Review of Cult of UHF

Cult of UHF has been showcasing classic and crappy B-movies of yesteryear since November 2005. Logically, the show inherited its name from early technology’s ultra-high frequency waves, which carried television’s “less polished, less professional, and less popular fare.”

Hosted by the Reverend Right Chumley (played by Chad Fraley), the show introduces movies worthy of cult status to a generation that was probably too young to have enjoyed Mystery Science Theater 3000 and provides relief to the fans who wish it was still around.

All movies shown on the Cult of UHF are in the public domain, meaning they can be reproduced by anyone, up to and including a man who introduces each film dressed like an evangelical cult leader, begging viewers to testify (the Reverend refers to voicemail and emails from fans as testimonials). This allows Fraley to present awesome favorites like “Reefer Madness” alongside lesser-known monster, alien, kung fu, and all-around funny (intentionally or unintentionally) flicks that fans of the cancelled “MST3K” will undoubtedly appreciate. But you don’t need to love “Monster Vision” to enjoy watching Santa Claus conquer Martians

. You just need a sense of humor.

It’s a shame that Reverend Chumley doesn’t turn up more often to comment on specific scenes like in TBS’s “Dinner and a Movie” or make “MST3K” interjections throughout, but it’s hard to blame the busy grad student who has been known take a few episodes off to get through finals. Keep in mind that each episode is a full-length movie, so be patient when downloading.

It’s great when Reverend Chumley’s intro is tied into the movie being shown, like in the Little Shop of Horrors episode where the church background was draped in vines and a plant kept entering the screen begging the Reverend to “Feed me,” or during Chad’s break to study for finals when his intro was replaced with an homage to Star Wars called “The Finals Menace,” complete with scrolling text and all.