? [[American Television Stations]] were moved down the UHF dial to DT51 or lower in 2009-11 so that now-valuable UHF bandwidth could be auctioned to mobile telephone companies; this was further repacked to leave nothing above DT36 by 2021. UHF is scarce and valuable.

* [[Temporary Substitute]]: Anthony Geary wasn't originally planned to play Philo; one of Al's favorite comics, [[Joel Hodgson]], was. But he couldn't accept the role. Before you go "aw, man!" keep in mind that Joel had turned it down due to being burned out in Los Angeles and returning to Minneapolis, where he ended up starting [[Mystery Science Theater 3000|his own little show]] on its own UHF station KTMA.

* [[They Just Didn't Care]]: Parodied with ''[[Gandhi]] II'', which deliberately misses the entire point of the original movie (and, for that matter, [[Critical Research Failure|Mahatma Gandhi's way of life]]).