The Compleat Al

“Weird Al” Yankovic is a musical artist that probably needs no introduction, as he is well-known for his longstanding career writing parodies of popular songs of the time, ranging from “Eat It” (parody of “Beat It” by Michael Jackson) to “White and Nerdy” (parody of “Ridin’” by Chamillionaire). While 2022 saw the release of the satirical biopic Weird: The Al Yankovic Story on Roku, with it finally receiving a home video release the following year, Yankovic is no stranger to joke depictions of his life story, as 1985 saw the premiere of the mockumentary The Compleat Al on Showtime, albeit in a 60-minute edited form, before releasing in full on home video. Shout! Factory’s announcement of the home video release of Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is what led me to discover the existence of The Compleat Al through their listing of a DVD release, which I would receive as a gift shortly afterwards. While I did overall enjoy my experience with it, the full 100-minute runtime sadly works against it at times.

The Compleat Al chronicles the life and career of “Weird Al” Yankovic up to that point, with jokes inserted for comedic effect. This results in some events being presented as half-jokes, which can make it difficult for those unfamiliar with the truth to discern at times between what’s real (ex. his degree in Architecture, recording his star-making parody “My Balogna” in a bathroom) and what’s fictional (his birth in a hospital elevator, the recording of an entire lost album). As with the subjective nature of comedy, not every one of these jokes lands necessarily, but when they do, they’re hysterical, such as an extended sequence where Michael Jackson (Bert Simon) is presented as an imposing and intimidating figure when Yankovic is seeking his permission to record “Eat It”.

One highlight of the mockumentary is that it’s interspersed with music videos and other clips relating to Yankovic from up to circa 1985, though some of the transitions into them are more awkward than others. Among these clips are bits from the first three Al TV specials, wherein Yankovic took over MTV for a few hours, but while these are cool to see archived in some form, the number of these clips admittedly borders on excess. Similarly, the film drags a little in places, largely in the second half, including extended skits relating to the business side of Yankovic’s music career. With the later tragic passing of Yankovic’s parents in 2004, it’s also nice to see them live on through a cameo appearance in this mockumentary, part of which includes one of the aforementioned awkward transitions.

Despite its shortcomings, The Compleat Al is a mockumentary unapologetically made for the fans and is still recommended viewing for that audience. For those waiting to see Weird: The Al Yankovic Story and are looking for something more comedic from Yankovic’s career, watch the 1989 film UHF instead.