The State: The Complete Series
by Michael Patrick Jann, David Wain, Mark Gentile, Michael Dimich
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Kevin Allison, Michael Ian Black, Michael Patrick Jann, Robert Ben Garant, Todd HoloubekDirector: David Wain, Mark Gentile, Michael Dimich, Michael Patrick Jann
Brand: LENNON,TOM
Writer: Joe Lo Truglio
Writer: Ken Marino
Writer: David Wain
Writer: Jonathan K. Bendis
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 514 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2009-07-14
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: MTV
Movie Reviews of The State: The Complete Series
Movie Review: This is like getting $240 wortha puddin for Christmas! XD
Summary: 5 Stars
It's no secret to my friends and Family that I LOVE THE STATE, I have been waiting for a DVD (and originally VHS) of the Series to come out since it was 1996 or so. So I was ecstatic to have the chance to own this, as I have always promised on my petitions, true to my word, I even purchased two copies to show my support. ( Though I plan to give one copy away this Christmas to a Lucky friend!! =D )
While it's great to have the series back, the one (occasionally incredibly jarring) fault is that MTV being more interested in making money with this than releasing a high quality product forced the members of THE STATE to re-record the songs used in most of the skits as they could not get rights to the music. Notably (and expectedly) it's hardest to deal with Barry and Levon w/o "Sexual Healing" and the Pants sketch without "Cannonball" (By the Breeders).
HOWEVER:
The fact that it was widely reported that MTV would not pay the money for the rights to the music, despite efforts by the cast of THE STATE to have them include the music, help ease this pain as a real fan would be well aware of the issue before purchase, and a casual fan would probably not even miss the songs, as the integrity of the sketches is generally maintained.
Additionally the DVD set comes with a note directly from the cast of THE STATE explaining that they did try to keep the sketches as exact to the original as possible, but were unsuccessful at getting MTV to purchase the Movie rights, and worked with them to re-do dialog where necessary only when there was no ability to save the original Dialog due to the change of music, or due to possibility of lawsuit that MTV would not entertain due to rare product names being mentioned.
If this were not enough the DVDs are packed with Extras such as unaired skits and outtakes, and most importantly, a DVD Commentary that REALLY does what a fan will want, they sit, and explain what they were thinking when they did their skits, so you can really get an Idea of what was happening behind the scenes, what went into the skit, and why it evolved the way it did (which includes prompts to go re-watch a skit with the original song giving the Artist and Song-title you should use! XD Very Win!) Or even references to fan-based 'homages' (to keep the fans from being sued) where the 'homage' starts the same and then builds upon the original sketch, in the case of 2-hour Coma! =D And perhaps best of all, during one episode they make up their own Drinking game in the commentary which says you need to drink whenever they say 'drink' during the commentary track - meta funny is WIN!
Although Later series (Upright Citizens Brigade, Reno 911, Stella, etc.) all tried to re-capture the fun and frivolity of the original series, none have come very close to this, though Michael & Michael have Issues is certainly the closest to this day!
If you are a fan you will be interested in all the sketches you loved, and plenty you forgot you loved, and be able to look past the lack of memorable songs to be able to re-live the glory of the series, and laugh all over again, and although I'm not a very big commentary fan you CAN NOT MISS that wild-ride, give it a listen, have fun, and make sure to show your favorite skits to all your friends, so they will know what the hell you mean when you yell "CHICKEN SANDWICH CARL!!" at them during random social events! And so they can have the joy of playing a drinking game based off watching a commentary where you're told to drink over and over again! XD
IN SYNOPSYS:
All of the DVD Sets many features, and touches of love and care all end up more than out-weighing the troubling lack of iconic music in several sketches, making this a sure-fire buy for any fan, as long as they take the time to understand the change, instead of finding out without warning on watch-through.
-Q
Summary of The State: The Complete Series
The State was simply one of the sharpest, funniest, and most under-rated shows of the 1990?s. Originally created as MTV?s first foray into the sketch comedy genre, The State was a comedic gem that rocked Generation X with slapstick, smarts and witty sarcasm. The dynamic cast features 11 multi-talented actors that have continued to collaborate on such projects such as Reno 911!, Stella, Viva Variety and Wet Hot American Summer. MTV?s timeless sketch comedy show, The State, is finally here.What Louis Armstrong once said of jazz--"If you have to ask what it is, you'll never know"--also applies to The State, MTV?s first sketch series that ran for three seasons in the 1990s. I couldn't begin to tell you why a word-for-word, cackle-for-cackle recreation of The Cannonball Run's blooper credits is bat-guano brilliant. But it is. The seamless ensemble is 11-strong; Some you will recognize (Thomas Lennon, Kerri Kenney-Silver and Robert Ben Garant of Reno 911, and Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter from Stella and Michael and Michael Have Issues), but The State is of much more than before-they-were-famous interest. It is a breakneck-paced, ceaselessly inventive show that holds up 14 years later. As did Your Show of Shows, sketches mostly steer clear of topical references that would date the series. How to characterize The State? Like Monty Python's Flying Circus, punch lines are optional. Unlike Saturday Night Live, the troupe was less interested in creating marketable recurring characters than they were in goofing on a concept (witness Ken Marino's Louie, "the guy who comes in and says his catchphrase over and over again"). Insipid television is an irresistible satirical target. There is a cereal commercial that gives new meaning to the phrase "idiot box,? and a faux-promo for an Abraham Lincoln bio that plays more like an E! Channel True Hollywood Story. Funny enough, but Ernie Kovacs was goofing on TV 40 years earlier. What The State brings to the party is inspired absurdity. In one sketch, a homeowner confronts his postman who delivers tacos instead of the mail. In another, two singers perform a Barry White-style ode to "240 pounds of pudding." Arguably the high point of the series is a show-stopping musical production number, "Porcupine Racetrack." The State has long been revered by hipper comedy aficionados, but not so much by the mainstream press. Included among this set?s generous extra features is one of the show?s original promos that highlights the scathing reviews the show had received (negative two stars from The New York Post!). Other extras include ensemble commentaries, the pilot episode, unaired sketches, and some hilarious appearances on other MTV shows, including The Jon Stewart Show and the spring break special, Shut Up and Laugh, Panama City in which the leotarded troupe performs a, shall we say, extended Shakespearean scene. The loss of the show?s original soundtrack of popular rock songs due to prohibitively expensive music rights could make devotees of this series red and blue. But it shouldn't be a deal breaker. There is little else about The State that is generic. --Donald Liebenson
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