Night of the Dribbler

Night of the Dribbler is an obscure gem of a movie from 1990, not for its high cinematic value but for its unabashed humor, its parade of oddball characters, and its rollercoaster plot. Directed by Jack Bravman and starring Fred Travalena, Gregory Calpakis, and Flavia Carrozzi, this film is a curious combination of comedy, horror, and sports spoof that, while offbeat in many ways, never ceases to entertain.

Fred Travalena, a renowned impressionist and comic legend, carries the weight of this movie on his experienced shoulders. In Night of the Dribbler, Travalena plays multiple roles, each more absurd than the last, adding comedic variety to the narrative while demonstrating his notable versatility. His humor, while rooted in the art of caricature and physical comedy, sets the comedic tone for the film, driving both its gags and its charm.

Playing alongside Travalena is the young Gregory Calpakis, a driven sports enthusiast, tasked with the challenge of maintaining his passion for basketball while deciphering the mystery unfolding in his school’s team. Calpakis' wide-eyed innocence, athletic dedication, and knack for stumbling upon the suspect add depth to this zany comedy.

Flavia Carrozzi lends a diverse dynamic to the film as the sweet and charming love interest, who also finds herself inexplicably linked to the curious events revolving around the basketball team. Her performance adds a distinct flavor of sweetness and lends a relatively normal backdrop against which the heightened humor and outlandish events can truly shine.

The movie revolves around a high school basketball team that is marked by a tagline: "The worst basketball team in history." The team's road to the playoffs is obstructed by a series of inexplicable and humorous events that include - but are not limited to - an onslaught of heinous pranks, relentless mascots, and half-time shenanigans. The team quickly discovers they have no shortage of foes and grievances, including rival schools, conniving officials, and even the janitors in their own school.

Amidst the hilarity, however, there's a darker plot at play. A mysterious figure robed in the garb of the team’s mascot begins to take revenge on the hapless team by robbing its members of their ability to play basketball. The plot takes a darkly comic spin as the players become victims of a serial "dribbler," and the path to the playoffs takes a detour through a winding course of mystery, suspicion, and suspicion-dipped humor.

The direction of Jack Bravman is unmistakable in this comedic spoof. Known for his distinct style that blends exaggeration with satire, Bravman delivers a slew of slapstick comedy and tongue-in-cheek humor that hits the right notes, especially for fans of over-the-top parodies.

In terms of cinematography, Night of the Dribbler does not offer high-budget fireworks. But what it lacks in high-quality visuals, it more than recoups with a unique brand of humor that keeps the audience engaged.

The genre of this movie is difficult to pin down and even more difficult to categorize, in a good way. It seamlessly blends comedy with horror, sports with mystery. And while neither of these aspects are particularly highbrow or deeply explored, they are woven together with a level of quirkiness and fun that's hard to resist.

Despite its title, Night of the Dribbler is not really a horror movie, as it involves dribbling of the basketball type, not the blood type. It offers plenty of laughs if you're in the mood for a goofy evening, and also caters to niche comedy tastes by adding unexpected elements of horror.

All in all, the Night of the Dribbler is a movie that you can watch when you're in the mood for something light-hearted, hilarious, and nonsensical. It's a film that knows its identity and doesn't take itself too seriously, and for that reason, it is a bizarre yet fun watch. This movie's ability to provide unabashed humor and a sense of sheer absurdity unlike many other movies of its kind and era is precisely why it is worth a watch, for a gleefully absurd and entertaining experience.