|
08.22.99 - KEVIN REPORTS THE LATEST ON DATES & MORE...
So much good news came from Kevin's recent post that, instead of paraphrasing it here, we're just gonna let the guy's
words stand on their own. Read on for news on Dogma's release date, trailer, official website, and soundtrack:
The release date is now looking like either November 12, or October 22. Hopefully, this will get firmed up this week. I
tell you - for a flick with great buzz, great advance critical notices, and a great cast, it's amazing the amount of shit
it's being put through. Remind me to write a book one day. Good Lord. The things it's be nice to share with you all...
I've seen the trailer, and it's sweet. It's kind of like the one Mosier did (that was seen at the Stash Bash and various
college and comicon appearances) with a little more stuff in there. 'O, Fortuna' is out altogether, which is nice, as it
was popping up everywhere lately. It should be in theatres by early September (unless the bad mojo that's befallen the
release of this flick over the course of the last six months strikes yet again). There was a teaser poster that got
shitcanned at the last minute, but I'm assured we'll see a release poster concept on Monday.
Ming's been building the official 'Dogma' website, and it's pretty cool. There's a section of all these behind-the-scenes
pix that I took during production which I just finished writing revealing text for last week. Aside from that, there're
plans to put the first pages of the 'Bartleby and Loki' comic up. When it's ready to roll, I'll give you the heads-up.
Though there've been nonstop soundtrack stop-and-starts, it looks like the soundtrack issue has been settled. I'm 80% sure
there'll be a soundtrack released this time around (unlike 'Amy'). Man - the stories I could tell you about that too...
More as it develops, of course! We expect a big release announcement any lots of promotional stuff ANY day now...
08.19.99 - CLEARING UP DISTRIBUTION RUMORS...
Okay, we've got some clearing up to do. The rumor we posted yesterday regarding a possible New Line takeover, we're told,
is totally bogus, so it's history...gone. Let's just say we received some kind phone calls today and leave it at that.
Everything's been straightened out now. Yes, we DID post that the story was just net rumor (in red text
no less), but apparently other sites (see below) are
starting to believe us just a little bit too much (scary, isn't it? wow, what should we say next?) so we're going to put
an end to those rumors right now. Lions Gate is in perfect financial shape to take on Dogma, and we're sure they're gearing up to give us official
notice of the film's release, along with a ton of promotional materials, any day now. So let's again cross our fingers, hope for
the best, and thank the good folks at Lions Gate for picking up Dogma (and for reading this site -- Hi, Lions Gate people!).
Best of luck in getting the release put together.
Getting back to what happened, though, there's the report on Mr. Showbiz today that they sorta lifted from our Dogma: RC site.
Here, you read the piece, and we'll comment afterwards:
Lion's Gate Picks Up, Drops Dogma?
Kevin Smith's new religious-themed pic Dogma seems to be the hot potato no distributor wants.
First Miramax passed on the movie — which features pop singer Alanis Morissette as a female God — after parent company
Disney found it to be too controversial. Dogma, which just opened the New York Film Festival, languished without a
distributor before unconfirmed reports began surfacing that Lion's Gate, which found success with another hard-to-market
indie, Gods and Monsters, had picked up the film.
The current issue of Entertainment Weekly reports that Lion's Gate is "expected to become the film's savior," but the small
distribution house did not return Mr. Showbiz's calls.
Turns out the Canadian company is in dire financial straits, Variety reported Aug. 17. Lion's Gate has had to put its
Vancouver, B.C., studio complex up for sale. They're asking $28 million for the 20,000-square-foot complex The X-Files used
to call home.
Spokesman Peter Waal told Variety that the company was "getting out of real estate and returning to our core business,
which is film and television production and distribution."
So hectic is the rumor mill on the fate of Dogma, a "Dogma Rumor Control"
(DRC) site has been created by Smith fans to keep others abreast of the
latest news, rumors, and articles on the film's status.
The DRC, which actually lists more rumors than it "controls," considers the lack of an announcement from Lion's Gate
suspicious, and spins the theory that the film has changed hands once again.
Now New Line Cinema may take over the whole property, asserts DRC. The case for the rumor: New Line recently reached a deal
with Lion's Gate to co-distribute the Janeane Garofalo and Luke Wilson fall comedy Dog Park and is reportedly looking for
another Austin Powers-size hit, although frankly we can't imagine Smith's film would fit that bill.
Supporting that theory somewhat, EW, in an article on the new Warner Bros. studio heads, notes that New Line is the
riskiest film division of the Time-Warner conglomerate. Writes EW of the New Line division production head: "Cocksure Young
Turk Mike De Luca has become the Warner family rogue, cranking out risque and controversial fare like Boogie Nights and
The Basketball Diaries." Sounds like just the place for Dogma.
Meanwhile across the pond, British site Popcorn says, "We can reveal that Dogma has been picked up by Film Four
Distributors for a provisional Dec. 26 debut."
Dogma co-stars Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Linda Fiorentino, Salma Hayek, Alan Rickman, and Chris Rock, and is pencilled in
for a Nov. 19 U.S. release.
This story was originally posted on August 18, before Lions Gate Releasing commented on the Dogma
rumors. We have since clarified certain details.
In our defense, we think we're doing a damned good job controlling the rumors. The best thing we can do is list what folks
are saying, give our own opinions judging on what we've heard, then report back when we've resolved the rumors (like we
did TODAY, see?). If that's not controlling the rumors, we don't know what is. But hey, guys, thanks for the plug. It's
just a shame that you managed to lift all the info for your story from our website yet insult us at the same time.
Oh well. We hope folks that read the Showbiz story should stop over at Dogma RC and read our stuff for themselves. It
just seems that they've taken a piece that we WARNED was purely rumor, turned out to be as such, and made it into their
own story (and blasted Lions Gate, Dogma, and even us in the process). Not very good journalism, in our opinion, especially
for such a widely read site of their size and scope.
For the record, Dogma: Rumor Control wasn't created JUST for this purpose, but also as just a site for ALL the latest on the film. Those
of you that have been there know that, in addition to rumors and news, we've got reviews, press articles, on set reports,
downloadables, pics, and lots more. And we've been in operation since before the film even went before the cameras.
No matter what happens, we still think you'll see Dogma by the holidays. We're sure that Kevin won't let Film Four beat
the U.S. in distribution, so at least expect the flick on or before Christmas.
Keep in mind that Lions Gate was NEVER officially announced as a distributor for Dogma. We speculated for a long time, then
indieWIRE reported the news as official last week, but, at presstime, there has been no official announcement regarding
the distribution of the film, through ANY studio. As always, we'll be here with the latest as it develops. We'll also
continue to be astounded at how much influence our silly little website here seems to have over the media. It's kinda cool, don't ya think?
08.17.99 - A COOL FAN-MADE DOGMA ONE-SHEET
With the continuing mystery of what the actual Dogma one-sheet is going to look like (a teaser poster DOES exist, though
we've yet to see it or hear anything about it, other than it being fairly simple), another fan
(Bill Coughlan) has created a pretty cool
looking one-sheet for the flick. Click the
thumbnail for a larger version. This design is also a fairly simple concept,
but the coloring as well as the production information (notice the mention of the Alanis
track) make this a pretty slick looking piece of work. We dig it!
08.16.99 - ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY FALL PREVIEW
A piece ran in this week's Entertainment Weekly Magazine (the Fall Preview issue) with that
familiar pic of Matt & Ben sitting at the airport (we saw a good 10 to 20 takes of that one on the set) and a
nifty writeup for Dogma that should get the word out there. The issue also lists a November release:
Dogma starring Ben AFFLECK, Matt DAMON, Linda FIORENTINO, Chris ROCK,
Salma HAYEK, Alanis MORISSETTE, Jason LEE, George CARLIN directed by Kevin
SMITH what's the big deal? The gospel according to the guy who made
''Chasing Amy''? Nah, shouldn't be too controversial. Release Date : November
Get this: Affleck and Damon reuniting on screen, the major-film debut of
Morissette, and a budget under $10 million. What's not to love? Well, lots
of things, depending on your religious perspective. Smith's script tells
the story of a reluctant savior (Fiorentino) trying to stop renegade angels
(Damon and Affleck) from scamming their way into heaven. ''I never thought
it was anything but a pro-faith, pro-Catholic, spiritually uplifting d--k-
and fart-joke movie,'' says Smith, a practicing Catholic whose script also
includes scenes with Fiorentino as a descendant of Christ working in an
abortion clinic, and an offhand reference to Mary and Joseph's sex life.
Morissette, for her part, has a brief stint as God. ''Dogma'' was
originally made for Miramax, which is owned by Disney, but Miramax
cochairmen Bob and Harvey Weinstein ultimately decided to avoid studio
conflict by buying the movie out of their own pockets for $12 million and
shopping it around. Though studios didn't bite, indie distributor Lions
Gate (''Gods and Monsters,'' ''Buffalo 66'') is expected to become the
film's savior. ''Sure, it gets heavy at times, but it doesn't go out of
bounds,'' says Lee, who plays Azrael, a muse trying to escape from hell.
''It's not like 'Primal Fear' with a priest videotaping boys and girls
having sex. This is George Carlin playing a Catholic cardinal. Come on,
that's very funny.'' BUZZ FACTOR: 7
08.11.99 - UK RELEASE DATE SET FOR DECEMBER 26TH
Dogma's UK Release Date is being confirmed, by the Popcorn Site,
the date itself is one sure to irk some religious groups somewhere:
"Kevin Smith's new movie has been scheduled to hit British cinemas with
maximum impact.
We can reveal that 'Dogma' has been picked up by Film Four Distributors for
a provisional 26 December debut.
The movie - about two maverick Angels attempting to destroy mankind - has
already angered the Catholic Church and caused problems with Disney, who
ditched a project so at odds with its wholesome image.
Smith recently defended the movie to this site, but accusations of blasphemy
and poor timing will inevitably echo in this country, when Alanis
Morissette's portrayal of God clashes head on with the more familiar
Christian icons.
Expect a Holy War of words to ensue. 'Dogma' co-stars Matt Damon, Ben
Affleck, Linda Fiorentino, Salma Hayek, Alan Rickman and Chris Rock. More
details can be found at Smith's official site ."
08.10.99 - INDIEWIRE: LIONS GATE TO DISTRIBUTE DOGMA!
It's been predicted for a long time now, and it doesn't surprise us in the slightest...This morning, indieWIRE announced
that Lions Gate will indeed be officially coming forward this weekend as Dogma's distibutor! This is excellent news for the
film, as the studio has handled (and continues TO handle) some delicate projects, and many excellent films. We think that
Lions Gate will be a natural fit, and hope they give Dogma the wide, highly publicized release that it deserves. Here's
indieWIRE's blurb on the announcement, by the way:
indieWIRE has learned that this week Lions Gate Films will announce its
acquisition of Kevin Smith's new film, "Dogma." Harvey and Bob Weinstein
sold the "Dogma" rights to Lions Gate after personally buying them from
Miramax in April, heading off a potential showdown with Disney surrounding
the movie's Catholic content. Lions Gate is planning to release the film on
November 12th.
The piece goes on to summarize Kev's post that you can find in our weekend update, as well as give News Askew another nice
plug - Thanks, guys! Good job breaking the big story. We'll certainly be following up with the official news when it arrives,
probably today or tomorrow. Next steps: A teaser poster and that wonderful trailer!
08.08.99 - DOGMA SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 12TH US RELEASE
Looks like the flick's been bounced back another month, but at least now the magical release date has been mentioned.
Kevin says, "...the new rumored release date is locked in at November 12th. Mark your calendars." Sounds pretty finalized
to us, but as we know, release dates can, and often DO, change. We'll keep you posted. He also talks of a simple one-sheet
teaser poster that will be hitting multiplexes soon, so someone with connections hook us up with a couple, will ya? :)
08.06.99 - DOGMA RC IN MADEMOISELLE
This was a pleasant surprise! The latest Madmemoiselle, of all places, has given
Dogma : Rumor Control a plug! Actually,
we think this is the first piece of National printed media to actually PLUG Dogma:RC, and as our OWN site (not listed as
part of View Askew's site, which often occurs) so we're very happy. In the back of the issue, a page is devoted to
Ben & Salma
and their clothing and stuff. It's got blurbs around it, and of them not only
mentions our site for the latest Dogma info, but throws up a screenshot of the front page, as well!
We've got a scan of the page, so click the thumbnail to see it full size.
We're not too excited about headng up to heading to the counter of the local newsstand to ask for copies of
Madmemoiselle, really (actually, we tried, we just didn't find any), so if you've got an extra and wanna ship it our way
for the archives, we'll gladly take it off your hands.
08.06.99 - DOGMA CONTROVERSY IN...BRAZIL???
Looks like the U.S. ain't the ONLY place that's got some groups up in arms about
Dogma (again, before SEEING the flick,
as usual). This time, it's BRAZIL of all places! The film is apparently slated for a November release in that country, so
a campaign called "Vinde Nossa Senhora de Fátima, não tardeis!", started by orthodox catholics, is trying to block the
release.
08.03.99 - NEW ALANIS TUNE IN CREDITS, TIMES ARTICLE ADDED
When her casting was first announced with Dogma, many folks speculated that this might happen. We hoped they were right.
Now, we're happy to report that Alanis Morissette has indeed recorded an original song for the Dogma film & soundtrack!
This news is revealed along with her thoughts on the matter in this nice piece that you can find in our
press area, along
with a newly added story from the New York Times. The track, titled "Still", will run during Dogma's closing credits.
Kev says, "It's beautiful, moving, powerful, and some of her best work to date - the perfect way to end the flick."
07.28.99 - WHAT'S GOING ON WITH DOGMA THESE DAYS???
Many of you may have noticed this page hasn't been receiving updates very frequently lately. This is partly our fault,
of course, but also in part due to the fact that no major articles or announcements regarding the film have been made
lately.
To get you all caught up, though, here's what we DO know:
- Dogma's been tweaked a bit here and there in the past couple of months by Kevin and Scott. It's still at a 2 HOUR
running time.
- Kevin has been quoted saying the release of the film in the U.S. is targeted for "the second week of October". That
leads us to believe that Friday, October 15th would be a likely release date for the film. No definite plans have been
given towards a release of the film outside of the United States, sans two...
- November the 19th has been officially announced as Dogma's release date in Sweden and the rest of Scandinavia.
- Film Four has acquired distribution rights to Dogma in the U.K. Expect to see the film sometime this winter, most likely
2-3 months after the release in the United States.
- NO official U.S. distributor has been announced yet, but a deal HAS been signed. We here at Dogma Rumor Control and
News Askew are 99% sure that this will be Lions Gate. We expect an official announcement any day now. It will be here.
That's really about it from the Dogma front. Thankfully, the protests have quieted down and given us a break. Kevin's
been making a TON of appearances lately, which is covered on our much larger, updated almost-daily MAIN site, News Askew.
If you ONLY visit this site and not News Askew, you're missing a LOT. Surf on over.
07.11.99 - PREMIERE MAGAZINE ON CANNES, DOGMA...
The new issuse of Premiere Magazine has a blurb about
Dogma in an article about the
Cannes Film Festival, as well as
some new shots from the festival. Click the thumbs to enlarge the pics, and read on for the text:
Kevin Smith
Salma Hayek
Ben Affleck
Ben & Salma
|
...Spike Lee used Cannes to re-spin his film into a potentially hot summer movie; Harvey Weinstein, meanwhile, needed to
transform his religious hot potato Dogma into a marketable picture. After the executives at Disney, Miramax’s parent
company, got wind of the content of Kevin Smith’s raucous Catholic farce, Harvey and brother Bob were forced to buy back
the film for $14 million (a higher figure than the movie's actual $10 million price tag). "Disney was too clear a target,"
Harvey says. "I bought the movie, so we took Disney out of the equation. Whatever protests there are, artists have to be
able to express themselves."
The Weinsteins wanted the cachet of getting their picture into the competition, but Jacob balked, so they settled for an
official out-of-competition slot. (Harvey Weinstein believes that Jacob favored American movies with French backing, such
as Lynch's The Straight Story and Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, both of which were financed by Canal
Plus.) "I just needed the critics to go out there and say, "There's nothing blasphemous going on here. Its not like the
Clerks guy is thumbing his nose at the church for two hours,"' says Smith. "It is far from [Miramax release] Priest. I can
understand somebody being outraged that you portray the local reverend as a guy who cruises for ass and goes down on dudes
in the sacristy. But there's nothing in this movie that’s like that." There are, however, a couple of gun-toting fallen
angels, played by charismatic rising stars Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, who go on a bloody killing spree. Ripe material for
misinterpretation, to say the least. But after weathering three U.S. test screenings of Dogma (where audience members
included Universal head Edgar Bronfman Jr. and Lions Gate Films chief Jeff Sackman, whose company Cinepix Film Properties
used to release Miramax films in Canada), Weinstein, who had become increasingly agitated over the prospects of a Priest,
or even a Last Temptation of Christ-level hailstorm, which could threaten his company and his family, got himself back into
festival form when he hit the Riviera. He charmed Roger Ebert at the packed American Pavilion. At his annual AMFAR Cinema
Against AIDS benefit, he brought Dogma stars Affleck and Salma Hayek onto the auction stage for the audience - and for the
photographers. "Wasn't it brave of Ben and Matt to play those bad guys?" he asked, working the room. Weinstein wisely saved
the Dogma press screening for the end of the festival, when the punchy American press would welcome a little diversion.
Outside the theater after the screening, Weinstein had the media eating out of his hand. Later, he tracked down Smith and
said, "Nobody’s upset. Everyone thinks the movie's very faithful." Smith replied, "Welcome to the club." For all his
complaints about this out-of-touch, hopelessly arcane film festival, Weinstein got what he came to Cannes for: critical
support and credibility for his orphan film. At press time, Smith was whittling Dogma down to under two hours, and Lions
Gate was expected to close a deal to buy it...
07.07.99 - FINAL CUT AT 2:00, MID-OCTOBER RELEASE IMMINENT
It's been a while since we've updated here. Dogma doesn't have very much going on in the press now that the Catholic
League's ended their second round of attacks. Now they're going to go spend all the money they raised from those pleas, and
we suppose they'll be back when they decide to fill their pockets again at Dogma's expense.
Kevin, on the other hand, checked in with some spectacular news:
All's well here. We're done with 'Dogma' (again). Running time's down to two hours even, without end credits (sorry, Mister
McCarthy - that half hour to forty five minutes you requested were not do-able). Vincent's conforming the workprint now,
and after Howard touches up his score, we'll be back up at Skywalker for a final re-mix. Then, mid-October release (which
doesn't seem that far away anymore).
There ya have it, folks! A finished flick and a mid-October release!
A sidenote: With flicks like "South Park" taking direct stabs at the Lord, why isn't the League saying "boo" about this
flick? Guess Disney was an easier target than Paramount, huh?
06.24.99 - WILL IT BE LIONS GATE?
Will Lions Gate distribute Dogma? It's sure looking that way. A source (who we assume wants to remain anonymous)
tells us that some of the folks closer to the project have had the studio on their lips for the past couple of weeks now.
Apparently, nothing's been officially SIGNED yet, but the deal is VERY close to completion. We're betting the farm on this
one: Expect an official announcement on the Lions Gate acqusition and impending distribution soon. As for what Kevin's
been saying lately, too, a fall release for the film is still in the cards! Won't be long now...
CLICK HERE TO READ ARCHIVED NEWS
|
|
 |
