60 Turner St., an unassuming brick building on the other side of the commuter rail tracks that houses several offices and theater classrooms, was once the site chosen by famous writer-director David Mamet (The Spanish Prisoner) to serve as the production office for his film, State and Main, only five years ago.The film, a large-scale Hollywood production shot in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass., is a comedy about a large-scale Hollywood production shot in small-town Vermont. The fictional production's guiding philosophy is well-categorized by an inscription on a lucky pillow that belongs to the character Director Walt Price (William H. Macy, Fargo): "Shoot first, ask questions later."

For the most part, the humor works well, with Mamet's brisk dialogue delivered wonderfully by the likes of Alec Baldwin (The Aviator), Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Big Lebowski), Patti LuPone (Driving Miss Daisy), Sarah Jessica Parker (Sex and the City), Rebecca Pidgeon (The Spanish Prisoner), Julia Stiles (The Bourne Supremacy) and even Robert Walsh (THA), a Brandeis instructor.

State and Main includes accompanying audio commentary featuring Parker, Macy, Clark Gregg, David Paymer and Patti Lupone. Although I usually find multi-person commentary tracks generally hard to follow, this particular feature sounds carefully edited, so that each performer's comments coincide with his or her performance.

Additional interesting features on the disc include DVD-ROM content, which can only be accessed on a computer. These include a 'script-to-screen' comparison, in which the film is played in a small box on the computer screen alongside a scrollable copy of Mamet's original screenplay. Just as it is noted in the commentary, it becomes apparent when viewing the film alongside the script that Mamet, although a greatly admired writer in the theatrical and cinematic worlds, rarely insists on sticking to his lines and often encourages on-set changes and improvisations.

All in all, the DVD packs a hefty load of hidden gems and fascinating insights into the creation of a film about the creation of a film. It is well worth exploring.