BASEketball (1998)

BASEketball is one of the most bizarre films ever made. Obscure and forgotten, but I almost urge you to see it. It's so inconsequential, and counter-productive, and incredulous in it's existence. I can only make sense of it as the product of two theories that have been floating around my head as I watched it. Theory #1: (perhaps the most likely) David Zucker, having realized that Airplane-style parody movies were dead, attempted to make a late-90's, Adam Sandler-esque gross-out comedy and settled on the South Park duo when no other big name comic talents signed on to the project. Theory #2: Trey and Matt wrote a screenplay for one of their trademark surreal comedy ideas, realized they didn't have the financial means to create it themselves, and hired David Zucker to direct it for them. Whatever the reason may be, the Zuckers and South Park teamed up to make this, and their comedic sensibilities mix like oil and water. In one scene, it's just Trey and Matt goofing around with a camera rolling, in the next scene, it's a typical Zucker set-piece with sight gags cluttering the frame. It's an absolute mess. It's comedy gone awry... and yet, that gives it one hell of a charm. I laughed many times. More times than I had every right to. I love a good oddity. It sparks interesting conversation. It's just fun.