Contents



Get 'Touched' By An Angel

1999



Dogma (1999)
 
Directed by 
Kevin Smith (II)    
  
Writing credits 
Kevin Smith (II)    
  
Cast (in credits order) 
Ben Affleck ....  Bartleby  
George Carlin ....  Cardinal Glick  
Matt Damon ....  Loki  
Linda Fiorentino ....  Bethany  
Salma Hayek ....  Serendipity  
Jason Lee (I) ....  Azrael  
Jason Mewes ....  Jay  
Alan Rickman ....  Metatron  
Chris Rock ....  Rufus  
Bud Cort ....  John Doe Jersey  
Alanis Morissette ....  God  
Kevin Smith (II) ....  Silent Bob  
Jeff Anderson (I) ....  Gun Salesman  
Brian O'Halloran ....  Reporter  
Janeane Garofalo ....  Clinic Girl  
Betty Aberlin ....  Nun  
Dan Etheridge ....  Priest at St. Stephens  
Guinevere Turner ....  Bus Station Attendant  
Barret Hackney ....  Stygian Triplet  
Jared Pfennigwerth ....  Stygian Triplet  
Kitao Sakurai ....  Stygian Triplet  
rest of cast listed alphabetically  
Dwight Ewell ....  Gang Leader  
Walter Flanagan (I) ....  Fanboy  
Bryan Johnson (I) ....  Steve-Dave  
Robert Kotaska ....  Church Parishner  
Scott Mosier ....  Guy on bus  
Ethan Suplee ....  The Golgothan  
Robert Taillon ....  Church Parishner  
Patrick Walsh (II) ....  Dead Parishoner (uncredited)  
Matthew Zaglin ....  Church Parishner  
  
Produced by 
Laura Greenlee   (co-producer)  
Scott Mosier    
  
Original music by 
Howard Shore    
  
Cinematography by 
Robert D. Yeoman    
  
Film Editing by 
Scott Mosier    
Vincent Pereira    
Kevin Smith (II)    
  
Production Design by 
Robert Holtzman    
  
Art Direction 
Elise G. Viola    
  
Set Decoration 
Diana Stoughton    
  
Costume Design by 
Abigail Murray    
  
Makeup Department 
Jeannee Josefczyk ....  key makeup artist  
Rachel Kick ....  makeup artist  
  
Production Management 
Susan McNamara ....  production manager  
  
Second Unit & Assistant Director 
Athena Alexander ....  second assistant director  
James Alan Hensz ....  first assistant director  
Scott Mosier ....  second unit director  
David H. 'Wino' Weinstein ....  second assistant director  
  
Sound Department 
Phil Benson ....  supervising sound editor  
Richard Hymns ....  supervising sound editor  
Shawn Kennelly ....  foley mixer  
Shannon Mills ....  sound editor  
Cheryl Nardi ....  first assistant sound editor  
Palmer 'Whit' Norris ....  production sound mixer  
Richard Quinn ....  dialogue editor  
Mary Works ....  assistant dialogue editor  
  
Special Effects 
Robin Allen ....  special effects intern  
Charles Belardinelli ....  special effects supervisor  
Danny Braet ....  digital fire-extinguisher/digital compositor : 
Station X Studios  
Renee Chamblin ....  digital compositor  
Melisa Frick ....  special effects technician  
Vincent J. Guastini ....  special effects makeup  
David 'Yoko' Jose ....  fecal effects wrangler  
Nathan Maruccio ....  special effects intern  
Richard A. Payne ....  visual effects supervisor  
Gregory Ramoundos ....  wing coordinator/builder  
Chris Stavrakis ....  special effects production assistant  
Fred Tepper ....  CG supervisor  
  
Stunts 
Cheryl Bermeo ....  stunts  
Ben Jensen ....  stunts  
Gary Jensen ....  stunt co-ordinator  
Scott Rhodes (II) ....  Technical Adviser / Effects Technician  
  
Other crew 
Carol Banker ....  script supervisor  
Lisa Bradley ....  production office co-ordinator  
Robert Cotnoir ....  score mixer  
Karl Denham ....  digital artist  
Lou Di Cesare ....  gaffer  
Bart Flaherty ....  key grip  
Eileen Garrigan ....  charge scenic  
Adam Goldsmith ....  production assistant  
Megan Graham ....  art department co-ordinator  
Larry M. Gruber ....  set designer  
Monica Hampton ....  post supervisor  
David 'Yoko' Jose ....  fecal effects wrangler
production assistant  
Joe Lisanti ....  assistant music editor  
Darren Michaels ....  unit still photographer  
Morgan Miles ....  production accountant  
Scott Mosier ....  storyboards  
Nancy Mosser ....  extras casting  
Steve Parys ....  key set production assistant  
Buster Pile ....  construction co-ordinator  
Jess Platt ....  dialect coach  
Randall Poster ....  music supervisor  
Gregory Puchalski ....  scenic artist: on-set  
Bryant Reif ....  digital artist  
Shari Schwartz ....  music editor  
Marc Scott ....  transportation co-ordinator  
Ryan Shore ....  orchestrator  
Susan Shufro ....  assistant music editor  
R. Vincent Smith ....  property master  
Brian Sweeney ....  director of photography: second unit  
April Weitzel ....  key set production assistant: second unit  
Michael Zinobile ....  best boy grip  
  
 
 
 
 
 

DOGMA  (1999)
By George Wu
Rating:  *** (out of 4)

Kevin Smith is like a big kid. His humor is that of a sophisticated juvenile's. He grew up idolizing Star Wars and loves comic books, having also written a few. He also has a cult following, mostly composed of teenagers, college students, and Smith's own fellow adolescent-minded grownups. Smith is hilarious in person and in writing, but when he tries to be earnest and moralize, that is when he goes wrong. Kevin Smith is a better writer than director, and he'll be the first to tell you that. That might also be part of the reason why his moralizing comes across as so heavy-handed. Great directors show us their theses instead of having the characters sermonize them. This was true in the overrated Chasing Amy, and it is true for Dogma as well.

That is not to say Smith's message is a bad one. In Dogma, Smith tells us that problems arise when people believe beyond any doubt that their insight into God and God's desires is superior to anyone else's. Basically, dogmatism is bad. Changing the minds of the dogmatic is virtually impossible, and since the dogmatic believe that they have special insight, they also know what is best for you, whether you like it or not. This is not exactly a new message in movies (see Inherit the Wind), but I have no problems with recycling old ones, particularly since Dogma's protesters are proving Smith's point. Smith's own problem with delivering this message is that he beats us over the head with it like we are reading a Dogma for Dummies book. But this is Smith's personality, and his simplistic views neglect such adult issues as how does one interpret the Bible (or Koran, etc.) correctly (or if there even is a correctly) and how one settles disputes of heretofore dogmatic concerns.

The story concerns abortion clinic worker Bethany (Linda Fiorentino) being chosen by Voice of God, Metatron (Alan Rickman), to prevent the destruction of the universe by two fallen angels, Bartleby (Ben Affleck) and Angel of Death, Loki (Matt Damon). Along the way, forgotten thirteenth Apostle, Rufus (Chris Rock), stripper muse Serendipity (Salma Hayek), and slacker duo Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith himself) come to Bethany's aid. Fallen muse, Azrael (Jason Lee), proves to be the behind-the-scenes manipulator for all the chicanery.

The logical but convoluted plot only exists as an excuse for the jokes and to make Smith's points, and in itself, has little dramatic momentum. Among the supposedly outrageous claims made by the film is that God is a woman, Jesus was black, and the Bible was written by a bunch of racist, misogynistic white men. Of course, Kevin Smith does not necessarily subscribe to these ideas himself. They are a metaphor for the fears and insecurities of the dogmatic. Smith says as much in his amusing disclaimer that precedes the movie. When Harvey Weinstein asked Smith to put it into the film before Cannes, Smith thought it might give validation to protesters' claims that the film was sacrilegious, but then he rethought it and turned the disclaimer into a joke.

The film's humor is uneven. Some parts are very funny as when Bethany goes for a fire extinguisher when Metatron makes a burning-bush kind of entrance. But many of the film's jokes just bomb, as in virtually anything involving Salma Hayek's Serendipity. Also, some of the jokes can be seen coming from a mile away. Still, Smith keeps the zingers coming at a sufficiently rapid pace. Among the actors, Fiorentino and Rickman stand out by far. Fiorentino virtually by herself gives the film emotional weight. Damon and Affleck are fairly lackluster. Rock and Hayek exist in the film pretty much only as comic relief as are Mews and Smith. But the latter duo fare much better because Jay and Silent Bob, who recur in all of Smith's movies, are much more in line with Smith's brand of humor. Bud Cort, George Carlin, Janeane Garofalo, Guinevere Turner, and Alanis Morissette all make cameo appearances.

George Wu's Obsessed-About-Movies Page http://pages.prodigy.net/zvelf/




Have I seen this movie: No
Will I see It: probably on video
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