The Ten

United States

2007

96 Min

Color

Spanish, English

Currently 2.5/5 Stars.
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EXEC Michael Almog, Michael Bassick, Michael Califra, Dany Fisher, Jack Fisher, Joe Fisher, Maxwell Sinovoi, Sam Zietz

PROD Anthony Aufiero, Beth Bowling, Greg 'Freddy' Camalier, Rashida Jones, Marcus Lansdell, Morris S. Levy, Ken Marino, Kim Miscia, Paul Rudd, Jonathan Stern, Derrick Tseng, David Wain, Matt Yu, Antonio Zavala, Victor Zavala Kugler

CAST Paul Rudd, Winona Ryder, Ken Marino, Famke Janssen, Gretchen Mol, A.D. Miles, Justin Theroux, Adam Brody, Jon Hamm, Mather Zickel, Ron Silver, Jason Sudeikis, Liev Schreiber, Zak Orth, Jessica Alba, Oliver Platt, Kerri Kenney-Silver, David Wain, Janeane Garofalo, Rob Corddry, Michael Ian Black, Rashida Jones, Michael Showalter, Bobby Cannavale

Much of the group responsible for MTV’s The State — including director/actor David Wain and performers Ken Marino, Kerri Kenney-Silver, and Joe Lo Truglio — reunite for this outrageous, irreverent, and raunchy sketch comedy, which skewers the Ten Commandments. In the framing sequences, comedian Paul Rudd (who collaborated with much of the cast on Wet Hot American Summer and The Baxter) stands on a black stage with giant Biblical tablets projected behind him and promises to deliver ten mini-stories, each loosely based on one of the commandments, from “Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me” through “Thou Shalt Not Covet.” For all of the storyteller’s efforts, however, he is constantly, comically distracted by interferences, particularly those emanating from intrusions by his multiple girlfriends. The stories are nonetheless told one by one in short-film form, beginning with a sketch in which Stephen (Adam Brody) goes skydiving with his intended, Kelly (Winona Ryder), but forgets to wear his parachute and gets stuck in the mud, waist-deep, which draws gawkers, media, and in time, worshipers. Several of the subsequent stories consist of raunchy, jet-black riffs on sexual perversion, including one about a virginal librarian (Gretchen Mol) entangled in a sultry and messy affair with a Mexican, and another memorable bit about a nutty surgeon who plays a prank by burying a pair of scissors in a patient’s stomach and is then sent to prison — where he experiences brutal sexual abuse at the hands of other men. As an added bonus, the picture packs in a fully animated sequence, narrated by several crack-smokers, entitled “The Lying Rhino.” —allmusic guide

Director

David Wain

David Benjamin Wain (born August 1, 1969) is an American comedian, writer, actor and director. He is most widely known for the feature films Role Models and Wet Hot American Summer, the 1990s’ sketch comedy series The State and for directing the Adult Swim series Childrens Hospital. Wain was a founding member of Stella, along with Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black.

Wain was born in Shaker Heights, Ohio. A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Wain first began his career in 1991 as a writer/director, with the short film Aisle Six. The film stars Thomas Lennon, Joe Lo Truglio, Michael Patrick Jann and other members of The State. In 1988 while attending NYU, Wain became a founding member of the sketch comedy group The New Group. This group would later come to be known as The State, and in 1993 he and his fellow members created and starred in The State, a sketch show that… read more

David Benjamin Wain (born August 1, 1969) is an American comedian, writer, actor and director. He is most widely known for the feature films Role Models and Wet Hot American Summer, the 1990s’ sketch comedy series The State and for directing the Adult Swim series Childrens Hospital. Wain was a founding member of Stella, along with Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black.

Wain was born in Shaker Heights, Ohio. A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Wain first began his career in 1991 as a writer/director, with the short film Aisle Six. The film stars Thomas Lennon, Joe Lo Truglio, Michael Patrick Jann and other members of The State. In 1988 while attending NYU, Wain became a founding member of the sketch comedy group The New Group. This group would later come to be known as The State, and in 1993 he and his fellow members created and starred in The State, a sketch show that lasted 26 episodes on MTV. After The State ended, he, Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter eventually formed the comedy trio Stella.

Wain stars in a web series titled Wainy Days on the website My Damn Channel, currently in its fourth season. The series follows a fictionalized version of Wain through his everyday life as he tries to romance numerous women and discusses his problems with his friends at the sweatshop where he works. Elizabeth Banks, Jonah Hill, Jason Sudeikis, Rob Corddry, Thomas Lennon, Josh Charles, A.D. Miles, Paul Rudd, and Michael Ian Black, and various other Stella/The State/Wet Hot American Summer alum have all guest-starred in various episodes.

As one third of the comedy troupe Stella, Wain has hosted a long running NYC nightclub show, toured the United States, made a series of shorts, and created a 2005 series on Comedy Central.

Wain is featured as the voice of The Warden in the animated series Superjail!. He was a featured commentator in the I Love the 70s series, I Love the 90s Part Deux series, and the weekly VH1 show Best Week Ever. Wain has also dabbled in theatre. He, Michael Showalter and Joe Lo Truglio wrote the play SEX, aka Wieners and Boobs. With The State, Wain co-wrote the book State by State with The State. —Wikipedia

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