7 Things In The Weird Al Movie That Are Actually True

7 Things In The Weird Al Movie That Are Actually True

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is out now, and it’s simply 108 minutes of absurd joy.

It stars Daniel Radcliffe and is a parody of the musical biopics that have become so popular in the last few years. Could you expect anything else from Weird Al?

Here’s a handy list of the things that are actually true in the movie, and which ones have been more than a little embellished:

1. TRUE: A door-to-door salesman did come to Al’s house and sparked his interest in the accordion.

2. FALSE: His parents didn’t support his music, and Al had to practice the accordion in secret. In reality, Mr. and Mrs. Yankovic were perfectly supportive of their son.

3. TRUE: “My Bologna” was recorded in a public restroom, just not at a bus stop.

4. FALSE: “My Bologna” was Weird Al’s first hit.

5. TRUE: Dr. Demento is a real person and was instrumental in launching Weird Al’s career. He did not, however, come up with adding “Weird” to Al’s name as the movie suggests.

6. FALSE: Al’s career trajectory was pretty much completely different from what the movie portrayed, starting with the fact that his roommates became his bandmates.

7. TRUE: The percussion on “Another One Rides the Bus” is actually from a Al’s drummer, Jon “Bermuda” Schwartz, hitting an accordion case as was shown in the movie.

8. FALSE: Al had drug and alcohol issues that caused a turbulent phase in his career.

9. TRUE: Oprah did interview Weird Al, but the real interview had a “slightly different vibe” from what the movie portrayed.

10. FALSE, of course: “Eat It” was written before “Beat It,” and Michael Jackson’s song is a parody of Weird Al’s original.

11. TRUE: The “Yankovic bump” is actually a thing.

12. FALSE: Madonna romantically pursued Weird Al so that he’d write a song parody of “Like a Virgin,” and the two had a torrid romance.

13. TRUE: The Hawaiian shirts, if not the excessive shirtlessness, are a staple of Weird Al’s style over the years.

14. And finally, FALSE: Several truly outlandish scenes that obviously ever happened, but that I’m going to list out anyway so you get a sense of this movie’s vibe.

TV and Movies

1.

TRUE: A door-to-door salesman did come to Al’s house and sparked his interest in the accordion.

2.

FALSE: His parents didn’t support his music, and Al had to practice the accordion in secret. In reality, Mr. and Mrs. Yankovic were perfectly supportive of their son.

3.

TRUE: “My Bologna” was recorded in a public restroom, just not at a bus stop.

4.

FALSE: “My Bologna” was Weird Al’s first hit.

5.

TRUE: Dr. Demento is a real person and was instrumental in launching Weird Al’s career. He did not, however, come up with adding “Weird” to Al’s name as the movie suggests.

6.

FALSE: Al’s career trajectory was pretty much completely different from what the movie portrayed, starting with the fact that his roommates became his bandmates.

7.

TRUE: The percussion on “Another One Rides the Bus” is actually from a Al’s drummer, Jon “Bermuda” Schwartz, hitting an accordion case as was shown in the movie.

8.

FALSE: Al had drug and alcohol issues that caused a turbulent phase in his career.

9.

TRUE: Oprah did interview Weird Al, but the real interview had a “slightly different vibe” from what the movie portrayed.

10.

FALSE, of course: “Eat It” was written before “Beat It,” and Michael Jackson’s song is a parody of Weird Al’s original.

11.

TRUE: The “Yankovic bump” is actually a thing.

12.

FALSE: Madonna romantically pursued Weird Al so that he’d write a song parody of “Like a Virgin,” and the two had a torrid romance.

13.

TRUE: The Hawaiian shirts, if not the excessive shirtlessness, are a staple of Weird Al’s style over the years.

14.

And finally, FALSE: Several truly outlandish scenes that obviously ever happened, but that I’m going to list out anyway so you get a sense of this movie’s vibe.