CATCHING UP WITH THE HILARIOUS DUO KEN MARTINO and DAVID WAIN ABOUT THEIR NEW COMEDY, GAIL DAUGHTRY AND THE CELEBRITY SEX PASS

Ever thought about who YOUR celebrity sex pass would be? This premise is explored in the hilarious new comedy, Gail Daughtry and The Celebrity Sex Pass brought to you by the comedic duo, Ken Marino and David Wain.

Zoey Deutch stars alongside Mad Men’s Jon Hamm and John Slattery inGail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass, a delightful tale – told Wizardof Oz style – about a small-town girl who sets out on a quest to even thescoreboard with her fiancé.  Directed by David Wain, co-written by Wain and Ken Marino, and starring Marino, the film has the over-the-top humour that’s been the duo’s trademark since 1900s MTV sketch series The State.

 In a charming Kansas town, Gail Daughtry (Deutch) is two weeks away from marrying her high-school sweetheart Tom (Michael Cassidy).  During a playful conversation, she and Tom discuss the “celebrity sex pass,” a hypothetical agreement whereby partners give each other permission to sleep with a famous
person – without impunity.  Then Tom hooks up with an A-lister (no spoiler).

 Reeling from the shock, Gail impulsively joins her co-worker Otto (Miles Gutierrez-Riley) on a trip to Los Angeles, where a psychic convinces Gail that the only way to save her marriage is to pursue her own celebrity pass: Jon Hamm.  Thus begins an epic journey through Tinseltown, as Gail and Otto join forces with a talent agency assistant (Ben Wang), a paparazzo (Marino) and actor John Slattery (as himself), all in the search for Hamm.  Along the way, they collide with celebrities and a group of Italian assassins (Sabrina Impacciatore, Joe Lo Truglio, Mather Zickel), while getting closer to finding the elusive star.

 Shot in Los Angeles, the film is rife with cameos (“Weird Al” Yankovic, Henry Winkler, Elizabeth Perkins et al.).  As for the Wizard of Oz references, we’ll start.  Gail Daughtry = Dorothy Gale.  Otto = Toto.  Gail’s ruby red shoes.  What else?

 David Wain and Ken Marino are frequent creative partners who met in the 1980s at New York University.  Their many collaborations include the cult-classic film Wet Hot American Summer, and hit comedies like Role Models and Wanderlust.

 Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass is being released in Canada on July 10th by Mongrel Media.

I spoke with Ken Marino and David Wain about the film and their longtime collaboration.