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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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Most helpful customer reviews
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
MTV's The State on DVD at Last,
By
This review is from: State (DVD)
This is proof that if enough people demand something eventually their wishes can become reality!The show can only be described as one of the greatest sketch shows of all time and in this dvd set you get not only every episode but some incredible never before seen rare footage! This DVD boxset is all us fans wanted and more! I can't wait to add it to my collection!
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.5 out of 5 stars (82 customer reviews) 61 of 66 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Thankful, but a bit let down,
By K. Blanchard - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: State (DVD)
It has been years since I've seen The State, and the moment I saw the commercial for it on TV, I immediately ordered it. It's a great DVD set with some really worthwhile bonus features, particularly the cast commentaries.That being said, yes, the music replacement is quite noticeable, as is the frequent and sometimes scene devastating blurring of any and all images that might require MTV to pay something for their display. The insert that comes with the DVD set claims that to include these images and songs would have cost millions and forbade the production of the DVD. I find that hard to believe. How much is it going to cost to have a picture of Andrew Shue on a goofy homemade collage? Or some obscure album cover from 15 years ago? I can't imagine those would cost all that much. And how much can the inclusion of a handful of songs cost? Even just for those few that were played over the live performances in studio, which is where the dubbing is most noticeable (any skit performed in the studio that contains licensed music, does not have a single piece of original sound, whatsoever. It's all dubbed over with new music, generic audience laughter, and re-recorded performances by the original cast members). Pretty much every licensed song used in the show is background music with dialogue recorded over it. How, in that kind of context, is some Marvin Gaye song from 30 years ago or goofy grunge song from 1993 is going to cost "millions" to license? And how did songs such as "The Power" by Snap!, which is played over the guidance counselor sketch, make it in and all these others didn't? I'm sure the real explanation is that MTV didn't give this DVD production any kind of budget at all, which is why we get all these alterations. I guess we should be thankful that the cast members and producers were so dedicated to the show that they took the time to find ways to get around all these inconveniences forced upon them by their stingy bosses. It's great to see the show again and so many of my favorite skits, particularly from the first season. It's just a shame so many great parts are ruined by all the editing and audio dubbing. I consider it's 4-star rating entirely MTV's fault for being so cheap with one of its greatest shows. 79 of 90 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Disk info.,
By Roger Lamont "oj" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: State (DVD)
Disc 1 (Season One)All five episodes from Season One Commentary on every episode by various cast members Interviews Origins Feedback Outtakes Disc 2 (Season Two) All six episodes from Season Two Commentary on every episode by various cast members Interviews Roles Catchphrases Outtakes Disc 3 (Season Three) All six episodes from Season Three Commentary on every episode by various cast members Interviews Outtakes Disc 4 (Season Four) All seven episodes from Season Four Commentary on every episode by various cast members Interviews Outtakes Disc 5 (Bonus Disc) Pilot Over 90 minutes of unaired sketches with commentary from the cast Outtakes Special Appearances: -"The State" on "The Jon Stewart Show" -The cast's performance on MTV's "Shut Up & Laugh, Panama City" (1996) -Spring Break Safety Tips -MTV Christmas Party Video Promos 40 of 47 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Less than $60 worth of pudding...,
By Victor Love - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: State (DVD)
I don't know how much of the music has been replaced (I've only checked Pants and $240 Worth of Pudding) but it's definitely jarring to not have Cannonball playing while Kerri is high-kicking or to hear Barry sound like a giant pudding clot is stuck in his throat. It's a sad commentary that such an incredible pop culture high-water mark can be scarred by the pop culture copyright tsunami. The dubbing probably won't bother somebody who has never seen the show but it may make even an infrequent 90s viewer feel that something is a little off. Surely somebody out there will compile a list of music substitutions and dialog re-recordings, but MTV already has our money and at the end of the day this is better than the tape that got eaten by my VCR.(Edit: There's an episode I've never had on tape, that I caught maybe two or three times on MTV, and that contains the one line I've blurted out who knows how many times any time I see a bottle of rosemary - "Ahhhh! Rosemary!" - and the substituted muzak track prevented a moment of utter joy. The State is one of the few objects of nostalgia I've clung to and it feels like that link to the past is getting weaker while watching some of these episodes. Sigh. In all fairness, I didn't notice any dialog re-recording in the TV Watching skit like I noticed the absence of Beck. ) (Another Edit: Yes, the replaced music can be distracting at times - it can also be barely noticeable at other times. There are only a handful of sketches which are tough to separate from their of-the-time accompaniment and a much larger percentage of pure goodness. And ,yes, the blurring can be annoying, especially when they try to block out most of a moving character's background, but that only happens once or twice. Finally, yes, the reports of dubbed lines are disturbing, but I've only noticed it in one particular character's scenes. I don't regret buying this set at all.) |
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