Weird Al Yankovic: The Compleat Al

A loosely biographical look at the life and career of Grammy award-winning musician and parodist Alfred “Weird Al” Yankovic that starts off with the artist setting his accordion on fire onstage, this 1985 mockumentary from filmmakers Jay Levey and Robert K. Weiss adds a dash of truth to an amalgam of silly segments. For instance, it's probably safe to assume that Yankovic's mother did not in fact have a job sorting sprinkles at the local Dairy Queen; also, it seems odd that literally every archival photo featuring Al and a woman on a date has the female ashamedly covering her face. Some true stuff: Yankovic, who was born in Lynwood, CA, got his start with a leg up from Dr. Demento, received an architectural degree from Cal Poly—where he was a DJ and recorded his The Knack rip-off “My Bologna” in a bathroom—and obtained special permission from Michael Jackson to cover his work (although the scene depicting the meeting at a creepy castle with a tiger and monkey may be a bit farfetched). Some of the vignettes here fall flat—wacky band auditions, a dress-up montage, an insensitive overview of Yankovic's visit to Japan—but overall Yankovic has the comedic chops to make most of this work. Interspersed throughout are his signature music videos (including the classics “Eat It” and “Like a Surgeon”), choice clips from his MTV show AL-TV, and celebrity appearances ranging from Dick Clark to Rick Derringer. A jokey time capsule film spotlighting a talented entertainer who has released 14 studio albums to date, this is recommended. (J. Williams-Wood)