Reviews

Who knew the Finns could be this funny?

Two parts Joe Dirt. One part Blues Brothers. One part Mel Brooks. Three parts Euro Indy.

When you're ready for something "completely different", feast your CGI-dulled soul on this schlocky sight gag flick.

The show explores the journey of exotic underdogs seeking their fortune in totally different cultures, a "fish out of water" story line, echoed visually in the huge fish carried by the shunned village idiot.

I could tell you details but most of the laughs are sight/situational gags, so that would ruin what makes this movie so fun, and the plot is immaterial to it's entertainment value. Starting with the ridiculously-long quiff hairstyles and the Winklepicker shoes, the gags appropriately timed and keep one's interest.

Watch it until they audition in New York and you'll know if it's worth Finnishing :)

There's a lot of slow filler, so this makes a great film to watch when you're doing something else.

When I saw this on the big screen as a teenager, I thought it was fun and enjoyed the music. Then a few years later, I got a copy of the soundtrack (nominated, btw) and it became one of those favorites you dig out now and then. Some of the tongue-in-cheek songs are fun. The romantic ballads are great (as romantic ballads go). Jessica Harper's sultry, husky voice is quite enough to stroke any boy/man's ego. It does for us guys, what Elvis or Donny Osmond does for the ladies. And to top it all off, a really great "hate" song ("Good for nothing, bad in bed, nobody likes you, you're better off dead, 'Good-bye!', We've all come to say, 'Good-bye!'") done in a lilting, taunting tempo. Just the ticket to dredge up when someone ticks you off. Then, years later, I bought the VHS and had mixed reactions. It was great to relive the experience, and it's a fun adventure. But the music in the movie is a shadow of the studio recording.

So see the movie, on tape or DVD, at least once to have the visual and musical experience. Then get the soundtrack and get to know it. Listen to it now and then, and soon you'll be intimate with it. Paul Williams put a lot of creative juice into this and it would make a terrific stage show, it's definitely got the tunes.



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This is another of those wonderful "sleepers" that I always enjoy discovering. I like movies with interesting characters, that put you in another world, that present a mystery to solve and this does all three. The characters are disfunctional, interesting and ultimately lovable. It's a cute story, delivered in that understated British comedy style.

It's been many years since I saw this one, but it just "tickled my fancy." The US remake with Hanks and Belushi was ok, but the original had more spark. (I think casting Hanks and Belushi was as close as we could get to the original with big name actors. It was like seeing your friends perform "Taming of the Shrew".) The physical comedy of the best friend makes this good story even better.

This is one of those not-so-great movies technically, but is fun to watch every few years. The music *is* good (if you are receptive to Robby Benson, 1970's folkish material. The characters are interesting. The story is same-old, so watch it for the occasional scenes that will tickle your funny bone and charm their way into your subconscious. Watch it with your favorite SO, and soon you too will be repeating lines like, "Ya gotta KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!" and "Pinsky!? Pinsky!? What Pinsky? Where Pinsky? ..... 'Minsky'!!!!" and of course, "Doing, doing, doing.."

If you've read the previous 150 comments, you aren't trying to decide whether to watch this movie or not. You're trying to find someone who liked the same things about it. I hope you find it.

I just enjoyed the characters and their development. I'm not a Spinal Tap junkie, had to turn American Pie off, it was too "same-old". Those who don't like the characters are either too brain-dead to appreciate the subtle humor, or are too sophisticated to like anything. It's been a long time since I've found a video worth watching lately, everything is the same-old tired stuff. Its nice to find something that I might even watch twice. (I found another one during the same rental. If you like interesting characters, intelligent/skillful story-telling, check out "Lone Star".) My favorite characters were the gay couple, but it was fun watching Christopher Guest play a good ole' boy, when I know him best as Count Rugen in The Princess Bride.

However, the announcer character was just too asinine. While the kooky characters aren't realistic, it is possible to believe in them, but not the crude and lame announcer, who spoiled it. Chevy Chase would have been a better fit. I can't believe that some of those who liked the subtle humor of the rest of the show, thought the announcer was the best part.

PARENTAL WARNING: Most young children won't get this movie, but may sit through it for the kookiness. There are several scenes that I wouldn't feel comfortable having a preteen watch: description of a sex act, gays kissing, blunt references to sex acts, a fairly explicit photo of gay exhibitionism. Most of the movie is relatively tame, but certain characters offer a steady stream of trash. And there is a running gag about the gal who used to have hundreds of boyfriends, several of which pop up.

[Dang, he's good] What keeps me renting this "almost a cult-flick classic", is the craftsmanship of the humor and the development of the characters. In this world of exhausted, uninspired "Mad TV"/SNL , it's hard to find good yucks these days ("Whose Line Is It" excepted). In everything he produces, Weird Al consistently hits the mark when he aims at our funny bone. I don't always care for every target or the way he shoots his arrow, but whether the result is a half-snort or a full belly laugh, the source is a form of art.

[It depends on how old you are] In many ways, this film is a vehicle for the spoofs, which are spliced in. Most are pretty juvenile, and I have no qualms about hitting the 'fridge during them. The exception is the early MTV era "Bev-er-ly-Hill-bill-ies" version of the "I-Want-my-M-TV" music video.

[To each his own] What engages me are the vibrant, goofy characters. Like "The Princess Bride", the characters make the movie work. Like any good flick, UHF will transport you to a different world, where the bad guys get what they deserve and the "Everyman" (played by Weird Al) triumphs (with a little help from his/her friends). The favorite characters and lines are certainly a personal thing. My daughter likes "The Wheel of Fish" guy, and the way he says "You so stup-id!". For some reason, my favorite scene has the bad guys open the closet door marked "Supplies" and out jump the martial arts rescuers, whose cry of attack is meant to be "Surprise!", but sounds exactly like "Supplies!" (There, I only ruined one visual joke, don't hate me.) I can't explain why it's so funny to me, it just is.

[The plot thins] The content is schlock, but dang it, it's *good* schlock. I admit, my heart gets tugged when Stanley's beloved mop is wrenched from his arms. And maybe the "real reason" I rent the video, is to hear his pep talk about taking a toothbrush to the stubborn dirt spots in our lives. So take the pickle out of your butt, close the blinds if you don't want the neighbors to see, and be a kid again.