In 1995, South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone somehow talked a bevy of famous actors, directors and musicians into appearing in a vicious, hilarious internal short film for Universal Studios entitled Your Studio and You. This is the result.
Two years before Parker and Stone hit the big time with South Park, they found themselves commissioned to make a short film for Universal Studios in the wake of its purchase by Canadian liquor giant Seagram. The duo somehow parleyed that opportunity into a 50s-style black-and-white flick starring Demi Moore, Robin Cook, Traci Lords, George Carlin, Michael J. Fox, Sylvester Stallone and a truckload of other actors, musicians and industry executives. Steven Spielberg does a turn as a bored Universal tour guide; James Cameron is a gardener.
The film’s actual provenance is unclear. Wikipedia says it was commissioned by David Zucker as a gag for a party being held by Seagram to celebrate its takeover of Universal, but Entertainment Geekly claims that Seagram honcho and new Universal owner Edgar Bronfman Jr. was not amused, and “buried it.” Whatever the case, the final result is pure gold.
Any attempt to explain it further would be grossly inadequate because the whole thing, including the fact that it was made in the first place, is so incredibly bizarre and surreal that it defies description. So just sit back and enjoy, and be sure to stick with it to the very end. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
(Part two!)
