Every time I interview someone who was in The State, the seminal sketch comedy group that had a classic show on MTV, I ask them about the supposedly impending DVD release of the series. This has been going on for a long time now, and every time I get the same answer: “They’re on the way.”
Today I sat down with Ken Marino, who would like to dip his balls into a State DVD set… and who recently dipped his balls into a commentary track for it. Yes, the commentary track for at least one bunch of episodes of The State has been recorded.
“We did the commentary like two weeks ago,” Marino told me. “I was with all the LA people and we had everybody piped in from New York and it was awesome. It was awesome to see that stuff – I haven’t seen it in 13 years. Some of it’s awful, and some of it’s really good – looking at it is like, ‘Wow, what the hell were we doing?’ We didn’t know what we were doing, and I think that’s what makes it really interesting.”
Of course the idea of all the members of The State getting together to do a commentary led to the question of whether there would ever be a reunion movie for the cast.
”Hopefully someday,” Marino said. “We’re all friends and we love each other and we hang out. It’s just very difficult with ten people who are doing very different things with their careers. Tom [Lennon] and Ben [Garant] are writing big Hollywood movies, and they’re doing Reno with Kerri [Kenney] Mike [Jann] is shooting commercials all over the world. David Wain and I are writing some stuff and [Michael] Showalter is touring and doing his talk show. [Michael Ian] Black is creating stuff and writing scripts and Kevin [Allison]’s teaching and doing a sketch comedy show. Joe Lo Truglio is bouncing around from movie to movie. It’s just very difficult. I think ultimately what’s going to have to happen is that somebody or two people are going to have to write something and say, ‘This is a State movie.’ Somebody’s going to have to give us money and we’ll bring everybody together, and then we’ll shoot it. But to work like we worked? There’s just not enough time.”
Later, I sat in on a roundtable that teamed Marino with the star of Diggers, Paul Rudd (Diggers is what Marino and Rudd were there to sell. More on that soon – it’s a very good movie). I had to ask Rudd what I think is the ultimate question that must always gnaw at his psyche: in the event of an Anchorman-style street battle between Team Apatow and the guys from The State, which side would Rudd throw down with?
Rudd: See, this is one I think I would have to sit out. It would be a tricky thing. And I wouldn’t even put a wager down on who would win. I wouldn’t want to feel like Pete Rose or anything.
Marino: I’m trying to think…
Rudd: The State had what, 11 members?
Marino: Is Vince Vaughn considered part of that gang? Because if not, I think I can pretty much take anybody over there.
Rudd: Although [Seth] Rogen’s a brawler. And he’d be so high that he wouldn’t feel any pain at all, so he’d keep going.
Marino: I take that back. But David [Wain] would be down in one punch.
Rudd: David would. He would be knocked out. By Martin Starr. That’s how weak David is.
Marino: I say go with Apatow on this one.