BASEketball (1998)

Director:

David Zucker

Writers (WGA):

David Zucker (written by) &
Robert LoCash (written by) ...

Release Date:

31 July 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Sport

Tagline:

From the director of the "Naked Gun" and starring the creators of "South Park"

Plot:

Two childhood friends are pro athletes of a national sport called BASEketball, a hybrid of baseball and basketball, and must deal with a greedy businessman scheming against their team.

Plot Keywords:

Basketball | Baseball | Nudity | Self Portrayal | Cult Favorite

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Trey Parker	...	Joe Cooper
Matt Stone	...	Doug Remer
Dian Bachar	...	Squeak Scolari
Yasmine Bleeth	...	Jenna Reed
Jenny McCarthy	...	Yvette Denslow
Ernest Borgnine	...	Ted Denslow
Robert Vaughn	...	Baxter Cain
Trevor Einhorn	...	Joey Thomas
Bob Costas	...	Himself
Al Michaels	...	Himself
Robert Stack	...	Himself - Unsolved Mysteries Host
Reggie Jackson	...	Himself
Dan Patrick	...	Himself
Kenny Mayne	...	Himself
Tim McCarver	...	Himself

Also Known As:

Baseketball (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language and crude sex-related humor.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Ireland:18 | South Korea:12 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/12 (video premiere) | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #36151) | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Blair Field, Recreation Park - 4700 E. 10th Street, Long Beach, California, USA

Company:

Zucker Brothers Productions

Trivia:

Trey Parker and Matt Stone agreed to do this film under the assumption by the time filming began, "South Park" (1997) would have already been canceled. It wasn't, and having been committed to both projects, had to attend principal photography for this project during the day, and produce "South Park" (1997) during the night, leaving very little time for any sleep.

Goofs:

Continuity: The position of the blinds when Squeak is looking out the window of the house.

Quotes:

Dan Patrick: Hi there. I'm Dan Patrick.
Kenny Mayne: And I'm Kenny Mayne.
Dan Patrick: With the first seven months of the BASEketball postseason out of the way, the playoff picture is now starting to emerge.
Kenny Mayne: So, with last night's victory over Boston, next week the Beers must beat Indianapolis in order to advance to Charlotte. That's in an effort to reduce their magic number to three.
Dan Patrick: Right, and then the Beers can advance to the National Eastern Division North to play Tampa.
Kenny Mayne: So, if the Beers beat Detroit and Denver beats Atlanta in the American Southwestern Division East Northern, then Milwaukee goes to the Denslow Cup, unless Baltimore can upset Buffalo and Charlotte ties Toronto, then Oakland would play LA and Pittsburgh in a blind choice round robin. And if no clear winner emerges from all of this, the two-man sack race will be held on consecutive Sundays until a champion can be crowned.
[...]

Movie Connections:

References "South Park" (1997)

Soundtrack:

Tonight

Genuinely funny movie

David Zucker has directed one of the most enjoyable comedies of the year with this goofy farce. Yes, it's a matter of acquired taste and depends upon a wealth of sophomoric gags, but it is consistently funny throughout unlike some recent comedic efforts. The film is loaded with all kinds of jokes ranging from the blatantly obvious to the more subtler kind that you must pay attention to everything in the frame or you'll likely miss them. Like his previous efforts which include "Airplane!", "Top Secret!", and "Naked Gun," the humor flies out almost every second. There are so many moments that work, it's easy to overlook the few that fall flat. What sets this movie apart from other pale imitations in the spoof genre is that it has an actual story line. While others have depended upon making fun of too many famous scenes in almost random movies (take "Mafia!", please), this film tells a new story with likable characters. It touches upon sports films in general as well as satirizing the real sports industry instead of lampooning any specific movies. Even for people who don't care for "South Park," its creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, make a good pair of leading actors with natural chemistry. The film also makes extremely effective use of cameos of athletes, sports announcers, and other celebrities, especially a hilarious bit with Robert Stack of "Unsolved Mysteries." By the way, stay through the credits for a final joke with Bob Costas and Al Michaels. All in all, Zucker has achieved, in words perhaps applying to the movie's mix of sports, a home dunk.