I recently saw Weird – The Al Yankovic Story starring Daniel Radcliffe. The style and production of the movie suited Weird Al Yankovic’s personality, which includes a parody of his life. It was fun to watch.
The film starts with Weird Al arriving at the hospital on a gurney following an accident. Doctors thought he was dead, then woke up suddenly and requested a pencil and paper. Then it goes to his childhood days when he listens to a Radio show that plays comedic music, which his family disapproves of. It then fast-forwards to Weird Al in his twenties living with roommates in a small apartment.
The first parody created by Weird Al was My Balogna, a spoof of My Sharona by the Knack. An entertaining scene was when Weird Al (Daniel Radcliffe) goes to a record label owned by Tony Scotti (The real Weird Al Yankovic) and his brother Ben (Will Forte). Their first meeting could have gone better. After Weird Al performed at a small venue, Dr. Demento went to see him. He appears throughout the film. The character of Dr. Demento adds a comedic touch to the film.
My favourite scene was when Weird Al performed the parody I Love Rocky Road (a spoof of I Love Rock & Roll) at a club. The performance had a rough start; then his friends joined to play instruments joining in with Weird Al. Watching Rock & Roll guys dance to I Love Rocky Road was entertaining. Patton Oswalt’s appearance was a fantastic bonus to this sequence.
The story of Eat It in the movie and its origin were funny. The reverse story is a clever little touch. Instead of it being a parody, it’s an original song. It gets even better when Weird Al goes to see Tony at the music label again.
The most touching scene was the origin story about Amish Paradise when Weird Al and his father reconcile after many years. During that moment, there was a subtle reference to I’m Fat (a parody of Michael Jackson’s Bad) when his mother talked about gaining weight.
The part that impressed me most was Weird Al Yankovic’s idea to modify the story with great exaggeration. It was a bold and creative idea that suited Weird Al Yankovic’s quirky personality. Daniel Radcliffe was an excellent choice to portray the parody star, Weird Al Yankovic.
The new and original song Now You Know is a hilarious piece representing Weird Al Yankovic perfectly.
The movie Weird: The Al Yankovic Story was funny and entertaining. The biopic tells a story in a parody and comedic way, something that Weird Al Yankovic pulled off so well.
