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{{short description|1998 film by David Zucker}}
]
{{Distinguish|Basketball|Baseball}}
'''''BASEketball''''' is a ] ] comedy starring the creators of '']'', ] and ], and ]. The movie follows the history of the imaginary ] of the same name, from its invention by the lead characters as a game they could win against more ] types, to its development as a nationwide ] sport and a target of corporate sponsorship.
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Infobox film
| name = BASEketball
| image = baseketball.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = ]
| producer = {{Plainlist|
* David Zucker
* Robert LoCash
* Gil Netter<ref name="afi"/>
}}
| writer = {{Plainlist|
* David Zucker
* Robert LoCash
* Jeff Wright
* ]<ref name="afi"/>
}}
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* ]<!-- Do not list actors that are not included in the poster -->
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
}}
| music = ]<ref name="afi"/>
| cinematography = Steven Mason<ref name="afi"/>
| editing = ]
| studio = ]<ref name="afi"/>
| distributor = Universal Pictures<ref name="afi">{{cite web|title=BASEKetball (1998)|url=http://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/60640?cxt=filmography|publisher=]|access-date=May 2, 2018|archive-date=May 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180503042700/http://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/60640?cxt=filmography|url-status=live}}</ref>
| released = {{Film date|1998|07|31}}
| runtime = 103 minutes<!--Theatrical runtime: 103:20--><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.bbfc.co.uk/BVF154582 | title=''Baseketball'' | work=] | access-date=January 20, 2017 | archive-date=March 11, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230311190458/https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/baseketball-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zmja1nzq | url-status=live }}</ref>
| country = United States<ref name="afi"/>
| language = English
| budget = $25 million<ref name="BR">{{cite web |title=BASEketball |url=https://bombreport.com/yearly-breakdowns/1998-2/baseketball/ |website=Bomb Report |date=January 24, 2022 |access-date=27 February 2023 |archive-date=February 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227135356/https://bombreport.com/yearly-breakdowns/1998-2/baseketball/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
| gross = $7 million<ref name="BOM">{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=baseketball.htm|title=BASEketball (1998)|work=]|access-date=May 22, 2016|archive-date=June 23, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160623231427/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=baseketball.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}
'''''BASEketball''''' is a 1998 American ] ] cowritten and directed by ], starring '']'' creators ] and ], and costarring ], ], ], ] and ].


The film is about BASEketball, a hybrid sport combining baseball and basketball, invented by Zucker in the 1980s. Parker and Stone play childhood friends who envision it as something they could win against ]s. It becomes an overnight sensation and a target of ].
In the film, ''BASEketball'' is a mix of ] and ] played by two teams of three players each. Meant as a game suitable for people of all ages and abilities, it is played on a relatively small ]-shaped court with a basketball ] at the second base position. The ball is roughly basketball sized, smooth, and sewn like a baseball. Players wear little or no protective gear. Referees travel the court on ].


This is the only work involving the stars that was neither written, directed nor produced by them. It was a box office disappointment with mixed critical reviews and is credited with coining the slang term "]".<ref name="nymag" /><ref name=":0" />
The rules of the game are not made entirely clear, as it is merely a plot vehicle and not an actual game. For the purposes of the movie, an "at bat" player stands at home plate holding the ball, preparing to shoot at the basket above second base. An opposing player stands at roughly the pitching mound position, where that player has one attempt to "psych-out" the shooting player. A "psych out" is a verbal or visual trick meant to disturb the shooter enough to lose their concentration and miss the shot. If the shooter makes the basket, he then runs the bases, and points are scored.


==Plot==
==The rules of BASEketball==
] ]s and lifelong best friends Joseph R. "Coop" Cooper and Douglas "Doug" Remer ] the college graduation party of a high-school friend and are shunned by their classmates. They find themselves outside drinking beer and shooting a basketball when two classmates challenge them to a game. After seeing that their opponents are very good at basketball, they say they will only play a game they picked up in the streets (while secretly inventing the rules as they play, based on and combining elements of both basketball and baseball). After winning, they decide to refine the rules to the game and Coop makes the first BASEketball out of a ] chair. Their friend, Kenny "Squeak" Scolari, tags along and the sport becomes very popular in the neighborhood over the next six months.


Businessman Ted Denslow meets Coop and Remer and proposes the creation of the National BASEketball League (NBL) along with numerous rules in place to prevent its decline: teams cannot switch cities, players cannot be traded, nobody can make money via corporate sponsorship deals and anyone who wants to play can freely participate, with Denslow stating that "anyone can be a sports hero". Though reluctant, Coop ultimately accepts the opportunity.
===The layout of the field===


Five years later, the NBL is in full swing with teams, fans, stadiums and a major championship, the Denslow Cup. Denslow owns the Milwaukee Beers, Coop and Remer's team. During the championship game, he dies from choking on a hot dog, causing Coop to miss his shot and costing the Beers the game. Denslow's ] names Coop as owner of the Beers for one year on the condition that they win the next Denslow Cup; otherwise, ownership reverts to Denslow's widow Yvette. Coop and Remer then meet Jenna Reed, head of the Dream Come True Foundation, and Joey, one of the children in her care and a passionate fan of BASEketball; Coop, Remer and Squeak begin spending time with the two, with Coop eventually forming a romantic relationship with Jenna.
For the pitcher's mound you have a basketball hoop. There are four bases, as there are in baseball, but the distances between them are shortened, as there is no pitcher. There are nine squares radiating from the hoop: three single squares (small, yellow), three double squares (medium, red), and three triple squares (large, blue wedges). Instead of hitting a ball to right field, you shoot from the single, double, or triple square on the left side of the infield. Instead of hitting a ball to left field, you shoot from the single, double, or triple square on the right side of the infield. Instead of hitting a ball right down the middle, you shoot from the single, double, or triple square along the middle. There's the home run circle, with home base at its center. Instead of hitting a home run, you shoot a home run from there. There are two orange circular steps, one on each side of the garage door. These are used for short shots, aka bunts. Each side has a dugout instead of a bench. The roots of the game are remembered in the garage façade supporting the basket and in the sidewalks next to the dugouts. But other teams can substitute other buildings for the garage. The San Antonio Defenders, for example, have the ] as their façade.


Baxter Cain, owner of the Dallas Felons, wants to remove Denslow's rules preventing ] of the sport, having been unable to do so during Denslow's lifetime. Coop refuses to accept any changes; Cain partners with Yvette as he tries to make the Beers lose the next Denslow Cup so she will own the team. The Beers still continue winning games and heading toward the championship. Cain approaches Remer, telling him that he made an offer to Coop, but Coop refused without telling Remer. Remer confronts Coop about what Cain told him, and Coop quickly compromises by declaring Remer part owner of the team.
===Shooting===
The square you shoot and score from determines what kind of hit you're going for. Ex. A shot from one of the three double squares indicates a double. Any players ahead of you also move two bases. If you fail to hit the basket or the backboard, you're out. If you hit the backboard or the basket, the opposing team gets to rebound and try to shoot a basket for a double play. If they succeed, you'll be out, and so will the player closest to home plate. You get a second shot - a conversion - at the ball if you miss and the opposing team misses the next two shots when it tries a double play against you. If you make that shot, the original shot attempt holds - if you were shooting for the home run in your first shot, but score in the conversion, you get the home run shot. If you miss, you're out. You shoot for the cycle. If you start with a single, you can't shoot a single again until you've attempted the double, triple, and home run first, in that order. It's a rare inning that allows your team enough chances for you to have a second shot at a triple. Scoring depends on how many men cross home plate (runs shot in), not how many shots you successfully score (hits). If you want to bunt, you shoot from one of the orange steps. The bunt advances the runners already on base, but give the shooter an out. No psych-outs are used there. In the event the bases fill up, the first shooter, now on third base, can call upon one of the other players in the dugout to take his spot on third as he returns to home plate to shoot the fourth shot. This way, you have four players on offense, but only three shooting.


Later, Cain cuts the funding to Jenna's foundation in an attempt to get Coop and Remer to adopt a clothing line; Coop opposes it, but Remer agrees and becomes conceited with his newfound ] status. After the semifinals, Cain blackmails Coop and Remer into losing or forfeiting the Denslow Cup game, or else he will inform the public that the clothing line has been produced through ] in ], thus ruining the team and Jenna's foundation. Jenna learns about the scandal and breaks up with Coop, as Coop and Remer blame each other for the controversy, with Remer declaring that Coop was no longer his best friend.
===Defending===


With their friendship dissolved, Coop goes to Calcutta, aiming to resolve the situation by replacing the child workers with adults. Returning to the championship game just as it begins, Coop and Remer still argue with each other and the Beers are losing; by the seventh-inning stretch, the Beers are down 16–0. Finally infuriated by the pair's feuding, Squeak gives the stadium an impassioned speech, reminding Coop and Remer where they came from, how much they changed everyone else's lives and what they risk losing if they lose the game. Motivated, Coop and Remer reconcile as Yvette, also moved by Squeak's speech, breaks off her alliance with Cain. After shifting their focus back in the game, they are poised to win when Coop's La-Z-Boy BASEketball pops. Joey brings a crestfallen Coop a new BASEketball made from a ], restoring his confidence. After a risky last throw, they win the Denslow Cup. Jenna and Coop reconcile as Yvette makes out with Remer, and both men skate around the stadium with their new trophy.
Defending is similar to that in basketball, but you have greater liberty in how you defend against the shooter. The three defenders are present at all times. There's no tagging out of players. There are no triple plays. You can force a shooter out by ]. This means you can do just about anything, use just about anything, to make the shooter miss. Anything from a simple line to an elaborate setup involving dwarves and spinning plates to grotesque faces coupled with beastly sounds. You can even mimic a player in a mocking way in order to get him out. Double-teams are permitted. If the umpires deem a psych-out in bad taste and the shooter misses, the shooter gets his shot (like a walk in baseball).


===Officiating=== ==Cast==
{{Cast listing|
* ] as Joe Cooper
* ] as Doug Remer
* ] as Kenny Scolari
* ] as Jenna Reed
* ] as Yvette Denslow
* ] as Ted Denslow
* ] as Baxter Cain
* ] as Joey Thomas
* ] as Dr. Kaiser
* Mike Schmidt as Grunsky
* ] as himself
* ] as himself
* ] as Watson
}}


'''Cameo appearances'''
The umpires make sure the rules are being followed and put potholders on squares that have been used in shooting, to prevent shooting from that square again until a cycle is completed. Once the home run shot is taken, the potholders are removed from the squares the shooter used, or removed from all squares when the third out is called.
{{Cast listing|
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
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*]
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}}


===Length of play=== == Production ==
], who then had a first-look deal at ], pitched the idea of a low-brow comedy about a game he invented and played in the 1980s. Zucker had previously attempted to adapt the idea into a TV series without success. A ] was filmed which starred ], but it did not materialize into a series.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Burlingame |first1=Jon |title=They Got Game |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-may-10-ca-48199-story.html |access-date=27 February 2023 |work=] |date=May 10, 1998 |archive-date=February 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227135408/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-may-10-ca-48199-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>


When Zucker got the ] from Universal, he had wanted ] to play the lead role before casting Parker and Stone due to their work with '']'' becoming a huge hit. Parker and Stone agreed to do the movie under the assumption that their show would have been canceled by the time filming began. This did not happen, so they worked on both projects simultaneously.
The teams take turns like they do in baseball - visitors first, home team second. There are nine innings, like in baseball, and a seventh inning stretch. Since all the games are indoors, no games are ever called on account of rain. The seventh inning stretch also serves as hafltime, so there's halftime entertainment at this time. Overtime follows if there's a tie at the end of nine.


Principal photography began on January, 13 1998 and ended on March, 28 1998, in Los Angeles, California.
===Length of season===
There's no telling how many years a BASEketball season can last. The playoffs themselves can go for nine months. By comparison, a basketball season lasts for seven months, the playoffs for two months. A baseball season lasts for six months, the playoffs for one month. The BASEketball season, if calculated from the two seasons just mentioned, can last from 32 months (2 years, 8 months) to 54 months (4 and a half years). This means a new cup every four or five years. By comparison, ] has a new world cup every four years. There's no way BASEketball can have a nine-month playoff season and still have a cup every year. The cup is always called the "Denslow Cup."


===Loyalty=== ==Soundtrack==
The soundtrack featured a ska cover of Norwegian band ]'s signature single "]" by ]. The band also appears as the live entertainment at the home stadium of the Milwaukee Beers, playing their song "]" amongst other songs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cabbage |first=Jack |date=2008-10-20 |title=A-ha: Take on Me (1985) |url=http://80smusicchannel.blogspot.com/2008/10/ha-take-on-me-1985.html |access-date= |website=80s Music Channel |archive-date=December 10, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210005118/http://80smusicchannel.blogspot.com/2008/10/ha-take-on-me-1985.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The soundtrack also includes a cover of the ] song ] by ] and a cover of Harry Belafonte's "Jump In The Line (Shake Shake Senora)" by ].
No players are traded, no teams can move to new cities. Once a team is created, it stays put until it decides to close. Its bosses can change, though.


== Critical reception ==
==='Psych-outs'===
===Box office===
''BASEketball'' was released on July 31, 1998, opening alongside '']'', '']'', and '']''. It debuted in the #11 spot in its opening weekend, which was led by '']''. Its domestic total was $7,027,290.<ref name="BR" />


===Critical response===
Various 'psych-outs' are employed as part of gameplay, including:
On ], ''BASEketball'' has an approval rating of 41%, with an average rating of 5.30/10, based on 51 reviews from critics. The website's critics consensus reads, "''Baseketball'' isn't just a succession of fouls thanks to the comedic zip of David Zucker's direction, but sophomoric gags and a lack of performance hustle by Trey Parker and Matt Stone makes this satire a clumsy bunt."<ref>{{cite web |title= BASEketball (1998) |url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/baseketball |website= ] |access-date= October 15, 2020 |archive-date= September 28, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200928132042/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/baseketball |url-status= live }}</ref> On ], the film has a weighted average score of 38 out of 100, based on reviews from 18 critics, indicating "Generally unfavorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web |title= BASEketball 1998 |url= https://www.metacritic.com/movie/baseketball |website= ] |access-date= September 7, 2019 |archive-date= June 15, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200615133835/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/baseketball |url-status= live }}</ref> Audiences surveyed by ] gave the film a grade B on scale of A to F.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |title= Cinemascore |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181220122629/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |archive-date= 2018-12-20 }}</ref>


In a positive review with '']'', Leonard Klady said ''BASEketball'' "has the heightened entertainment challenge of presenting an invented sport ... The film's physical comedy should translate well internationally and chalk up high scores on video".<ref name="klady">{{cite web |last= Klady |first= Leonard |title= BASEketball |url= https://variety.com/1998/film/reviews/baseketball-1200454253/ |website= Variety |date= July 30, 1998 |access-date= January 10, 2019 |archive-date= January 10, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190110183527/https://variety.com/1998/film/reviews/baseketball-1200454253/ |url-status= live }}</ref> The film was awarded four stars out of five by '']'' magazine's ], who called it funny but described the humor as sometimes hit-and-miss.<ref name="freer">{{cite web |last=Freer |first=Ian |title=BASEketball Review |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/baseketball/review/ |website=Empire |date=September 8, 2006 |access-date=January 10, 2019 |archive-date=March 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230311190447/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/baseketball-review/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Conversely, '']''{{'}} Jack Mathews labeled the film as sleep-inducing and "by far the most inane and badly written of the comedies made by any of the creators of the classic 1980 sendup '']''".<ref name="jack">{{cite web |last=Mathews |first=Jack |title=Sophomoric 'BASEketball' Leaves Comedy on the Bench |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jul-31-ca-8698-story.html |website=Los Angeles Times |date=July 31, 1998 |access-date=January 10, 2019 |archive-date=May 1, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090501130415/http://articles.latimes.com/1998/jul/31/entertainment/ca-8698 |url-status=live }}</ref> Michael O'Sullivan in '']'''' called the film "dark, dull, witless and hobbled by poor comic timing," comparing its gross-out humor unfavorably to that of '']''.<ref>{{cite news |last=O'Sullivan |first=Michael |title='BASEketball' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/movies/reviews/baseketballosullivan.htm?noredirect=on |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=July 31, 1998 |access-date=January 10, 2019 |archive-date=January 10, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110183425/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/movies/reviews/baseketballosullivan.htm?noredirect=on |url-status=live }}</ref> ] echoed this sentiment in his negative review in the '']'', giving the film one and a half stars out of four and saying the film "tries to buy laughs with puerile shocks".<ref>{{cite web |date= July 31, 1998 |last= Ebert |first= Roger |author-link= Roger Ebert |title= Baseketball Movie Review & Film Summary (1998) |url= https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/baseketball-1998 |work= ] |access-date= January 10, 2019 |archive-date= January 10, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190110183450/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/baseketball-1998 |url-status= live }}</ref>
* Coop takes a sip of beer. His opponent shoots, and in the act of shooting Coop spits out his beer at him. The man misses the shot.

* Coop Yells "Yo Pierce. I hear your mom is going out with Squeak!" Pierce is distracted and shoots the ball. It hits Squeak and bounces away.
===Accolades===
* A Miami player walks up, Remer says "Yo! Gomez!", Gomez sets up to shoot, Remer continues "Got milk?" and begins to squeeze some milk out of a hidden pouch on his breast and onto Gomez's face as Gomez shoots. "Yeah, you like that, don'tcha?" The shot misses and Coop takes the rebound.
For their roles in the film, Yasmine Bleeth and Jenny McCarthy were nominated at the ], for the ] and ] awards, respectively. Bleeth lost to the ] (for '']'') while McCarthy lost to ] ('']'').<ref>{{cite web |title=1998 RAZZIE® Nominees & "Winners" |url=http://www.razzies.com/forum/1998-razzie-nominees-winners_topic348.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120831204759/http://www.razzies.com/forum/1998-razzie-nominees-winners_topic348.html |archive-date=2012-08-31}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
In response to a negative review from Roger Ebert, Parker and Stone named ''South Park''{{'s}} ]'s eleventh episode "]".<ref>{{cite web |last=Chipman |first=Bob |title=15 South Park Episodes That Haven't Aged Well |url=https://screenrant.com/south-park-old-episodes-aged-badly/ |website=] |date=May 16, 2017 |access-date=January 10, 2019 |archive-date=January 8, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190108200811/https://screenrant.com/south-park-old-episodes-aged-badly/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Dyess-Nugent |first1=Phil |title=South Park (Classic): "Roger Ebert Should Lay Off The Fatty Foods"/"Clubhouses" |url=https://www.avclub.com/south-park-classic-roger-ebert-should-lay-off-the-f-1798173974 |access-date=27 February 2023 |work=] |date=August 26, 2012 |archive-date=February 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227135355/https://www.avclub.com/south-park-classic-roger-ebert-should-lay-off-the-f-1798173974 |url-status=live }}</ref> Parker and Stone also referenced ''BASEketball''{{'s}} negative reception in ''South Park''{{'s}} ] episode "]", when ] and ] decide to go to ]'s house in ] to hold him responsible and to get their money back from him due to them not liking his movie '']''.

''BASEketball'' is credited with coining the Internet slang term "]".<ref name="nymag">{{cite news|last=Becket|first=Stefan|title=The Origins of ''Derp''|url=http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/06/derp-meaning-origin.html|access-date=May 3, 2018|work=]|date=June 4, 2013|archive-date=May 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180528033748/http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/06/derp-meaning-origin.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite web|last=Siese|first=April|title=These 'BASEketball' Quotes Are Psych-Out Gold|url=https://uproxx.com/movies/baseketball-best-quotes/2/|website=]|access-date=May 3, 2018|date=October 28, 2015|archive-date=March 11, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230311190457/https://uproxx.com/movies/baseketball-best-quotes/|url-status=live}}</ref> Parker and Stone later referenced the term in ''South Park''{{'s}} ] episode "]", where ] is replaced by ].<ref name="nymag"/>

==See also==
* "]", an episode of '']''

==References==
{{Reflist}}


For the full list of 'Psych-outs' used in the film, see ]
==External links== ==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
*{{imdb title|id=0131857|title=BASEketball}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0131857}}
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* {{Rotten Tomatoes|baseketball|BASEketball}}
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Latest revision as of 09:02, 25 December 2024

1998 film by David Zucker Not to be confused with Basketball or Baseball.

BASEketball
Theatrical release poster
Directed byDavid Zucker
Written by
Produced by
  • David Zucker
  • Robert LoCash
  • Gil Netter
Starring
CinematographySteven Mason
Edited byJeffrey Reiner
Music byIra Newborn
Production
company		Universal Pictures
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
  • July 31, 1998 (1998-07-31)
Running time103 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$25 million
Box office$7 million

BASEketball is a 1998 American sports comedy film cowritten and directed by David Zucker, starring South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and costarring Yasmine Bleeth, Jenny McCarthy, Robert Vaughn, Ernest Borgnine and Dian Bachar.

The film is about BASEketball, a hybrid sport combining baseball and basketball, invented by Zucker in the 1980s. Parker and Stone play childhood friends who envision it as something they could win against athletes. It becomes an overnight sensation and a target of corporate sponsorship.

This is the only work involving the stars that was neither written, directed nor produced by them. It was a box office disappointment with mixed critical reviews and is credited with coining the slang term "derp".

Plot

Milwaukee slackers and lifelong best friends Joseph R. "Coop" Cooper and Douglas "Doug" Remer gate crash the college graduation party of a high-school friend and are shunned by their classmates. They find themselves outside drinking beer and shooting a basketball when two classmates challenge them to a game. After seeing that their opponents are very good at basketball, they say they will only play a game they picked up in the streets (while secretly inventing the rules as they play, based on and combining elements of both basketball and baseball). After winning, they decide to refine the rules to the game and Coop makes the first BASEketball out of a La-Z-Boy chair. Their friend, Kenny "Squeak" Scolari, tags along and the sport becomes very popular in the neighborhood over the next six months.

Businessman Ted Denslow meets Coop and Remer and proposes the creation of the National BASEketball League (NBL) along with numerous rules in place to prevent its decline: teams cannot switch cities, players cannot be traded, nobody can make money via corporate sponsorship deals and anyone who wants to play can freely participate, with Denslow stating that "anyone can be a sports hero". Though reluctant, Coop ultimately accepts the opportunity.

Five years later, the NBL is in full swing with teams, fans, stadiums and a major championship, the Denslow Cup. Denslow owns the Milwaukee Beers, Coop and Remer's team. During the championship game, he dies from choking on a hot dog, causing Coop to miss his shot and costing the Beers the game. Denslow's will names Coop as owner of the Beers for one year on the condition that they win the next Denslow Cup; otherwise, ownership reverts to Denslow's widow Yvette. Coop and Remer then meet Jenna Reed, head of the Dream Come True Foundation, and Joey, one of the children in her care and a passionate fan of BASEketball; Coop, Remer and Squeak begin spending time with the two, with Coop eventually forming a romantic relationship with Jenna.

Baxter Cain, owner of the Dallas Felons, wants to remove Denslow's rules preventing monetization of the sport, having been unable to do so during Denslow's lifetime. Coop refuses to accept any changes; Cain partners with Yvette as he tries to make the Beers lose the next Denslow Cup so she will own the team. The Beers still continue winning games and heading toward the championship. Cain approaches Remer, telling him that he made an offer to Coop, but Coop refused without telling Remer. Remer confronts Coop about what Cain told him, and Coop quickly compromises by declaring Remer part owner of the team.

Later, Cain cuts the funding to Jenna's foundation in an attempt to get Coop and Remer to adopt a clothing line; Coop opposes it, but Remer agrees and becomes conceited with his newfound A-list status. After the semifinals, Cain blackmails Coop and Remer into losing or forfeiting the Denslow Cup game, or else he will inform the public that the clothing line has been produced through child labor in Calcutta, thus ruining the team and Jenna's foundation. Jenna learns about the scandal and breaks up with Coop, as Coop and Remer blame each other for the controversy, with Remer declaring that Coop was no longer his best friend.

With their friendship dissolved, Coop goes to Calcutta, aiming to resolve the situation by replacing the child workers with adults. Returning to the championship game just as it begins, Coop and Remer still argue with each other and the Beers are losing; by the seventh-inning stretch, the Beers are down 16–0. Finally infuriated by the pair's feuding, Squeak gives the stadium an impassioned speech, reminding Coop and Remer where they came from, how much they changed everyone else's lives and what they risk losing if they lose the game. Motivated, Coop and Remer reconcile as Yvette, also moved by Squeak's speech, breaks off her alliance with Cain. After shifting their focus back in the game, they are poised to win when Coop's La-Z-Boy BASEketball pops. Joey brings a crestfallen Coop a new BASEketball made from a Barcalounger, restoring his confidence. After a risky last throw, they win the Denslow Cup. Jenna and Coop reconcile as Yvette makes out with Remer, and both men skate around the stadium with their new trophy.

Cast

Cameo appearances

Production

David Zucker, who then had a first-look deal at Universal Pictures, pitched the idea of a low-brow comedy about a game he invented and played in the 1980s. Zucker had previously attempted to adapt the idea into a TV series without success. A pilot episode was filmed which starred Chris Rock, but it did not materialize into a series.

When Zucker got the green-light from Universal, he had wanted Chris Farley to play the lead role before casting Parker and Stone due to their work with South Park becoming a huge hit. Parker and Stone agreed to do the movie under the assumption that their show would have been canceled by the time filming began. This did not happen, so they worked on both projects simultaneously.

Principal photography began on January, 13 1998 and ended on March, 28 1998, in Los Angeles, California.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack featured a ska cover of Norwegian band A-ha's signature single "Take On Me" by Reel Big Fish. The band also appears as the live entertainment at the home stadium of the Milwaukee Beers, playing their song "Beer" amongst other songs. The soundtrack also includes a cover of the War song "Why Can't We Be Friends?" by Smash Mouth and a cover of Harry Belafonte's "Jump In The Line (Shake Shake Senora)" by Cherry Poppin' Daddies.

Critical reception

Box office

BASEketball was released on July 31, 1998, opening alongside The Parent Trap, The Negotiator, and Ever After. It debuted in the #11 spot in its opening weekend, which was led by Saving Private Ryan. Its domestic total was $7,027,290.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, BASEketball has an approval rating of 41%, with an average rating of 5.30/10, based on 51 reviews from critics. The website's critics consensus reads, "Baseketball isn't just a succession of fouls thanks to the comedic zip of David Zucker's direction, but sophomoric gags and a lack of performance hustle by Trey Parker and Matt Stone makes this satire a clumsy bunt." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 38 out of 100, based on reviews from 18 critics, indicating "Generally unfavorable reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade B on scale of A to F.

In a positive review with Variety, Leonard Klady said BASEketball "has the heightened entertainment challenge of presenting an invented sport ... The film's physical comedy should translate well internationally and chalk up high scores on video". The film was awarded four stars out of five by Empire magazine's Ian Freer, who called it funny but described the humor as sometimes hit-and-miss. Conversely, Los Angeles Times' Jack Mathews labeled the film as sleep-inducing and "by far the most inane and badly written of the comedies made by any of the creators of the classic 1980 sendup Airplane!". Michael O'Sullivan in The Washington Post'' called the film "dark, dull, witless and hobbled by poor comic timing," comparing its gross-out humor unfavorably to that of There's Something About Mary. Roger Ebert echoed this sentiment in his negative review in the Chicago Sun-Times, giving the film one and a half stars out of four and saying the film "tries to buy laughs with puerile shocks".

Accolades

For their roles in the film, Yasmine Bleeth and Jenny McCarthy were nominated at the 1998 Golden Raspberry Awards, for the Worst Actress and Worst Supporting Actress awards, respectively. Bleeth lost to the Spice Girls (for Spice World) while McCarthy lost to Maria Pitillo (Godzilla).

In popular culture

In response to a negative review from Roger Ebert, Parker and Stone named South Park's second season's eleventh episode "Roger Ebert Should Lay Off the Fatty Foods". Parker and Stone also referenced BASEketball's negative reception in South Park's season-eight episode "The Passion of the Jew", when Stan Marsh and Kenny McCormick decide to go to Mel Gibson's house in Malibu to hold him responsible and to get their money back from him due to them not liking his movie The Passion of the Christ.

BASEketball is credited with coining the Internet slang term "derp". Parker and Stone later referenced the term in South Park's third season episode "The Succubus", where Chef is replaced by Mr. Derp.

See also

References

  1. ^ "BASEKetball (1998)". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on May 3, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  2. "Baseketball". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on March 11, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  3. ^ "BASEketball". Bomb Report. January 24, 2022. Archived from the original on February 27, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  4. "BASEketball (1998)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on June 23, 2016. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
  5. ^ Becket, Stefan (June 4, 2013). "The Origins of Derp". New York. Archived from the original on May 28, 2018. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  6. ^ Siese, April (October 28, 2015). "These 'BASEketball' Quotes Are Psych-Out Gold". Uproxx. Archived from the original on March 11, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  7. Burlingame, Jon (May 10, 1998). "They Got Game". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 27, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  8. Cabbage, Jack (October 20, 2008). "A-ha: Take on Me (1985)". 80s Music Channel. Archived from the original on December 10, 2008.
  9. "BASEketball (1998)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on September 28, 2020. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  10. "BASEketball 1998". Metacritic. Archived from the original on June 15, 2020. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  11. "Cinemascore". Archived from the original on December 20, 2018.
  12. Klady, Leonard (July 30, 1998). "BASEketball". Variety. Archived from the original on January 10, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  13. Freer, Ian (September 8, 2006). "BASEketball Review". Empire. Archived from the original on March 11, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  14. Mathews, Jack (July 31, 1998). "Sophomoric 'BASEketball' Leaves Comedy on the Bench". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 1, 2009. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  15. O'Sullivan, Michael (July 31, 1998). "'BASEketball'". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 10, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  16. Ebert, Roger (July 31, 1998). "Baseketball Movie Review & Film Summary (1998)". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on January 10, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  17. "1998 RAZZIE® Nominees & "Winners"". Archived from the original on August 31, 2012.
  18. Chipman, Bob (May 16, 2017). "15 South Park Episodes That Haven't Aged Well". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on January 8, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  19. Dyess-Nugent, Phil (August 26, 2012). "South Park (Classic): "Roger Ebert Should Lay Off The Fatty Foods"/"Clubhouses"". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on February 27, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023.

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